Antarctica -- Penguins!!

R.R.

Level 2 Member
For those who saw my trip report on Churchill, Canada, and the Polar Bears, you know that seeing the polar bears in person was a top Bucket List item for my Spouse.

For me, a top Bucket List item is to roll around with the penguins - preferably in Antarctica! On the Sharing Lists thread, I mentioned that I wanted to go in 2017, but sadly, I don't think I'll get there until 2018 or 2019. Regardless, I'm preparing an itinerary now, and planning on earning the relevant miles and points in the coming year, along with cashback to defray some of the significant cash expenses.

Does anyone here have any trip reports or wisdom to share before I post my draft itinerary? Thanks!
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
You know, you also can see penguins in places that are easier to reach, such as Cape Town, SA or Galapagos or near Adelaide, Australia.

I am thrilled to learn that there another wildlife tourist on this forum. May I suggest you look into Saguaney Fjord National Park, near Quebec City? It's a gorgeous spot that attracts huge numbers of marine mammals, including belugas, blue whales and Greenland sharks. We spent 2 nights there and quickly realized that wasn't enough.
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
Thanks! It is indeed great to find other similar enthusiasts! :)

I am, in fact, planning a trip to Australia/New Zealand, and am looking forward to seeing the wildlife, as well as the Southern Lights (which I just recently learned about -- how did I not know???). And the Galapagos is somewhere on my destination list, if not a top priority. But I guess there's just something special about the pull of Antarctica and its remoteness. Normally, I'm a bit of a "princess" at home, and Spouse was surprised that I didn't complain once about the cold in Churchill, Canada, but I do want to experience parts of our planet that are vastly different than the mild mellowness of my dear home town (Seattle).

And now, I must add Saguaney Fjord National Park (which I had also never heard of) to my list -- thank you!!
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
For great aurora-watching, you can't beat Iceland with its mild temperature and super dark skies. We fly there last year on a great Wow Airlines promo. You can watch the northern lights while soaking in a hot spring. What's not to like?

Iceland is a natural depauperate in terms of wildlife because it is geologically new. The big wow is the geology itself: volcanoes, glaciers, hanging valleys, waterfalls and more.

It's a destination that is easy to get to on points and between Club Carlson and Airbnb, lodging can be low cost as well.
 

italdesign

Level 2 Member
Speaking of Aussie and NZ, I loved the spectacle of hundreds of little penguins come home from the sea @ Phillips Island on the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne. There were also some penguins in Auckland of all places (not to mention sheep in a city park).

I didn't learn about the penguins @ Punta Arenas in time when I was down there. Perfect side trip from either Torres del Paine or Fitz Roy.

Galapagos requires a week minimum I hear. Would absolutely love to do it.

One place that seems underrated on all the travel/points forums that I'm in, is Alaska. It seems to have all kinds of goodies for nature lovers - mountains, wildlife, glaciers, northern light, outdoor activities. And yet I rarely hear it mentioned as a top destination. On this forum I can understand due to lack of premium redemption, but even on serious travel forums it doesn't seem to get much love, while foreign destinations like NZ, Iceland, Norway and Arctic Canada grab headlines. Are they really that much better? Are ppl just turned off by the conservative vibe of the 49th state?
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
It's a destination that is easy to get to on points
Yes, I love this about Iceland -- and next spring, I'm using the IcelandAir stopover program associated with Alaska miles to visit Iceland for four nights before heading onward to Europe. I'm super-excited to see the geology there, and have got a Club Carlson hotel booked on points for the stay.

