POLAR BEARS IN CANADA

MANITOBA in summer is an astonishingly beautiful place, where the tundra blossoms into a sea of pink and purple wildflowers and animals are out in abundance.

This includes magnificent polar bears who make their way to land with the warmer weather, lounging in patches of dazzling fireweed or padding their way along the rocky shores (they can sometimes be spotted hunting beluga whales from the beaches).

Guests on this eight-day trip will be based in a family-run lodge on the shore of Hudson Bay, surrounded by wild, bold landscapes and the extraordinary wildlife of this polar region.

Days can be spent on marine tours – spotting and swimming with hundreds of white beluga whales – trekking in search of caribou or polar bears. Sometimes, however, you won’t even need to change out of your pyjamas, as the curious bears occasionally wander so close to the lodge you can sit and watch them with your morning cup of coffee.

Why so special? The tour is run by Responsible Travel, and often it has the only boats on the quiet Seal River estuary, making spotting the polar bears an intimate experience.

What else can I see? Caribou, foxes, wolves, grizzly bears and wonderful birdlife. And the stunning Aurora Borealis, which is particularly strong in this area, flickering across the night’s sky like waves of vivid green and purple silk.

Dates from July. Eight days from £10,760pp, including meals, activities and flights (responsibletravel.com).