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Falklands island Tour to see the penguins


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Hi all

First off my apologies , I'm new to this and if my post does not follow the correct etiquette then so be it, I'll accept the beating .

I am on the Vandam in Early March calling at Stanley ,Falklands on the 8 March 2018

I have just booked what sounds like a great trip to see the penguins . Sounds like what i would call "A Grand Day Out"

If any one has details of any private trips they have booked for the other days of this cruise and they wood like to share then please

post or reply

Thank you

Robert

 

Robert

The contact for this trip is : pwatts@horizon.co.fk

Thank you for your e-mail and interest in a penguin tour when you visit the Falklands on 08th March when the HAL Zaandam is due to visit the Falklands.

I have 2 tours available on that day. The most popular will be the 6-7 hours tour to Volunteer Point as this is where you see around 4,000 majestic KING penguins plus many thousands of Gentoo & Magellanic penguins - all in their natural and undisturbed habitat. You are virtually surrounded by penguins the moment you step out of the vehicle and you can also visit the near-by sand beach and watch the penguins dive away into the Atlantic Ocean. The photographic opportunities are immense.

It takes about 2 and half hours to drive to the location and there are 11 miles of grass track terrain to traverse so we use 4x4 vehicles only. My usual tour cost is $195 US (ship charges $360) per person which is payable in cash only. However I am offering a discounted rate of just $180 US for those who book early. This includes food, drinks, free wild-life discand a town tour.

My second tour is of 4-5 hours and goes initially to Bertha's Beach where there is a Gentoo penguin colony. It is a wonderfully isolated location with a great sand beach where you can watch the penguins. It takes a little over an hour to drive up there and there are just a few miles of smooth and level grass track terrain to drive across. We then go to Gypsy Cove to see the Magellanic penguins. There are no King penguins on this tour. The price is $130 US per person.

I will now send fuller details of both tours for you to study and if you have any queries then do not hesitate to contact me:

VOLUNTEER POINT offers 3 species of penguins – 4,000 magnificent KING penguins and newly born chicks, plus thousands of Gentoo & Magellanics, all in their natural and undisturbed habitat.

You are virtually surrounded by penguins the moment you step out of the vehicle and you can also visit the close-by sand beach and watch them dive away into the AtlanticOcean. The photographic opportunities are immense. This location is regularly called a ‘penguin paradise’.

It takes just around 2 and a half hours to drive across, and we return to Stanley by 4-00 p.m. to allow time for shopping and looking around the town. If a ship is leavingat 5-00 p.m. then we return one hour earlier.

The route is a mixture of gravel road and grass track terrain so only 4 x 4 vehicles with experienced drivers can make the journey. All my drivers are polite, informative and knowledgeable people who will converse with you along the way. The off-road section is an adventure in itself and many people enjoy this part of the tour as much as seeing the penguins!

On the way you pass the Battle Mountains of the Falklands War of 1982, the unique ‘rivers of stone’ (large boulder formations) and several small sheep farms.

The cost is $180 US per person for those that book early. This price includes a light packed lunch of sandwiches, crisps, biscuit, juice, tea/coffee, plus a complimentary CD containing hundreds of excellent wild-life pictures and a FREE tour of the town when we return to Stanley. You may pay in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Euros, whichever is more convenient for you.

I do not request a deposit so should a ship not call, for any reason, then no refunds are necessary as no money has changed hands.

Can you please ensure that the dollar bills that you will use for payment are clean and not torn, and do not contain any writing/scribbles on them, as our one and only bank will NOT accept damaged or torn notes – thank you. I would appreciate payment in higher denomination notes (50’s & 100’s) please and not lower denomination (20’s, 10’s & 5’s). I can provide change if required.

I am aware that a vast majority of the Cruise Lines are charging $400 for the same tour.

Payment is in cash only please, usually at the location. I am unable to take credit cards – sorry. There are NO ATM’S in the Falklands, by the way.

I always ask my passengers to try and get off the ship on the FIRST tender as this ensures a quick departure for the location and more time with the penguins. This might mean queuing up quite early at the disembarkation point in order to beat the ‘rush’ from people who have booked tours through the ship.

