GALAPAGOS: IN DARWIN'S FOOTSTEPS

Our Clients’ Reviews

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  Emily Woodeson

  GALAPAGOS: IN DARWIN'S FOOTSTEPS

  

  Written August 2009

  I was excited about this trip before I went, but never really imagined that it would live up to my extremely high expectations, however I needn't have been concerned - it was simply fantastic!  Everything that I had hoped for and an awful lot more. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  It is extremely hard to identify just one highlight.  Was it walking on beaches literally littered with sea-lions?  Or seeing penguins?  Or swimming with turtles/sea-lions/rays?  Seeing blue footed boobies or frigate birds displaying?  Or maybe walking out of the cloud to see the most incredible views from the crater rim on the Sierra Negra volcano?

  All aspects of the trip were brilliant.  Loved it.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our group leader, Fabien, was everything you could possibly want in a group leader.  He was organised, knowledgable, enthusiastic and extremely funny.  He wanted to make sure that everyone had the best possible experience and he worked really hard to make that happen. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The hiking section of the trip is quite challenging and I would really recommend taking poles with you.  In July/August the weather in the highlands is not what you might expect as you are walking mostly in cloud.  This makes the ground muddy and slippery.

  Make sure that you have a good quality camera - whilst you get close to the animals a decent zoom is still really useful to be able to get some great shots.  I took an underwater casing for my camera rather than a cheaper underwater camera - it was very much worth it.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  If you can get on this trip do.  It was amazing.

   
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  Lucy Valerio

  GALAPAGOS: IN DARWIN'S FOOTSTEPS

  

  Written March 2009

  The most astonishing trip - I had the time of my life.  Every day was a new adventure with so many different sights, scenery and sounds.  The islands are truly bewitching and the itenerary meant that we saw so much of each island visited with a great mixture of trekking and snorkelling. There was never a dull moment only lots of WOW moments.  A unique experience. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  So many to choose from but it would have to be swimming with the young sealions at los lobos.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Excellent - catered to everyone's needs in the group and had a great sense of humour.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take your own snorkelling gear and an underwater camera and for photographers a polarised filter would be very useful.

   
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  Peter Smith

  To have experienced that which Darwin noted in his diary is truly remarkable.

  

  Written September 2007

  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  On September 17th, 1835, Darwin wrote, "I pushed off a branch with the end of my gun a large hawk". Early morning, before breakfast, on the second day of our camping expedition on Floreana Island great excitement was caused by the sight of  a similar Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) which, as with Darwin, was quite unconcerned by our presence. Even if we had had a gun I don't think that anyone would have wanted to push the bird off its perch! Instead, we encircled it, watched it in some wonderment and took many, many photographs. Later, on a walk across the lava fields to the lunar landscape of Volcan Chico, I was reminded of another Darwin diary entry, "The countryside was compared to what we might imagine the cultivated parts of the Infernal regions to be"! Wonderful !

   

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  What did you think of your group leader?

  Very good. Knowledgeable, good humoured, all that one would want in a group leader.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take back-up storage if a digital photographer. Otherwise, lots and lots of film!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Another highlight?!  Riding the surf in our Yamaha twin-engined boat to calmer waters beyond where, in what were very lage rock pools, swam a seemingly endless column of large turtles just below the surface. And riding the surf back out again !