GIRDWOOD -- View wildlife by the light of the midnight sun in June.
Gaze at the swaths of color presented by the profusion of
wildflowers in July and taste the berries that are at their peak on
the trees and bushes in August.
Walk the landscape made golden by the gradual approach of the
fall and enjoy the night sky lighted by the aurora borealis in
September.
Alaska Wildland Adventures' Natural Wonders Safari will make all
of these sensations, and others, available next summer.
The 12-year-old company has 10 guided safari itineraries next year
ranging from five to 10 days in length.
They include a family safari program and an explorer safari
geared to somewhat more energetic travelers.
Accommodations for the safari guests are provided in a number of
rustic lodges and, in some cases, in tents.
These include Alaska Wildland Adventures-owned Kenai Backcountry
Lodge, on Skilak Lake; Kenai Riverside Lodge, on the fishing
paradise of the upper Kenai River, and Denali Backcountry Lodge,
deep in Denali National Park in the former gold-mining area of
Kantishna.
These lodges are also available to nontour-buying, independent
travelers and cruisers seeking a customized pre- or post-cruise
vacation.
The operator's new 24-page brochure is being mailed; it details
the safari and fishing vacations scheduled.
A 10-day Explorer Safari, with six departures from Kenai in
June, July and August, starts at $2,995 per person, double.
The nine-day Family Safari, with just two departures (June 1 and
Aug. 2), costs $3,595 per adult, double, and $3,395 per child ages
6 to 12.
The shortest of the packages, the five-day Kenai Backcountry
tour, with two different itineraries out of Anchorage, starts at
$1,695 per person, double, for a tour that includes a hike in
Chugach National Forest and a small-boat tour of Kenai Fjords
National Park.
The other itinerary features exploration of the Kenai wilderness
area, an overnight stop near Seward, on Resurrection Bay.
The company also offers short (one- and two-night) tours of such
less-visited destinations as Barrow, Nome/
Kotzebue and Katmai National Park, which is home to the world's
largest brown bear population.
All meals and snacks on the trail, equipment, transportation and
guides are included in the price of all Alaska Wildland Adventures
packages.
Travelers booking by Dec. 15 can deduct $75 from the published
rate.
The company donates $2 a day from each published rate to a
variety of Alaska environmental organizations; clients who do not
wish to participate in this program need simply note that fact and
deduct the appropriate sum from their final payments.
Alaska Wildland Adventures
Phone: (800) 334-8730
Web: www.alaskawildland.com