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This was a journey back to a time when animals were not afraid of man, to a time when Darwin literally pushed a Galapagos hawk off the end of a branch with his gun. Being teased underwater by an inquisitive sea lion isn't something you forget in a hurry.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Snorkelling with turtles and marine iguanas. Seeing manta rays leaping out of the water. Walking through the weird red vegetation on South Plaza Island.
What did you think of your group leader?
Fabian was the best group leader I have ever had on any holiday. It would be hard to find something he didn't know how to do - he could operate any camera you gave him, identify all the wildlife, give a political background to Ecuador and draw out the quietest members of the group with his wicked sense of humour.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take lots and lots of memory cards for your camera, don't fly with Iberia if you can help it, and make sure you have plenty of water to drink at night when you're in Quito - the altitude means that you tend to sleep with your mouth open!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I have never travelled with such a friendly and like-minded group. Exodus attracts all the right kind of people!
This is a brilliant trip. The wildlife was amazing the snorkelling was stunning. Fabian the group leader was everything we could have wished for. We had looked forward to this trip for ages and it more than lived up to our high expectations. The group was diverse and probably the very best of many exodus groups we have travelled with.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Swimming with sharks, penguins, iguanas, turtles and rainbow coloured fish. Seeing all the unique creatures we had seen on TV and read about. At times it really did feel as if we were walking in Darwins footsteps. The landscape still feels so new and raw in many places and we saw such a wide range of habitats and micro climates over the two weeks on the islands.
What did you think of your group leader?
Fabian was an exceptionally good group leader he always went the extra mile to make sure everyone in the group got the most from their holiday.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are thinking about this trip stop thinking and do it. Wet suits are quite easy to hire but if you have done little or no snorkelling get your own mask and snorkel and track down you local club for a couple of introductory sessions so you don't miss any of the stunning underwater life. In October we were glad of our shortie wet suits because we wanted to stay in the water for as long as possible.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Sunset at the campsite on the rim of the Sierra Negra volcano, miles away from the nearest habitation was an amazing sight, as was the cloudless night sky brimming with umpteen stars and galaxies.
Watching surgeon fish while snorkelling and a 100kg sea lion appears between your legs, flips over onto its back and stares at you 5 cm from your mask, blows bubbles in your face and swims off fast, to be followed by another an another...awesome.
Swimming above about 40 six foot sharks seems scarey until you come across a manta ray the size of a small car !
What did you think of your group leader?
Fabien was a well educated, amusing and highly informed Ecuadorian who spoke very good English and above all kept you interested every minute of every day. They don't come any better.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't even think twice, just do it. You won't regret it.
Worth taking good comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking over many different surfaces. Consider taking your own snorkel, mask, flippers and shorty wetsuit to save time hiring.
Staying in hostels and hotels is much better than permanently being on a cruise boat, especially in the evenings.
Take plenty of camera memory cards. We took over 2000 pictures between 2 of us.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It is true what they say about the wildlife not feeling threatened by humans. Birds, iguanas, giant torts just look at you as though you are a stranger and expect you to walk round them !
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.
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.
Lucy Valerio
GALAPAGOS: IN DARWIN'S FOOTSTEPS
Written
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.
To have experienced that which Darwin noted in his diary is truly remarkable.
Written
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 !
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 !
from 13 reviews.
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