You can watch the northern lights while soaking in a hot spring. What's not to like?
Seriously!!
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
One place that seems underrated on all the travel/points forums that I'm in, is Alaska.
Interesting question. Since I'm in Washington state, there seems to be a lot of attention focused on Alaska -- what with Alaska Airlines and Holland America here in town. Most people I know have visited, cruised, and/or fished in Alaska. I've enjoyed cruising there, and have plans to visit two different sets of friends (none of whom are conservative, Sarah Palin notwithstanding) in two different locations in the coming year or so. But perhaps this surfeit of attention is not true elsewhere.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
One place that seems underrated on all the travel/points forums that I'm in, is Alaska. It seems to have all kinds of goodies for nature lovers - mountains, wildlife, glaciers, northern light, outdoor activities. And yet I rarely hear it mentioned as a top destination. On this forum I can understand due to lack of premium redemption, but even on serious travel forums it doesn't seem to get much love, while foreign destinations like NZ, Iceland, Norway and Arctic Canada grab headlines. Are they really that much better? Are ppl just turned off by the conservative vibe of the 49th state?
We have a sketch of a trip to SE Alaska, which entails flying into Edmonton, AB and catching the VIA train west through the Rockies and the vast taiga of BC to Prince Rupert on the Pacific Coast. From there, we'd spend a few days exploring the primordial Queen Charlotte Islands and then head north on the Alaska Ferry, stopping for occasional overnights in interesting little towns not served by mega cruises. We'd fly home from Juneau. This trip requires time, like a minimum of 2 weeks. We only do 1 big big trip each year so trips like this will happen later, rather than sooner.

Another dream trip is taking the ferry to Kodiak Island (home to the world's largest grizzlies) and then on down the Aleutian chain to Unalaska at the western tip of the chain. The ferry only does a few runs per year and it fills up quickly with adventure tourists. With Alaska Airlines points, it is possible to fly free to Unalaska and then ferry back (and visa versa).
 

italdesign

Level 2 Member
Actually, one of the reasons I haven't been to Iceland is that it's NOT easy to get to using points, IME. The best I came up with that didn't involve flying Y from the US at an outrageous price (*cough* Delta *cough*) is first fly to continental Europe normally, then use Avios for AB from Vienna or Germany. Interestingly of all the destinations that TK serves (most international destinations of any airline?), KEF isn't one of them.

Or yeah just book WOW.

If you know any good redemption from US to Iceland, do tell.
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
We have a sketch of a trip to SE Alaska,
Wow, these two trips sound adventurous. Meanwhile, my Alaska plans really only entail flying in to Anchorage, then on to Kenai, to be picked up by friends who live in little Ninilchuk. Not really a big outlay of time or cost, since the flights can be done on Alaska miles. But my in-laws *love* Alaska and have been there countless times -- so I can totally imagine going along with them on some future exciting trips more focused on Alaska's natural features.
 

italdesign

Level 2 Member
My dream Alaska trip, which I believe I learned from Kenny, is to watch bears catch salmon at the bottom of a waterfall. This is in Katmai, which can't be driven to, and once again AS miles can get you partially there (I believe you still have to take an expensive seaplane for the final segment, but something like 10k AS miles compensate for the $500 first flight from ANC to the main park area). I haven't found any friends to embark on this adventure, though.

Another one that is interesting but I'm probably never going to do, is Aniakchak. Apparently, all but 6 people in the world share the thought - that's the # of ppl who visited it in a year, making it the least visited site in the NPS system.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
Actually, one of the reasons I haven't been to Iceland is that it's NOT easy to get to using points, IME. The best I came up with that didn't involve flying Y from the US at an outrageous price (*cough* Delta *cough*) is first fly to continental Europe normally, then use Avios for AB from Vienna or Germany. Interestingly of all the destinations that TK serves (most international destinations of any airline?), KEF isn't one of them.

Or yeah just book WOW.

If you know any good redemption from US to Iceland, do tell.
What is your airport? WOW is expanding.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
My dream Alaska trip, which I believe I learned from Kenny, is to watch bears catch salmon at the bottom of a waterfall. This is in Katmai, which can't be driven to, and once again AS miles can get you partially there (I believe you still have to take an expensive seaplane for the final segment, but something like 10k AS miles compensate for the $500 first flight from ANC to the main park area). I haven't found any friends to embark on this adventure, though.
Most of the great bear-watching sights, like Brooks Falls (http://explore.org/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls) requires you to win the permit lottery. People apply over many years before getting lucky and winning a permit. Then if you do win, you are assigned a date, which you need to make work for you. I won't have that kind of flexibility until I retire.
 

