PONANT launches exclusive Inuit immersion voyages in Greenland
Luxury expedition line PONANT EXPLORATIONS and polar consultancy SEDNA will launch two immersive Arctic voyages in Greenland in 2027.
2 min
PONANT EXPLORATIONS is expanding its high-end polar offering with two new Greenland departures in spring 2027, developed in partnership with polar consultancy SEDNA.
The voyages follow the success of the companies’ first Greenland immersion experiences in 2025 and will focus on connecting guests with Inuit communities through a series of locally-led cultural and wilderness experiences.
Guests will take part in activities including dog sledding, kayaking, ice fishing, ski touring with a pulka and overnight stays in traditional Inuit homes or bivouacs on pack ice. According to the release, the experiences have been designed and led by Greenlanders themselves.
The partnership between PONANT EXPLORATIONS and SEDNA is built around shared values including respect for local communities, environmental responsibility and low-impact exploration.
SEDNA co-founder and polar explorer Nicolas Dubreuil said the experiences were shaped directly by Inuit communities.
“These meetings and activities are the initiative of the Greenlanders, who are fully involved in sharing their way of life,” he said.
“And I’m delighted to see guests so deeply affected. They challenged themselves and discovered the true spirit of this wonderful people, masters of adaptation. Qujanaq! Thank you!”
Among the exclusive experiences planned for the 2027 departures are overnight stays in traditional Inuit tents at the sacred site of Nunanutaat following dog sled journeys across the polar wilderness.
Guests will also have the opportunity to stay in expedition tents at scientific camps on the pack ice alongside researchers studying marine biology, glaciology and climatology.
Both voyages will take place aboard Le Commandant Charcot, described as the world’s only luxury icebreaker capable of reaching Greenland’s High Arctic during spring conditions when conventional ships cannot access the region.
The first itinerary, Encounter with the Last Guardians of the North Pole, will operate from April 4 to April 16, 2027, while Beyond the Inhabited World will depart from April 16 to April 28, 2027.
International AI strategist Justin Kabbani will headline the Kanebridge Property Summit in Sydney on June 18, with tickets selling fast.
Scotch whisky expert, luxury hospitality strategist and Keeper of the Quaich inductee Ross Blainey is bringing a new philosophy of luxury experiences to Citizen Kanebridge.
A new 65-villa luxury resort complete with a longevity spa, vineyard villas and major Gillie & Marc art collection is coming to the Hunter Valley in 2027.
2 min
A major new luxury resort development is set to reshape the Hunter Valley’s high-end tourism offering, with HVL Hotels unveiling plans for Laval Hunter Valley, a 65-villa resort opening in Pokolbin in 2027.
Positioned on the historic 165-acre Lindeman Estate site, Laval is being described as the first new-build luxury resort of its scale in the Hunter Valley in two decades.
The project is expected to generate about $49 million annually in economic activity while supporting up to 479 jobs across construction and ongoing operations.
HVL Hotels Managing Director Dominic Lambrinos said the development aimed to create a new benchmark for regional luxury tourism.
“Laval is more than the answer to a longstanding gap in the Hunter Valley’s luxury accommodation segment,” he said.
“It represents an ambition to do something that hasn’t been done before, on the most magical piece of land within the valley.”
The resort will feature 65 pavilion-style villas positioned throughout a working vineyard landscape, including a Wabi Sabi-inspired Presidential Villa designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Architecture will be led by EJE Architects, with interiors by Some Studio.
The development will also include a private helicopter landing facility, a 25-metre red-tiled pool overlooking Shiraz vines, landscaped meditation meadows, sensory gardens and a major ecological regeneration program involving more than 21,000 plants and 6,782 vines.
One of the resort’s defining features will be its art program, anchored by one of the world’s largest collections of Gillie & Marc sculptures. The collection will include 13 large-scale outdoor works alongside more than 130 in-room and digital pieces integrated throughout the property.
Food and beverage offerings will be led by chef Justin North, with signature restaurant Vallery drawing inspiration from Provence, coastal Spain, southern Italy and Japan. Poolside venue La Vida and a central lobby bar will round out the culinary offering.
A 10,000-bottle cellar and 1,000-label wine list curated by Jon Osbeiston will focus on Hunter Valley heritage alongside international producers.
Wellness will form another key component of the resort, with the two-level Veraia Spa spanning 1,000 square metres and offering 15 treatment rooms, thermal circuits and longevity-focused therapies.
The Hunter Valley project is scheduled to open in the second half of 2027.
When the Writers Festival was called off and the skies refused to clear, one weekend away turned into a rare lesson in slowing down, ice baths included.
Travellers are swapping traditional sightseeing for immersive experiences, with Africa emerging as a must-visit destination.
