Travel and leisure
Destinations
Alaska - a Pacific paradise
It's America's largest state with a coast longer than the rest of the US combined, yet fewer than 700,000 people live in this immense wilderness. Discover Alaska, one of the continent's last frontiers
At times it may seem like you've stumbled into an episode of Life on Earth, such is the abundance of wildlife that graces the shores of Alaska's Inside Passage on the Pacific Coast.
This is fabled cruise territory and for good reason. Not only is there the promise of cinematic encounters with whales and grizzlies, but also the humbling experience of making barely an imprint on this enormous state.
Most cruise ships navigating the 600-mile-long panhandle of the Inside Passage detour into Glacier Bay, a harbour so remote that it's only possible to reach it by seaplane or boat.
As it's name suggests, it is rimmed by magnificent tidewater glaciers which sweep down from the mountains into steely-grey waters. From the forested slopes it's not uncommon to see elk or wolves coming down to the waterfront to drink, so a pair of binoculars and a camera kept close to hand are a must.
While the weather is an important factor for most holidays, in Alaska it rarely matters - sparkling sunshine or rainy and dull, it never deters the wildlife. In fact the guaranteed sightings of marine mammals and seabirds are one of the reasons people make the pilgrimage so far north.
Watching humpback whales perform balletic manoeuvres in the stillness of glacial fjords, seeing dolphins pilot the ship through narrow straits, and gazing up at a bald eagle soaring on the thermals makes the long journey here well worth it
Alaska's top sights:
* Mendenhall Glacier - See 12 miles of blue-tinted ice infiltrate Mendenhall Lake.
* Skagway - A relic of the Klondike gold rush, its atmospheric streets hark back to the late 1800s when the timber-clad town served as a trading post for hopeful prospectors.
* Juneau - Surprisingly sophisticated, the picturesque state capital has an excellent museum depicting native and Russian heritage, and an exhibit of Bering's logbook.
* Ketchikan - Boardwalks lead through the historic totem-studded streets of Revillagigedo Island's only settlement.