italdesign

Level 2 Member
Interesting question. Since I'm in Washington state, there seems to be a lot of attention focused on Alaska
That makes sense for the Pacific NW. I just don't seem to see Alaska in many serious travelers' bucket lists, while places like NZ and Iceland permeate. Maybe it's like you said, it's relatively easy to get to, while the others feel like a world away, increasing the lure. Based on what I have researched and seen firsthand, I can't imagine many places in the world that offer more beautiful landscape.
 

italdesign

Level 2 Member
Most of the great bear-watching sights, like Brooks Falls (http://explore.org/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls) requires you to win the permit lottery. People apply over many years before getting lucky and winning a permit. Then if you do win, you are assigned a date, which you need to make work for you. I won't have that kind of flexibility until I retire.
I hadn't noticed the part that you're assigned a hard date. That makes it even more restrictive than the Milford Track, which AFAIK allows you to select your own dates. Hmm...
 

Domat

Level 2 Member
You know, you also can see penguins in places that are easier to reach, such as Cape Town, SA or Galapagos or near Adelaide, Australia.

I am thrilled to learn that there another wildlife tourist on this forum. May I suggest you look into Saguaney Fjord National Park, near Quebec City? It's a gorgeous spot that attracts huge numbers of marine mammals, including belugas, blue whales and Greenland sharks. We spent 2 nights there and quickly realized that wasn't enough.
Blue Whales?? You actually saw blue whales? That sounds awesome.


Saw the penguins outside Capetown. You can swim with them. It is pretty cool.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
Blue Whales?? You actually saw blue whales? That sounds awesome.

Saw the penguins outside Capetown. You can swim with them. It is pretty cool.
Saguenay Fjord is a remarkable place due to its unique underwater topology. The Laurentian Channel, a huge submarine rift valley, ends near the mouth of the fjord. Upriver the depth of the river becomes relatively shallow and less salty (see map below). The Laurentian Channel acts like a finger of the North Atlantic Ocean within the St. Lawrence River. Whales swim up hundreds of miles upriver until they hit Saguenay, where their food is highly concentrated and the space to move around becomes tighter. The end of the Laurentian Channel acts like an underwater barrier for them

This special place is HOPPING with whales. Many of the viral videos of breaching whales that circulated the internet were filmed here. You can sit on the bank of the river and they breach in front of you. Honestly I cannot believe how little known this place is by Yankees.

Fjord.jpg
 
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Domat

Level 2 Member
Saguenay Fjord is a remarkable place due to its unique underwater topology. The Laurentian Channel, a huge submarine rift valley, ends near the mouth of the fjord. Upriver the depth of the river becomes relatively shallow and more brackish (see map below). The Laurentian Channel acts like a finger of the North Atlantic Ocean within the St. Lawrence River. Whales swim up hundreds of miles upriver until they hit Saguenay, where their food is highly concentrated and the space to move around becomes tighter. The end of the Laurentian Channel acts like an underwater barrier.

This special place is HOPPING with whales. Many of the viral videos of breaching whales were filmed here. You can sit on the bank of the river and they breach in front of you. Honestly I cannot believe how little known this place is by Yankees.
Yankees smakees. I am originally from Montreal and did not know this.
 

Domat

Level 2 Member
I moved away right after college so not to many long weekend opps but I blame my parents. For some reason all our vacations where in the States, Lake George, Wildwood and Florida.

Looking back it makes little sense.
 

heavenlyjane

Level 2 Member
I moved away right after college so not to many long weekend opps but I blame my parents. For some reason all our vacations where in the States, Lake George, Wildwood and Florida.

Looking back it makes little sense.
We explore Canada as much as we do the US. It's an amazing country. Plus the weather is perfect in summer.
 

FlyerMarc

Level 2 Member
For me, a top Bucket List item is to roll around with the penguins - preferably in Antarctica! On the Sharing Lists thread, I mentioned that I wanted to go in 2017, but sadly, I don't think I'll get there until 2018 or 2019. Regardless, I'm preparing an itinerary now, and planning on earning the relevant miles and points in the coming year, along with cashback to defray some of the significant cash expenses.

