Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Haida Gwaii Adventure Tours And Travel

By Tonia Merritt


An itinerary for Haida Gwaii adventure tours and travel in British Columbia, Canada which is completely dedicated to activities on the water can easily keep visitors interested for a week or more. The same seven days could also be devoted to exploring manmade and natural wonders on land. It's just as possible to mix and match parts from both, so let's take a look at the possible options for the adventure of a lifetime.

There are 138 islands in this archipelago located 62 miles offshore from the BC mainland. The Island of Graham is the commercial base, offering the best Haida Gwaii accommodations in and around communities such as Masset and Queen Charlotte. The Island of Moresby is the preferred choice for national park visitors, since it is home to the magnificent Gwaii Haanas National Park.

Queen Charlotte's name was etched out when these islands were renamed as the "islands of the people". It hasn't much changed the fact that this is still an outdoor paradise. Visitors can expect to come face to face with the largest species of black bear in the world, and test their survival skills and strength in many ways and places where nature is still the predominant force.

Tourists on boat cruises can see eye-to-eye with migrating whales and tens of thousands of nesting seabirds. Adrenaline junkies can navigate kayaks through raging waters or go deep-sea sport fishing. On land, they can head out for a grueling trek through the rain-forest.

It's always possible to wander around with a map in hand or take a scenic road trip on Highway 16 which connects both islands and all their villages. However, this is a huge place with a total landmass of 3,931 square miles. Things will go a lot better if there is a planned itinerary and a guide who knows from experience what visitors like to see and do.

Charter boats are available to take visitors out for fishing. Some of the remote islands have fishing lodges and a boat ramp, and nothing else besides. Expert local guides can lead nature and bird-watching tours. Some groups just camp out and spend the week on kayaks and surfboards, exploring the beaches and trails, doing some tree-climbing and so on. They may even teach people how to fish, providing the gear and taking the group to all the great fishing spots.

A journey across the Gwaii Haanas National Park is a unique experience. The starting point for these tours is at Cumshewa Inlet for groups heading south, and at Ninstints (SGaang Gwaay) for those heading north. In between, visitors get to do everything from hiking, camping and kayaking to fishing, heritage sightseeing and nature explorations.

All said and done, Haida Gwaii adventure tours and travel offer visitors a rare opportunity to get away from modernity and rediscover the simplicity and pleasure of life in the outdoors. But this is no ordinary camping trip, so be prepared for a wild patch of land and sea as yet untamed by man in North America. The best part is that it's not necessary to fly half-way around the world to find this adventure.




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