a brilliant holiday, unfortunately cut short through no fault of Exodus.In the circumstances they... mike power, 2018 See more reviews
a brilliant holiday, unfortunately cut short through no fault of Exodus.In the circumstances they... mike power, 2018 See more reviews
I thought long and hard about booking a this trip as it is not cheap! However it proved to be the... Julie Sutton, 2017 See more reviews
An amazing trip, full of exciting excursions, beautiful landscapes, astounding wildlife... Petrus Van Dongen, 2015 See more reviews
Non stop wildlife experience with so many different islands that it felt much more than just too... Kathleen Gray, 2015 See more reviews
Galapagos 14 night cruise around the islands a once in a lifetime holiday.... Thinking about it?... Cornell Grierson, 2015 See more reviews
A fantastic experience aboard the Cachalote visiting so many of the Islands and coves; ... Anonymous, 2013 See more reviews
What a wonderful experience. Quito city on the mainland and the Galapagos islands are... Anonymous, 2013 See more reviews
This trip whole heartedly exceeded my expectations. For those of you who love animals this is... Anonymous, 2013 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Quito to Guayaquil Day 1 Start Quito. The group flight usually arrives into Quito this evening. Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening. Free transfers are available for all clients. A local guide will welcome you to Quito and explain the schedule for the next few days.Accommodation: Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar) Day 2 Discover Quito at your leisure. Today is free to relax, recover from the flight and explore the fascinating city of Quito. Quito is the second highest capital in the world, standing at 2,850m on the western cordillera of the Andes. It is one of the smaller and more attractive of the colonial capitals of South America. Because of the altitude visitors to Quito are advised to take it easy at first. Accommodation: Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Fly to Galapagos; visit Santa Cruz highlands and Charles Darwin Centre. Embarkation. Transfer to Quito Airport and fly to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands. We take a short ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island where we drive to the highlands to look for Galapagos giant tortoises. This afternoon visit the Charles Darwin Centre to learn about the ecology of the islands and visit the centre's tortoise hatchery. After this we board our boat at Puerto Ayora, the island's main town. For today's excursion it's a good idea to have access to your camera, sun cream and appropriate clothing: comfortable footwear for some short walks (possibly amongst grass), light clothes, a hat/cap and a light waterproof in case of a shower or mist. The Galapagos Wildlife Cruise does both of our two seven-night cruising itineraries back-to-back. Whether the cruise does Itinerary A (eastern islands) or B (western islands) first depends on the departure date of your trip (please ask your sales consultant if unsure). Below we list the schedules for the cruise itineraries A and B for each day.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Galapagos Cruise Day 2 Itinerary A: Plaza Island & Santa Fe Walk on tiny Plaza Island to see a cactus forest, land iguanas and seabirds, then cruise to the white sand beaches of Santa Fe. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Chinese Hat & Isla Rabida A short walk on the small island of Chinese Hat before snorkelling with Sea lions (and penguins if lucky!); on to the dark red beach of Isla Rabida to walk amongst spatter cones, pelicans, Blue-footed and Nazca boobies.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Galapagos Cruise Day 3 Itinerary A: San Cristobal Island A day at San Cristobal Island: the white sand beach, Blue-footed boobies and old cone of Cerro Brujo, Galapagos giant tortoise at Galapaguera and crystal clear waters around the striking spear of Kicker Rock. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Isabela Island We start three days exploring the largest island of Isabela and walk to the huge 5-mile wide caldera on Sierra Negra volcano. In the afternoon it's possible to visit the Galapagos giant tortoise breeding centre on Isabela island.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Galapagos Cruise Day 4 Itinerary A: Espanola Island Swim with Sea lions and Marine iguanas at Gardener Bay on Espanola Island. In the afternoon, walk amongst Nazca and Blue-footed boobies and nesting Waved Albatross (in season) next to pounding surf at Punta Suarez. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Isabela Island Cruising round Isabela's west side, we hope to see whales and dolphins. We land at Punta Moreno's swirling fresh lava flows and also explore the islets of Elizabeth Bay with the largest colony of penguins in the Galapagos. