Wilderness Travel 2017 Catalog of Adventures

Swimming with the Humpbacks of Ha’apai TONGA’S REMOTE TROPICAL ISLES AND PRISTINE CORAL REEFS

HIGHLIGHTS • Swim with humpback whales—the experience of a lifetime! • Snorkel over reefs with amazing geography—caves, canyons, caverns, tunnels, vertical walls, and colorful coral gardens with plenty of fish • Sea kayak in a remote, untouched South Pacific paradise • Enjoy warm Tongan hospitality and traditional feasts, listen to Tongan singing at a Sunday church service • Relax at a beachside lodge with excellent snorkeling right at water’s edge DETAILS • 9-day trip begins and ends in Tongatapu • 7 nights Tongan-style beach resort, 1 night hotel • All meals included TRIP COST $4895 (7-8 members) $5195 (4-6 members) Single supplement: $675 Internal airfare: $310 (subject to change) Fiji extension: from $1995 TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Snorkeling, sea kayaking (no previous experience necessary), whale watching, swimming, beachcombing DATES Sep 8-16, 2017 Sep 21-29

Swimming with whales, fabulous snorkeling, sea kayaking in crystalline waters—put this adventure on your “must-do” list! PHOTO: YVES LEFEVRE

In Tonga’s enchanting Ha’apai Islands, we paddle sea kayaks, snorkel amid an abundance of dazzling

“The trip was everything we’d hoped for and more. We loved getting to know the Tongans, and snorkeling with the whales was spectacular.” Pam R. University Place WA

tropical fish, and delight in encounters with humpback whales who migrate here annually to court, mate,

JURGEN FREUND

and sea turtles. At night, we stargaze under the bright Milky Way and learn how early Polynesians used the stars to navigate. Days 3-9 Whale Watching / Snorkeling / Kayaking We’re off on our search for humpback whales! To swim with a 40-ton whale in its natural environment is surely one of the biggest thrills and greatest privileges the natural world has to offer. We set out by boat in search of them, with the chance for up-close observations of the whales as they breach, “spy hop,” and slap the water with their fins. Then, with snorkel, mask, and fins, we slip into the water and swim alongside them! (All appropriate protocol for safe whale interactions is observed.) In the late afternoons, we can snorkel, kayak, or enjoy a bike ride around the island. On Sunday, we’ll have the opportunity to attend a church service at a nearby village and listen to the renowned harmonies of Tongan singing. Depart on Day 9. EXTEND YOUR ADVENTURE Explore the wondrous underwater realm of Fiji’s Yasawa Islands.

and bear their young. This is one of the few places in the world where you can swim right alongside these majestic creatures, and our heart-pounding experiences will include witnessing mother-calf interactions. Along the way, we meet the Ha’apai islanders who welcome us with time-honored hospitality and a Polynesian ‘umu feast. Our overnights are in a traditional beach lodge set on a white-sand beach—this is a South Seas idyll at its finest! Days 1-2 Tongatapu / Snorkeling / Kayaking From Tongatapu, fly to the remote Ha’apai Islands, a group of low coral isles with vibrant reefs and miles of deserted and utterly picture-perfect beaches. We enjoy excellent reef snorkeling right out the front door of our lodge, with colorful coral gardens featuring Moorish idol, butterfly fish, wrasse, and clown fish, as well as stingrays

FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR PACIFIC TRIPS, VISIT WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/PACIFIC 106