Almost a year has passed since I came to Tasiilaq in East Greenland for the first time. One year where I explored Tasiilaq and the surrounding areas of East Greenland. From massive amounts of snow, shovelling at least twice per day to endless summer nights, overnight seal hunts, sailing among icebergs and hiking up the steep mountains for a different perspective. Looking back on this adventurous year, the best part was not knowing what is going to happen.
Not only the overall experience, but even on a daily basis. It is this feeling of excitement and willingness to do new, unusual and maybe even risky/challenging things with unknown outcomes. It is this gaining of a new experience which makes it exciting to just get out, explore and be surprised by what you encounter. East Greenland might be on your bucket list for various reasons, extremes, adventures, being secluded or for its nature and heart-warming people. Let’s dive into it, get ready to head to East Greenland and let me give you some of my tips on how to enjoy your East Greenlandic adventure.
My 9 Recommendations
1. You don’t need entertainment 24/7
Take your time to enjoy the silence, the quietness, the sometimes slow pace and sometimes hectic atmosphere. It gives you time to soak in the silence and be attentive to the beautiful noises of nature. You will be surprised about all the things you will be able to hear.
2. Flexibility
I recommend you to leave your detailed vacation plan at home, and I can say this as a German, knowing how much of an integral part planning and calendars can be in your life. There are many other factors you cannot account for in your vacation planner beforehand, being open for accepting the present conditions and making the best of it, will allow you to have an adventure of your lifetime with unforeseen moments. Go with the flow of East Greenland, which does have its own rhythm.
3. Hidden gems
Not everything is on a map accessible for your trip planning beforehand. Trust your local guide, boat captain or companion. They know their environment and conditions, they will show you places worth visiting, places that mean a lot to them and spots with beautiful nature and views. Listen and observe closely, they will have a lot of stories to share.
4. Be friendly, be curious and with a smile on your face
People in East Greenland are extremely welcoming, open and heart-warming. Do respect local people, their privacy and lives. Try to understand the local culture. Be open by exploring, observing or participating, even if it looks different from your common practise, make the effort to understand why and how this is a common practise in the area and why it is important for the local people.
5. Weather is a part of social life, and not only because it is a daily topic in everyday life.
There are few places on earth where the weather can make such an impression for memorable experiences as in Greenland. Known for its variability and changes, this could be a challenge but also has its charm. Weather can vary fast during the course of the day; it can be different from fjord to fjord; it defines where you can travel to and what activities you can do on a particular day. But let me tell you, the weather is well worth a trip. So, how do you experience weather apart from it disrupting your trip schedules and planned activities? You can see, feel, smell and touch it. It will be an integral part of your experience.
6. Availability of food
Availability and variety of fruits and vegetables can be very limited depending on the season. During summer supplies are brought in with supply ships mostly from Iceland, while during winter the only fresh supplies arrive by plane from Iceland in very limited quantity. All other fruits and veggies are supplied as frozen goods, also the meat and fish from the west of Greenland. Of course, you find a variety of shelf-stable and canned food.
Eating out options are currently somewhat limited as well, so embrace the local food sources. I find them delicious. Most importantly, try them before declining due to unfamiliarity, you might be surprised how much you can enjoy those, or at least stick to fresh fish. Check out the local stores, in Tasiilaq for example, they even might be selling fresh produce from the first gardening project in Tasiilaq done by socio-economic organisation Siu Tsiu and their youngsters.
7. Do not compare
Neither to the rest of Greenland, nor Iceland, nor Denmark or the standards of your home country. You came on this adventure to explore something different, to have an adventure of a lifetime in a, for you, unfamiliar region, which is remote due to many factors, and has a unique and impressive nature you want to see. Value the people who make their living in this environment every single day and embrace the diversity instead of diminishing it.
8. Say goodbye to being online at high-speed internet 24/7
There are hardly any free WIFI spots yet, since flat rate WIFI has been introduced not so long ago, and with satellite the connection can be slow, sparse, sometimes non-existing for a day or two. So, use this trip to detox. Acceptance is the best advice to avoid frustration. You can be present in the moment without mobile distractions and still share all those impressive pictures of the breath-taking landscape you took.
9. Do something you haven’t done before
Whether this is camping out in nature, several days of hiking or joining local activities such as seal hunting or choir performances and let yourself be surprised.
