This Is the First Privately Owned Cruise Destination in Alaska
More than 20 years ago, when the Tlingit residents of Hoonah in coastal Alaska decided to build a cruise port on native land, the stakes were high. The community's main sources of income—logging and fishing—were failing and locals were leaving for opportunities elsewhere.
'A lot of our younger generation started losing their identity,' says Russell Dick, the president and CEO of Huna Totem Corporation, the business branch of the community.
But cruise ships were already regularly sailing into Glacier Bay, the historic homeland of the Tlingit band, now based on Chichagof Island, about 35 miles west of Juneau. Community leaders considered diverting some of that traffic with the objective of introducing visitors not just to the land, but to its original people.
'What better way to be proud of who you are and show who you are than through tourism, inviting people to come and visit and understand how you live and what's important to you?' asks Dick.
This is a part of | T+L's Global Vision Awards 2025 | Read More
Now, the resulting port known as Icy Strait Point has come of age. Entering its 21st year in operation as the first private cruise destination on Alaska's Inside Passage, Icy Strait Point was honored by Travel + Leisure's 2025 Global Vision Awards.
Built by the community for the community, Icy Strait Point was located more than a mile from the town of Hoonah to preserve the privacy of locals. A 1912 former salmon cannery acts as Icy Strait Point's hub with a museum and Alaskan-owned retail shops. Locals guide more than 20 shore excursions, including coastal bear viewing, whale watching and cultural tours. Surrounded by more than 23,000 acres of private land that includes beach and rain forest, a gondola system ferries cruise passengers around the port and to the top of a nearby mountain for panoramic views, replacing 75 buses and their associated emissions along the way.
Development decisions applied triple-bottom-line standards that balanced profit alongside the needs of the environment and its people. 'Sustainability isn't just reducing emissions; it's about sustaining the community,' says Dick.
Rebuilding the social fabric while transitioning to a new economy takes time, but 20 years in Huna Totem points to language revitalization among its accomplishments at Icy Strait Point. Children dance with pride in native regalia at the cruise port and some community members who had left are returning to open new businesses and raise families.
'Everything revolves around authenticity,' says Dick, noting that Icy Strait Point has resisted expanding beyond its two existing docks to maintain its size and curb development. 'With too many people, you start to lose your identity and your authenticity and we just don't want that.'
Instead, Huna Totem is using Icy Strait Point as a model for sustainable, indigenous-led development in communities from Alaska to the Caribbean, including partnering with the native corporation Klawock Heenya on Prince of Wales Island. On the southern stretch of the Inside Passage, the port of Klawock opened last May, replacing a former industrial site with eco-tourism activities such as sport fishing and totem-carving demonstrations.
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
11 best stalls in Whampoa Makan Place that pack a tasty wham
Whether you call it Whampoa Makan Place, Whampoa Market or just 'that food centre in Whampoa,' one thing's for sure: it's a treasure trove of great eats. Interestingly, this food centre is split into 2 blocks: 90 and 91 — the latter catering to early risers with its breakfast picks, while the former houses stalls for the lunch-and-dinner crowd. Either way, you're bound to find something you fancy no matter what time you swing by. Here are 11 best stalls in Whampoa Makan Place that pack a tasty wham. Feeling peckish? A plate of nasi ayam from Mat Noh & Rose Authentic Ginger Fried Chicken Rice will do just the trick. This Muslim-owned stall may be tucked away in a far corner of the food centre, but that certainly hasn't stopped it from achieving main character status for its stellar ginger fried chicken rice. The Standard Chicken Rice (S$4.50) features a mound of fragrant basmati rice accompanied by a hunk of fragrant Malay-style fried chicken, crowned with a distinctive sliver of vibrant orange skin and a smattering of fried batter bits that lend the tender, ginger-perfumed chicken a satisfying crunchy contrast. Equally delicious are the chilli and soy sauce, both of which elevate everything on your plate. Drop by early if you're eyeing their Begedil (S$1), or, jazz up your meal with add-ons like Tofu/Tempeh (S$0.50), Stir-fried Vegetables (S$1) or Chicken Skin (S$1) anytime. +65 8400 2206 Tue to Sat: 9am – 3pm Closed on Sun & Mon Facebook | Instagram It's not every day that a fish soup stall earns a Michelin Bib in Singapore, but Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon is 1 of just 4 stalls to do so. Better yet, it's clinched the coveted award twice in a row, in 2023 and 2024. A third on the horizon, perhaps? But yes, be prepared to queue during peak hours. It's pretty much a rite of passage. They've got your usual fish soup offerings, including Sliced/Fried Fish Soup/Rice, Sliced/Fried Fish Bee Hoon, Fish Porridge and even Special Tom Yum Soup, all priced at an affordable S$5.50 each. The Fried Fish Soup is your answer to any rainy day. It boils down to its addictive, umami-rich broth, naturally sweet from hours of simmering fish bones. Add in the lightly battered fried fish slices — crisp on the outside, meaty and fresh within — and you've got comfort in a bowl. Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun: 9am – 2pm Closed on Mon, Wed & Fri Not to be confused with the famed Taiwanese Eat 3 Bowls, Three Bowls 来三碗 doles out bowls of Sarawak kolo mee. And though it opened just last December, this new kid on the block has already been drawing a steady stream of patrons — and for good reason. One bite of the Pork Chop Kolo Mee (S$6.50) was all it took to earn a spot among my favourites. The noodles stood out from other renditions I've tried — think mee kia-style springiness with a firm, chewy bite and none of that off-putting alkalinity. Tossed in ample lard oil and chilli powder, they were slurp-worthy and moreish till the very end. The savoury minced pork and crispy Din Tai Fung-style pork chop made for excellent complements, too. If you're more of a traditionalist, the Home Taste Kolo Mee (S$4.50/S$5.50) is a great shout. Otherwise, the Chicken Chop Kolo Mee (S$6.50), Fish Roll Fish Ball Kolo Mee (S$4) and Wanton Kolo Mee (S$4) are solid picks if you're craving other protein options. Wed to Mon: 12pm – 9pm Closed on Tue Amoy Street Lor Mee… at Whampoa Makan Place? Sounds geographically confusing, I suppose. But make no mistake, this stall is touted as the 'best lu mian in town'. And well, there's only one way to find out: give it a go. Good news for the indecisive — the stall offers just 2 menu items: the signature Lor Mee (S$4) and the amped-up Jumbo Meal (S$5). The standard bowl features the usual suspects: pork belly, ngoh hiang, fried dory fish nuggets and batang fish, all generously portioned to go with every slurp of thick, aromatic gravy. Be sure to hit it with vinegar, garlic and pepper too. As for the Jumbo Meal, expect upsized portions of all 4 ingredients and an onsen egg — a surefire choice for the seriously hungry. Trust us, this one's not for those with small appetites. Daily: 6.30am – 3pm Facebook Widely regarded as one of the best rojak stalls in Singapore, Balestier Road Hoover Rojak is a must-eat for fans of the beloved (and admittedly acquired-taste) dish. This acclaimed stall traces its roots back to the 1960s, when it began as a humble Toa Payoh pushcart run by its late founder. Today, his son carries on the legacy — continuing to please crowds with their rojak year after year. As straightforward as it gets, the menu features just their signature Rojak in S$4 and S$5 portions. Each plate is a wonderfully messy medley of ingredients like fresh cucumber, turnip, tau pok and youtiao, as well as rarities like green mango and chewy jellyfish slivers. Everything's thoroughly tossed in a sweet, tangy Penang-style sauce made with fermented prawn paste, sugar and ginger flower, then finished with a plentiful shower of crunchy peanut shavings. showered with crunchy peanut shavings. Wed to Sun: 9.30am – 2.30pm Closed on Mon & Tue Yes, you read that signboard right. You can still get a plate of char kway teow for just S$3 in this economy at Chuan Kee Fried Kway Teow. Naturally, the regular snaking queues are a package deal with this stall. Rumour also has it that it sells out before its official 3pm closing time on some days. Each plate is fried to order by a solo elderly uncle said to wield decades of experience under his belt. Don't let the price tag fool you either; you'll be dealt with a sizable mix of yellow noodles and kway teow, fried with egg, fish cakes, cockles, taugeh and lup cheong. The noodles lean on the drier, savoury side, with a well-balanced profile that's neither too sweet nor salty — perfect for those with lighter palates. And yes, there's wok hei to go around. Wed, Thu & Sat to Mon: 11am – 3pm Closed on Tue to Fri 12 best char kway teow stalls in Singapore that will hit the sweet spot Even if you're not the biggest fan of wanton mee, Golden Roast Char Siew's rendition is bound to knock your socks off. This 34-year-old stall is run by an elderly couple and has called Whampoa Makan Place home since 2020, after years of shifting around various coffeeshops across Singapore. Now, just take a look at that mountainous display of glistening roast meat and golden-brown ngoh hiang rolls, and tell me you're not already salivating. The Wanton Mee is priced at S$4.50 (Small) and S$5.50 (Large), with each plate featuring a bed of chewy noodles tossed in a savoury soy-based sauce and surprisingly potent chilli, topped with vegetables and char siew that's roasted in-house on the daily. A bowl of warm, peppery soup is served on the side, with silky wantons that I enjoyed for their toothsome meat filling. I was also impressed by the char siew which, despite its run-of-the-mill appearance, had a meaty bite and tender mouthfeel. Truly a cut above the rest. I also couldn't resist ordering a piece of