Does anyone here have any trip reports or wisdom to share before I post my draft itinerary? Thanks!
Damn it, I wrote up a long reply but I was timed out. To sum up what I wrote before it got deleted:

I am going to Antarctica during Xmas of 2017. I got interested a few years ago, especially after reading Endurance, and had a hankering to book it. My research led me to Quark Expeditions and I waited for one of their 'sales.' I got $3,000 off and had to only pay a 5% deposit, but also opted for camping and kayaking, which added another $1K to the trip. The cruise will be 12 days and cost $7,500 but since I booked it in June or July, I have 15 months to save up (~$400/mo). Since I just finished grad school, and paid my way through it, I am used to having my paycheck disappear so I am excited to do it. All of the flights will be paid for with points and I will combine it with a trip to Iguazu Falls (SPG for Sheraton there) and somewhere else in South America. Hopefully i'll be able to post a trip report in 14 months or so!
 

Suzie

Level 2 Member
Saguenay Fjord is a remarkable place due to its unique underwater topology. The Laurentian Channel, a huge submarine rift valley, ends near the mouth of the fjord. Upriver the depth of the river becomes relatively shallow and less salty (see map below). The Laurentian Channel acts like a finger of the North Atlantic Ocean within the St. Lawrence River. Whales swim up hundreds of miles upriver until they hit Saguenay, where their food is highly concentrated and the space to move around becomes tighter. The end of the Laurentian Channel acts like an underwater barrier for them

This special place is HOPPING with whales. Many of the viral videos of breaching whales that circulated the internet were filmed here. You can sit on the bank of the river and they breach in front of you. Honestly I cannot believe how little known this place is by Yankees.

View attachment 3690
Fantastic! What time of year is best?
 

Suzie

Level 2 Member
Actually, one of the reasons I haven't been to Iceland is that it's NOT easy to get to using points, IME. The best I came up with that didn't involve flying Y from the US at an outrageous price (*cough* Delta *cough*) is first fly to continental Europe normally, then use Avios for AB from Vienna or Germany. Interestingly of all the destinations that TK serves (most international destinations of any airline?), KEF isn't one of them.

Or yeah just book WOW.

If you know any good redemption from US to Iceland, do tell.
We did BWI to Iceland last year -$99 each way. Great flight. Recommend.

I believe they are running the sale again.

And they fly a couple cities on the west coast too.
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
I am going to Antarctica during Xmas of 2017. I got interested a few years ago, especially after reading Endurance, and had a hankering to book it. My research led me to Quark Expeditions and I waited for one of their 'sales.' I got $3,000 off and had to only pay a 5% deposit, but also opted for camping and kayaking, which added another $1K to the trip. The cruise will be 12 days and cost $7,500 but since I booked it in June or July, I have 15 months to save up (~$400/mo). Since I just finished grad school, and paid my way through it, I am used to having my paycheck disappear so I am excited to do it. All of the flights will be paid for with points and I will combine it with a trip to Iguazu Falls (SPG for Sheraton there) and somewhere else in South America. Hopefully i'll be able to post a trip report in 14 months or so!
Sounds great! My itinerary, as well, is shaping up to include a stop in Iguazu Falls (yes, the Sheraton!) and likely some Argentine national park, as this will be my first venture into South America at all. I'm targeting an early-January departure (maybe New Years-ish) some year soon, but a February departure also appears like it could work.

I appreciate hearing about your strategy for the Antarctica boat portion itself, since I had also found Quark and am glad to hear others find them worthy. Now I'm just unsure on on my booking strategy. I prefer to plan well in advance, but I've also heard that a good way to get a great discount is also to go to Ushuaia and check the local agencies for near-term vacancies on a good-looking small-boat cruise during the upcoming week. That seems a bit risky in terms of availability, but as a tradeoff, a great way to cut costs.

I also plan to cover all flights with miles, and getting to BUE should be no problem. It's the in-country flights that I'm strategizing over now, and I'm looking at the U.S. Bank LAN Visa in particular. Would you care to share your plans for the in-country flights?
 

FlyerMarc

Level 2 Member
I prefer to plan well in advance, but I've also heard that a good way to get a great discount is also to go to Ushuaia and check the local agencies for near-term vacancies on a good-looking small-boat cruise during the upcoming week. That seems a bit risky in terms of availability, but as a tradeoff, a great way to cut costs.

