Katmai coast sea kayaking holiday in Alaska
| country: | USA, Alaska |
| location: | Alaska |
| departures: | 2010: 9 Jun, 11 Aug |
| price: | From £2595 (12 days) excluding flights |
| more info: | Price includes all accommodation as per itinerary, most meals, internal transport in Alaska by vehicle and light aircraft (including vehicle transport from Anchorage to Homer and air transportation from Homer to the Katmai Coast), all guiding services, group camping and sea kayaking equipment. Minimum age 18. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
An incredible sea kayaking journey along Alaska’s remote and stunning Katmai coast. Katmai National Park is one of the most spectacular and ecologically diverse areas in North America. Its rugged beaches are home to some of the largest brown bear concentrations in the world and its waters and shores support some of the richest marine life in the Pacific. Katmai National Park is located on the crest of the Pacific Rim of Fire and contains within its wild borders the unaltered evidence of one of the world's most powerful volcanic eruptions ever recorded. Accompanied by 2 highly experienced Alaskan sea kayaking guides, your small group of 6 will travel to remote areas inaccessible by any other means and camp on idyllic beaches next to pristine forest. With short hikes affording wonderful uninterrupted views of one of the world's last great untouched wildernesses, this is an adventure that combines all that makes Alaska a true wilderness journey. June, July and August are the most popular months.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Anchorage to Homer. After your guides collect you from your accommodation you will enjoy the scenic 4 hour trip along the spectacular Seward Highway to Homer, a wonderful fishing village on the shores of Cook Inlet’s Katchemak Bay. |
| Day 2: | Kinak Bay. After boarding a floatplane for the 1 hour flight to Kinak Bay we assemble the sea kayaks and set up camp before an evening paddle around the shoreline of Kinak Bay. |
| Days 3-11: | Katmai coast. Our Alaskan sea kayaking adventure along the Katmai coast will take us along 50 miles of this spectacular shore - from Kukak Bay to Geographic Harbor. As we head southwest along the Alaska Peninsula we will camp on islands and beaches and have the chance to view this spectacular National Park in a way that few ever have. Our route will take us around a complex of narrow fjords, island and sea stack bays, sandy beaches, deep river valleys and rocky headlands. Views of active volcanoes and Kodiak Island will be our panoramic backdrop as we glide past a complex ecosystem that includes river drainages, marshes, beaches, intertidal zones, estuaries, coastal uplands and islands. The campsites we choose will allow for beach combing, hiking, exploring and wildlife viewing. We will also visit Takli Island Archeological District, which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places and we will strive to understand the hearty history of those who called this area home for over 8,000 years. |
| Day 12: | Homer to Anchorage. Return by light aircraft to Homer and onwards to Anchorage where the adventure ends. Transfer to the international airport or a quiet hotel in the city. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
We operate with a small selection of carefully chosen Alaskan-owned local guiding operations where we can be sure that the money from our adventures goes towards developing nature-based tourism in regions where the alternatives for employment are almost certain to involve damaging the natural environment. Our adventures in the remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge entail a fascinating social-cultural dynamic. The cultural identity of an estimated 8 different First Nations peoples depends upon the survival of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. These peoples have traditionally followed the great herds and most of their traditions and customs revolve around the herd. In raising awareness of the environmental issues of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we believe we are also contributing to the survival of the country’s unique cultural heritage. On the journey, the client will visit a remote fishing village called Homer where our clients can engage with the local communities and get a feel for their traditional way of life. Environment For every client who travels to Alaska with us we make a contribution to the Nature Conservancy who coordinate a range of wilderness conservation projects in Alaska including the protecting and preserving of the threatened wild and reforestation projects. This trip involves sea kayaking down the Katmai National Park which is home to the largest concentration of grizzly brown bears and a trip to the Takli Island Archaeological District which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. Through engaging our clients with these conservation areas we hope that our clients will become advocates for their future protection. The local guides operate a “leave no trace” policy which is relevant to the wild camping which takes place on this trip, for example waste disposal and the idea that you carry out what you carry in. The maximum people allowed on this trip is 12 which minimises the environmental and social footprint of our trips. Like any business we cannot eliminate our consumption of energy altogether, what we do instead is financially offset our carbon emissions by 110% through Climate Care. |
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. |