10 independent reviews for Galapagos adventure vacation
Reviews for Galapagos adventure vacation
Christiana Ober review 4 Jan 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Amazon- Mandari Panga and our Legend cruise in Galapagos2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Kat at the operator was unbelievable. Combing a land vacation and a short cruise for our family in Galapagos was excellent! We loved Ecuador. It felt so safe.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, everyone was aware of conservation and we liked supporting Ecuadorian companies4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Absolutely amazing!!!Barbara Gray review 10 Dec 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The most memorable part of our vacation was probably swimming with sea lions and turtles but this was closely followed by observing birds interact with each other. A lot of the birds and animals were only a metre or less from us. We visited six islands and they were all different.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take a water proof camera and plenty of sea sick tablets.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It supported conservation and certainly tried to minimize the impact we made on the environment. I'm not sure that it benefited many local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was an amazing experience.Helen Honeyball review 29 Jul 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Too many to mention - maybe snorkelling beside Kicker Rock (Galapagos) seeing giant turtles; or zip lining 40 meters above the cloud forest floor (Ecuador)2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Enjoy it and take every opportunity to see as much as you can3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Tourism is the biggest industry in the Galapagos (along with construction). Big emphasis on protecting the environment4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
11 out of 10Sarah Daly review 26 Feb 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The snorkelling with penguins sharks rays sea lions turtles cormorants pelicans and then of course the fish.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Good tread on your shoes or boots! Lots of t-shirts as you sweat so much! Plus cotton long sleeves - the sun here is most powerful. It is an energetic vacation on the yacht you do need to be fit to enjoy.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
You pay tax for conservation on entry to Galapagos. Most shops cafes and accommodation are owed by locals so anything you spend is helping. The impact is controlled by the national park as they decide how many folk can visit etc.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent. Completely incredible. The yacht was amazing and the crew were great. Our guide was so professional but fun he made the trip so interesting.Chris Goldthorp review 10 Jan 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
So much to list! I think snorkelling ith the turtles on Galapagos and having humming birds at my finger tools feeding from a nectar pot.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Go with the flow! Itineraries may change due the nature part of a tour. Let your guide be the judge. Pack a less than you think you'll need for various activities/weather. Boat travel better with lighter bags.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most definitely on Galapagos. Our guide was very good at distributing tourist business. Eating away from the hotels to give business to various restaurants/ businesses. Travel in transport big enough for the group but not too big. Using local transport companies and local transport.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Unbelievably fantastic! All enhanced by the fantastic guides we had in Quito, Galapagos and Bella Vista Cloud forest!Van Schwiebert review 7 Jul 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The opportunity to see so many varieties of flora and fauna in their native environment, the opportunity to swim with penguins and sea lions, and the wonderful array of settings in which to view all. Although the boat was "tired" and needs updating, the crew was terrific -- treated us all with respect, good humor, and interest and answered our questions patiently. The chef aboard (Victor) was fun, an excellent cook, and kept us well fed, including with hearty snacks after walks or snorkel trips.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Follow the suggestions for the kit list. In addition to those items, bring along extra plastic bags (for returning home last minute wet items), your own mask (if you have trouble fitting "generic" items), and clothes pins. Forget about doing significant laundry on board. Micro-Fibre bath towels proved well worthwhile for after swimming and wet landings. Bring good binoculars.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I assume we did as we spent money for the trip, gave tips to the crew and guide(s), and purchased meals, museum admissions, and other items before and after the trip to the Galapagos. We tried to follow the adage of taking only photos and leaving only footprints.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We believe we got significant value for the cost of the trip and saw every bit as much as the expensive trips that were anchored at the same locations. (We could have had a beautiful boat with large staterooms and a terrible crew -- but we did not and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We would have given a higher score but for: (1) We had a terrific guide the first half of the trip, but he departed to join another group, and there was a mad scramble to find us a replacement whose English was limited and who walked well ahead of the group, thereby offering limited explanations. Also, because of a leg wound, he was unable to guide us snorkelling. (2) Our boat made several stops back in the Baltra anchorage to pick up and drop off subsets of passengers on 4 day trips, so (a) we did not get to all the places our original itinerary showed and (b) we lost time visiting other spots we would have enjoyed seeing (e.g. We actually could have made it to the Post Office and the Charles Darwin Center on one of the passes through Canal Itabaca, but we were not advised of the layover time to take advantage of the gap).Read the operator's response here:
We’re glad that overall the family enjoyed their Galapagos cruise, and had a good time with the crew on the boat.
