Destination visited:

Activities included: Birdwatching, Canoeing, Horseback Riding, Scuba Diving, Sea Kayaking, Whale Watching

Utila is only an hour by ferry from La Ceiba, Honduras; yet, it’s a world apart! Easy to reach from any of the areas commonly visited by the backpacker set, it’s a great change of pace… friendly, clean, inexpensive, and fun. Oh yeah, it’s also about the best place in the world to learn to dove!

It’s easy to get to Utila from virtually anywhere in Central America. La Ceiba has a big international airport, and busses arrive there form all over, every day. In La Ceiba, any taxi driver can get youto the Muelle Cabotaje (freight pier), from which a beautiful passenger ferry leaves every morning at about 9:30 for the one hour trip out to the island.

Scuba diving! The minute you get to Utila, you’ll see that just about everybody (even the locals) dives every day! There are about ten great dive shops, and the beginner course is just four days and about $150, including a hotel room! Shop around to find an instructor that you like and trust; you’ll spend your vacation with them, so you want to be sure you’ll get along! If you’re lucky, you’ll get to swim with a whale shark, the biggest fish in the sea– they live there year ’round! Relax, explore the jungle, kayak in the lagoons, ride horses through the jungle, hang out on the beach, meet lots of other travelers, and party! And by all means get a custom video of your dive trip… it’s as good as you see on tv, and for four copies, it comes out to just $35 a person!

The weather and diving are good all year, but the spring is the best time. It gets real hot late in the summer, but there’s usually a nice breeze, and the bugs aren’t nearly as bad as you might have heard. Plan to be there for at least a week or so, to take the beginner and advanced course. It’s a lot nicer than the rest of the gringo trail, and even less expensive. A week in a nice room, including eating, partying, and diving every day (or taking courses).

Utila is kind of famous for being the cheapest place in the world to learn to dive, but it has also become a very, very good place to learn! The reefs are very healthy and the diving is truly world class, with something for everybody!

Destination visited:

Activities included: Birdwatching, Hiking/Trekking, Mountain Climbing, Walking, Whale Watching

Spent 17 days at Hallo Bay WIlderness Camp – located on the Pacific Coast of the Katmai national Park – beautiful landscape – abundant wildlife and many, many bears – great viewing and photography. The weatherport cabins are very cozy and have a heater, stove, sink and all eating utensils provided.The camp is located on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

We did 8-12 mile hikes every day – sometimes twice a day – you need to spend at least 4 days at the camp to fully benefit from the location.

Did lots of photography – eagles, bears, landscape and of course the other people too -

The bear viewing – our guide Clint, got us real close to them – remembering of course they are wild animals – but the rapore was there between Clint and the bears – they knew we were just there to look and not harm.

They truly are majestic and beautiful.

Also enjoyed walking on the beach barefoot and in shorts, yes it does get to be about 70 degrees F in the day time.

Had a great time and I am looking at going back next summer

flight from Orlando to Anchorage, on to Kodiak and then into the Katmai by Bush plane – what a rush – there is nothing like flying in a bush plane

great hot showers and plenty of water – 18 hours of sun makes for long days but eventful ones – you don’t even know you are tired.

Destination visited:

I flew into Anchorage and met my sister. We started right off on our road trip, heading south to see glaciers, fjords, mountains and wildlife.

Our journey took us from Anchorage down the Kenai Peninsula, then to Valdez, back up to Fairbanks, and finally to Denali National Park.

Alaska only has a handful of highways, so it’s virtually impossible to get lost. This trip we started south on Seward Highway from Anchorage which brought us into Seward then we jumped on Sterling Highway to Homer. We then headed back up to Anchorage where we got on Glenn Highway to Glenallen, and then south on Richardson Highway to Valdez. Retracing our steps, we followed Richardson Highway all the way up to Delta Junction where we jumped on Alaska Highway to Fairbanks. Finally, to wrap up our tour, we took George Parks Highway to Denali National Park.

