ITINERARY
(Subject
to change without notice):
THURSDAY - Depart Miami:
Evening
departure for overnight flight south to Chile.
FRIDAY
- Arrive Santiago: Morning
arrival and meeting and transfer to the Singular
Santiago.
Afternoon visit to the main points of interest in Santiago
including the Pre-Columbian Museum and a drive up Cerro San Cristobal for a
bird's-eye panoramic view of the city. (B)
SATURDAY - Santiago - Falkland Islands:
Early morning pick-up at your hotel and transfer to the airport for your
flight via Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands. Upon arrival
at Mount Pleasant Airport on East Falkland Island, meeting and assistance with obtaining
the local FIGAS flight.
GETTING AROUND THE ISLANDS:
FIGAS (Falkland Island Government Air Service) is the way to get around. FIGAS flies
Islander aircraft - twin engine 9-seater aircraft with wings above the windows for
excellent viewing as you fly at an average altitude of 500 to 1000 feet. There are weight
restrictions - you are allowed only 14 kilos (28 pounds) of luggage; if you have more and
IF there is weight allowance to carry it, you will be allowed to take it at an overweight
charge; if weight allowances do not allow transport, it will be left behind. Therefore,
pack to take only 28 pounds with you. You will also be weighed and seats in the aircraft
will be assigned based on weight distribution.
NOTE: You can leave a
suitcase with your local hosts when they meet you upon landing in Mount Pleasant. They
will store that suitcase for you until your return to Stanley. This
means you must indeed arrive already pre-packed to take only 28 pounds with you and
prepared to leave the excess behind.
In order to know what time your flight leaves
and what routing it will take, listen to the radio the evening before. Flight schedules
and passengers' names are announced following the news report. Generally flights leave
Stanley around 8:30 AM so arrivals and departures at Camp destinations will be based on
routing. Generally the hotel or lodge where you are staying will be paying attention to
the flight announcements as it is their responsibility not only to pick you up or take you
to the airstrip, but also to act as airstrip managers - put up the wind sock, open up the
shed with the fire equipment, talk to the pilot on approach, swap paper work with the
pilot, receive and deliver the mail for transport, etc.
Mount Pleasant - Sea
Lion Island: Travel by FIGAS from Mount Pleasant to
Sea Lion Island where your host from
the Sea Lion Island Lodge will meet you at the airstrip for the short ride to Sea Lion
Island Lodge. Once you are settled in, you will enjoy an introductory visit of the island
to point out areas of interest. (B/L/D)
ABOUT SEA LION ISLAND: Sea
Lion is the most isolated of the Falkland's inhabited islands and today boasts a resident
population of only two persons but more than forty species of birds, southern elephant
seals and southern sea lions. Measuring one mile wide by five miles long, it is a
virtually flat island with spectacular beaches and rocky coastline. While it has an
interesting human history, wildlife is the highlight. Over forty species of birds visit
and nest on the island including one of the rarest birds of prey on earth, the Striated
Caracara (called Johnny Rook locally), four species of penguins including Gentoos,
Rockhoppers, Magellanic and occasionally the Macaroni; large tussac area with lagoon and
many fresh water ponds are home to many small birds and ducks; the beaches are frequented
by a variety of ducks, marine birds, the southern elephant seals and south american sea
lions; fur and leopard seals can be seen at times and the beaches are patrolled by Orca
killer whales. All in all, Sea Lion Island is a spectacular wildlife experience.
ABOUT SEA LION LODGE: Sea
Lion Lodge is the only "purpose-built" lodge in the Falklands. Built in 1986,
it's one of the world's most southerly hotels and one of the most remote. There are six
twin bedded rooms, one double bedded room all with private bath; 2 single rooms share a
bathroom. There is a comfortable lounge-TV room with extensive library of reference books
and magazines and videos; a well stocked cozy bar-lounge and a dining room. Many wildlife
sites are within walking distance and transportation to the far end of the island can be
arranged.
SUNDAY
- Sea Lion Island: Today you will have plenty of time to explore
the beaches or the inland lagoon for wildlife viewing. (B/L/D)
MONDAY
- Sea Lion Island - Pebble
island: At the appropriate time your local host will take you back to
the air strip to catch your FIGAS flight to Pebble Island. Upon landing at Pebble Island airstrip, you'll be
met by your local hosts from the
Pebble Island
Lodge and transferred to the lodge. In the afternoon enjoy an introductory tour
of the island with your local hosts. (B/L/D)
ABOUT PEBBLE ISLAND: Pebble
Island is 25 miles long with large expanses of marshland and inland fresh water ponds with
some of the best conditions to view a great variety of fauna. Wild duck, grebe and
black-necked swans are easily viewed. Colonies of southern sea lions are often seen along
the beaches and rocky coast, as are four types of penguins: Gentoo, Magellanic, Rockhopper
and in summer the Macaroni. The island has long sandy beaches, well suited to beach
combing. The island is named for the semi-precious stones which are found along its coast
- you can walk from one cove to another turning over pebbles, occasionally finding yellow
or red stones polished by the endless action of the waves. Just a short walk from the
hotel is Elephant Bay, one of the longest white sand beaches in the Islands, which serves
as the airstrip during winter.
ABOUT PEBBLE ISLAND HOTEL:
The hotel is situated in the settlement of the 22,000 acre farm and was originally the
farm manager's house. It has been totally renovated and has 6 twin rooms and 1 single
room, each with private bath. There is a large living room with peat burning fireplace and
well stocked honesty bar. There is a dining room with meals featuring the fresh produce
grown in their own gardens. There is also a gift-shop table with small collection of hats,
t-shirts, sweat shirts and other souvenirs.
