Newfoundland holiday adventure
| country: | Canada | ||||
| location: | Newfoundland | ||||
| departures: | 2010: 6 Jun, 13 Jun, 20 Jun, 27 Jun, 4 Jul, 11 Jul, 18 Jul, 25 Jul, 1 Aug, 8 Aug | ||||
| price: | From CA $2,600 (8 days) excluding flights
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| more info: | From CA $2,950 for a single traveller. 6.5% tax to be added for non Canadians, 13% tax to be added for Canadians | ||||
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Newfoundland holiday adventure
Experience the world's largest gathering of humpback whales and a fabulous diversity of marine wildlife. Small groups and giant landscapes are featured. These departures are all guaranteed to go. While we can never promise whales, these dates include the prime whale watching season (100 per cent viewing success 1994-2007). Most years we see the largest numbers and varieties of whales between late June and early August.
The seabirds are thinning out by late July but everybody should see murres, puffins, razorbilled auks, gannets, eagles, moose, caribou, and many other species of wildlife. Since 1993 (except 1999, 2005 and 2006) everybody saw icebergs on our June and July trips. Guests also get to enjoy eastern Newfoundland's museums, lighthouses, trails, wildflowers, songbirds, flavours, and local folks. Meals are a highlight and feature Newfoundland specialties such as bake apple tarts and partridgeberry pies.
Included in the price are accommodations in fine quality local hotels; experienced naturalist guide; all breakfasts and lunches; all admissions; ground and boat transportation; airport pick-up and drop-off. Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland is not included. The order of holiday events may be changed to accommodate the weather or other unavoidable circumstances.
The seabirds are thinning out by late July but everybody should see murres, puffins, razorbilled auks, gannets, eagles, moose, caribou, and many other species of wildlife. Since 1993 (except 1999, 2005 and 2006) everybody saw icebergs on our June and July trips. Guests also get to enjoy eastern Newfoundland's museums, lighthouses, trails, wildflowers, songbirds, flavours, and local folks. Meals are a highlight and feature Newfoundland specialties such as bake apple tarts and partridgeberry pies.
Included in the price are accommodations in fine quality local hotels; experienced naturalist guide; all breakfasts and lunches; all admissions; ground and boat transportation; airport pick-up and drop-off. Transportation to and/or from Newfoundland is not included. The order of holiday events may be changed to accommodate the weather or other unavoidable circumstances.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Pick up at airport and short orientation excursion around St. John's. An evening slideshow or photo exhibit will introduce you to the highlights of the upcoming holiday. |
| Day 2: | Boat voyage featuring whale watching, North America's largest puffin colony, and tens of thousands of other seabirds. We like to start your holiday with a thrill as we usually see members of the world's largest summertime gathering of acrobatic humpback whales; and often we enjoy the company of other whale species. The islands we visit are one of the planet's largest seabird reserves. We visit one of the New World's earliest fishing villages. |
| Day 3: | Whales, members of the world's most southerly caribou herd, a small puffin colony, a tern colony, and seals are usually seen as we circle the Avalon Wilderness Area -- a 1,000 square kilometre park. |
| Day 4: | A visit to the continent's third largest gannet colony, also a breeding ground for thousands of other seabirds including the world's most southerly breeding thick billed murres. We get great views of gannets, kittiwakes, and murres with their eggs and/or chicks. In season -- usually mid-July -- we enjoy some of the world's finest land-based whale watching as the high sea cliffs allow us to watch the whales cavort around their northern coastal feeding grounds. Then we're off to explore the first outpost of New France. We also show off our secret orchid patch and look for moose. The evening's destination is the Terra Nova National Park area. Tonight or tomorrow night usually features a moose and black bear hunt (with cameras only). We enjoy a 90 per cent or higher success rate at finding the moose, but bears are much more elusive. These hunts are always fun! |
| Day 5: | Spend the day on Terra Nova's walking trails, experiencing what makes this area so special -- moose, osprey, orchids, shore-birds, and much more. Or explore the lighthouses, history, wildlife, and coastlines of Bonavista and Trinity Bays. In some ways this is a day at leisure where we try to cater to your interests. Bird watching, icebergs, flower walks, beachcombing, sea kayaking, whale watching, and hands-on marine biology programs are all possibilities. Some options such as flight seeing trips and boat tours are at your own expense, but you don't need to spend a cent to enjoy a wild and wonderful day. |
| Day 6: | Examine Newfoundland's marine ecology, as a morning-long boat trip takes you to see bald eagles. Icebergs, giant chunks of 15,000 year old Greenland glaciers, and more whales usually add to the day's photographic wonders. Call in at nearby settlements before returning to St. John's for the evening. Enjoy Friday and Saturday night out on the town in North America's first city. Our leader will provide lots of suggestions about local theatre, entertainment, and culture. Enjoy! |
| Day 7: | We usually enjoy another ocean cruise in search of whales and wildlife before traveling to North America's most easterly point. We further explore the trails, museums, and attractions of historic St. John's. |
| Day 8: | Free in St. John's until we bring you to the airport. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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All participants are encouraged to assist with our whale work (see Whale study week) but this is a fun and educational introduction to the wildlife and human culture of Newfoundland and Labrador. This coast has had human occupation for 9000 years and we explore the natural world and how the various peoples have lived here. We visit and learn about caribou herds, puffin colonies, gannet stacks, and more. We view and learn about some of the planet's largest marine wildlife gatherings.
We also view/learn about the seabirds that come from the southern hemisphere to enjoy the rich feeding here. We also carefully visit and teach about orchid patches, fossil beds, and breeding areas of rare birds. We present biological reports to our guests and to government scientists tasked with monitoring wildlife populations. We sometimes are happy to present an alternative to the local lifestyles which doesn't always value the natural world. We have worked to bring a bag limit to the world's largest unregulated hunt (the local guillemot hunt) and we have supported park creation in areas where local people traditionally took their all terrain vehicles to hunt game..and where some opposed conservation measures despite dwindling wildlife populations. In Newfoundland and Labrador we have North America's highest number of hunters per capita and lowest number of birdwatchers/nature association members per capita. All of our programs feature local hosts/leaders and all distribute non resident travellers to remote areas where they enjoy local services and hospitality ranging from boat tours to delicious homemade bread and local sub-arctic berry jams.  A National Geographic survey of guest satisfaction looked at the ethic of sustainability and educational emphasis of these very enjoyable excursions, and resulted in National Geographic Adventure Magazine listing our company as one of the best Adventure Travel companies on earth. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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