Nunavut

Nunavut is one of the world's most remote and uninhabited areas, but one that holds many rewards for the traveler willing to get off the beaten path. Arctic landscapes can be breathtaking, traditional Inuit villages retain age-old hunting and fishing ways, and the artwork of the North is famous worldwide. In almost every community, artists engage in weaving; print making; or stone, ivory, and bone carving. Locally produced artwork is available from community co-ops, galleries, or from the artists themselves.

What to Expect -- Traveling the wilds of Nunavut is a great adventure, but frankly it isn't for everyone. The Arctic is a very expensive place to travel. Airfare is very high -- for example, flights between Ottawa and Iqaluit are usually over C$2,500 (US$2,500/£1,250), and it will cost even more again to fly from Iqaluit to Pond Inlet. While almost every little community has a serviceable hotel/restaurant, room prices are shockingly high; a hostel-style rustic room with full board costs as much as a decent room in Paris. Food costs are equally high (remember that food must be air-freighted in) and the quality is poor.

To reach anywhere in Nunavut, you'll need to fly on floatplanes, tiny commuter planes, and aircraft that years ago passed out of use in the rest of the world. Of course, all aircraft in the Arctic are regularly inspected and regulated for safety, but if you have phobias about flying, you may find the combination of rattling aircraft and changeable flying conditions unpleasant.

Nunavut is the homeland of the Inuit. Travelers are made welcome in nearly all Native villages, but it must be stressed that these communities aren't set up as holiday camps for southern visitors. Most people aren't English speakers; except for the local hotel, there may not be public areas open for non-Natives. You're definitely a guest here; while people are friendly and will greet you, you'll probably feel very much an outsider.

Baffin Island: Adventure & Inuit Art

One of the most remote and uninhabited areas in North America, rugged and beautiful Baffin Island is an excellent destination for the traveler willing to spend some time and money for an adventure vacation; it's also a great place if your mission is to find high-quality Inuit arts and crafts.

It's easy to spend a day or two exploring the galleries and museums of Iqaluit, the capital, but if you've come this far, you definitely should continue on to yet more remote and traditional communities. Iqaluit is the population and governmental center of Baffin, but far more scenic and culturally significant destinations are just a short plane ride away.

For information about Baffin Island communities, contact Nunavut Tourism, P.O. Box 1450, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 (tel. 866/686-2888 or 867/979-6551; www.nunavuttourism.com). Any serious traveler should get hold of The Nunavut Handbook, an excellent government-sponsored guide loaded with information on Nunavut's land, wildlife, history, people, culture, and practical tips for travelers. The handbook is available from local bookstores and from www.nunavuthandbook.com.

Getting There -- Iqaluit, 2,266km (1,408 miles) from Yellowknife, is the major transport hub on Baffin and is linked to the rest of Canada by flights from Montréal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Yellowknife on First Air (tel. 800/267-1247 or 613/688-2635; www.firstair.ca) and Canadian North (tel. 800/661-1505; www.canadiannorth.com).

Because there are no roads linking communities here, travel between small villages is also by plane. First Air is the major local carrier, centering out of Iqaluit; a bevy of smaller providers fill in the gaps.

Iqaluit: Gateway to Baffin Island

On the southern end of the island, Iqaluit (pronounced Ee-ka-loo-eet) is the new capital of Nunavut and like most Inuit settlements is quite young; it grew up alongside a U.S. Air Force airstrip built here in 1942. The rambling village overlooking Frobisher Bay now boasts a rapidly growing population of more than 4,400 and is a hodgepodge of weather-proofed government and civic buildings.

Exploring Iqaluit -- Begin at the Unikkaarvik Visitor/Information Centre (tel. 867/979-4636), overlooking the bay, with a friendly staff to answer questions and a series of displays on local Native culture, natural history, and local art. There's even an igloo to explore. June 1 to Labour Day, the center is open daily 10am to 5pm; the rest of the year, it's open Monday through Friday the same hours.

Next door is the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum (tel. 867/979-5537), housed in an old Hudson's Bay Company building. The collection of arctic arts and crafts here is excellent; this is a good place to observe the stylized beauty of Native carvings. It's open Tuesday through Sunday 1 to 5pm. The Government of Nunavut Building, at Iqaluit's "four corners," also has a good display of Northern art in the lobby.

