Portage Glacier @ Gridwood, Alaska

I visited Portage glacier via a private owned tour company which offer one day package to visit several places in Alaska. I take a cruise to see this great glacier view and Portage glacier is the most visited glacier in Alaska due to its proximity to Anchorage. Portage glacier cruise is about 1 hour drive from Anchorage and you will need to take Ptarmigan boat. You have many photo opportunity to have great glacier photos once the boat get close to the glacier. Do bring jacket for this tour as Alaska weather is unpredictable and temperature do drop significantly when the boat approaching glacier. If you forgot to bring jacket, the cruise does have jacket available for free. It was raining and cold during my cruise day but this does not hinder me from having good photos. I was lucky to be able to take this glacier cruise as that day was the last cruise of the season as they close during winter as the lake will be frozen. The next cruise will be in May next year. Besides glacier, you will also see specular mountain views and the ranger narration onboard does give great insight about the area and informative.

Rating:9/10(For such a short trip of one hour, you able to view nice glacier and insight about the ecology and nature of Portage lake).


Portage glacier cruise via Ptarmigan boat.

Waiting to board Portage glacier cruise.

Boarded inside the boat. Most people went outside for amazing glacier view.


Be ready to embrace cold strong wind and rain.

Extremely foggy on that day.



Big chunk of ice from broken from glacier.




Portage glacier.

Visitors don't want to miss the opportunity to capture the structure of Portage glacier.

Me with Portage glacier.

Bye Portage glacier.

GPS/Coordinate: 60.784641, -148.841181
Address: Portage Lake Loop, Girdwood, Alaska, USA.
Fee: USD34.00 for adult on 1 hour cruise with ranger narration. Cruise is only available from May to September. Closed on other months due to frozen lake.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center @ Gridwood, Alaska

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a place that not to be missed when you visit Alaska. It have all the amazing tundra weather land-based animals. The conservation center is surrounded by beautiful mountains and it open the whole year even during winter. You have great chance to see from near at moose, muskox, elk, reindeer (caribou), baby moose, grizzly bear, black bear, brown bear, lynx, bison and red fox. This is a place where you can have once in a lifetime experience to see moose so close-by. I have some good pictures of the wildlife with background of amazing views of hanging glaciers. The conservation center is located 45 minutes from Anchorage and the during journey to the center, you will see some of the magnificent mountains view.

Rating:10/10(Great place to see all the tundra based animals with spectacular mountain background view. The animals are all quite unique especially for those who live in hot and humid countries).


Two resting elk.


In Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, visitor have great chance to view moose from near. Viewing moose from near in wild is dangerous as their action are unpredictable.

Muskox is another wildlife which is hard to see in the wild. This animal like to fight using their hard head.


Muskox from near.

Brown bears with hanging glaciers background.

Reindeer or caribou. This animal have the largest antlers when compared to their body size.

Caribou with nice mountain background.

Reindeer/caribou from near.

Me with the reindeers.

This is how baby moose look like.

Red fox.

GPS/Coordinate: 60.821492, -148.984468
Address: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Mile 79 Seward Highway, PO Box 949, Girdwood, Alaska 99587, USA.
Entrance fee: USD12.50 for adult and USD9.00 for child (4-12 years old).

Bent Prop Inn Hostel @ Midtown Anchorage, Alaska

As a solo traveller, I booked 1 bed dorm for 4 nights in Bent Prop Inn Hostel. As I check in the hostel, I am the only one to stay in 4 beds room suite since its entering low season in Anchorage. The room comes with kitchen and living room. Its great and value for money. The general manager were very friendly, helpful and he ensure that I have a comfortable stay. They provide airport free transfer to their customers. The advice given were very helpful especially on food recommendation around Anchorage. Nearby the hostel, there were Walmart and Outback Steak restaurant which is just 2 blocks away. Internet provided were good and important to me since phone coverage is limited in Alaska. I was fortunate to find a hostel which the owner himself fetch me to Anchorage Downtown on one of the day that I stay as I need to get to Downtown very early in the morning to catch my cruise tour. They are flexible and have the best customer service experience that I had so far. The location to Anchorage Downtown is within 10 minutes by car. You will need to take bus number 2 or 75 to reach this hostel but should not have problem since the bus service is reliable to Downtown Anchorage.

Rating:10/10(Highly recommended for solo, family or budget traveller. The location is still manageable with good bus transport system. The customer service here is top notch with the owner of the hostel making sure that you stay comfortable and airport transfer provided. The hostel is near proximity to the best superstore in America which is Walmart, Costco and Fred Meyer).
Price:The price of the 4 bed dorm is quite cheap for Anchorage standard where the things tend to be expensive here. The charges for one night start on dorm is at 25 US Dollars. Good for budget traveller who set Anchorage as a base to visit other places within Alaska).


Living room with sofa and television.

Full equiped kitchen.

Comfortable bed.

Toilet and bathroom.

Do stay here. Highly recommended stay when you visit Anchorage, Alaska.

GPS/Coordinate: 61.191948, -149.889571
Address: 3104 Eide Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99503 (Midtown).
Public transport: People Mover Bus 2 or 75. Stop at intersection of C street and 32th avenue street. USD2.00 each ride.