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Galapagos Cruise Day 5 Itinerary A: Floreana Island At Floreana Island snorkel in the spectacular sunken crater of Devil's Crown amongst thousands of fish. Visit the lagoon at Punta Cormorant (often with flamingos) and Post Office Bay, the mailbox used by 18th Century whalers. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove In 1954 Urbina Bay was uplifted 4 metres. We walk here amongst exposed coral heads, wandering Galapagos giant tortoises and huge land iguanas. This afternoon we visit Tagus Cove and Darwin Lake, directly opposite recently active Fernandina Volcano.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Galapagos Cruise Day 6 Itinerary A: Dragon Hill & Sullivan Bay To Dragon Hill, a nesting site for land iguanas with a large lagoon; dramatic Sullivan Bay with a walk on a huge lava flow only 100 years old before swimming from the beach in crystal clear waters. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Punta Espinosa & Punta Vicente Roca Land at Punta Espinosa on Fernandina in the midst of a huge colony of Marine iguanas; the sea life is very rich here and supports a large Sea lion and Fur seal colony. Cross the straights and explore the cliffs of Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 Galapagos Cruise Day 7 Itinerary A: Genovesa Island Less-visited Genovesa Island is home to an abundance of Red-footed boobies, Fur seals, Storm petrels and Short-eared Owls. Here, we look for tropicbirds at Prince Philip Steps before snorkelling, whilst at Darwin Bay, Galapagos mockingbirds can usually be seen. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Santiago Island & Bartolome Island Excellent birding on Santiago Island at Puerto Egas followed by an afternoon snorkel and a walk amongst incredible volcanic scenery at Bartolome Island - cones, lava tubes and Pinnacle Rock.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 10 Galapagos Cruise Day 8 Itinerary A & B: Return to Baltra Today we return to Baltra via Turtle Cove (Itinerary A) or North Seymour Island (Itinerary B), restock and start the second cruise itinerary of your trip. This is a changeover day, where clients taking shorter itineraries may leave or join the boat. We usually arrive in Puerto Ayora around 15:30 and and can have some free time here, where there are many shops, cafes and restaurants. This is your only chance for some shopping before we return to the islands! Alternatively, you could visit Finch Bay to observe birds in the lagoon or walk 2.5km along a paved trail to Tortuga Bay this afternoon, where it's possible to see Marine iguanas, shore birds and sea turtles on this stunning 1km beach.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 11 Galapagos Cruise Day 9 Itinerary A: Plazas Island & Santa Fe Walk on tiny Plazas Island to see a cactus forest, land iguanas and seabirds, then cruise to the white sand beaches of Santa Fe. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Chinese Hat & Isla Rabida A short walk on the small island of Chinese Hat before snorkelling with Sea lions (and penguins if lucky!); on to the dark red beach of Isla Rabida to walk amongst spatter cones, pelicans, Blue-footed and Nazca boobies. In the afternoon its possible to visit the Galapagos giant tortoise breeding centre on Isabela Island.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 12 Galapagos Cruise Day 10 Itinerary A: San Cristobal Island A day at San Cristobal Island: the white sand beach, Blue-footed boobies and old cone of Cerro Brujo, Galapagos giant tortoise at Galapaguera and crystal clear waters around the striking spear of Kicker Rock. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Isabela Island We start three days exploring the largest island of Isabela and walk to the huge 5-mile wide caldera on Sierra Negra volcano. In the afternoon it's possible to visit the Galapagos giant tortoise breeding centre on Isabela island.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 13 Galapagos Cruise Day 11 Itinerary A: Espanola Island Swim with Sea lions and Marine iguanas at Gardener Bay on Espanola Island. In the afternoon, walk amongst Nazca and Blue-footed boobies and nesting Waved Albatross (in season) next to pounding surf at Punta Suarez. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Isabela Island Cruising round Isabela's west side, we hope to see whales and dolphins. We land at Punta Moreno's swirling fresh lava flows and also explore the islets of Elizabeth Bay with the largest colony of penguins in the Galapagos.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 14 Galapagos Cruise Day 12 Itinerary A: Floreana Island At Floreana Island snorkel in the spectacular sunken crater of Devil's Crown amongst thousands of fish. We visit the lagoon at Punta Cormorant (often with flamingos) and Post Office Bay, the mailbox used by 18th Century whalers. