Vancouver Island sea kayaking holiday, Canada
| country: | Canada | ||||
| location: | Vancouver Island | ||||
| departures: | Departures available from June to September | ||||
| price: | From CA $579 (3 days) - CA $1,599 (7 days) excluding flights
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| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
An unforgettable sea kayaking and camping adventure awaits you! Paddle along breathtaking shorelines to remote island destinations off Vancouver Island's Coast. Experience first-rate wilderness hospitality as your expert guide helps you set up camp amidst some of the most relaxing and enchanting areas in the world. Mother Nature will provide you with remarkable beach camping, rain forest hiking, and gorgeous sunsets. Leave with spectacular memories of encounters with whales, porpoises, sea lions, seals, sea otters, eagles, and black bears. Our tours are professionally guided and include all gear and food.
Kayaking adventures in the Gulf Islands From CA $579 (3 days) ex flights
Just off the shores of Victoria, the splendour and charm of the Canadian Gulf Islands is surely to seduce the kayaking adventurer in you! Regardless of which Gulf Island destination you choose, the beauty of its landscape and the captivating displays of the local wildlife will simply be astonishing. The Gulf Islands are home to a wide variety of birds ready to be captured by the lens of your camera. For those of you that are birders be ready for sightings of mighty bald eagles, peregrine falcons, swallows, pigeon guillemots and shy cormorants. While admiring these fabulous birds, keep and eye on the water as you may be surprised by Orcas, silver otters, or curious harbour seals trying to steal the show. Some of our Gulf Islands kayaking adventures are quite suitable for children!
Kayak and hike along the Bedwell Trail From CA $1,075 (5 days) ex flights
The Bedwell Trail is located in Strathcona Provincial Park (BC’s very first Provincial Park) in the heart of Vancouver Island. The trail starts with a hike up to Bedwell Lake, our first campsite. From the glacier fed lake, we will follow the Bedwell River through the unique temperate rainforest ecosystem, with its towering trees and mossy undergrowth. We will hike from the headwaters all the way to Bedwell Sound where the river meets the sea. From there, a boat ride will take us to Tofino.
Clayoquot Sound - Tofino Kayaking Trip From CA $1,075 (5 days) ex flights
Tofino, British Columbia, is located on the edge of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Tofino is a kayaker's paradise; it is the gateway to a multitude of sandy beaches and remote islands accessible only by water. During summer months, Tofino experiences mild weather suitable for fantastic kayaking. Grey whales are a common sight, as many make the Tofino area their home until the late fall when it's time to migrate to their winter calving grounds near Baja, Mexico. Sea lions, Sea otters, wolves, eagles, white sandy beaches! It's all there!
We head out to Vargas Island, a truly beautiful place! The island is ringed by sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Blunden Island, a short paddle from our camp, hides a surreal, secret lagoon… an ideal location for lunch. From the lagoon, listen to the echoing grunts of the nearby sea lion colony. Male sea lions can weigh up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). These animals make for the perfect photo opportunity with their showy behavior. Fresh air, breath taking scenery, gentle sound of waves on the shore…it’s not all about kayaking. There will be plenty of time to relax on the beaches, take photos, read books and meet new people. Every night, guides will cook dinner while the rest of the evening is spent sharing stories around the campfire.
Kayaking and Hiking Adventure on Vargas and Flores Island From CA $1,599 (7 days) ex flights
The Wild Side Trail experience is an exciting mix of kayaking and hiking. More days! More fun! Pure adventure! Leave civilization behind and make the spectacular sandy beaches of Vargas and Flores Island your oceanfront home for a week. The peacefulness of kayaking and hiking will expose participants to a very unique ecosystem and amazing bio-diversity. Flora, fauna and marine life, make this a remarkable West Coast wilderness a unique adventure. During the summer months, the waters of these beautiful islands yield many species of migratory birds, seals, sea lions, otters and whales. On land, one can observe the odd lone wolf scavenging the beaches in search of a meal. Hiking the Wild Side trail unravels the wonderful world of Vancouver Island's coastal forest.
Kayaking adventures in the Gulf Islands From CA $579 (3 days) ex flights
Just off the shores of Victoria, the splendour and charm of the Canadian Gulf Islands is surely to seduce the kayaking adventurer in you! Regardless of which Gulf Island destination you choose, the beauty of its landscape and the captivating displays of the local wildlife will simply be astonishing. The Gulf Islands are home to a wide variety of birds ready to be captured by the lens of your camera. For those of you that are birders be ready for sightings of mighty bald eagles, peregrine falcons, swallows, pigeon guillemots and shy cormorants. While admiring these fabulous birds, keep and eye on the water as you may be surprised by Orcas, silver otters, or curious harbour seals trying to steal the show. Some of our Gulf Islands kayaking adventures are quite suitable for children!
Kayak and hike along the Bedwell Trail From CA $1,075 (5 days) ex flights
The Bedwell Trail is located in Strathcona Provincial Park (BC’s very first Provincial Park) in the heart of Vancouver Island. The trail starts with a hike up to Bedwell Lake, our first campsite. From the glacier fed lake, we will follow the Bedwell River through the unique temperate rainforest ecosystem, with its towering trees and mossy undergrowth. We will hike from the headwaters all the way to Bedwell Sound where the river meets the sea. From there, a boat ride will take us to Tofino.
