Greenland by luxury icebreaker: A bucket list journey to the world’s largest island

It’s the world’s largest island, with around 80% of its surface covered by a vast ice sheet. It's also a place as remote as it is awe-inspiring.

Despite hitting the political headlines in recent years, including former US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex it, Greenland remains largely untouched and rarely visited.

Travel writer Brian Berkman spent 14 days there in June aboard Le Commandant Charcot, the world’s only luxury icebreaker, and tells CapeTalk’s Pippa Hudson it was a true bucket list experience:

"The destination itself certainly is, but so is the ship itself."

Le Commandant Charcot is operated by the French shipping company Compagnie du Ponant.

Berkman explains how the design of the vessel is designed for the ice-filled waters around the island.

"She is designed with a PC2 hull, to be able to cut through the ice."

It is the weight of the ship that cuts the ice, says Berkman.

"The Captain describes it in the way you'd break a slab of chocolate in to blocks."

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Berkman describes the deafening silence of the Arctic as something he had no idea would be such a memorable part of the trip.

"When you are there and the ship isn't breaking the ice...you hear almost nothing" he says.

The silence adds to one's awareness of how remote you are, he adds.

"During the 14 days, we didn't encounter another ship and stopped at one village."

One thing that Berkman did encounter, however, was some local wildlife.

One sighting in particular formed the highlight of his trip.

He explains how the Captain of the ship had promised to wake the passengers 'at any hour' if there was something worth seeing.

"At about 1:30 in the morning, the first morning of our cruise, we were woken up and asked to come to Deck 5...to see a polar bear. It was beyond my expectation of what that would be like."

To listen to travel writer Brian Berkman in conversation with CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson click audio below.