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove In 1954 Urbina Bay was uplifted 4 metres. We walk here amongst exposed coral heads, wandering Galapagos giant tortoises and huge land iguanas. In the afternoon we visit to Tagus Cove and Darwin Lake, directly opposite recently active Fernandina Volcano.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 15 Galapagos Cruise Day 13 Itinerary A: Dragon Hill & Sullivan Bay To Dragon Hill, a nesting site for land iguanas with a large lagoon; dramatic Sullivan Bay with a walk on a huge lava flow only 100 years old before swimming from the white-sand beach in crystal clear waters. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Punta Espinosa & Punta Vicente Roca Land at Punta Espinosa on Fernandina in the midst of a huge colony of Marine iguanas; the sea life is very rich here and supports a large Sea lion and Fur seal colony. Cross the straights and explore the cliffs of Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 16 Galapagos Cruise Day 14 Itinerary A: Genovesa Island Less-visited Genovesa Island is home to an abundance of Red-footed boobies, Fur seals, Storm petrels and Short-eared Owls. Here, we look for tropicbirds at Prince Philip Steps before snorkelling, whilst at Darwin Bay, Galapagos mockingbirds can usually be seen. Accommodation: First-Class Boat Itinerary B: Santiago Island & Bartolome Island Excellent birding on Santiago Island at Puerto Egas followed by an afternoon snorkel and a walk amongst incredible volcanic scenery at Bartolome Island - cones, lava tubes and Pinnacle Rock.Accommodation: First-Class Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 17 Fly to Guayaquil; end Guayaquil. Itinerary A: Turtle Cove We explore the mangroves of Turtle Cove at dawn watching turtles rising for air as herons can be seen fishing from the trees. Itinerary B: North Seymour An early morning walk on North Seymour amidst Palo Santo trees and colonies of Blue-footed boobies. Both itineraries: Disembark, journey back to Baltra and fly to Guayaquil. After a late breakfast we disembark for the journey back to Baltra to transfer to the airport and fly back to the mainland. We fly to Guayaquil airport where it's possible to connect with international flights this evening from 6pm onwards. Alternatively, you can extend your stay for a few extra nights or join the Napo Wildlife Centre Extension (which starts in Quito). Land only clients may prefer to organise post-tour accommodation for the night in Guayaquil and organise their international flights for the following day. Meals included: Breakfast
Napo Wildlife Centre Extension (XAG) Code: XAG Spend three nights in a luxurious eco-lodge overlooking Anangucocha Lake, and experience one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet - the Amazon Rainforest. The Napo Wildlife Centre is one of the best eco-lodges in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. Located deep within Yasuni National Park, Napo Wildlife Centre is perched on a hillside in the heart of the forest. Its small number of rooms and large private reserve means that visitors have excellent chances of spotting some of the many mammals living in the forest. In this region over 500 species of bird have been recorded, as well as numerous monkey species, tamarins, tapirs, sloths, jaguars (rarely seen), caimans and lizards. The detailed itinerary can be found here. Please ask your sales consultant for more details. Price from: £1699 (compulsory supplement of £700 for single travellers)
Ecuador British passport holders do not need a visa for Ecuador. Very few other nationalities need a visa for Ecuador, but if you are in any doubt you should contact the nearest Ecuadorian Embassy.
Ecuador There are no mandatory vaccination requirements, however, if you have travelled to a country at risk of Yellow Fever prior to arriving in Ecuador you will be required to have a valid Yellow Fever Certificate with you. Recommended vaccinations are: Typhoid and Hepatitis A. If you will spend any time in the Amazon Rainforest we recommend a Yellow Fever vaccination. Please note that your certificate of vaccination may be inspected on arrival to this region. Malaria is also a risk in some areas of the country (including the Amazon Rainforest) so we suggest you consult a doctor for more advice. Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in places visited on this trip. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. PLEASE NOTE: All visitors to Ecuador will be required to show valid medical insurance on arrival and cannot enter the country without it.
Hotels & First-Class Boat 14 nights on board a First Class Boat, the Cachalote Explorer, in en suite, air-conditioned cabins, and 2 nights comfortable hotel. Cachalote Explorer: A 16-passenger Motor-Yacht with 8 comfortable double/twin cabins, each with en suite facilities. All cabins are air conditioned and have the following: shower with hot water, toilet, amenities and towels, porthole windows. Max speed 8 knots, size 88ft. Renovated in 2018. Optional single supplement available in Quito hotel only.