When you’re in Anchorage, don’t miss Chilcoot Charlies (Coots), provided you’re 21 or over. One no-misser under any circumstance is the Fjord tour in Seward. Excellent views of wildlife, scenery, and glaciers. When on this boat, make sure you go inside when you get to the island called the bee hive. (unless you enjoy being pelted by bird turd) Also, take a fishing trip in Homer, and take a horseback ride along the beach in Clam Gulch as you’re leaving Homer. Tour the pipeline terminus in Valdez, and see the Worthington Glacier, where you climb right on it (at your own risk of course). The Riverboat Discovery tour in Fairbanks is an absolute must do. Also, in Fairbanks,see Alaskaland and the Gold Dredge Number 8, where you can pan for gold! The bus tour at Denali is about the only way you can get into the interior of the park, short of hiking, so I highly recommend it as a quicker way to see Mt. McKinley.

As soon as you get into Anchorage I highly recommend buying their state guide The Milepost. This guide details each highway, noting attractions and scenic wonders by milepost. We bought one, and while my sister drove, I read outloud from this book, nonstop! There is so much detail you’ll be sure to not miss a thing as long as you’re using it.

Our trip took place from 7/31 – 8/14, which is a very warm time of year in Alaska. Temperatures ranged from 80 – 95 degrees. Also, the salmon were coming in to spawn at this time, and there was a great viewing area of this in Valdez. We camped in the back of our truck every night, and showered at laundromats along the way, which really saved us a lot of money. Alaska is very friendly in that you can pull over on the side of a highway and just sleep, without being bothered. Basically, Alaska can be very economical for those who are not fussy about where they sleep.

Destination:

You paddle a stable two-person kayak gliding silently among marine mammals and sea birds.

A unique ocean upwelling at Point Adolphus makes these waters nutrient-rich, attracting the entire marine food chain, especially families of humpback whales that feed along these shores.

You camp under towering Sitka spruce and dine at the water’s edge with the magnificent panorama of the Fairweather Mountain range and the Inside Passage before you.

Tour Plan

Marine Mammal Discovery Sea Kayaking Itinerary

Your adventure begins in Gustavus with an early departure from your bed and breakfast. Go to the Gustavus dock, where you board a chartered cabin cruiser for the ride across Icy Strait. Start watching for whales!

Unload off the stunning coastline of Chicagof Island in the heart of Tongass National Forest. You set out to kayak the coast of Chicagof Island, traveling a total of 30 to 40 miles. This leaves plenty of opportunity to explore the famous ancient forests of Tongass and see wildlife.

Every night you camp in wilderness campsites. The highlights are seals, sea lions, sea otters and humpback whales. You also see bald eagles and abundant sea birds.

This area offers good fishing opportunities for those who bring fishing gear. You spend the last two days at Point Adolphus, the most productive humpback whale feeding area in Alaska.

On day six, your charter boat will load up for the trip back to Gustavus, with additional chances to observe and photograph marine mammals. Dates and itineraries are subject to change. We will verify availability and itinerary upon your request.

Destination:

The region is dominated by the St. Lawrence River and any tour would be incomplete without taking to its waters. On your first day, you travel by boat past the multi-colored Perc‚ rock to Bonaventure Island. Another day, you embark on a whale watching cruise.

You hike through meadows and woods and along cliffs, viewing an abundance of birdlife and rare plantlife. You can also hike around the highest mountain in Quebec, Mont Jacques Cartier. You spend a day exploring the rugged coastline of Forillion Federal Park.

You stay at coastal lodges and quaint inns, including The Hotel Bonaventure Sur Mer in the heart of the town of Perc‚.

In the region of the Parc de Ia Gaspesie, where the peaks soar to over 4000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level, you spend three nights at the grand Hotel Gite du Mont Albert. Dominating the park is Mont Jacques Cartier, one of the highest mountains in Quebec.

The hikes are suitable for most people in reasonably good physical condition. Two guides allow for different paces and routes.

Children must be at least 10 years old to participate.