For those arriving by air, for those who do not have wheels (or prefer not to drive them to the put-in), Wild Women Expeditions will be providing a van shuttle option from Toronto at the following locations:

ALT Hotel Toronto Airport – Toronto Pearson International Airport
The Westin Toronto Airport Hotel
TTC Subway Station in Vaughan – Meet by the benches at Piazzetta Sentimento (just north of the subway station, you will need to cross “New Park Pl” street). The van can pull up on New Park Pl for about 10 minutes to load guests and gear.

Group Rendezvous Point:

Date: Day 1
Time: 10:00AM
Location: Gilly’s Snug Harbour Restaurant and Marina
Google Maps Location Link

RECOMMENDED PRE-TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS

If you would like to arrive a day early, we recommend Harmony Outdoor Inn. Enter WWE10 as the promo code for a 10% discount! Subject to availability.

Located at 6 Harmony Lane in Parry Sound, Ontario less than 5 minutes from Hwy 400.
From Hwy 400, take the Bowes St. exit. Turn right onto Louisa St. and then right again onto Harmony Lane.

For additional accommodations in Parry Sound please check [HERE].

DEPARTURES FROM GEORGIAN BAY

Once you return to the landing at Snug Harbour, you may depart in your personal vehicle, or the shuttle that transported you on Day 1 will return you to the same location you were picked up.

Drop Off Point:

Date: Day 5
Time: Mid-afternoon (departure after lunch)
Location: Gilly’s Snug Harbour Restaurant and Marina
Google Maps Location Link
Or the same location you were picked up on Day 1 with the van shuttle

RECOMMENDED POST-TRIP ACCOMMODATIONS

If you wish to stay locally after your trip you may book post-trip nights at the Harmony Outdoor Inn. Enter WWE10 as the promo code for a 10% discount! Subject to availability.

For additional accommodations in Parry Sound please check [HERE].

TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS

You are responsible for booking your own flights or other transport arrangements to the trip start location. These arrangements and any other independent arrangements that you may make are not a part of the trip booked with Wild Women Expeditions and are entirely at your own risk. Wild Women Expeditions accepts no responsibility, directly or indirectly, for any loss, damage or injury to property or person in connection with such arrangements. Should you require assistance with your travel arrangements, please contact:

Megan and Zale | Now Boarding Travel, Travel Specialists

Email: wildwomen@nowboarding.travel

Note: Now Boarding Travel only provides services of 3-star quality or greater. For budget alternatives, please refer to the Lonely Planet guide for your destination.

Important: For international and remote destinations, there is always the risk of flight delays, baggage delays and flight schedule changes which may cause late arrivals, which may, in return, result in you missing the group tour departure. We encourage you to consider arriving one or two days early, which will help you overcome any jet lag from traveling!

PASSPORTS & VISAS

You are fully responsible for your own visa requirements, permits, and certificates for your trip. It is the sole prerogative of each country or region to determine who is allowed to enter. It is your responsibility to check with the country's Consulate and your country's travel website such as Canada’s for up-to-date information about traveling internationally.

Passport:

Most countries and airlines recommend passports be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected return to your home country. Before you leave, ask your transportation company about its requirements related to passport validity, which may be more stringent than the country's entry rules.

US citizens at land and sea borders have other options, such as an enhanced driver’s license, permanent resident card or NEXUS card. See Canada Border Services for approved identification documents.

Visa:

Visitors from certain countries require a visa to enter Canada. Those who are exempt require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA; $7 USD), with the exception of Americans. This must be applied for prior to traveling and can be completed online. It usually takes minutes but can take days. See how to apply Electronic Travel Authorization.

If you would like additional assistance in securing your visa, we recommend you consider using the services of CIBTVisas.

Note: As fees and policies can change, we highly recommend that you contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements, or see your travel agent.

TIPPING

There is no obligation to tip your guides, but many participants do when they feel they were provided great service. We are often asked what an appropriate amount is; most participants who provide a gratuity for their guides have each tipped in the range of 8 – 15% of the trip cost. The guides usually share a gratuity equally between them, though people may prefer to offer a separate amount to each guide.