I also plan to cover all flights with miles, and getting to BUE should be no problem. It's the in-country flights that I'm strategizing over now, and I'm looking at the U.S. Bank LAN Visa in particular. Would you care to share your plans for the in-country flights?
I've actually signed up for a distribution list for last minute cruises from the people at https:// freestyleadventuretravel .com/ (link broken on purpose). A lot of the good deals are pretty equivalent to that of the early bird sales for regular companies. They tend to be around 5500-6500 which is not that much cheaper and one has to worry about being there at the right time. They might be a bit cheaper if you go to the docks in person, but that is not something i'm willing to risk with relatively limited vacation time.

To answer your other question, I was down in Argentina/Chile a couple of years ago and usually used LAN to book the inner SA flights. However, since LAN has become LATAM, the browser trick has not been working for me, so all the reward flight have to be round trip. So before you could do BUE>USH>IGR but now you have to do BUE>USH>BUE. I actually plan on using delta miles as they are partners with Aerolineas Argentinas. All the flights are 12,500 which stinks, but some of the flights cost several hundred dollars so it's a pretty fair trade to me.
 

R.R.

Level 2 Member
I've actually signed up for a distribution list for last minute cruises from the people at https:// freestyleadventuretravel .com/ (link broken on purpose). A lot of the good deals are pretty equivalent to that of the early bird sales for regular companies. They tend to be around 5500-6500 which is not that much cheaper and one has to worry about being there at the right time. They might be a bit cheaper if you go to the docks in person, but that is not something i'm willing to risk with relatively limited vacation time.
Great suggestion re booking the cruise -- as I too am a bit nervous about leaving things until the last minute.

However, since LAN has become LATAM, the browser trick has not been working for me, so all the reward flight have to be round trip.
I saw this, but thought I could work with it. In the alternative, it's good that I'm also piling up Delta miles from recent acquisition of Delta Platinum Amex cards.
 

knick1959

Level 2 Member
To answer your other question, I was down in Argentina/Chile a couple of years ago and usually used LAN to book the inner SA flights. However, since LAN has become LATAM, the browser trick has not been working for me, so all the reward flight have to be round trip. So before you could do BUE>USH>IGR but now you have to do BUE>USH>BUE. I actually plan on using delta miles as they are partners with Aerolineas Argentinas. All the flights are 12,500 which stinks, but some of the flights cost several hundred dollars so it's a pretty fair trade to me.
We used BA miles to book several LAN one-ways inside S America last spring. Is this still an option, or did the rule changes nuke these, too? The BA miles required were extremely low for LIM->CUZ and CUZ->LIM (booked as separate one-ways) and LIM->Quito (forget the airport code). We also originally booked CUZ->PEM and back via BA to explore the Amazon but nixed this in favor of more days in Cuzco (a good decision IMO). Segments were 4500 miles each + $5 or some such except for the "international" flight to Quito which was more but still cheap in my eyes.

UPDATE: I checked, the LIM->Quito (UIO) leg was 7500 miles + $30-something for each of us.
 
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FlyerMarc

Level 2 Member
We used BA miles to book several LAN one-ways inside S America last spring. Is this still an option, or did the rule changes nuke these, too? The BA miles required were extremely low for LIM->CUZ and CUZ->LIM (booked as separate one-ways) and LIM->Quito (forget the airport code). We also originally booked CUZ->PEM and back via BA to explore the Amazon but nixed this in favor of more days in Cuzco (a good decision IMO). Segments were 4500 miles each + $5 or some such except for the "international" flight to Quito which was more but still cheap in my eyes.

UPDATE: I checked, the LIM->Quito (UIO) leg was 7500 miles + $30-something for each of us.
The problem I encountered with Avios is that most of the locations did not show up in Argentina that I planned on going to (Mendoza, Ushuaia, and Salta). It looks like Chile and other countries are fine though. Maybe you can do Argentina if you call in. Also, I didn't have any Avios at the time, only SPG points that transferred to LAN KMs.
 
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