Ngoh Hiang (S$1.50). The bolstery beancurd roll was chock-full of five-spiced pork and was deep-fried to a perfect amalgamation of crunchy and soft. Sat to Thu: 8am – 7pm Closed on Sun If you're down for a bowl of hearty beef noodles, make a beeline for the father-son-run Kim Huat Teochew Beef Noodles. Although, if you can't spot the name, just keep an eye out for the striking red signboard with its name in stylised Chinese calligraphy. This stall comes with quite the backstory. It started out in the 1960s as a pig organ soup pushcart, only pivoting to beef kway teow in the early 2000s after weathering a series of setbacks. Call it a comeback, and a delicious one at that! The stall's offerings include 3 varieties of beef noodles: Sliced Beef Noodles (S$6/S$8), Mixed Meat (S$6/S$8) — which adds tripe, brisket and tendon to the tender beef slices — and a Mixed Soup & Noodles Set (S$7/S$8) for the best of all worlds. You can opt for either soup or dry versions, but we'd argue that the X-factor lies in the broth. Made with a secret recipe, the soup is rich, savoury and absolutely slurp-worthy — one that you'll savour down to the very last drop. Tue to Sun: 9.30am – 5pm Closed on Mon Facebook | Instagram Early birds, this one's definitely for you. Tanglin Halt A1 Carrot Cake fires up the wok at 5am and wraps up by lunchtime, dishing out chye tow kway and Teochew kueh to start your day on the right note. Choose from Black or White Carrot Cake (S$3/S$4/S$5), both featuring soft radish cake cubes stir-fried with eggs and loads of umami-rich chye poh — the former slicked with sweet dark sauce while the latter sports a crispy crust of even more eggs. It's no surprise that each has its own share of devotees. Our advice? Just get them both. If you're looking to zhng up your plate or simply aren't in the mood for chye tow kway, you can go for their pan-fried Teochew kueh in the likes of Soon Kueh (S$1.40), Png Kueh (S$1.30) and Ku Chye Kueh (S$1.40). Tue to Sun: 5am – 12pm Closed on Mon Team Cookie or Team Flaky egg tarts? If you're in the latter camp like I am, Qinde Egg Tart will be right up your alley. Nestled in the centre lane of Whampoa Makan Place, this gem of a bakery specialises in Portuguese egg tarts (or pasteis de nata) — great as a snack or post-meal treat. Priced at just S$1.80 a pop, the tarts come in 3 flavours: Original, Pandan and Chocolate. I snagged the Original and Pandan tarts while they were still warm and toasty, and I was far from disappointed. The custard fillings were velvety, pleasantly gelatinous and brimming of milky richness, with a fragrant kiss of pandan in the latter. They weren't too sweet either, and beautifully contrasted with the flaky, not-too-greasy golden pastry. The owner's really friendly, too, so there's no doubt I'll be back for more of these creamy, bite-sized morsels. Mon to Thu: 9.30am – 6.30pm Fri to Sun: 9.30am – 7pm Facebook And that's not all for the sweet tooths! Rounding off this list is Nyonya Chendol, which impressively stands as the only chendol stall in Singapore with a spot on the Michelin guide. Here, the acclaimed dessert comes in 4 variations: Original (S$2), Red Bean (S$2.50), Sweet Corn (S$2.50) and D24 Durian (S$3.50). Picture this: a mountain of shaved ice doused in sweet, smoky gula melaka syrup and creamy coconut milk, topped with earthy azuki beans and chewy pandan jelly noodles. Pretty much teh ultimate antidote to Singapore's sweltering heat, if we do say so ourselves. Feeling extra? Go for the D24 Durian Chendol, which crowns your bowl with a scoop of pungent-in-the-best-way D24 durian purée, adding an indulgent, creamy twist to this already iconic dessert. Mon to Fri: 11am – 8.30pm Sat & Sun: 11am – 9pm Facebook 11 best hawker stalls at Chong Pang Market & Food Centre to fuel you up The post 11 best stalls in Whampoa Makan Place that pack a tasty wham appeared first on
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘This is choking Haiti': Haitians blast Trump administration's travel ban
Even before President Donald Trump told Haitians this week they will no longer be welcome in the United States, travel from the crisis-wracked Caribbean nation was already difficult. It's been restricted by deadly gang violence, repeated airport shutdowns and years-long visa delays at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Now, with the newly instated travel ban, Haitian families are facing prolonged separation and the country risks being further isolated, according to Haitians and heads of U.S.-based organizations who see the move as unfair and discriminatory — and likely to have devastating consequences. 'This is choking Haiti, choking Haitians,' said Clarel Cyriaque, a Miami immigration attorney and longtime Haitian rights advocate. 