Reviewed November 2018 mike power Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise a week in the Galapagos a brilliant holiday, unfortunately cut short through no fault of Exodus.In the circumstances they handled everything well and re-arranged flights to our complete satisfaction,the itinerary was great, the boat amazing and you couldn't want for a more amiable and knowledgeable guide. We visited all the islands in the east and were fortunate enough to see all the wildlife on our wish list, and although we were offered the chance to return and do the western Isles, I decided to take a full refund for the lost week and arrange another holiday with Exodus in the future. In summary I would say it was not just a great holiday but a lifetime experience What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? there were too many to mention but watching albatross try to take off was highly amusing What did you think of your group leader? brilliant Do you have any advice for potential travellers? go now and enjoy. As there is a fair amount of snorkelling take a waterproof camera
Reviewed November 2018 mike power Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise a week in the Galapagos a brilliant holiday, unfortunately cut short through no fault of Exodus.In the circumstances they handled everything well and re-arranged flights to our complete satisfaction,the itinerary was great, the boat amazing and you couldn't want for a more amiable and knowledgeable guide. We visited all the islands in the east and were fortunate enough to see all the wildlife on our wish list, and although we were offered the chance to return and do the western Isles, I decided to take a full refund for the lost week and arrange another holiday with Exodus in the future. In summary I would say it was not just a great holiday but a lifetime experience What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? there were too many to mention but watching albatross try to take off was highly amusing What did you think of your group leader? brilliant Do you have any advice for potential travellers? go now and enjoy. As there is a fair amount of snorkelling take a waterproof camera
Reviewed May 2018 Jakki Foote Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Fabulous holiday, shame about the boat! The two-week wildlife cruise was the holiday of a lifetime. We both enjoy science and wildlife, we are also sailors and have our own boat. Most days the itinerary was full on and wonderful, and we were delighted with the amazing wildlife both on land and in the sea. The crew were very friendly and worked amazingly hard. There was a generous amount of good food for every meal, including much fruit, vegetables and salads. Unfortunately several of us had stomach upsets for 1 or 2 days. The boat was the main cause for concern. The A/C in the dining room failed for a couple of days, and dripped water on the seating so we had several wet seats for a few days. The Dining room ceiling also dripped water on several occasions. Our A/C also dripped on the carpet, or anything that was on the carpet nearby, and also on the shelves under it. Many things were wet or smelled musty. We had room 1 and our toilet was often malfunctioning from the start, and then blocked completely for a whole day (happily the crew worked very hard and managed to repair it by bedtime). There were no other toilets except the ones in other guests cabins. Exodus gave us only 24 hours to decide whether to abort the holiday as the original boat the Cachalot was out of commission but we were told that the substitute boat was also a “first class boat”. We now discover that according to Galapagos Islands.com the ‘Astrea’ or ‘Pinguino Explorer’ is down as a “mid-priced boat” and costs 650 dollars per week less that the ‘Catchalot’ did, so we are not amused as no refund was offered for this cheaper accommodation. Exodus were unable to give us useful information regarding laundry (they said there was none) or the ability to wash things ourselves and hang them out. Also, they were unable to answer queries about the flight from Quito to the islands or the baggage allowance for that flight. We therefore took far too much luggage! We were only told about the need for US dollars to pay the bar bill within the last week when we had already ordered and collected our dollars. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? So hard to decide as most days exceeded our expectations. I loved the seals, so amusing and entertaining, as were the Penguins but the Hammerhead sharks took my breath away. We saw about 100 Mola mola (sunfish) I also was blown away by the Siera Negra Volcano – so huge. What did you think of your group leader? Very knowledgeable about so many things, but not easy to get a straight answer from, and also rather creepy. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Find out who the local agent is and check their website, it answered many of our outstanding questions. You can wash for yourself, a plug is useful, and hang out clothes on the rail outside. Reply from Exodus Reply from Exodus We would like to thank Jakki for her feedback. We are pleased that she enjoyed her trip overall, but we regret the disappointment that the Astrea caused. We were very sorry to learn that Jakki experienced issues with the air-conditioning and plumbing, as we appreciate the frustration and disappointment this caused. Following the feedback we have received, I can confirm that we will not be using the Astrea for any future departures and we have been in touch with Jakki on an individual basis. Sarah Ahern – Product Manager for the Galapagos
Reviewed November 2017 Julie Sutton Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Galapagos Wildlife Cruise I thought long and hard about booking a this trip as it is not cheap! However it proved to be the best holiday that I have ever taken and well worth the money. We snorkelled twice a day on most days, with the turtles, sea lions, penguins, marine iguanas and great shoals of multicoloured fish. Every island that we visited was different and the naturalist guide that accompanied us was a fount of information. On land we saw the giant Galapagos tortoises, land iguanas and a myriad of different birds. The boat that we were based on was first class with excellent food and attentive and friendly crew What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Swimming with sealions What did you think of your group leader? Excellent, could not have been bettered, Gandy was efficient, knowledgible, kind and fun Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you have your own full length wetsuit, then take it with you if you are travelling, as I did in November as the water is fairly cold then and the wet suits provided on board are short ones. On the other hand I understand the sea is much warmer in Feb/Mar.
