I went on the 7 day luxury Orca Camp with WildCoast and can say, without a doubt, that it was the best holiday I have ever had.
In a world where customer experience so often comes second to profit making, WildCoast takes a refreshing approach to their clients. From the moment we booked Val and Damon went out of their way to answer our questions and ensure our experience was to be enjoyable. This continued at Orca Camp with our fantastic guides; Clay, Calvin and Julie. They have an in-depth knowledge of the wildlife you encounter, and ensure the guests' comfort is prioritised at every point.
My partner and I had never kayaked before, and were with a group where several members had kayaked extensively, which didn't matter at all. The kayaking is a sedate way to see the incredible coastline and scenery, and allows guests to get close to the rocks to see the wildlife.
It is almost too difficult to explain how it feels to see orca in their natural environment: we were lucky enough to see different pods at least twice a day. Our best sitings were from the beach at camp, where the kelp line attracts the orcas close to the shore in pursuit of the salmon. We saw several breeches as the pods left the rubbing beaches just a few hundred metres from the camp. While we were in the kayaks we were also surprised by a humpback whale surfacing only several metres away from us. We also saw bald headed eagles, dolphins and sea-lions.
The food is all provided by Gowlland Harbour Resort, which was the perfect place to start and finish our trip from. At orca camp there is a hot shower on the beach, and a sauna, though sadly we couldn't benefit from this as there is a fire ban in BC due to the arid conditions. We were lucky with the weather (sunny and warm every day) but if it was chilly the main dining tent warms up very well with the wood stove: this was also an ideal place for drying damp clothes or towels.
The beds are raised from the ground and very comfortable: clean sleeping bags are provided for each guest and come with a liner for those that may feel the cold. The loo facilities are also first class - probably the most scenic loo you'll ever use.
I really cannot recommend WildCoast and Orca Camp enough: my only criticism - how am I ever going to beat this holiday?