There are several good mobile toilets at the location but I always advise my clients to make use of the excellent washroom facilities at the Visitors Centre prior to our departure. There is also a bathroom stop after one hour at a sheep farm named Johnson Harbour where the gravel road ends..

We meet you at the pier where you will see a sign saying ‘PATRICK WATTS TOURS’. Warm clothing, as it can sometime be a little windy at the location, and a ‘stout’ pair of shoes, are advised.

If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact me.

VOLUNTEER POINT IS A NO-SMOKING LOCATION.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

BERTHA‘S BEACH/GYPSY COVE:

This tour is a combination of penguins and general interest and runs for 4-5 hours in total.

Bertha’s Beach lies on the southern coast of East Falklands and is about one hour and 15 minutes drive from Stanley. The initial section of the route is over a tarmac/gravel road which passes close to the International Airport and Military Base, before turning off and picking up an interesting short off-road route over grass and sand track.

Bertha’s Beach is named after the Norwegian ship ‘Bertha’ aniron barque of 500 tons, which was wrecked there in 1892.It’s cargo of cedar wood was washed ashore and some of the logs can still be seen today lying on the beach and greens.

It is the home of a large colony of Gentoo penguins who have the freedom of a beautiful long white sand beach. The odd King penguin is known to visit as well, but this is not guaranteed.

Such is the isolation of this extraordinary location, that it is possible to follow the penguins from their colonies as they head into the ocean, and then photograph them as they return. The photographic opportunities are immense.

Complimentary tea/coffee/biscuits are provided during the stopover which will be about one and half hours.

We then drive back towards Stanley, stopping to view the unique ‘rivers of stone’ (large boulder formations) before heading 4 miles east of the town to see the Magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove. This species burrow deeply into the turf to make their nests and can often be seen sitting outside of their ‘burrows’ on sunny days. A pathway provides an easy walking route around the beautiful little Cove.

A World War 2 gun remains intact and sits just above the Cove.

Following an ample stop-over we then drive around the end of the harbour viewing several old shipwrecks dating back to thelate 1800’s. The ‘Lady Elizabeth’ (built in Sunderland in the north of England in 1879)sits on a sand bank close to the shore and is easily photographed.

We pass Stanley Airport where the Argentines landed 12,000 troops during the Falklands War of 1982 and then head into town, passing ‘new’ Stanley on the way.

There is also an opportunity to see the 2 Battle Memorials (1914 + 1982), Government House, the amazing Whalebone Archway (4 jawbones of the blue whale) and much more.

The tour costs just US $130 (£95 sterling) per person. This is payable in cash only as I am unable to take credit cards.

A deposit is NOT required so should the ship not call, for any reason, then no refunds are necessary.

Each vehicle carries 4 passengers comfortably plus a knowledgeable driver/guide who will explain details of the Islands and answer questions throughout.

‘Clean’ dollar bills will be appreciated as our bank will not accept damaged (torn) or disfigured dollar notes. Thank you for your understanding with this request.

Passengers are dropped off either back at the pier or in the centre of town where the main shops are situated and which is just a few minutes walk from the pier.

If you have any queries then do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Patrick J. Watts.

Adventure Falklands’

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I just hope you get to the Falklands. We didn't :)

 

With luck, you will. And the non refundable deposit is a reasonable risk for a good operator as long as it isn't too steep.

 

Just keep in mind, it is not always possible. DH was very disappointed when it didn't happen but since then we have learned that things "happen" beyond anyone's control.

 

Have a great time. South America and this cruise is absolutely fantastic IMO. :)

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We did the Bertha's Beach tour with Patrick last year (2016). Unfortunately he wasn't going to Volunteer Point that day because of the timing of our ship and the state of the off-road portion of the trip. (The ship wasn't offering either VP or BB - NCL Sun.)

 

I did a timelapse video of the drive from Stanley to BB if you're interested:

 

TWB2gV9yxaQ

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