Galapagos cruise vacation

Planet

The very ethos of our style of travel is responsible; small groups on fully escorted tours, experiencing the very best of a region, a culture and a landscape, with a friendly local hand guiding the way. Our itineraries are designed to give our travelers real life experiences without compromising the part of the world we are exploring; to travel responsibly is at the heart of our commitment as a global tour operator.

Traveling with respect and consideration for your environment is encouraged and supported on all of our trips, however when visiting a conservation area such as the Galapagos Islands it is of utmost importance. Our visits to the islands run in accordance to all regulations enforced by the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park. These regulations are put in place to best protect and maintain this unique environment and ensure its survival for many years to come.

In addition to working alongside the Directorate, we also support the work of The Galapagos Conservancy. The Conservancy is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for Galapagos conservation. It is a membership-based organisation and the largest source of private support for conservation efforts. The 11,000 Friends of Galapagos are individuals and institutions who care deeply about the Galapagos Islands, and understand the scientific importance of preserving this one-of-a-kind ecosystem.

Funds raised by the Galapagos Conservancy support the core operations of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS), both located on the island of Santa Cruz. You will get the opportunity to see the work of both first hand on this vacation.

Your base for this trip will be a comfortable, modern catamaran, the M.C. Queen Beatriz. She has a comfortable lounge and dining area, as well as a sun deck where you can view the wildlife or just kick back and relax. She has eight well-appointed, air-conditioned cabins and yet, at 30 metres, she is small enough for a more personal look at this great marine reserve, whilst still protecting the environment.

Accompanying you throughout your time in the Galapagos will be an English speaking, naturalist guide. Our guides in this region are trained by Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and are all Class III Naturalist Guides, which is the highest available qualification making them the best possible individual to accompany your Galapagos journey, from both a knowledge and a conservation perspective. As well as your guide, your boat will have a crew of eight including a Skipper and Chef, all of whom will have been recruited from the mainland by our local partners, ensuring that this trip supports the local economy through employment as well as taking environmental concerns into account.

People

On board, the chef will prepare local and international cuisine daily, using fresh ingredients sourced locally. If dining together in Quito you will find the group leader favouring smaller, traditional, often family run establishments. We know that eating where the locals do offers the opportunity to try regional specialities. Our objective throughout is to offer you, the traveler, a genuine, real life experience of the country while supporting local business and this reflects that ethos.

As a company, our responsibilities don’t stop when our tours end. We run and support a variety of projects globally, from healthcare, education, human rights, child welfare, sustainable development and environmental and wildlife protection. Our own in house foundation has been in operation for over 11 years; a not-for-profit fund that has distributed over AU$3 million to more than 70 non-government organisations since 2002. Donations come from our travelers and are then matched by us dollar for dollar.