Drift to sleep as icebergs float by your bungalow
There are few areas the place waking up looks like an instantaneous journey.
At this lodge, not solely does the day forward current the potential of whale sightings, photogenic huts and mountaineering trails, nonetheless it furthermore begins with an iceberg examine.
Before brushing your tooth, a peek out the window will reveal what number of icebergs have floated into the bay in a single day, or presumably, even drifted out. The pleasing is that every one in all it depends upon upon the seas, the wind, and different folks giant floating beauties. Chances are you’ll wake to a 50ft frozen monster in entrance, or an entire bunch of bergy bits, bobbing spherical in quite a few sizes and shapes.
Ilimanaq Lodge is positioned on the southern facet of Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO website on Greenland’s west coast. Open from mid-June to early September, the lodge is distant, fulfilling nonetheless oh so effortlessly luxurious.
It’s simple to suppose a distant lodge will lean further within the path of the nation facet, nonetheless correct proper right here, the beds are cozy, the lounge is spacious, the meals are world-class and the little extras, development and stylish decor all make for most certainly one of the best experiences you can have inside the event you’re within the hunt for a mixture of journey and splendid.
Every bungalow furthermore has an expansive balcony that appears over the ocean inside the event you’re inclined to a night of iceberg watching beneath the midnight photograph voltaic.
THE LOCATION
Ilimanaq is a small settlement positioned roughly 15km south of Ilulissat. Entry is via boat all via the icefjord which presents an opportunity to face up near the might icebergs floating all via Disko Bay.
Friends staying at Ilimanaq Lodge can have transfers offered as a part of their keep, or you too can do a day journey to Ilimanaq…I’d terribly advocate no less than one in a single day keep to essentially absorb the beauty of this journey spot! Diskoline and World of Greenland each function companies all via the summer season season months, as do various completely totally different native tour operators.
It’s potential to entry Ilimanaq all via 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 offered by the lodge.
THE DESIGN
Perched on the rocky shores, the A-frame design of the bungalows instantly stands out as you methodology Ilimanaq by boat. Nonetheless, on the identical time, they’re furthermore mixing in, with the tones and supplies used reflecting these of the encircling rock and tundra.
There are 15 bungalows, all linked by wood walkways nevertheless spaced generously to confirm privateness and sprawling, uninterrupted views from every balcony. The angles and outlook have been cleverly designed to produce every bungalow with sea views not solely from the deck, nonetheless from the mattress room upstairs.
The A-frame format permits for a lot of house downstairs the place the lounge space and loo are positioned, then a staircase leads as lots as a result of the mattress room, providing a heat cosy vibe. On account of inside mezzanine the place the mattress room sits, you’re in a position to snuggle in mattress and be careful the large home house home windows to take a look at the midnight photograph voltaic, stars and even aurora in early September is feasible!
THE LITTLE LUXURIES
The very very very first thing to notice is the good welcome, alongside alongside together with your lodge hosts greeting you off the boat and sharing insights about Ilimanaq, the lodge and the way in which one can revenue out of your keep. Your baggage will then be whisked away to your bungalow, should you wander inside the course of it and get your first glimpse of the views!
All through the rooms, there are espresso and tea firms so it is potential you may sip a heat drink whereas photographing icebergs out of your deck (my kind of images!), and there are native beers, loads of wines and snacks accessible to buy furthermore.
The thought behind the lodge is that you simply simply’re outfitted to remain in your bungalow all day inside the event it’s worthwhile to be taught a e information, {{{photograph}}} some bergs and sit again. All you’ll ought to do is stroll all the easiest way all the way in which all the way down to the bistro for breakfast, they’ll pack your lunch after which you’ll return for a wander to dinner – it’s nice! I’ll share further for these eager on filling their days with journey only a bit additional down the web internet web page.
All bungalows are powered with {photograph} voltaic vitality to assist the inexperienced initiatives in place, and any further energy is handed to the native settlement.
Oh, and one stunning 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 fitting varied to mainly take a break, unwind, and escape only a bit.
THE FOOD
Restaurant Egede and its professional group of cooks serve up a menu of Greenlandic substances, offering a gastronomic expertise to pair alongside alongside together with your wine and the encircling wilderness. Having visited as soon as extra in 2019, then as quickly as further in 2024, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to expertise the menu ready by Restaurant Egede, and in addition to that of the Michelin-starred group behind KOKS, which collaborated with the lodge between 2022-2024.
From 2025, the Egede group are as soon as extra and it is potential you may profit from meals on the deck overlooking the ocean, or inside, the place it’s cosy, Nordic and feels as rigorously designed on account of the dishes themselves.
Take a peek at a few of the meals beneath.
THE ADVENTURES + PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Whenever you happen to’re decided to get out and about, it is potential you may {{{photograph}}} dawn out of your balcony, examine the mannequin new icebergs contained in the bay, prior to heading down for breakfast then taking an all-day hike to the icefjord shores, or south alongside the coast.
The settlement of Ilimanaq itself might very effectively be very photogenic with the same old vibrant properties, Greenland canine in most yards, and naturally, the dramatic shoreline, distant peaks of Disko Bay, and no matter large icebergs are floating by.
To study from the setting, enterprise up within the path of the cemetery for one among many highest components contained in the settlement which lets you {{{photograph}}} over the colorful properties and compress the distant peaks, bringing the scene nearer collectively.
See the beneath picture which was captured with the OM-1 MKII + 40-150mm f2.8 zoom lens and the MC-20 2 x teleconverter. Such a main shot that you’d compose in loads of methods by transferring spherical and that options the absolutely completely totally different colored buildings.
To the north, there’s a path that leads within the path of the icefjord. You most likely can wander all the observe which takes as lots as 10hrs, or it is potential you may take your time, take a substantial amount of pictures and see how far you get. Even merely strolling to the easiest of the primary hill supplies lovely views within the path of the icefjord!
There are fairly a couple of excursions it is potential you may take whereas staying at Ilimanaq Lodge together with a guided Settlement stroll, Tundra Hike, or, it is potential you may sail all the easiest way all the way in which all the way down to Itilliup Ilua and enterprise in off-road autos to Tasiusaq Fjord and two glaciers!
As with all seen lodge critiques, I’ll let the pictures do the remainder of the speaking. If I can say one final merchandise, a keep correct proper right here is type of a breath of newest air and likely most likely probably the most lovely technique to spend your final day or two in Greenland, significantly inside the event you’re visiting Ilulissat.
Examine further a couple of keep correct proper right here – https://worldofgreenland.com/en/ilimanaq-lodge/
(on account of I photographed the lodge for World of Greenland as soon as extra in 2019, you’ll truly uncover quite a few my imagery scattered all via the positioning, and can even see me fulfilling on the balcony too…it was the best expertise to take a seat down out there in the marketplace at 1am and watch icebergs float by!)
Journey and panorama photographer from Australia who’s manner further snug in a pair of flippers than heels! Having labored for publications akin to Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Occasions, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share journey spot guides to the worlds most photogenic areas and outdoor experiences.
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