Reviewed November 2015 Petrus Van Dongen Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Galapagos Wildlife Trip An amazing trip, full of exciting excursions, beautiful landscapes, astounding wildlife encounters, amazing weather, good co-travellers and a very informative and easy going leader! What more could you want of this once-in-a-lifetime-trip? What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Snorkelling with turtles, sea lions, sharks, rays, penguins and marine iguanas. OK, this wasn't one moment, but the whole snorkelling experience was awesome! What did you think of your group leader? Very good, informative, knowledgeable, easy-going, funny. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Bring plenty of sun cream; bring sandals and flip-flops, as well as good walking shoes; make sure you can stand constant movement of the ship, or take drugs; be prepared to spend time in small spaces. Bring binoculars (for birds mainly) as well as a decent camera, zoom not so important, as the animals are very close! Other that that: just do it! Is there anything else you would like to add? The food was plentiful and varied, although 'surprising' in many ways. Good healthy stuff always available though. Cabins are VERY small and there is VERY limited storage space.
Reviewed June 2015 Kathleen Gray Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Non stop wildlife experience with so many different islands that it felt much more than just too weeks. Lovely breaks cruising between the islands relaxing in the warm sea breeze. Very helpful friendly passengers and crew. Great food. Snorkelling is a must. Essential to have a small boat 16 max to enjoy the islands in peace. The Western Islands were quieter than the eastern Islands. A trip to be repeated!!! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Fun with the wildlife especially the inquisitive, friendly sea lions brushing their whiskers across my face and the little bird dancing on my head as I was sitting on the rocks at the sea edge trying to take photos of diving boobies. What did you think of your group leader? Juan was excellent. Very friendly and a mass of knowledge about the wildlife and the islands. Everything there is to know he knows it. At the end he gave us a very useful digital copy of photos he took of the wildlife we saw on each walk. So helpful when you get back home to identify the wildlife and also a record of your trip. Take a 16GB SD card or stick to store the info. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Pack light as cabin space limited in the Cachalote. Take old or dark clothes as you might getting 'rust' stains because your washing gets hung out on the metal rails at the back of the yacht. Take ear plugs for sleeping at night as engines are noisy. Head-torch useful as cabin quite dim. Snorkelling a must and get prescription snorkelling mask,if you need to, and a waterproof camera before you go. Wear shortie wet suit to stay in water as long as possible. Either take your own or hire on board. I found strong waterproof sandals good for most walks but lightweight boots useful for other walks. Is there anything else you would like to add? Enjoy!!Enjoy!! You'll have a fabby time. PS Kids waterproof suntan lotion will keep you well protected from the sun. Factor 50 then 30.
Reviewed April 2015 Cornell Grierson Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Galapagos Wildlife Cruise Galapagos 14 night cruise around the islands a once in a lifetime holiday.... Thinking about it? Just book it truly amazing! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing and swimming with penguins, turtles, sea lions, sting rays, sharks, hammerhead sharks, dolphins. Seeing a huge group of dolphins swimming when we were sailing was also a huge highlight. Blue footed boobies courting ritual. Wandering albatross as well was wonderfull. What did you think of your group leader? Darwin was excellent really fun and knowledgeable about the history of the islands and the animals that inhabit it a wonderful your leader can't fault one bit. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Small cabins don't take to much also very formal at dinner times so no need to worry about taking all smart clothes.
Reviewed December 2013 Anonymous Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE CRUISE A fantastic experience aboard the Cachalote visiting so many of the Islands and coves; seeing all the wildlife for real that I had seen on the David Attenbrough programme. The most amazing thing was the wildlife's attitude to us. It was so 'laid back' about us being there that they just ignored our presence. We were told to not go too close but nobody told the wildlife that! It was as f we were invisible. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were many but here are 3. Seeing the Nazca Boobies and Waved Albatrosses still displaying to each other and sparring with their beaks when we visited Suarez Point on Espanola Island. Also the time a Blue Footed Booby decided that it was going to come close to us and investigate - or did it just want to make it's way along the path we were on? Thirdly, the event that was the 'icing on the cake', so to speak, was on our last day, on Seymour Island when we saw Frigate birds with their red pouches inflated. It was not their normal breeding season but 1 or 2 can be seen at most times of the year, we were told. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader, called Darwin, was brilliant. He knows all about the geology as well as the wildlife. He is passionate about conservation, spending some time doing voluntary work for the National Park ,and was able to answer all our questions about it, the wildlife and life in general on the islands. He was caring and helpful and gave us a good idea of what to expect to see and do each day Do you have any advice for potential travellers? There are couple of long navigations that can be a bit rough so be prepared. If you're a particularly poor sailor try the ear patches - like nicotine patches - available from your Dr. Also, if your nervous about snorkelling have a couple of lessons before you go, because, like us, you may have many more opportunities than what is listed in the trip notes!. Is there anything else you would like to add? Just go! A real holiday of a lifetime!
