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Things To Know Before Going Out To Get Your Haida Gwaii Accommodations

By Marci Nielsen


Many in recent years are starting to visit British Columbia for short jaunts and vacations. Quite a few are discovering and putting into their itinerary the Haida Gwaii archipelago. May would be thinking of looking for hotel in Haida Gwaii, but before you look for Haida Gwaii accommodations, you must know a little bit more about the island chain and what it has to offer.

Since Haida Gwaii is an island system, or rather archipelago, it is logical to expect that activities will involve and revolve around the water. One of the most popular attractions is whale watching and whale watching related activities which is available for the tourist and visitor year round.

Quite a few will say that this area is the best area in the world to go on a whale watching tour. It is a good place to be able to catch a glimpse or even an extended view of killer whales, gray whales and humpbacks. The frequency by which you see these of course will be higher on certain days and months than others. As with any other ecological observation, it will definitely depend on month and season the chances you get of seeing more than one species. Doing your research beforehand and even talking to locals about best times will increase your chances of having more views per hour.

Those who do not want to spend too much time on the water can enjoy a myriad of land based activities as well. The islands do have quite a few hiking trails and camping spots available and these can in turn be coupled with some kayaking and fishing. A quite popular combination of activities involves biking or hiking in the early morning and finishing this off with just lounging or lazing around the beach until early evening.

The Haida are a friendly people and are the local inhabitants of the islands. If learning about local history and culture is your cup of tea, they would be more than happy to indulge you. It is, however recommended that you read up on some aspects of their culture beforehand to avoid embarrassing situations and questions.

Many totem poles in the Alaskan tradition are strewn about, and also erected on the islands. These are basically records of the families in the area and act as some sort of mnemonic device, much like a family heirloom or even photo album. These totems are very much similar to Alaskan ones since the Haida also inhabit large portions of that state and surrounding areas.

If you want a complete immersion in local history and culture, you need about almost four days to make a complete tour of the archipelago. During that time you can visit each of the community museums and learn more about their arts and crafts also. You will also be able to learn about the bent wood technique which was popularized by the Haida and also used by North American Indian Tribes.

The archipelago in essence is far enough for you to feel isolated, and also near enough for you to reach. In fact it is just a mere two hours by plane and about eight hours by ferry or boat from Toronto.




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