Drift to sleep as icebergs float by your bungalow
There are few locations the place waking up seems like an prompt journey.
At this lodge, not solely does the day forward current the opportunity of whale sightings, photogenic huts and mountaineering trails, however it additionally begins with an iceberg verify.
Earlier than brushing your enamel, 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 is dependent upon the seas, the wind, and people massive floating beauties. You may wake to a 50ft frozen monster in entrance, or an entire bunch of bergy bits, bobbing round in quite a lot of sizes and styles.
Ilimanaq Lodge is situated on the southern facet of Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO web site on Greenland’s west coast. Open from mid-June to early September, the lodge is distant, enjoyable however oh so effortlessly luxurious.
It’s straightforward to assume a distant lodge will lean extra towards the country facet, however right here, the beds are cozy, the lounge is spacious, the meals are world-class and the little extras, structure and trendy decor all make for among the best experiences you’ll be able to have if you happen to’re looking for a mixture of journey and luxurious.
Every bungalow additionally has an expansive balcony that appears over the ocean if you happen to’re vulnerable to a night of iceberg watching underneath the midnight solar.
THE LOCATION
Ilimanaq is a small settlement situated roughly 15km south of Ilulissat. Entry is through boat throughout the icefjord which presents a chance to rise up near the would possibly icebergs floating all through Disko Bay.
Company staying at Ilimanaq Lodge could have transfers supplied as a part of their keep, or you may as well do a day journey to Ilimanaq…I’d extremely suggest no less than one in a single day keep to really take in the great thing about this vacation spot! Diskoline and World of Greenland each function companies all through the summer time months, as do quite a few different native tour operators.
It’s potential 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. Nevertheless, on the similar 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 related by wood 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 massive 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 the 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 images!), and there are native beers, a collection of wines and snacks accessible to buy additionally.
The concept behind the lodge is that you simply’re outfitted to remain in your bungalow all day if you happen to want to learn a guide, {photograph} some bergs and chill out. All you’ll must 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 a little bit 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 absorb the magic of your environment, to hearken to the waves, the bobbing bergs and the birds. It’s the right alternative to essentially take a break, unwind, and escape a little bit.
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 in addition 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 take pleasure in meals on the deck overlooking the ocean, or inside, the place it’s comfortable, Nordic and feels as fastidiously designed because the dishes themselves.
Take a peek at a number of the meals under.
THE ADVENTURES + PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
When you’re desirous 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 may be very photogenic with the normal vibrant homes, Greenland canines in most yards, and naturally, the dramatic shoreline, distant peaks of Disko Bay, and no matter big 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 basic shot that you would be able to compose in a number of methods by shifting round and that includes the totally different colored buildings.
To the north, there’s a path that leads towards the icefjord. You’ll be able to wander the complete observe which takes as much as 10hrs, or you’ll be able to take your time, take loads of images and see how far you get. Even simply strolling to the highest of the primary hill gives gorgeous 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 automobiles to Tasiusaq Fjord and two glaciers!
As with all visible lodge critiques, I’ll let the images do the remainder of the speaking. If I can say one final thing, a keep right here is sort of a breath of contemporary air and probably the most lovely technique to spend your final day or two in Greenland, significantly if you happen to’re visiting Ilulissat.
Learn extra a couple of 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 really discover plenty of my imagery scattered all through the location, and might even see me enjoyable on the balcony too…it was the perfect expertise to sit down on the market at 1am and watch icebergs float by!)
Journey and panorama photographer from Australia who is way extra comfy in a pair of flippers than heels! Having labored for publications equivalent to Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Instances, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share vacation spot guides to the worlds most photogenic locations and out of doors experiences.