TUESDAY - Pebble Island: Today
you will explore this island and it's wildlife. You may also have time to walk to Elephant
Bay or explore the small community. (B/L/D)
WEDNESDAY - Pebble Island - Carcass
Island: At the appropriate time your local host will transfer you to the
airstrip for your flight on FIGAS to Carcass Island. Upon landing, meeting by your local
hosts and transfer to the Managers House, your accommodations for the next two nights.
(B/L/D)
ABOUT CARCASS ISLAND: Lying to the northwest of the Falklands archipelago, this is one of
the most picturesque outer-lying islands. It is named after the sloop HMS Carcass that
arrived in 1766 with the fleet sent to establish the first British settlement at Port
Egmont. In its 100+ years of habitation this island has had only three owners, all
environmentally conscious, and an absence of cats and rats, making the luxuriant,
well-established hedges and trees an attractive home to many small birds such as the
Cobb’s wren, Black-chinned siskins and
Falklands thrush. The sandy beaches, rolling hills and low cliffs are
superb platforms from which to view the multitude of sea and shore birds that either breed
or feed on and around
Carcass
Island. These include gentoo and Magellanic
penguins, yellow-billed pintail and flightless steamer ducks, Magellanic oysetcatchers,
striated caracara and red-backed hawk.
Both the north and south of
the island provide great hiking opportunities, taking in interesting flora, beaches (some
good beachcombing), penguin colonies and sheltered dunes which make great picnic spots.
This destination gives you
the opportunity to explore completely at your own leisure, as there are no guided
excursions on this small island.
ABOUT THE MANAGERS
HOUSE ON CARCASS ISLAND: The Managers House can accommodate up to 8 persons total
in one double and three twin bedded rooms all of which have en suite bathroom facilities.
From here you will also be able to enjoy the settlement gardens which have almost a
tropical feel with their
Monterey
cypress trees,
New Zealand cabbage
palms and flax and colourful array of flowers. The island is self-sufficient in
organic vegetables, meat and dairy products, all of which you will be able to sample
as it is prepared into typical Falkalnds "camp style" fare. There is also an
honesty bar and tea/coffee making facilities.
THURSDAY - Carcass Island:
A full day excursion by boat to nearby
West
Point
Island
provides the opportunity to see amazing colonies of black-browed albatross and
rockhoppers. The motorlaunch takes about one hour each way. Weather permitting, there will
be an opportunity to visit the feeding grounds and view the stunning cliffs of West
Point, including the Devil's Nose,. Whale and dolphin spotting are also possible.
(B/L/D)
FRIDAY - Carcass
- Stanley:
Morning return flight back to the Stanley airport. You'll be
met upon arrival and depart immediately to Volunteer Point which boasts
the largest accessible colony of King
Penguins in the islands as well as Gentoo and Magellanic penguins in burrows all along the
area. Today is the epitome of travel in Camp. The first 30 miles are over all weather
roads, and take about one hour. You'll pass stone runs and Mount Tumbledown. Then the road
ends and the next 19 miles are by "track" through the countryside - up and down
and along seemingly invisible tracks and along beaches, across streams - two
and a half hours of amazing travel. Volunteer Point's King Penguins are stately,
almost elegant, with their orange muffs, scarf and lipstick. The brown balls of
fluff of varying sizes are the babies, juveniles and teenagers and it's
difficult to image how they grow up to be the aristocratic adults. Plenty of
time to observe the King Penguins - they are curious fellows and it would not be
unusual for them to saunter up to inspect you. There are plenty of Gentoo and
Magellanic penguins and other wildlife but today is mostly about the King
Penguins and land rover travel in Camp. Box lunch is provided. Return back to
Stanley for overnight at the Waterfront
Boutique Hotel. (B/BL)
ABOUT THE WATERFRONT
BOUTIQUE HOTEL: The Waterfront Boutique Hotel is a small boutique
hotel situated in the heart of Stanley just steps away from local
amenities and attractions such as the Christ Church Cathedral and the
Falkland Islands Museum. The hotel has just undergone major renovation
works resulting in individually designed bedroom suites and luxury rooms
featuring Hypnos beds, rated as “the best beds in the world”. The
hotel's kitchen.café is the perfect place for eating and drinking and
where the locals mix with guests in a spirit of convivial ease, with
homemade dishes using local ingredients and great value meal. The hotel
is known for friendly high quality service with bags of personality.
SATURDAY
- Stanley - Mount Pleasant -
Santiago: This morning you'll have time to explore this small but
charming town at your own pace. The Falkland Islands Museum and the whale-bone
arch along with numerous small shops are all an easy walk from the hotel.
Mid-afternoon transfer back to
Mount Pleasant airport for departure flight on Lan Chile to Santiago. Upon arrival,
meeting and transfer to your hotel for overnight, the
Singular Santiago. (B)
SUNDAY - Depart Santiago:
Day
at leisure to explore at your own pace. You might want to visit the Wine House or
the Blue Stone or visit some of the museums, such as La Chascona. Your room is paid for late check-out so no
need to rush through the day. Early evening check-out and transfer to the airport
for your departure flight. (B)
MONDAY - Arrive Miami:
Morning arrival in Miami, clear immigrations and customs and proceed to your home city.