ACCOMMODATION DETAILS

Rooming Arrangements:

All accommodations are based on double occupancy – two women per tent. If you do not have a travel companion and prefer not to share a tent, a solo tent can be provided free of charge upon request.

Toilet Facilities:

At the campsite, there will be ‘outdoor facilities’ in the form of an ‘open air’ wooden box (we call them ‘Thunderboxes) that are placed over a dug hole.

While day tripping in your kayaks, you may need to do your business ‘in nature’ and your guides will explain the best, low impact, way to do this.

Potable Water:

During our trip we will be using the water from the lake. The water is very clean, but we still need to take precautions to make sure we are safe! While at our campsite we will hang a water purification system and let gravity push the water through a ceramic filter, providing clean water to drink and cook with. Boiling water is another effective treatment and occasionally we will bring iodine as an additional treatment option for during the day, while en route.

If you would like to join Wild Women Expeditions in its commitment to reducing single-use plastic, you can travel prepared with your own water treatment system!

Lifestraw

GRAYL Canada | OnePress™ Global Protection

Travelers Against Plastic | Take the TAP pledge

Water-To-Go

Overnight Arrangements During Your Stay

Outfitter Tents:

Our kayak retreat will take us along the rugged shoreline of the Georgian Bay, around islands and through secret passages. After we arrive at our campsite, we will set up a kitchen area and tarp for cooking our delicious meals, and small groups of women (2 per tent) will set up their own tents. We supply high quality, 3 person tents.

Sleeping Items Required:

Sleeping bag (warm, rated 3 season (0 to -10°C depending on how warm of a sleeper you are). Remember you need a stuff sack lined with a garbage bag OR a waterproof compression sac OR a dry bag (preferably no bigger than 15 L) for your sleeping bag!
Sleeping pad or Thermarest

QUICK FACTS ABOUT GEORGIAN BAY

Often referred to as the sixth Great Lake, Georgian Bay features more than 30,000 islands and 2,000 kilometres of shoreline. Georgian Bay’s beauty is serene. Windswept pines, majestic towering cliffs, endless beaches and clear blue water all create a one of a kind destination.

The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is a globally-important region designated by UNESCO in 2004. Eastern Georgian Bay is the world’s largest freshwater archipelago, or groups of islands, that provide a variety of habitats for species at risk.

The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is an area of 347,000 hectares that stretches 200 km along the eastern coast from Port Severn to the French River, in the world’s largest freshwater archipelago, also known as the 30,000 Islands. The unique geography and geology of the area create more than 1,000 distinct habitat types which support a variety of rare species, including plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Visitors can explore a mosaic of open waters, sheltered bays, coastal wetlands, exposed bedrock shores, sand and cobble beaches, riparian vegetation and upland forests.

The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve model aims to integrate core protected areas (such as provincial and national parks), surrounding buffer areas (mostly Crown Lands) and an outer transition area of communities that support sustainable development. The biosphere reserve does not affect existing jurisdictions but creates a forum for cooperation and operates through community partnerships.

Climate & Weather:

Parry Sound has a humid continental climate highly influenced by the large Lake Huron. Summer is the warmest and the most popular time to visit Parry Sound. From early July to early September, the weather is moderately cool and cloudy during the day 59-75°F (15-24°C).

The sun can be very strong when out, so long sleeves, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are essential. Winds may become brisk as the day warms up. Morning paddles often take advantage of the early calm of fair weather days. Our guides are familiar with the local weather patterns and will choose routes between camps appropriately. We may not reach all of our intended destinations, but the journey will be wonderful all the same.

Check out Environment Canada Forecast for the most up to date forecasts:

Parry Sound, Georgian Bay Marine Forecast

MONEY MATTERS

Wild Women Expeditions recommends that each participant should bring enough cash in local currency or available credit/debit funds to cover their meals during travel to and from their destination. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, meals not included in the trip package, shopping, etc., and we also suggest you have access to emergency funds.

Currency Exchange Offices & Banks:

Please check online for current exchange rates. Wild Women Expeditions likes XE Currency Converter

We highly suggest you read this article: Where to Exchange Currency Without Paying Huge Fees for more information about this for your trip.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Useful Websites:

Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve

GETTING FIT

Please be sure to provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information about your health & fitness level and keep us updated if there are changes. Wild Women Expeditions trips travel to remote areas where limited or no sophisticated medical facilities exist.

