1 independent reviews for Peru, Ecuador & Galapagos adventure vacation
Reviews for Peru, Ecuador & Galapagos adventure vacation
Nick Redman review 20 Sep 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
In some ways that's a difficult question to answer as we visited so many amazing places that all gave us memorable experiences but if we had to choose one it was the Galapagos cruise at the end of the vacation. The boat crew were so friendly and helpful and the guide was excellent in terms of his knowledge and ability to get that across in an interesting and informative way. However, the pinnacle was the wildlife encounters both on land and in the water when snorkelling. We swam with sea lions, penguins, turtles and even white tipped reef sharks not to mention the myriad fish. There are no coral reefs in the Galapagos but the lava walls provide an excellent habitat for many species of brightly coloured fish that seem to have no fear of humans and quite happily swim up to and around you. Amazing!!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We started our tour in the Amazon and finished in the Galapagos with the city tours and local cultural experiences in the middle. This seemed to work really well as we finished on a definite high. We spent a long time at altitude ie over 2,800 mtrs and much of it at 3,400 mtrs going up as far as 4,900 mtrs (16,000ft). Don't underestimate the impact this can have on you and be prepared to manage this through medication and local herbal products such as Cocoa or Muna tea if you are prone to altitude sickness. I suffered quite a lot of headaches whilst at altitude but paracetamol and other painkillers generally sorted the problem.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely! We visited a number of local communities such as the Misminay in the Peruvian Andes, the Uros people on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca and one of the communities on Taquille island, also in Lake Titicaca. It was fascinating to learn about their way of life, get involved in some of their activities eg preparing a meal and brick making and to sample their fare. It was also really interesting to learn about their traditional crafts such as weaving and knitting. Of course, there was also the opportunity (but importantly not expectation) to purchase their handmade wares which we did on a number of occasions completely willingly as great mementos of our visit. Their hospitality was superb and we felt very much that they really enjoyed teaching us about their way of life. With regards to the environmental aspects, we felt that our presence was an important part of the process of getting the message back on the importance of preserving ecosystems. The guides were very clear on what was expected of us as visitors and the importance of keeping our distance from the animals and not interfering with their natural behaviour. This was particularly the case in the Galapagos where the wildlife population showed no fear of humans. We were informed on many occasions of how our financial contributions eg the $100 entry fee to Galapagos were contributing significantly to the conservation efforts there.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Without a doubt, this vacation was one of the best highlights of our lives and that is no exaggeration. Everything went smoothly from start to finish and we couldn't be more grateful to the amazing guides and local representatives that made it so. The itinerary that we put together with Sam from the tour operator was perfect and ensured that we had a great balance of adventure, culture, wildlife encounters and relaxation. The hotels were all excellent and the internal flights efficient and comfortable. Most importantly of all, the vacation has opened our eyes to the superb benefits of visiting South America and has given us memories that will be with us for the rest of our lives and that we can share with others. Just awesome!Holiday Reviews
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