Clayoquot Sound - Tofino Kayaking Trip From CA $1,075 (5 days) ex flights
Tofino, British Columbia, is located on the edge of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Tofino is a kayaker's paradise; it is the gateway to a multitude of sandy beaches and remote islands accessible only by water. During summer months, Tofino experiences mild weather suitable for fantastic kayaking. Grey whales are a common sight, as many make the Tofino area their home until the late fall when it's time to migrate to their winter calving grounds near Baja, Mexico. Sea lions, Sea otters, wolves, eagles, white sandy beaches! It's all there!
We head out to Vargas Island, a truly beautiful place! The island is ringed by sandy beaches and rocky headlands. Blunden Island, a short paddle from our camp, hides a surreal, secret lagoon… an ideal location for lunch. From the lagoon, listen to the echoing grunts of the nearby sea lion colony. Male sea lions can weigh up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). These animals make for the perfect photo opportunity with their showy behavior. Fresh air, breath taking scenery, gentle sound of waves on the shore…it’s not all about kayaking. There will be plenty of time to relax on the beaches, take photos, read books and meet new people. Every night, guides will cook dinner while the rest of the evening is spent sharing stories around the campfire.
Kayaking and Hiking Adventure on Vargas and Flores Island From CA $1,599 (7 days) ex flights
The Wild Side Trail experience is an exciting mix of kayaking and hiking. More days! More fun! Pure adventure! Leave civilization behind and make the spectacular sandy beaches of Vargas and Flores Island your oceanfront home for a week. The peacefulness of kayaking and hiking will expose participants to a very unique ecosystem and amazing bio-diversity. Flora, fauna and marine life, make this a remarkable West Coast wilderness a unique adventure. During the summer months, the waters of these beautiful islands yield many species of migratory birds, seals, sea lions, otters and whales. On land, one can observe the odd lone wolf scavenging the beaches in search of a meal. Hiking the Wild Side trail unravels the wonderful world of Vancouver Island's coastal forest.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Aboard our mini-bus you will drive head out to Tofino on the west coast. There will be time for a quick lunch before we launch our boats and paddle to Vargas Island. Camp will be at Ahous Bay. A trip to the sea lion colony will get you up-close to these 1000kg (2,200lbs) friendly giants. From there, a short paddle to Blunden Island's secret hidden lagoon makes an ideal location for lunch. From Vargas Island, we will travel to the even more remote Flores Island, where we will make camp on the sandy shores of White Sand Cove. Spend the days paddling to the nearby beaches and inlets. here will be an opportunity to hike the Wild Side Trail to Cow Bay, and possibly spend the night. From inside the forest we will get a different perspective of the ecosystem we have been paddling by and gain a better understanding of this pristine area. Meal: Dinner |
| Day 2: | A trip to the sea lion colony will get you upclose to these 1000 kg (2,200 lb) friendly giants. From there, a short paddle to Blunden Island’s secret hidden lagoon makes an ideal location for lunch. Meals: All |
| Day 3: | Time to move camp and head to Flores Island where you will stay on the beaches of White Sand Cove. Enjoy the great scenery on way. Meals: All |
| Day 4: | This is your chance to explore another island and its gorgeous beaches as well as its rocky headlands. Meals: All |
| Day 5: | After spending 5 days looking at the forests, you will now have the opportunity to explore them by hiking the Wild Side Trail to Cow Bay and Mount Flores. Camping over-night at the end of the trail may be a possibility. Meals: All |
| Day 6: | If you stayed in Cow Bay, you will hike back to the main camp site at White Sand cove for a day of relaxation and enjoy the smooth rhythm of “island time.” Meals: All |
| Day 7: | Back to Victoria. Meal: Breakfast |
travellers' tales
It was all pretty amazing....but I particularly loved seeing some of BC's wildlife up close and personal. The whole thing was completely fantastic though...the company, the camping, the kayaking, the craic... when can I go again?!! (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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Sea kayaking is likely one of the least intrusive ways of travelling through and discovering marine coastal environments. The mobile observation platform kayaks provide is perfectly suited for gaining a greater understanding of inter-tidal dynamics and of the incredible richness in the special places we visit.
Kayaks are quiet. When one travels by kayak to places with low human population density such as those featured on our trips, one must pack all of the supplies and camping equipment required in the kayaks. A “leave no traces policy” is always in effect. We don’t harvest any live shellfish during our trip, preventing further unnecessary pressure on that population. We also request that our guest keep to a minimum their use of beach finds for decorative purposes back home, so other area users are able to enjoy the natural integrity of these places in the years to come. As many of the food items used during the trips as possible are produced locally, from organic or chemical-free sources. We minimize disturbance in sensitive environments around our campsites though practices like preventing our guests from putting too much pressure on fragile mosses encountered on shore hikes. We tread as lightly as possible. Because we operate in provincial parks and special places, we hold permits that require us to adopt best practices in our activities and policies. At the end of the trips, we recycle as much of the metals, glass and plastics as possible. We will systematically compost what can be composted. All our guides embrace these principles; they are often the first ones to proudly enforce them. We will choose quality craftsmanship and local suppliers in the equipment we use as much as possible. For instance, all our kayak are manufactured right here on Vancouver Island by Atlantis Kayaks, a family-owned business inspired by passion and excellence. Our spray skirts are made in North Vancouver; the paddle and safety floats are made in Victoria. We will choose garments manufactured by organizations that abide by Fair Trade principles in their supply chain; companies like Vancouver’s Westcomb. The use of better quality products ensures the equipment has a longer life and doesn’t have to be replaced as often. This local operation supports a number of community organization through financial contributions and mentorships opportunities for students at Camosun College, thereby helping ensure a greater number tourism stakeholders have an appreciation for the principles of responsible tourism on Vancouver Island in the future. |
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