Reviewed July 2013 Anonymous Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE CRUISE What a wonderful experience. Quito city on the mainland and the Galapagos islands are such a contrast to each other but both extremely interesting. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The three most memorable moments for me were when we visited - North Seymour Island where the blue-footed boobies were performing their most entertaining mating dance- Espanola (Hood) Island where we saw nesting Waved Albatross- Early morning explorations of the mangroves where turtles, rays and white headed sharks were seen when the paddle was used to sail the panga. These were breath taking experiences. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader was Juan Tapia. Juan was brilliant guide. He was extremely personable and looked after every need for each member of the group. His enthusiasm / passion was second to none and he was very knowledgeable about all the flora, fauna, marine life and geology of the islands. His English is first class and I understand he also speaks four other languages. He is a multi talented guy and was most entertaining when we were enjoying our "Crossing the Equator Party" and the Captain's Party at the end of our journey. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Read the Trip Notes thoroughly as they contain excellent advice with regard to the packing requirements, money matters and altitude warnings. They also include factual, relevant information about the Cachelote so there should not be any surprises with regard to cabin size and particularly the noise of the engine. Do not be frightened by all the information about Quito. Heed the information and treat the city with respect as you would with any other city in the world. By doing this you and your belongings will be safe and you will enjoy this fascinating city and it's people. Is there anything else you would like to add? The Shuttle to and from the Airport to the Hotel were well organised and much appreciated. The Ground Staff were very helpful and kept us well informed at all times. The Veja Cuba hotel in Quito is more than adequate - clean, comfortable, decent sized rooms with private facilities. Breakfast could be improved, mainly the service and choice of menu, however you will not starve.The Cachelote Capitan and his crew members added value to our journey around the Galapagos Islands. They were all lovely people, very helpful and most respectful to the clients. Nothing was too much trouble.My advice to all is if wildlife, marine life, geology, photography, swimming / snorkelling are your interests / passions, this trip has got to be on your Bucket List to be enjoyed at sometime in the future. I truly would recommend the 14 day itinerary to allow sufficient time investigate as many islands as possible in the time allowed.
Reviewed May 2013 Anonymous Trip: Galapagos Wildlife Cruise GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE CRUISE Wonderful experience, exceeded my expectations. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Cachalotte is a superb boat and the staff are exceptional, the chef needs a medal the food presented was far superior to any hotel I have stayed in. Nothing was too much trouble , especially helpful getting into the panga's!! Juon was a very knowledgeable guide, friendly and socialable.The wildlife exceeded all expectations we saw it all as per itinerary, I had never snorkelled but managed to and saw fabulous fish , inquisitive seals and penguins darting round me, turtles and much more. Weather was perfect, no rain, sun protection is a must, only one suffered sea sickness (mildly) Land wildlife, flowers, scenery superb tooLong journey to destination, Iberia OK but boy was it worth it. Quito - go to old town lovely, Cuba hotel was excellent.Highly recommended. What did you think of your group leader? Juan was so knowledgeable really showed his 25 years experience, very friendly and efficient. Sat with us in the evenings to discuss with us what we had seen that day. All transport, transfers went like clockwork Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Sea sickness was not a problem on our trip, but there are tablets available. Altitude in Quito not a great problem just keep drinking water . Bellavista was a nice trip from Quito but only if not raining, it can be very cold and damp there and not a lot to do/see if wet. Must go to the Palace in Quito old town, free guided tour and photo.Be aware that despite transferring from one plane to another @ Madrid your alcohol will be taken away, insist shops put it in sealed bag, mine was treble wrapped in bubblewrap and they still took it , I lost $52.If poss take a pillow for the boat, mattress and pillow on hard side!! You can use it on the plane too . Is there anything else you would like to add? If you have never attempted to snorkel here is the perfect chance, all the equipment and superb opportunities almost every day- twice a day. I cannot swim but still had a go with a life jacket, had one beach and the mammal's/fish to myself last day !! Superb experience
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