Galapagos Islands

[bonniejoy03]

Hello all. Can anyone provide direction for our trip to the Galapagos? We are looking for a smaller ship. (maybe a cat or small boat.) We would prefer less than 50 guests. Can anyone recommend a company to use? Experiences they recommend? Which boat they prefer? This would be for March or December 2013. We have received information on Lindblad Expeditions. (National Geographic related?) Also, any websites to recommend to help in my search. Thanks!

[showard]

Hola, Todos,

Last year we had a wonderful trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. For starters, our travel experts from Myths and Mountains did a great job arranging itineraries in both locations. Allie Almario and the crew were on top of everything --

You often hear that a visit to the Galapagos constitutes "the trip of a lifetime." And, indeed, our experiences were truly exceptional and would qualify for anyone's perfect adventure scenario. We decided on the combination land/sea package which placed us at the Finch Bay Hotel, a short distance off the mainland of Santa Cruz Island (this is where the Charles Darwin Research Station is located).

In brief, we traveled by bus each morning to the dock where the hotel's yacht ferried us to at least two different islands each day. The yacht itself was large and accommodated 15 passengers comfortably. Even the lunches they served on board were good, and the crew, helpful and attentive. Usually, the daily routine included an island trek in the morning, then swimming or snorkeling in the afternoons. The Finch Bay Hotel Hotel is eco-friendly with clean, adequate accommodations and decent food. Loved the view from the quiet beach out over the water.

Now, if we were to make this trip again, we would plan it differently. We certainly enjoyed our past visit and the other adventurers who were in our group, but for us, we found that the 45-minute bus rides (usually two per day) back and forth from the hotel to the yacht were pretty much wasted time. Our guides, though adequate, were not educators. We would have liked some more science and general information about this amazing place. But were glad to have prepared a bit on our own prior to the visit.

For anyone, though, I think that you would get more interesting guides and acquire more knowledge about the islands and their history by traveling on one of the scientific research vessels available. We saw the National Geographic Explorer at dock near our hotel, and couldn't help but wonder if we had made the best choice in selecting the land/sea option. Also, our plans left little time for exploration at the Darwin Station on Santa Cruz. But we did get to see Lonesome George, the giant Galapagos tortoise who recently died.

Having walked among the many unique species of plants and animals on these islands was a joy in itself. To think how (relatively) untouched their existence has been since the dawn of time is humbling. Future challenges to keep this isolation and prevent destruction from outside sources are on-going.

A word of caution when visiting, though; you will be climbing on rough volcanic terrain, scaling some steep hillsides, snorkeling with iguanas, turtles, fishes, and whatever else you may be lucky enough to encounter -- not to mention travel by lancha from one destination to another. Prepare for lots of activity, get those muscles in shape, and imagine yourself in a surreal world where time seems to have stood still. It is a truly magical experience.

Take your best camera!

[bonniejoy03]

S....BEAUTIFUL write up. Very interesting. So, what made you choose a total land trip vs. a boat? We were going back and forth but really want to do the boat. I thought the NG boat might be a little too big for us (one has 48 people and the other 96, I believe.) Thank you again. I am now wondering also the amount of time on the boat; 5, 6, or 7 nights? Did you spend any time in Quito? Did you go anywhere else in Ecuador? THanks again!

[jmbklj]

bj, did you check out this link I posted in another thread.....small luxury catamarans......

Ocean Spray & Cormorant Catamarans - Galapagos Cruises Redefined

[showard]

S....BEAUTIFUL write up. Very interesting. So, what made you choose a total land trip vs. a boat? We were going back and forth but really want to do the boat. I thought the NG boat might be a little too big for us (one has 48 people and the other 96, I believe.) Thank you again. I am now wondering also the amount of time on the boat; 5, 6, or 7 nights? Did you spend any time in Quito? Did you go anywhere else in Ecuador? THanks again!

So glad you liked the Galapagos write-up. Actually, I could go on and on about that awesome experience -- We were there for four nights and didn't think that it was enough time.

It really doesn't matter so much how you plan a visit because it is all good. In retrospect, we both agree that opting for a boat would have been better -- mainly due to your having access to some of the more remote islands, but also because your over-all experience wiould be more genuine and complete. Maybe I'm thinking more toward choosing one of the research vessels -- it's the biologist in me coming out, I guess. As for the size of a boat: I would say the larger, the better. It can get pretty rough -- depending on the time of year -- so if you're inclined to be sea-sick, this would certainly be a factor.

