Aboard Lunch at Lodge in Masset on First Day
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Maple Leaf Adventures Mail: PO Box 8845, Stn Central, Victoria, B.C., V8W 3Z1, Canada Courier: #209-1110 Government St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1Y2, Canada Phone +1.250.386.7245 Toll free 1.888.599.5323 www.MapleLeafAdventures.com Ranked one of the “Top 5 Guided Trips” in Canada by Explore Magazine How to Get There and Back - Final Haida Gwaii (formely Queen Charlotte Islands) SV Maple Leaf Trip Start Location Masset Airport, Masset, BC. Trip Start Time 11:30 AM - Your guide will meet you in the Masset Airport arrivals area on the first day of your tour, when that morning’s flight arrives. The first day and a half you will explore northern Haida Gwaii; all meals and accommodation in a lodge are included. The afternoon of the second day you will board the ship and begin your exploration of southern Haida Gwaii and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Where to Meet Your guide will meet you at the Masset Airport arrivals lounge. Trip Return Location Sandspit Airport, Sandspit, BC Disembarking Time 12 noon - Guests disembark and you’ll be transported to Sandspit airport in time to check in for the 2-hour afternoon flight to Vancouver, which leaves at 3:35 pm. First & Last Meal Aboard Lunch at Lodge in Masset on first day. “Maple Leaf Adventures Famous Brunch” morning of the last day. How to Get to the Ship Pacific Coastal Airlines flight from Vancouver to Masset. Pacific Coastal Airlines (to Masset) www.pacificcoastal.com 1-800-663-2872 Note: Pacific Coastal flies from the peaceful South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus that runs between the Main and South Terminals at Vancouver International Airport. Allow at least 60 minutes from door to door, plus check-in time, if you are transferring to another flight. Be sure to bring your luggage as it will not be transferred for you between airlines. Note for People Arriving Early If you are arriving in the islands early, then you need to meet the trip group at the Trip Start Location at the Trip Start Time. Important: Your first day with Maple Leaf Adventures will be a land tour of northern Haida Gwaii. Typical highlights of what you may have included in your land day are listed on the following page, so that if you are in the islands earlier, you can avoid visiting locations that your extremely knowledgeable and well-connected guide will be taking you. If you want to stay longer in the islands, we recommend you add the days on following your Maple Leaf trip, rather than before it, so you can decide where you want to spend more time afterward. How to Return Home Air Canada daily flight from Sandspit to Vancouver. Air Canada (to Vancouver), afternoon flight www.aircanada.com 1-888-247-2262 Car This route requires very careful planning AND we do not recommend it, Ferries unless this is part of a larger driving trip around B.C., with plenty of time. Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands can be accessed via an eight hour ferry ride to cross 93 nautical miles (from Prince Rupert to the Skidegate Landing Ferry Terminal on Graham Island). B.C. Ferry Corporation 1-888-BCFERRY www.bcferries.bc.ca * NOTE - due to ferry schedules, you may need to arrive several days before the trip and would need to stay in Haida Gwaii for those days. You must make ferry reservations well in advance. This route requires careful planning in order to meet up with the timing of ferry schedules. If You Are Arriving Early or Arriving to Transport options are limited on the islands. a Location Other Than Masset - If you will arrive early and are staying anywhere other than Masset, and are Important not renting a car that can be returned at the Masset airport, then before you firm up your plans, you should contact Eagle Transit about a possible ride to the Masset airport. If you are staying in Masset, we’ll give you the contact information of your guide, who will pick you up before picking the rest of our guests up at the airport that morning. Please contact us if you have any questions. It is important to understand that it is difficult to get around without a car on the islands, so please do help yourself by arranging things in advance. Eagle Transit 1-250-559-4461 www.eagletransit.net Car Rental Information In Sandspit: (not necessary for the Maple Leaf Adventures Budget Rent-A-Car trip) 1 Airport Road (at airport) Sandspit, B.C. V0T 1T0 Ph: 250-637-5688 / 1 800 577-3228 In Masset: National Car Rental Box 245, 1504 Old Beach Road (at airport) Masset, V0T 1M0 Ph: 250-626-3833 / 1-800-227-7368 Where to Stay Before Your Trip In Masset: If you plan on arriving a few days early feel free get in touch with the office to find out what lodge you will be staying at on night one of your tour. This way you can decide if you’d like to arrange your accommodation to be there before your tour as well. A great place to stay in the Masset area: Copper Beech House. 1-250-626-5441 Website Alaska View Lodge 1.800.661.0019. Website If You Are Delayed Delays and If for any reason you are delayed on the day that you are to meet the ship, Emergency Contact please call us so that we can try to assist you in getting to the ship on time. Call us at: Mon – Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: 1-888-599-5323 or 250-386-7245 Other times: Ship’s Captain: 250-888-8009 and Maple Leaf’s Operations Manager, Given Davies: 1-250-413-7011 or president Kevin Smith 250-881-3671 If you miss the ship’s departure time and are able to make phone contact with the Captain, we will make every effort to assist you in finding alternative arrangements to reach the ship. Please note the ship cannot wait for passengers and small commercial vessels or float planes are usually relatively expensive options. These costs, should they be incurred, will be the sole responsibility of the passenger. Contact for Your Family in Emergency If there is a severe emergency at home while you are travelling, your family can use the contact info above to provide a message to you. Travel Agent and Medical/Trip If you would like assistance making your travel arrangements, we are happy Insurance to refer you to a travel agent who has worked with Maple Leaf Adventures guests before. We highly recommend trip cancellation insurance, which protects you in case you need to cancel your booking. Please also ensure your medical insurance covers possible emergency evacuation from a remote location. A travel agent can help you with this. Haida Gwaii Land Day Tour – Day 1-2 of Your Trip As a welcome to the Islands and a great way to see Graham Island, your first day is a land day tour. Your land day begins in the arrivals lounge of the Masset airport (see previous page), where you will be met by a guide. Typical highlights of the tour are listed below. Your guide on this tour is an excellent source of knowledge with great connections to the area. If he is aware of an event or sight that is very special, he may arrange to take you to it, which would alter the itinerary for your land day slightly, to accommodate a very special experience. You will then board your ship on the afternoon of Day 2, and we’ll explore Gwaii Haanas “Place of Wonder” for the remaining days. Typical Highlights of Land Day Itinerary*: • Masset • Old Masset’s poles • Naikoon Provincial Park including Tow Hill, Agate Beach and North Beach • Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary • Tlell River • Balance Rock • Bill Reid’s Dogfish pole (Skidegate) • Kaay Llnagaay (Haida Heritage Centre), Skidegate • A local shop with Haida artists’ work Accommodations and Meals on Land Day: All meals are included. Accommodations will be in a lodge on Graham Island, and meals will be in eating establishments selected for their quality and their local character. You may wish to bring some money with you to purchase art, cards or other items at Kaay Llnagaay, the Haida Heritage Center. * We are providing a list of what typically may be included in your land day to help you with your planning and your expectations. However, please note that Haida Gwaii is not a predictable urban environment, and our plans may have to change based on services that alter their schedules (such as ferry sailings, opening hours), weather or other logistical surprises, or new and special opportunities that arise. Some of these become apparent in the winter before your trip, and some not until right before your trip. We always work to include the best experiences for you and we ask that you understand that travelling in such a special place as Haida Gwaii means a little bit of flexibility is required to accommodate the few or nonexistent services available. The flip side is that Haida Gwaii is a magical place to visit because of the very things that make it a challenge to operate in. .