Day 1 - Ambiance, luxury, rejuvenation, adventure...let the cruise begin!
When you arrive in lively Friday Harbour you will be met and transferred to the Safari Escape yacht where your Captain and crew will set the tone for your cruise by greeting you with hors d'oeuvres and champagne.
The 12-guest Safari Escape, embodies an ambience of luxury and rejuvenation. The sleek and nimble yacht allows easy access to the most intricate and remote passages. You'll be free to wander into unnamed coves, unsung vistas, and passages less traveled. An air of elegance meets and complements your expectations when you step onboard. The yacht provides a unique, casual, personal and inclusive vacation experience.
As soon as everyone is aboard, you'll get underway, cruising through the northern islands of the San Juan archipelago, home to orca whales, seals, sea lions, and a wealth of bird life. After a sumptuous dinner our Expedition Leader will provide an orientation to the journey. Tonight, anchor at Reid Harbour on Stuart Island.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 2 - Victoria, British Columbia & Butchart Gardens
After breakfast, take some time to explore Victoria on your own, visit the Royal British Columbia Museum, and then enjoy a high tea luncheon at the historic and elegant Empress Hotel. From there tour the Butchart Gardens before reboarding the yacht. Tonight, anchor in a serene bay in the Canadian Gulf Islands.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 3 - Petroglyphs & the Harmony Islands
Not far from your anchorage you'll find some of the best petroglyphs in British Columbia. Degnen Bay is widely known for impressive carvings of animals and abstract designs. The stories behind these petroglyphs have largely been lost, but much work has been done by the Cowichan Nation to trace cultural links to their own history on the island.
After viewing the petroglyphs and enjoying some time ashore, you'll cruise through Dodd Narrows or Gabriola passage. Your cruising day ends in the Harmony Islands in Hotham Sound. Those who have a zest for adventure may join the crew for a truly natural shower at Friel Lake Falls, a cascade that plummets 1,400 feet before relinquishing its water in a voluminous, sea level spray. A truly unique experience!
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 4 - Coastal Fjords & Princess Louisa Inlet
"Further up and further in!" (A quote taken from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series), is the most appropriate description of your course through Jervis Inlet and Queen's Reach today. You will trace the path of a now vanished glacier, one that reached heights over 5,000 feet thick during the last glacial epoch. These fjords snake through vertical granite mountains, offering stunning vistas at every bend. You'll spend a full day winding into the core of the Coast Range, stopping to feel the mist of waterfalls bounding down sheer rock faces. Your destination is Princess Louisa Inlet, considered to be one of the ten most beautiful locations on earth by Conde Naste magazine (and us). Princess Louisa Inlet, only half a mile wide but walled in by 5,000 foot mountains and stunning in its own right, culminates at the tremendous Chatterbox Falls. You'll anchor in the inlet and explore on foot and by kayak today.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 5 - Exploring Princess Louisa Inlet
Rising early today will provide you with a chance to see and feel the serene beauty of Princess Louisa Inlet. Whether you choose to hike ashore, paddle a kayak out on the still waters or enjoy the scenery with a cup of coffee on the fly bridge, you'll be surrounded by the abounding wilderness and a calming sense of solitude.
Later this afternoon you will visit Malibu Club, which is located at the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet. Malibu Club, a large resort-turned-camp, was built in the 1950's as a Hollywood getaway for movie stars and the very wealthy. When it proved too much of a financial burden on the builder, the property was put up for sale and so passed into the hands of Jim Rayburn, founder of the Christian outreach program Young Life. Young Life has operated Malibu Club as a summer camp for high school kids from the US and Canada ever since.
You'll depart Princess Louisa Inlet this afternoon and make your way to tonight's anchorage near a waterfall located in Green Bay.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 6 - Sandy Beaches & Vancouver, British Columbia
Today takes you back into open seascapes and a myriad of quiet islands as you cruise toward Buccaneer Bay. This bay lies between two remarkably different islands, South and North Thormanby Islands. Though nearly connected by a small sand spit, the south island consists of volcanic bedrock and broken areas of growth, while the north island - utterly different - is made up of fine sand and other glacially deposited materials such as boulders. The forest thrives here. Geologically speaking, this is one of the most interesting sites on the coast, but more importantly these islands provide a lovely anchorage with broad, sandy beaches nearby. You'll go beach combing and walking with your Expedition Leader, learning about these different environments as you go.
This afternoon you'll weigh anchor and cruise south into the magnificent harbour of Vancouver, B.C. A dockside stay in the heart of the city will give you the opportunity to experience the restaurants, clubs and nightlife of this exhilarating metropolis. The staff will be happy to make arrangements for any shore activity you may wish to celebrate.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 7 - Roche Harbour, Jones Island & Farewell dinner
You'll return to the USA today, your course set for the San Juan Islands. The morning will be spent cruising among the open waters and islands of the Pacific Northwest, and you'll want to keep an eye out for orcas and other sea life. After lunch you'll arrive at the tiny port (better described as a nook) of Roche Harbour, clearing customs upon arrival. Once ashore, visit several historic sites, including the grand Hotel de Haro, a beautiful resort hotel that was once a Hudson's Bay Company trading post and later hosted presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Howard Taft. Visit the final resting place of early industrial tycoon John McMillin, founder of the largest lime-producing outfit west of the Mississippi in the early 1900's. His kilns, railroad tracks and mausoleum are testaments to his strong presence here on the island and in Washington State. There will be time to simply wander on your own around the hotel grounds and through the colorful, single store in this lovely hidden alcove.
Later this afternoon take a walk across Jones Island. Wild deer roam the island, and it's reported that they frequent a homesteader's long-abandoned fruit orchard at the southern end of the island. Tonight you will enjoy a festive farewell dinner while nestled in a picturesque cove.
Luxury: Overnight onboard the Safari Escape Yacht
Day 8 - Friday Harbour & a fond farewell
Rise early today for morning kayaking along the shores of Jones Island before you get underway for Friday Harbour. You'll arrive just after a hearty breakfast and bid farewell as you leave to make your connections home.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
- 7 night Pacific Northwest Yacht cruise aboard the Safari Escape including all taxes, port charges and fees
- All meals onboard the ship
- Premium wine, beer & liquor
- Exclusive shore excursions
- Kayaking and small boat exploration
- Onboard Expedition Leader
- Airport transfers
- Personalized documentation package
PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- Transportation between Seattle and Friday Harbour
- Additional costs enroute
- Pre & Post hotel accommodation in Seattle
- Gratuities to vessel's crew (recommended 5% - 10% of fare)
- Super premium wine, beer & liquor
- Trip Cancellation Insurance (Insurance can be purchased from your Vacation Specialist, ask for more details)