Iqaluit is the primary center for Baffin Island art. Local galleries carry works from communities around the island; ask at the visitor center for a map of arts-and-crafts locations if you're interested in buying; prices here can be at least half of what they are down south.

Where to Stay -- Discovery Lodge Hotel, 1056 Apex Rd. (P.O. Box 387), Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 (tel. 867/979-4433; www.discoverylodge.com), is a newer hotel with nicely furnished, good-size guest rooms and an inviting public sitting area. The restaurant is one of Iqaluit's best. Double rooms begin at C$220 (US$220/£110). Frobisher Inn, on a hill above Iqaluit (P.O. Box 610, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0; tel. 867/979-2222; www.frobisherinn.com), or the "Frobe," as it's known by regulars, is in a complex that houses a cinema, a small shopping arcade, and the municipal pool. Recently updated guest rooms are pleasantly furnished and decorated, and the views on the bay side are quite panoramic. There's a very lively bar as well as an excellent restaurant, with a mix of French and Northern choices. Double rooms begin at C$220 (US$220/£110).

Other Baffin Island Destinations

If you've come as far as Iqaluit, don't stop now. Smaller communities on Baffin Island are far more scenic and compelling than Iqaluit, and with excellent recreational opportunities. Each of the following Inuit communities is served by scheduled air service and will have a small hotel, store and guide services. For current information on these communities, consult the Nunavut tourism website at. www.nunavuttourism.com.

Pangnirtung and Auyuittuq National Park -- Called "Pang" by Territorians, Pangnirtung is at the heart of one of the most scenic areas in Nunavut. Located on a deep, mountain-flanked fjord, Pang is the jumping-off point for 21,500 sq. km (8,300-sq.-mile) Auyuittuq National Park, often referred to as "the Switzerland of the Arctic."

Pang itself is a lovely little village of 1,200 people, with a postcard view up the narrow fjord to the glaciered peaks of Auyuittuq. The local population is very friendly and outgoing, which isn't the case in some other Inuit villages. The Angmarlik Interpretive Centre (tel. 867/473-8737) is definitely worth a stop, with well-presented displays on local Inuit history and culture.

Most people go to Pang to reach Auyuittuq National Park, 31km (19 miles) farther up Pangnirtung Fjord. Auyuittuq (pronounced Ow-you-ee-tuk) means "the land that never melts" and refers to the 5,698-sq.-km (2,200-sq.-mile) Penny Ice Cap, which covers the high plateaus of the park, and the glaciers that edge down into the lower valleys and cling to the towering granite peaks. The landscapes are extremely dramatic: Cliffs rise from the milky-green sea, terminating in hornlike glacier-draped peaks 2,333m (7,654 ft.) high; in fact, the world's longest uninterrupted cliff face (over 1km/ 1/2 mile of sheer rock) is in the park. Auyuittuq is largely the province of long-distance hikers and rock climbers; if you're looking for an adventurous walking holiday in magnificent scenery, this might be it. The best time to visit is July to mid-August, when the days are long and afternoons bring short-sleeve weather. For details, contact the Auyuittuq Park superintendent, P.O. Box 353, Pangnirtung, NU X0A 0R0 (tel. 867/473-2500; www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nu/auyuittuq).

Pond Inlet -- In many ways, the best reason to make the trip to Pond Inlet on Baffin's northern shore is simply to see the landscape. On a clear day, the 4-hour flight from Iqaluit up to Pond is simply astounding: hundreds of miles of knife-edged mountains, massive ice caps (remnants of the icefields that once covered all North America), glacier-choked valleys, and deep fjords flooded by the sea. It's an epic landscape -- in all the country, perhaps only the Canadian Rockies can match the eastern coast of Baffin Island for sheer scenic drama.

Pond Inlet sits on Eclipse Sound, near the top of Baffin Island in the heart of this rugged beauty. Opposite the town is Bylot Island, a wildlife refuge and part of Sirmilik (North Baffin) National Park. Its craggy peaks rear 2,167m (7,109 ft.) straight up from the sea; from its central ice caps, two massive glaciers pour down into the sound directly across from town.