'The impact on Haiti and Haitians is astronomical.' Haiti is the midst of a spiraling crisis marked by years-long political instability, escalating gang violence, economic collapse and deepening hunger. On Wednesday, Trump made it the only country in the hemisphere whose nationals are banned from entering the U.S. The list of 12 nations with full bans also includes seven African countries. Cuba and Venezuela were added to a list of seven nations with partial bans. The measures are set to take effect on Monday and have left many Haitians confused. While the White House proclamation made clear that the issuance of all new non-immigrant visas for Haitians will be suspended, both State Department and Homeland Security officials have refused to say whether those with current, valid B1/B2 tourist visas will be allowed entry. If those with current visas are banned, it will mean that many children will be unable to see their parents. Due to the ongoing gang violence and kidnappings, many children emigrated to the U.S. with one parent, leaving the other behind. A former Haitian lawmaker who travels frequently to the U.S. to see his own kids, and who is currently in Haiti, said countless families will be split. 'The biggest winner are the gangs, holding the country hostage and instilling terror, which has led the U.S. not to take action to help Haiti to eliminate the gangs but rather to consider all law-abiding Haitian citizens as gangsters and pariahs,' said the lawmaker, who asked not to be named because he fears the ire of U.S. authorities. The ban stands to affect not just all aspects of Haitian life but also South Florida's economy, which offers the only U.S. gateway into the country aboard a Haitian-owned airline. Sunrise Airways became the sole carrier into and out of Haiti after gangs opened fire on three U.S. commercial airlines flying over Port-au-Prince's Toussaint Louverture International Airport in November, prompting an ongoing Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. airlines. ''Why are they doing this now?' said Nathan Letang, a Haitian businessman. 'Why are they doing this to Haiti in 2015?' Letang, attending a Boston Foundation Haiti Funders Conference in Boston this week, blasted the ban as an effort to 'humiliate Haitians.... If they want to isolate Haiti, they should just say they want to isolate Haiti.' The Caribbean nation is already isolated from the neighbor with which it shares the island of Hispaniola. Since April 2024, the Dominican Republic has had its airspace closed to Haiti, and since January has deported more than 139,000 Haitians back to their country. Terrorist designation, travel ban Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated some of Haiti's most powerful gangs as global and foreign terrorists, a label that was welcomed by some Haitians, though others now see as having devastating consequences after President's Trump travel ban. The ban, and the terrorist designation, are likely meant to deal with the problem of illegal arms trafficking to Haitian gangs, which have used South Florida ports to smuggle weapons to Haiti, said Kim Lamberty, executive director of the Washington-based Quixote Center, a nonprofit social justice organization that advocates on behalf of Haiti. Administration officials, she said, are afraid of taking on the U.S. gun lobby to curtail the illegal arms and have instead turned to measures like the terrorist designation and the travel ban. 'This visa thing now punishes regular people,' Lamberty said, 'because they [U.S. authorities] don't think they can deal with the real issue because of the gun lobby.' In justifying Haiti's ban, Trump's proclamation cites the Haitian government's inability to provide the 'information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States.' The administration also cites high so-called overstays — over 31% for B1/B2 tourist visa holders, and 25% for individuals with student visas. 'Additionally, hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration,' the proclamation said, in reference to the more than 200,000 Haitians who legally entered the U.S. under a humanitarian parole program that required them to have a financial sponsor in the U.S., undergo government background checks and buy airline tickets. 'This influx harms American communities by creating acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats,' the proclamation added. The Congressional Black Caucus on Friday issued a statement blasting the travel ban, noting that the majority of the nations involved have predominanly Black and brown populations. In the case of Haiti, the CBC met with the country's new ambassador to the U.S., Lionel Delatour. 'This proclamation has nothing to do with national security. Rather, it represents a continuation of the Trump Administration's long standing pattern of bigoted attacks against Black and brown nations,' Rep. Yvette Clarke, a New York Democrat, said. 'His aim is to create fear, sow division, and demonize the vulnerable—many of whom are struggling to recover from catastrophic circumstances, seeking life-saving medical attention, or have waited decades to be reunited with family members.' U.S.-based organizations that rely on visas to bring employees to the United States for training and conferences warn of the ripple effects and say the new policy is akin to keeping people 'inside a burning house.' 