Discover the Bears of Toba Inlet Holiday Extension

While our fellow travel companions head to the airport for their flights home, we enjoy an additional day and night in Vancouver. This allows us to explore the city and Stanley Park or perhaps take one of the available optional excursions. Options include an exhilarating sea safari through the Howe Sound, embarking on a scenic flight on a seaplane over the North Shore Mountains or perhaps taking an unforgettable journey to Grouse Mountain before continuing to Capilano Suspension Bridge. We stay overnight at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel or the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel.

An early start this morning as we take the 40-minute flight to Powell River, before transferring to Lund for a 45-minute boat trip through the Desolation Sound to Klahoose Wilderness Resort. Situated just north of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, the resort is located on the edge of the tranquil Homfray Channel, surrounded by lush rainforest and the rugged Coast Mountains. A wide choice of activities is available during our stay, including whale watching, wildlife viewing, boat trips, guided walks, sea-kayaking and paddle-boarding, fishing, cultural activities, indigenous storytelling, stargazing, foraging and photography. Upon arrival we have a welcome orientation and time to relax or explore before dinner.

Today promises to be one of the true highlights of our stay, as we set out for Toba Inlet on the first of our Grizzly bear viewing tours. Each experience lasts around six hours and includes two to three hours on land, where specially built viewing platforms offer a safe and intimate spot to observe these magnificent creatures in the wild. Knowledgeable indigenous guides accompany us throughout, sharing stories, and insights and answering questions. Don’t forget your camera – these are moments you want to capture and remember for years to come.

The inlets of Desolation Sound are home to one of the most thriving Grizzly bear populations in the world, and today we return to Toba Inlet for another remarkable day of bear watching, once again guided by our knowledgeable indigenous hosts. From late August through October, the bears are almost non-stop foraging, as they fatten up ready for hibernation, which can last from five to eight months. During this time, they can often be seen fishing for salmon in the rivers and roaming berry-rich woodland in search of their next meal.

Today offers a slower pace and a chance to unwind, with time to enjoy the comforts of the lodge and the beauty that surrounds it. Choose to wander along peaceful forest trails, paddle a kayak or hike deeper into the lush rainforest. Indulge in the warmth of a wood-fired sauna – or simply sit back, breathe in the fresh air, and take in the stillness of this remarkable wilderness.

After breakfast, we bid farewell to the wilderness and travel by boat to Lund, continuing onwards to Powell River for our return flight. We arrive in Vancouver by afternoon, where we enjoy a final overnight stay at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel or the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel.

Our morning is at leisure until we transfer to Vancouver Airport to begin our journey home with Air Canada, arriving the following day.