Stanley Travel Forum

We arrive in Stanley at 8am on 27 DEC 04 via Princess cruise. A VT member recommended a shore excursion on her cruise for USD $35 to see King Penguins. Princess is charging USD $99/pp for a Bluff Cove visit. Their tour is described as a 3-hour tour... 30 minute bus then 30 minute 4WD across private land to see the rookery. This sounds very expensive to us. I am an airline employee and our trip is possible for us financially because we are travelling "standby" at a greatly reduced industry rate. Is it possible to arrange for an affordable local tour to see the Penguins? Is it possible to arrange for a local guide to show us the area.. off the beaten path with local color, including the Penguins? We are considerably younger than the other passengers on the cruise and don't relish traveling with a group of seniors.

$35 dollars to see King penguins well that is about the right price for a visit to Volunteer point which is the main king Penguin colony in the Falklands. There are no King penguins near Stanley, check that the excursion IS to see King Penguins. The usual short trip to see penguins from Stanley is to Gypsy Cove where Magellanic (Jackass) penguins can be seen. $99 to visit Bluff Cove does sound excessive however and I am sure there are no king Penguins there (unless a colony has sprung up there since I left the Falklands) there may well be some Gentoo penguins to be seen at Bluff Cove.

Don't underestimate "Seniors" many have far more "Get-up-and-Go" than a lot of young people !!! Ones that enjoy travel have a wealth of Worldly information.
Enjoy the penguins.