Alaska and Canada small group holiday

Environment:
Our Alaskan Adventure trip is carbon offset so you can be sure that all carbon emissions generated from travelling on this trip, are offset by investments into sustainable projects around the world including a rice husk biomass project in Thailand as well as hydro electric projects in China and India.

This trip includes Denali, Kluane and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks where our travellers have the opportunity to experience these wilderness areas and appreciate the delicate natural environments that make them highlights of any trip to Alaska. Where we include national parks we provide written information for our travellers to peruse while in transit, to learn of the local flora, fauna and key issues that threaten the environments.

Our trip starts with Denali National Park, which exemplifies interior Alaska's character as one of the world's last great frontiers for wilderness adventure. Denali National Park and Preserve is managed as three distinct units, Denali Wilderness, Denali National Park additions, and Denali National Preserve. Denali National Park goes to great lengths to protect its ecosystem and wildlife from human interference. During the summer months, when visitors come to the park, no cars are allowed inside. Tourists are asked to take the park shuttle and conduct themselves in an environmentally responsible way. Rafting, kayaking, dog-sledding, mountain biking and glacier hikes are all great environmentally friendly activities offered on this tour in an around the vast national parks and nature preserves. In Valdez we hear about the effects of oil spills on the environment before crossing the amazing Prince William Sound by ferry. The stunning Kenai Peninsula offers guided naturalist and glacier hikes as well as whale watching. Beluga whales can commonly be seen on our way back to Anchorage.

Community:
We travel in small groups of 13 people to minimise the effects that large groups have when visiting remote areas and small villages. It is easier to 'blend in' with a small group and it allows us to stay in smaller properties and eat in more local establishments - where a group of 40-50 would need to eat in more touristy places. 

We pitch our tents at locally owned rustic campgrounds with names such as "Smith's Green Acres" and prepare fresh and tasty meals over the campfire. We also get a chance to experience some true Alaskan small-town flavor and eat Alaskan seafood. On this trip we have ample opportunities for adventure activities guided and operated by small local businesses and even Native American owned adventure outfitters. We get in touch with Alaskans and Yukon Canadians who can tell us about life in the last frontier and how people lived and worked during the gold rush times in Skagway and Haines. We can also learn about Native Americans and experience their culture and traditions.

We have an expert Operations based in the USA so our team is fully aware of current affairs. We have found that local operations is a superior way to ensure the quality and safety of our travellers. Each year we conduct extensive safety audits to ensure our properties comply with local regulations as well as our own safety requirements. We also conduct reviews of our itineraries to ensure they include as much local interaction opportunities as possible, where our travellers can engage with the locals and learn their way of life and the local cultures of the places we visit. These experiences often make our trips unique.