Keng Kok
Malaysia
Customer
Rating
9
Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”
Keng Kok's Trip Date:
8th Jun - 17th Jun 2025
What was your most memorable moment?
Probably the first sighting of a mother polar bear and it's cub on the second last day of expedition, although it was very far away as they appear like a flurry blob even with binoculars.
Which of the following best describes your adventure?
Great holiday
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?
9 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Into the Polar Bear’s Realm?
2 out of 10
Tell us about the expedition team
Most of the time, when they take us out on the zodiac, they will tell some stories pertaining to the landing or area. Meghan, liked her handling of the walks, motivating talks, and prods us along the way to reach our target and back to the zodiac landing point. Valerie is such a bubbly personality, she could almost clear up a foggy day - almost as the sail up north to the pack ice - polar bear was sighted by the spotters, but sadly thick fog rolled in minutes and we had to abandon the pursuit of the bears... Steve is wonderful photographer, chronicling our expedition through his lens. I see him moving from group to groups always on the camera snapping away. If I may say, the expedition guides are human too, with varied characters or trait. Some are more daring to move closer to the polar bears as we noticed while some stayed further away being more sensitive to the disturbing the polar bears.
Tell us about the Ocean Explorer
The cabin is kept clean - friendly bunch. They do surprised me with some cute towel origami. Food may not be the greatest fine dining, however, the hotel manager Djorge is fantastic. Always request my feedback on the food. The chef do make some asian cuisine for our table and the chef Charlton had a special Briyani chicken rice on our last night onboard dinner dining.
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to The Arctic?
Arctic is totally different from Antarctica - not only the landscape, the type of wildlife - esp. where it is abundantly found, eg. the penguins, even the seals and birds while polar bear being the apex predator and their numbers are estimated to be only 700 in Svalbard area.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
Not all expedition is the same.
Would you be interested in travelling to Antarctica with Swoop?
Yes
Would you be interested in travelling to Patagonia with Swoop?
Yes
Would you consider another trip to the Arctic with Swoop?
No