[pskinner]

So I'd recommend Ny-Ålesund (but be prepared for a very long and uncomfortable boat trip if you go there and back in a day) plus the Soviet ghost town Piramida - remember to take your passport as you can get it stamped with a Russian stamp without having to get a visa! I forgot mine.

Safety wise, if you are afraid of bears you need to be confident enough to handle flares, a large handgun and a large calibre hunting rifle. There are alot of bears, I saw three while I was there though none were close to major settlements.

We did get shown sole CCTV footage from the dock where a bear came down and broke into and ate a crate of frozen whale meat off the dock, that was fun.

Oh and take or get a Greenland dog from one of the kennels to go with you anywhere - they can tell when a bear is near. They aren't pets though, don't expect them to behave like a lapdog.

If you like beer be prepared to take quite some money for it.