'They're actually blaming the people, as if they twisted the Biden administration's arms to create these programs through a planned invasion, and now they must pay the consequences,' said Cyriaque. The narrative being pushed by the Trump administration is that beneficiaries of the Biden-era humanitarian parole program known as CHNV, the initials of the four countries affected — Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — have assaulted the immigration system. Haitians haven't had access to normal visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince since before the COVID-19 pandemic, which created huge backlogs in the processing of applications. The gang violence that escalated after the July 2021 assassination of the president, Jovenel Moïse, only exacerbated the situation. The embassy's next appointment to process requests for non-immigrant visas to the U.S. is in 2026. In the meantime, the country has continued to plunge deeper into chaos. The main international airport in Port-au-Prince remains close to U.S. commercial traffic. Roads in and out of the capital, already in imminent danger of collapse, are controlled by armed groups, leaving those with means and connections to resort to helicopter flights to escape the violence out of the only airport connecting them to the outside world in Cap-Haïtien. Longtime U.S. visa holder and Haitian development professional Ronel says this is what led him and his wife to leave the country under the humanitarian parole program in 2023, after spending a year in limbo unable to get his U.S. visa renewed. 'I was stuck,' he said. 'There was no more hope.' After arriving in the U.S., Ronel, who asked that his last name not be used to avoid being targeted by U.S. immigration authorities, applied for political asylum, citing threats against him as a youth organizer and international project coordinator in Haiti. Despite his fear of persecution in Haiti, he's says he's now considering abandoning his asylum application. 'Even though I was actually persecuted in Haiti... the thing with asylum is you cannot travel, and I am a global traveler,' he said. 'I am part of different networks in the world, volunteer networks; there are conferences happening everywhere in the world, and you're stuck.' He is also concerned about the Trump administration's targeting of Haitians and other immigrants, especially the half-million in the Biden-era parole program who are now being targeted for deportation after the U.S. Supreme Court gave Trump the green light last week. 'I don't want to stay in the U.S. with this situation. I don't like living in distress,' said Ronel, 38. 'That's why we are really actively exploring the alternatives, before it's too late.' While he and his wife are exploring several countries to move to, there is one that is off the table: Haiti. 'I don't want to be stuck in Haiti,' he said. 'It's hard for you to get out of the country and almost everywhere you go, requires you to transit through the United States.... This is very bad news for Haitian professionals who want to be connected with the world.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Body of Ski Mountaineer Killed in Fall on North America's Tallest Peak Recovered
The body of the ski mountaineer reported missing on the towering Alaskan peak Denali earlier this week has been located and recovered, according to the National Park mountaineer, identified as Alex Chiu, 41, by the National Park Service, died after falling 3,000 feet from Denali's West Buttress route onto Peters Glacier, an exposed face of rock and climbing partners reported that he had fallen and disappeared on Monday, June 2, 2025, the National Park Service said. When Chiu first fell from a location known as Squirrel Point, the other two members of his party lowered themselves over the edge as far as possible but didn't see or hear him, the National Park Service said, adding that Chiu was un-roped at the time of the Chiu's partners climbed down the West Buttress route for additional help, eventually reaching Camp 1, where they were taken care of by a ranger weather, which included high wind and snow, prevented access to the accident site until the early hours of Wednesday morning when two mountaineering rangers were able to depart Talkeetna, Alaska for a helicopter search to locate and recover his the recovery mission, the rangers returned to the Denali National Park and Preserve headquarters. From there, Chiu's body was transferred to the state medical to the National Park Service, the West Buttress route is the least technical way to climb Denali. In recent decades, the West Buttress has been the route of choice for over 90% of climbers. As of Wednesday, the National Park Service said there were 500 climbers on of its popularity, though, Denali, as the tallest mountain in North America, presents climbers with a dangerous and dynamic high-alpine environment. Challenges associated with the West Buttress route include crevasses, steep ice, and exposed ice-covered ridges, according to the National Park 2024, the National Park Service said that at least 14 people have died in falls since 1980 on the West Buttress route's treacherous upper section. An un-roped French mountaineer fell and died near the same location as Chiu in 2010, the National Park Service said. His body wasn't of Ski Mountaineer Killed in Fall on North America's Tallest Peak Recovered first appeared on Powder on Jun 5, 2025
