EXPLORING THE GREAT CANADIAN WILDERNESS
After travelling to South Africa and hearing from master Camino Pilgrim Sue Kenney along with virtual Spanish wine tasting, Divine Live and Online returned to Canada last month for Finding Nimmo! an exclusive wilderness experience at Nimmo Bay, located beside British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest.
Teeming with an abundant variety of both marine and animal wildlife – Nimmo Bay is world-renowned for whale-watching, fishing, and outdoor adventure.
Although it is located right on the B.C. mainland, about 320 km northwest of Vancouver, it is not accessible by road. Fortunately, for the group of 35 who joined in on the Finding Nimmo call on August 26, there was no need to jump on a private float plane to get to their destination. They were magically transported to a boat where they accompanied an expert wilderness guide in an exploration of the beautiful pacific coast.
“From the water, Nimmo Bay is iconic B.C. – spectacular scenery, snow-capped mountains, ocean, forests, rivers, and a diversity of wildlife,” says Helen Howes, one of the virtual travellers on the call. “I had taken a B.C. ferry holiday north to Bella Coola in the Great Bear Rainforest before, where I saw grizzly bears. But this time I saw other wildlife, like sea lions. We were able to able to get up close and see them in real time.”
An oasis of luxury and adventure
Along with the wilderness guide, the participants also had the chance to learn more about the exclusive Nimmo Bay Resort, which mixes luxurious ocean side lodging and gourmet West Coast cuisine with incredible outdoor experiences, such as catching a helicopter to a remote river for catch and release fly fishing, or hiking over a 10,000-year-old glacier. “The combination of direct communication with sales, one of the owners, and the wilderness guide – plus seeing the videos they have produced – was perfect,” says Helen.
John Kafieh, who was also on the virtual journey, agrees. “I liked the insight into the resort from three different people, as well as the still pictures they showed. I even used Google Maps while I was on the call to see even more pictures of what they were talking about. It gave me a deeper familiarity with the resort.”
Despite a bit of spotty Internet reception caused by the remoteness of the location, John said the presentation really lured him in. “I was simply able to see myself in the resort. The presentation made me feel I could enjoy being there.
“It also wasn’t a piped in or pre-recorded discussion. They were talking to us. That made it personal, and that’s important. It piqued my interest and I thought – I want to go there.”
Keeping connected to fellow travellers
The Divine Live and Online calls also help to keep John interested in travelling, as well as connected to the Divine Destination Collection travellers he has met on trips to South Africa, Scotland and Muskoka. “By the time each trip is over you have talked to each person. And the more trips you take, the more people you know. It’s a good group, and I like to keep in touch.
“I hadn’t been a big traveller. I’m a busy guy, but I want to travel more. These calls help because even though I find all the calls interesting, they may not all be on my bucket list. But in this case – Nimmo Bay did call to me. I wouldn’t have thought of going there. I didn’t even know it existed!”
Helen, who is a biologist, says she travels a lot, especially to check out the bird and animal life of different parts of the world. “When this is all over and there is a vaccine, I’d like to go back to the Galápagos Islands, go on a safari in Africa, or take a trip to the Antarctic, which I visited in 2000.
“These calls make me miss traveling even more because I see what I am missing. However, I live in B.C. and in mid-September we are heading out from Port Hardy to the Broughton Archipelago to see bears, sea lions, otters, whales, and salmon. Our trip will not be as luxurious as The Divine Destination Collection trip, but hopefully it will have some of the magic.”
Besides adding that magic, The Divine Destination Collection is committed to leaving a place better for having been there, even when making a virtual trip – so a donation has been made to Nimmo Bay’s charity of choice, Sea to Cedar, which enables diverse economic and stewardship initiatives for positive, lasting change in the area.
The virtual travel continues
To find out more about how you can continue to explore the world until we can travel again – visit The Divine Destination Collection’s Divine Live and Online page.
Upcoming Divine Live and Online trips include meeting up with wildlife and literacy activist Boyd Varty on September 27, who will share how the mystic and the natural world are intertwined in Into the Mystic… 40 Days & 40 Nights in the South African Bush with Boyd Varty, a visit with gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Uganda for These Gorillas Just Can’t Be Mist! on October 25, and a trip to Churchill, Manitoba on November 25 for a front row seat with Lazy Bear Expeditions to visit polar bears, Arctic fox, and beluga whales, called Lions and Tigers and Bears… Oh My!
Remember – you can still subscribe to all six Divine Live and Online experiences as each call is recorded and subscribers have access to the calls if they can’t make the live call, or wish to watch it again!