Considering the amazing scenery in the area, Pond Inlet is relatively untouristy. The peak tourist season is May and June, when local outfitters offer trips out to the edge of the ice floes, the point where the ice of the protected bays meets the open water of the Arctic Ocean. In spring this is where you find much of the Arctic's wildlife [ST]: seals, walruses, bird life, polar bears, narwhals, and other species converge here to feed, often on one another. A wildlife-viewing trip out to the floe edge (by snowmobile or dogsled) requires at least 3 days, with 5-day trips advised for maximum viewing opportunities. Other recreation opportunities open up in August, when the ice clears out of Eclipse Sound. Bird-watching boat trips out to Bylot Island are offered (the rare ivory gull nests here), as well as narwhal-watching trips in the fjords. It's best to allow several days in Pond Inlet if you're coming for summer trips; the weather is very changeable this far north.

Kimmirut & Katannilik Territorial Park -- The center for Baffin Island's famed stone-carving industry, Kimmirut, formerly Lake Harbour, is located along a rocky harbor, directly south of Iqaluit on the southern shore of Baffin Island. While many people make the trip to this dynamic, picturesque community to visit the workshops of world-renowned carvers, there are other reasons to make the trip. Katannilik Territorial Park is a preserve of arctic wildlife and lush tundra vegetation and offers access to Soper River. The Soper, a Canadian Heritage River, is famed for its many waterfalls in side valleys and for its long-distance float and canoe trips.

Many people visit Katannilik Territorial Park for a less demanding version of rugged Auyuittuq National Park farther north. Wildlife viewing is good, and hiking trails wind through the park. Canoeing or kayaking the Soper River is a popular 3-day trip that's full of adventure but still suitable for a family. For more information on the park, contact the Katannilik Park manager, Lake Harbour, NU X0A 0N0 (tel. 867/939-2084; www.nunavutparks.com).

Other Nunavut Destinations

Bathurst Inlet -- One of the most notable arctic lodges, Bathurst Inlet Lodge was founded in 1969 for naturalists and those interested in the Arctic's natural history and ecology. The lodge is at the mouth of the Burnside River on an arm of the Arctic Ocean in a rugged landscape of tundra and rocky cliffs. The lodge is housed in the historic buildings of a former Oblate mission and the old Hudson's Bay Company trading post.

The lodge is open for a brief mid-summer season only. Rates will depend on the activities available during your visit, but are typically C$4,995 (US$4,995/£2,498) a week, which includes charter air transportation to/from Yellowknife, all meals, and programs. The lodge can make arrangements to suit your individual interests, including fishing, hiking, flight seeing, wildlife photography, and river floating.

For more details, contact Bathurst Inlet Lodge, P.O. Box 820, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N6 (tel. 867/873-2595; www.bathurstinletlodge.com).

Quttinirpaaq (Ellesmere Island) National Park Reserve -- A good part of the intrigue of Ellesmere Island is its absolute remoteness. A preserve of rugged glacier-choked mountains, icefields, mountain lakes and fjords, and arctic wildlife, Ellesmere Island National Park is the most northerly point in Canada. During the short summer, experienced hikers and mountaineers make their way to this wilderness area to explore some of the most isolated and inaccessible land in the world.

Getting to Ellesmere is neither easy nor cheap. From Resolute Bay (served by regularly scheduled flights on First Air), park visitors must charter a private airplane for the 960km (597-mile) flight farther north. There are no facilities or improvements in the park itself, so you must be prepared for extremes of weather and physical endurance. The most common activity is hiking from Lake Hazen at the center of the park to Tanquary Fjord in the southwest corner. This 129km (80-mile) trek crosses rugged tundra moorland, as well as several glaciers, and demands fords of major rivers. Needless to say, Ellesmere Island Park isn't for the uninitiated.

For more information and an up-to-date listing of outfitters who run trips into the park, contact Quttinirpaaq National Park, P.O. Box 278, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0 (tel. 867/975-4673; www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nu/quttinirpaaq).