Saturday, July 26, 2014

Making The Most Of Haida Gwaii Adventure Tours And Travel

By Sharron Cantu


Plenty of places in the world are worth visiting once, at least in a lifetime. A hidden secret well known only to British Columbians, is the archipelago of Haida Gwaii. Many who have discovered this unique island chain through Haida Gwaii adventure tours and travel packages have never regretted it and in fact kept going back for more.

As Haida Gwaii is an island chain, it would be naturally expected that water activities and water related activities abound. One of the more popular water related activities is the whale watching available year round in the area.

Depending on the month or season, one will be able to see a variety of whale species up close when taking a whale watching tour. Species one will most likely see are orcas or killer whales, humpbacks and gray whales. On rare occasions all these species can be seen together in one spot.

Plenty can be done on the islands as well. There is plenty of hiking and camping to be had, and a bit of mountain biking as well on the many trails found in the islands. And fishermen will find plenty to do In the many streams that also are full of kayaking possibilities. Many more experienced travelers actually do the hiking and mountain biking in the morning, and spend the later half of the day soaking up the sand on the beaches and just relax until the sun goes down.

Should one want to learn more about the local culture and populace as well, there is always plenty of things to do and partake in. The Haida are a very friendly people and are more than happy to share their history and culture with you. To make things more interesting perhaps you should also read into their local culture and traditions before you make the trip, so you can avoid the most common and embarrassing questions that a tourist would ask any local.

Quite a few totem poles are erected on the islands in groups. They are actually carved historical records of each of the families that have lived on the islands. A well travelled tourist will find very similar designs on the totems as those found in totems near and around the Alaskan regions. This is because the Haida are a very prolific people and are also found in those places.

A full cultural experience involving a visit to each and every community in the archipelago will take nearly four days. During these four days you may visit museums, curios and craft shops, especially workshops making furniture and items using the Haida bent wood technique.

Being just two hours by plane from Toronto, the Haida Gwaii archipelago is very accessible. It is close enough for anyone to reach by plane but far enough for one to get off the beaten track. Apart from air travel, one can also reach the archipelago by ferry or boat as well.




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