Luxury Cruises

Alaska Small Ship Cruise Vacations

8 Days MY 'Safari Quest' Tour Package

Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Priced From: Contact Travelwizard

Alaska's Inside Passage - Juneau to Sitka

Safari Quest is 120-foot, 22-passenger luxury yacht

Intimate and elegant, the 120-foot 'Safari Quest' is an uncommon yacht for the uncommon traveller. Designed for the relaxation and comfort of just 22 discerning guests, she's the ideal way to experience Alaska's intriguing Inside Passage.

From the moment you begin your week aboard, you'll realize that this is a journey few others have experienced. The Inside Passage is a popular cruise destination, but most travellers "explore" it from a glassed-in observation lounge or along the rail, travelling well-worn channels from which their large ships cannot stray. When shore excursions are planned, great crowds of passengers not only dilute the wilderness experience, but reduce the number of stops which can be made each day.

By contrast, small, agile 'Safari Quest' has an explorer's spirit and the means to follow where it takes her. You'll leave the busy cruise routes as quickly as possible, to explore a magical landscape in peace and privacy - just you, your few fellow passengers, your expedition leader and the wild wonders that stretch to the horizon.

The spirit of discovery 'Safari Quest' carries her passengers in comfort, but she never forgets they're on board to explore one of the world's most exciting wildlife environments. A yacht safari is a "hands-on" experience for the mind and the body. You'll travel with an expedition leader who provides insight and expertise through daily talks and guided walks. In port and at anchor, the possibilities are endless. Paddle in a placid cove on one of the yacht's eight double sea kayaks or float aboard the 12-passenger inflatable keeled tender amid impossibly blue icebergs. Walk on a wilderness beach, stroll along a boardwalk in a quaint fishing village, or just relax on board. It's your holiday!

Expect surprises throughout your trip. Some of the best experiences - like orca sightings and glacier calvings - just can't be predicted, and 'Safari Quest' takes best advantage of wind, weather and the whim of the moment to show you Alaska at her unrehearsed best. Wildlife is a major focus on these trips, and it's an awe-inspiring experience to chance upon a bear or a deer, approaching carefully, quietly, by tender or kayak. Hear the low roar of a colony of sea lions, or the keening of an eagle overhead. When humpbacks or orcas appear, we stop to enjoy the show. The Captain makes a conscious effort to maximize wildlife viewing, though always with respect and restraint.

Day 2: Icy Strait
We'll search for the tell-tale blow of the humpback whale as we cruise in Icy Strait today, and later, all the charm of Alaska will greet us as we pull into tiny Elfin Cove, a miniscule village tucked into Chichagof Island. We'll step ashore to stretch our legs and meet the people who choose to live their lives far removed from modern-day conveniences. Imagine waiting for the mail plane to come in once a week here in Elfin Cove. This evening we'll anchor in a remote bay and drop the kayaks for a paddle before calling it a day.

Days 3 & 4: Glacier Bay National Park
One of America's crown-jewel national parks will be ours to explore and marvel at for the next two days. The park itself is 3.2 million acres (the size of the state of Connecticut), so there is plenty to see. Tidewater glaciers sweep like rivers of ice down massive mountain valleys, terminating before us in the waters of Glacier Bay. If conditions permit, we'll lower the inflatable and weave among the icebergs that have fallen from the face of the glaciers. We'll enjoy evenings at anchor in hidden coves, and mornings paddling our kayaks in the quiet of this majestic wilderness. And what will we find? Here in the bay there are puffins and sea lions, mountain goats and bears, moose, eagles, and scenery more spectacular than any place on earth.

Days 5-7: Wilderness, Whales, and Hot Springs
We'll cruise into the heart of Alaska's Inside Passage during the next four days. On any given morning, we'll awaken to find our crew ready to send us off in our kayaks, complete with hot coffee in a thermos (cream and sugar?). We'll wander through misty coves where colorful sea life clings to the intertidal rocks, and the silence remains unbroken except for the clear call of a Pacific loon, or a marbled murrelet (we'll show you one!). Or maybe we'll knock on your stateroom door to inform you that a bear and her two cubs are ambling along the shoreline just beyond the bow. We'll spend our days cruising the waters where humpback whales, Steller's sea lions, orcas and porpoise feed and frolic. We'll slip into scenic bays, enjoy guided nature hikes and soak in natural hot springs. Our anchorages will vary from remote coves to dramatic, waterfall-laced fjords where the cliffs rise over 2,500 feet straight up out of the water. It simply does not get better than this.

Day 8: Sitka
After arriving in Sitka this morning we'll transfer you to the airport for connections home.

Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252

12/08

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