A medical emergency situation is extremely unlikely; however, should it arise we need to be prepared with the necessary information to help you.

Important Note: If you choose not to disclose a condition, infirmity, injury, or ailment herein and are subsequently deemed to be unfit for expedition travel due in whole or in part to such condition, infirmity, injury or ailment, Wild Women Expeditions guides, and partners shall have the right to remove you from the trip with no refund or compensation payable. Any evacuation expenses incurred are payable by the evacuee via their medical travel insurance or personal expense. Generally, our expeditions are intended for travelers in reasonably good health for their safety, along with that of their fellow travelers.

As this is a water-based trip where kayaking is the main activity, please notify Wild Women Expeditions if you are a non-swimmer.

This trip is suitable for beginners and the location does have fairly protected waters, however, there may be a couple of short open water crossings, depending on where the day trips take place.

It is a good idea to be in reasonably fit condition and be mentally prepared if some winds do come up. You can build up your flexibility and strength by using weights for upper body strength and Yoga poses for flexibility.

Your group will be paddling 2 – 4 hours each day but plenty of time is available to travel and see the sights, so the group will be going at a comfortable pace and enjoying the changing scenery and views.

Wild Women Expeditions recommends that in the months leading up to your adventure, you prepare yourself by walking regularly and exercising your arms – carrying items, paddling, using rowing machines etc., as well as increasing your level of fitness with cardio and/or weight training.

Tips:

You don't have to be a professional athlete to enjoy your Wild Women expedition. Not by a long shot! You'll be surprised at what you can achieve with our experienced guides at your side and a little camaraderie.

That said, you’ll definitely enjoy yourself far more if you do some preparation so your body is conditioned and ready to enjoy and make the most of the outdoors.

Here are a few ideas to help you get ready:

Take every opportunity you can to be active.

You can improve your fitness a lot just by adopting some new habits; take the stairs at work, go for a walk at lunchtime, park your car away from work and walk. Aim for 30 minutes a day and keep a diary so you can look back on it and feel proud. These may sound trivial but they’re all building blocks!

Take every opportunity you can to paddle before the trip.

To help you prepare for 8 days of coastal kayaking, try to get out paddling or take a lesson or two with a local kayak outfitter in your neck of the woods. Even a pool session is good! This will further boost your kayaking confidence which will allow you to enjoy your trip that much more.

Rev up your ticker!

Think ‘interval training’, which means doing short bursts of high-intensity work with recovery time in between. Depending on how fit you are this can mean strolling with bursts of power walking, or jogging with sprints. Either way, the aim is to get your heart rate up.

Join a local walking or running group.

This is a great way to get fit and you’ll also see new places, meet great people… and make them all jealous when they find out what you’re about to go on your travels.

Work on your upper body and core strength.

Weight lifting, yoga and pilates can help with this.

Warm up, cool down and stretch.

If you’re doing a workout then make sure you start and finish gently and stretch any tight muscles – this will help you avoid any aches, pains and pulled muscles. If you’re a member of a gym try some yoga, tai chi or pilates classes to build up your flexibility, stability and balance.

Hydration.

When you suddenly ask your body to walk or be active, it needs a bit more fuel than it needs when, say, sitting at a desk all day! The main thing your body needs is water, so stay hydrated and practice sipping water often. Getting a water bottle or hydration bladder is a great way to make sure you have it on hand at all times. Make a habit out of taking a bottle of water with you wherever you go.

Nutrition.

Eating little and often will keep your body well fuelled for outdoor exercise, especially food like nuts, dried fruit and bread. The odd bit of chocolate and a few boiled lollies are good for keeping your blood sugar levels up while you’re hiking as well!

Have fun!

The most important point of all! You are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. You’re going to meet some amazing people, see some wonderful places and create memories that will stay with you for life. The more prepared you are to tackle the various challenges, the more fun you will have. Also, with all the endorphins you create from all this training, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear! It’s a great way to boost your happy vibes.

GENERAL FAQ'S

For general Wild Women Expeditions FAQs please click [HERE].