Visiting Baja California onboard an expedition cruise
When planning to depart for this trip, I was a little unsure about only have 2 full days onboard the SeaLion, one of Lindblad's expedition ships. Two day just seemed so short. I wasn’t sure what we could possibly accomplish in such a short amount of time. In the end, our days were filled with activity from sunrise to sunset, literally, so that by the end of 2 days and 3 nights on board, no one wanted to leave and we all felt as if we had been together for one week!
We began each day with sunrise yoga on the top deck, starting 20-30 minutes before the sun rose so we could enjoy it throughout our practice. It was incredible to watch the sky illuminate and change colors throughout our class. On day one, we set off on a 5-mile hike right away after breakfast, climbing up and over boulders, some the size of refrigerators. At the very top, we enjoyed stunning views over hidden beaches on the other side of the island. In the afternoon, everyone dispersed to snorkel, paddle board, and kayak in the quiet cove. We ended our first day with a chill yoga session, a restorative class to stretch out and come down from such an active day. They set up a BBQ on the beach with drinks, music, delicious food, a fire pit, and the perfect setting to enjoy the sunset and then a sky full of stars.
The second day began and ended again with yoga, but snorkeling with sea lions and SUP yoga filled the morning and afternoon. I had never experienced either one of these activities and thoroughly enjoyed both. Sea lions are such fun loving, cuddly creatures. It was amazing to see how they interacted with one another - and with us - under water. We enjoyed cocktails back on the ship while watching a slideshow of photos from our last two days before enjoying a farewell dinner. We really had some talented photographers on board!
On this very short, but sweet journey, I really loved both starting and ending my day with yoga. Getting up to enjoy the sunrise and to start the day on an active note was nothing short of perfection. After a full day of snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boarding, ending each day with nice, long stretches while the sun set helped to calm our minds and to prepare us for the next day’s adventure.
I also really appreciated how little time we spent on the ship itself. It was really just our adventure base where we slept and had meals, but otherwise, we were off the boat exploring for the entire day. I was uncertain how I would like the cruise atmosphere as I had never been on a cruise before this trip, but an expedition style cruise can’t be beat. The ship is an expedition ship that carries only 62 guests, so the vibe is very intimate. By the end of only 2 days, I had talked to almost everyone onboard and I was certainly not ready for the trip to be over.
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Of course I love every trip, but this is truly one of the first trips that the moment we disembarked, I was ready to sign up again for the exact same trip. I absolutely loved the beautiful scenery, the amazing food, how active each day was, and that some fitness fit so well into each day's itinerary.
