Though I just returned from French Polynesia my head is already spinning on where I want to go for our next adventure. Hmmm for some reason I am just not ready to go to Europe yet, I love adventure I love animals and I love Culture and the beautiful blue ocean, later on in life when my body cant handle the adventure and third world countries I will travel overseas to Europe and eat, drink walk and look at stones but for right now I need to live and use my body while it can take harsh and wild environments and strange foods. Hello Galapagos here we come!Start of a new adventure for next year.
In my new search for these amazing Islands to explore I have found that there are numerous choices on how to visit this remote and beautiful area. Hence I am writing this blog to help others who are interested in travel to the Galapagos and its beautiful Islands. A few years back I started the investigating of these Islands that are located approx 621 miles from the Ecuadorian mainland and at the time it was very limited on how to travel around these Islands, there were only a handful of hotels and a few ships to choose from. Now you have more choices and more ships to choose from so what I have discovered is that there are 3 main questions to ask your self, #1. do you want to do land base or boat trip ?? Question #2 and #3 small boat or bigger boat?? A smaller boat for the Galapagos standards is approximately 14 to 16 people the larger boats are 45 to 100, For those that want the extra safety, social feel, amenities, stability, and spaciousness that cruise ships provide, larger ships may be the ideal way to visit the Galapagos. For those who prefer a more intimate experience on board and on the islands, I would recommend choosing a small yacht. During my online studies and research on how I am going to plan my trip I think I will be going with a smaller boat and I am in the process of choosing a Catamaran, it is has 16 people 8 cabins, I would also like to do my part in visiting the Galapagos in a smaller vessel that will have less impact on the fragile environment and can get into more remote areas that I will not have to share with a larger vessel.
You also may want to look around and try to use a tour company that is based in Ecuador, they have more experience in that area and know the cruising vessels very well, I have had ever questions answered professionally and timely, after checking around I think I am going to use Galapagos Island Tours http://www.galapagosislands.com/index2.html they have a very informative website that will basically answer any question you may have about your trip, you are also booking direct by using them, they are the booking agents for most of the more popular vessels and hotel for the Galapagos Islands. I have also found out that you have a better advantage by booking through a company like this to make your trip more convenient, safe, more economic to because they negotiate better prices with hotels and the airline that takes you from the mainland to the Galapagos Islands. When booking independent air from Quito or Guayaquil you are not under their supervision and if you have any delays getting from Quito to the flight there is a good chance you may get left behind but if booked with a reputable company they will have your transfers to and from the airport and make it a lot easier to get through the crazy and long lines at the airport.
If you are planning to choose a smaller vessel to cruise the Galapagos like a Catamaran you may want to consider bringing a few friends along due to the fact that the vessel is smaller and it may be much better to share the space with people you know. Since the group is smaller there will have much more time for excursions. Also by doing this you may get a better discount for everyone than the typical rack rate. Collect a list of a group of friends or family you may want to contact about your cruise and send them all emails with your details you have acquired. This may seem like an easy task but getting people to commit is not easy at all. For a vacation like this be sure to give your group ample time to plan for their time off of work and get their finances in order. Once you have negotiated your price with the booking agency have them give you separate invoices so that you can email them to your passengers individually, some of you may have different prices depending on your room type and trip extensions.
While booking our adventure I was going back and forth about which area to stay at Quito or Guayaquil. At first I thought we should just go to Guayaquil because the date of departure for your flight to the Galapagos Islands the flights from Quito make a stop in Guayaquil which delays you by approx an hour or so. But on the flip side there is not much to see in Guayaquil and so much more to see in Quito. So I am leaning more towards Quito unless I find out some new and amazing info.
After looking through numerous itineraries and deck plans I chose to go with the Cormorant Catamaran with Haugan Cruises. http://www.cormorantgalapagos.com/index.html
They do not book directly with the consumer they use booking agents like the one I mentioned in my last blog http://www.galapagosislands.com/index2.html they gave me the best price and so far the best service. I spoke to an agent named Lilian she was very pleasant and informative. I chose the Cormorant because of the Itinerary, it’s brand new and they have a Level 3 Certification by the Galapagos National Park which consist of the following........
• A University degree in biology, tourism and similar branches is required
• At least 6 years of experience as a naturalist guide for the Galapagos National Park is required
• Fluency in en and English with many speaking a third language
• To have successfully completed the rigorous Level 3 training course offered by the Park which includes:
1. Safety training for on board and for when on the islands
2. First Aid training
3. Detailed test of the biology and geology of the islands
4. Problem and emergency management training
Next step trip extension………. what hotel on Santa Cruz to choose Finch Bay or Royal Palm?
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