There is a concerted effort by Galapagos conservationists to preserve the unique animal habitats on the various islands. As such, visitors who choose the land adventure usually have access to those islands nearby; whereas, the boats and research ships have larger ranges and are allowed access to different islands. It is so that visitors do not overwhelm any one area at a given time. In fact, you may find your group to be the only explorers on a particular island. It's quite an organized endeavor by the Galapagos park service.

We stayed in Quito for a couple of days on either end of our Galapagos adventure. Interestingly, we loved the city and found it more progressive than much of Central America. Our tour guide had a lot to do with that, I think, as he was extra helpful and knowledgeable. After Galapagos, Allie (Myths and Mountains) suggested that we take a car up into the Andes and stay in Otovalo, a small, quaint Indian village known for its clear mountain air and a variety of handicrafts. As one who always enjoys a little -- or maybe a lot -- of shopping along the way, this jaunt proved to be a highlight of our Ecuadorian trip.

You can't imagine how clear blue the sky is and how fresh and cool the air. We enjoyed visiting the local market and surrounding villages. It was surprising that so many different handicraft items were made there and that the quality was excellent. We ended up with some beautiful leather goods, very artsitic wood carvings, and of course the lovely alpaca sweaters. We would definitely return to this part of the world; only wish the trip getting down there were shorter.

Go! Go! Go!

[omegaet]

We visited the Galápagos Islands in late November - the Humboldt Current was still a weather factor (we only experienced one brief shower during a hike at higher altitude)....and the proximity of current added to the abundance of sea life viewing.

After evaluating a number of ships and their varied itineraries, we chose a six night cruise aboard the MV Galápagos Explorer II M/V Galapagos Explorer II. The ship was originally built for Mediterranean cruising with 50 spacious suites....and really did offer wonderful service, such as 'open bridge' visitation almost anytime and spectacular star gazing opportunities...plus top of the line informative lectures.

Recently Silversea has purchased the ship and apparently is planning a major renovation after the 2013 season....how much better can it get?

Although we shy away from cruses for most leisure travel, we wanted to visit the western most islands and this ship was the only one offering this as an option during our planned travel window.

The waters were chilly but not so cold that we were kept from a short swim with a variety of marine life, including sea turtles and zooming penguins around Elizabeth Bay between Fernandina and Isabela Islands.

All excursions began with an open sea transfer to zodiacs (some days the swells were higher than others ensuring an initial adrenaline ). The excursions were led by knowledgeable and entertaining guides and were more or less tailor to the physical ability and interests of the group (we never had more than 10 people in our group).

Regardless of how you visit the Galápagos Island, you will likely remember the experiences for many, many years.....the guides constantly warn you to step carefully, since the animals have no fear of your intrusions.

Nothing, at least in my travels, compares with a face to face encounter with a Galápagos Marine Iguana and observing (or even feeling) them sneezing salt before a dive!

[bonniejoy03]

Thanks so much for the tips. I do keep coming back to the Coromant but this is just my preliminary thinking. The Eric, Letty, and Flamingo (ELF) are also nice and I have read great reviews on their company, Ecoventura. I will look at Haugan Cruises and Myths and Mountains to help expand my ideas.

[Mountie]

showard, I spend a lot of time on the water in both of my boats. I couldn't agree with you more - BIGGER is BETTER when you're talking deep water sailing, especially considering the possibility of rougher water conditions in the Pacific.

Careful out there on those little 'cats' bonniejoy03.

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I am so jealous BJ! If it were me, we would choose the small ship - when we were in Ecuador we looked at the ELF ships and they were not too bad. However, if you are prone to sea sickness, the larger ship would be best. Luckily the hubby & I do not get sea sick so would go small ship all the way! Have fun and can't wait to read all about your trip.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi all. I am down to the ELF ships and the Coromant/Ocean Spray. I do like smaller ships. We really want to do the snorkeling and water activities. After reading the pros and cons of types of ships, the smaller ships seemed to be the perfect match. We are not prone to sea sickness however, it still could happen to us.