Drift to sleep as icebergs float by your bungalow

There are few locations the place waking up looks like an instantaneous journey.

At this lodge, not solely does the day forward current the opportunity of whale sightings, photogenic huts and climbing trails, however it additionally begins with an iceberg verify.

Earlier than brushing your tooth, a peek out the window will reveal what number of icebergs have floated into the bay in a single day, or maybe, even drifted out. The fun is that all of it depends upon the seas, the wind, and people large floating beauties. You might wake to a 50ft frozen monster in entrance, or an entire bunch of bergy bits, bobbing round in a wide range of sizes and shapes.

Ilimanaq Lodge is positioned on the southern aspect of Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO website on Greenland’s west coast. Open from mid-June to early September, the lodge is distant, stress-free however oh so effortlessly luxurious.

It’s simple to assume a distant lodge will lean extra towards the country aspect, however right here, the beds are comfortable, the lounge is spacious, the meals are world-class and the little extras, structure and classy decor all make for top-of-the-line experiences you’ll be able to have when you’re in search of a mixture of journey and luxurious.

Every bungalow additionally has an expansive balcony that appears over the ocean when you’re vulnerable to a night of iceberg watching below the midnight solar.

THE LOCATION

Ilimanaq is a small settlement positioned roughly 15km south of Ilulissat. Entry is through boat throughout the icefjord which presents a possibility to rise up near the would possibly icebergs floating all through Disko Bay.

Visitors staying at Ilimanaq Lodge can have transfers supplied as a part of their keep, or you too can do a day journey to Ilimanaq…I’d extremely advocate no less than one in a single day keep to actually take in the fantastic thing about this vacation spot! Diskoline and World of Greenland each function providers all through the summer time months, as do quite a lot of different native tour operators.

It’s doable to entry Ilimanaq throughout winter by helicopter, or with dogsled, snowmobile or snowshoe from Qasigiannguit to the south.

The settlement has a inhabitants of solely 53, final counted in 2020 and operates primarily as a fishing village, along with the tourism portion supplied by the lodge.

THE DESIGN

Perched on the rocky shores, the A-frame design of the bungalows instantly stands out as you method Ilimanaq by boat. Nonetheless, on the identical time, they’re additionally mixing in, with the tones and supplies used reflecting these of the encompassing rock and tundra.

There are 15 bungalows, all linked by picket walkways but spaced generously to make sure privateness and sprawling, uninterrupted views from every balcony. The angles and outlook have been cleverly designed to supply every bungalow with sea views not solely from the deck, however from the bed room upstairs.

The A-frame format permits for lots of area downstairs the place the lounge space and toilet are located, then a staircase leads as much as the bed room, providing a heat cosy vibe. As a result of inside mezzanine the place the bed room sits, you’re capable of snuggle in mattress and be careful the big home windows to look at the midnight solar, stars and even aurora in early September is feasible!

THE LITTLE LUXURIES

The very first thing to notice is the pleasant welcome, along with your lodge hosts greeting you off the boat and sharing insights about Ilimanaq, the lodge and how one can take advantage of your keep. Your baggage will then be whisked away to your bungalow, whilst you wander in direction of it and get your first glimpse of the views!

Within the rooms, there are espresso and tea services so you’ll be able to sip a heat drink whereas photographing icebergs out of your deck (my form of pictures!), and there are native beers, a collection of wines and snacks obtainable to buy additionally.

The thought behind the lodge is that you just’re outfitted to remain in your bungalow all day when you want to learn a guide, {photograph} some bergs and calm down. All you’ll have to do is stroll right down to the bistro for breakfast, they’ll pack your lunch after which you’ll be able to return for a wander to dinner – it’s superb! I’ll share extra for these eager on filling their days with journey somewhat additional down the web page.

All bungalows are powered with photo voltaic vitality to assist the inexperienced initiatives in place, and any further energy is handed to the native settlement.

Oh, and one surprising luxurious that ensures you’ll have entry to uninterrupted pure magnificence…the bungalows are wifi free. Use the time to take in the magic of your environment, to take heed to the waves, the bobbing bergs and the birds. It’s the right alternative to essentially take a break, unwind, and escape somewhat.

THE FOOD

Restaurant Egede and its skilled staff of cooks serve up a menu of Greenlandic substances, offering a gastronomic expertise to pair along with your wine and the encompassing wilderness. Having visited again in 2019, then once more in 2024, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to expertise the menu ready by Restaurant Egede, and likewise that of the Michelin-starred staff behind KOKS, which collaborated with the lodge between 2022-2024.

From 2025, the Egede staff are again and you may get pleasure from meals on the deck overlooking the ocean, or inside, the place it’s cosy, Nordic and feels as rigorously designed because the dishes themselves.

Take a peek at a number of the meals under.

THE ADVENTURES + PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

For those who’re desperate to get out and about, you’ll be able to {photograph} dawn out of your balcony, examine the brand new icebergs within the bay, earlier than heading down for breakfast then taking an all-day hike to the icefjord shores, or south alongside the coast.

The settlement of Ilimanaq itself could be very photogenic with the standard vibrant homes, Greenland canine in most yards, and naturally, the dramatic shoreline, distant peaks of Disko Bay, and no matter large icebergs are floating by.

To take advantage of the surroundings, enterprise up towards the cemetery for one of many highest factors within the settlement which lets you {photograph} over the colorful homes and compress the distant peaks, bringing the scene nearer collectively.

See the under picture which was captured with the OM-1 MKII + 40-150mm f2.8 zoom lens and the MC-20 2 x teleconverter. Such a traditional shot you could compose in a number of methods by transferring round and that includes the totally different colored buildings.

To the north, there’s a path that leads towards the icefjord. You possibly can wander your entire monitor which takes as much as 10hrs, or you’ll be able to take your time, take loads of pictures and see how far you get. Even simply strolling to the highest of the primary hill offers beautiful views towards the icefjord!

There are numerous excursions you’ll be able to take whereas staying at Ilimanaq Lodge together with a guided Settlement stroll, Tundra Hike, or, you’ll be able to sail right down to Itilliup Ilua and enterprise in off-road autos to Tasiusaq Fjord and two glaciers!

As with all visible lodge evaluations, I’ll let the pictures do the remainder of the speaking. If I can say one last item, a keep right here is sort of a breath of recent air and essentially the most stunning solution to spend your final day or two in Greenland, significantly when you’re visiting Ilulissat.

Learn extra a few keep right here – https://worldofgreenland.com/en/ilimanaq-lodge/

(as a result of I photographed the lodge for World of Greenland again in 2019, you’ll truly discover quite a lot of my imagery scattered all through the location, and may even see me stress-free on the balcony too…it was the perfect expertise to sit down on the market at 1am and watch icebergs float by!)

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