In Galapagos, guides generally work three weeks on, two weeks off. The first guide was scheduled to work for the entire week but had to leave due to an unforeseen family circumstance. He chose not a to reveal this to the passengers, so as not to dampen their vacation.
The stand-in for the day tour on day 5 was brought in last minute, to cover the first guide leaving.
The third guide for the second part of the cruise was also brought in on emergency cover, and it can often be quite hard to find guides at the last minute. The boat has assured us they will not use this emergency, third guide again.
The boat changed the itinerary in April but unfortunately the information was never relayed to us. By the time we were informed, the passengers were already at sea.
We have asked the boat owners to make us aware of every itinerary change as soon as it is put into place. We have agreed that they must receive a reply from us, confirming that we are aware of the change(s).
We will then pass those itinerary changes to the clients. This new process will help everyone concerned and we are grateful to our clients for helping us to improve.
The boat owners are also working on the boat every week to try to improve its condition.
We’re glad that the cruise was a memorable one, and that you travelled with us.
Rachel Balen review 25 Feb 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I spent a week riding in the Andes and a week sailing round the Galapagos Islands. Both weeks were fantastic - well organised, knowledgeable and friendly guides , good accommodation, plentiful food etc. I was very lucky with the composition of the 2 groups - very friendly and good humoured traveling companions!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The sun is very strong - wear gloves for riding to prevent sunburned hands. Alcohol in Ecuador is very expensive - so make the most of duty-free shopping!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We stayed in a comunity village project in the Andes. Also, the riding vacation leader (Sally) is involved in charity projects in Quito and I was able to leave behind spare medications etc for their use.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Fantastic!Mei Yoke Chan review 31 Aug 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The Galapagos cruise was the highlight of the whole trip! Snorkelling with the sealions, sitting on the beach with curious baby sealions waddling up to sniff your hand and the amazing close up contact with the animals in Galapagos -- all these experiences will stay with me for a long time!!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring seasickness pills!!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely! The crew on our boat are all local and I believe the boat is local-owned. Our naturalist is very good at educating us about the fragile environment in Galapagos and what we can do to minimise our impact.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This has to be one of my best trips ever!! Highly recommended! The Galapagos has to be on everyone's bucket list!Robert Coifman review 11 Jan 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
No single element. My wife and I each had different high points but we shared the overall impression that it was a great experience. We had the good luck to have a group in which everyone got along and helped and supported what others in the group wanted to do. Best of all was probably the local organizer who had people on location ready and able to manage every conceivable issue that could come up. As old folks (ages 74 and 83) we chose to pass or go slowly on some of the more strenuous aerobic activities but it was so well organized that we felt perfectly free to do what we felt appropriate, had support staff to hike more slowly and not go quite as far as some, and neither our doing less or most others doing more interfered with anyone else's vacation. We were pleasantly surprised by how well they were able to help us fulfill individual special requests.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We found it to our benefit not to fly from mainland Ecuador to & from the Galapagos with the group but to book that travel on the same ticket and with the same airline (LAN) as our flight form home (in our case flying from New York JFK) to & from Ecuador. It gave us international instead of domestic baggage allowance and lower cost for the mainland - Galapagos legs than splitting the ticket. The only liability was having to take our own cab from the Quito airport into town when we arrived an hour later than the rest of the group.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Probably.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We feel we've had many 5-star vacations but this was certainly one of them.Read the operator's response here:
We're delighted the Coifmans had a great time on the Galapagos Islands with us.
We're experts at tailor making tours and always do our best to accommodate client's needs. The Coifmans elected to arrive to the Galapagos two days earlier than the group and so built in extra time for delays but also incurred extra costs.
However, we recommend that people travel with the group flights; if any independently booked flights are delayed/cancelled the group cannot wait and activities can be missed, and all costs to book new flights/catch up with the group are then the responsibility of the client.
If independently booked flights are not the same as the group flights, which is very likely, then clients must accept costs for transfers from the Quito hotel to the airport and within the Galapagos as well as from Quito airport to the hotel at the end of the trip. Quito airport is a 1.5-2 hour drive from the Quito hotel we use.
We are happy if people wish to book their own flights but this carries extra costs and risks that using the group flights negates.
The main thing is that the Coifmans had a great time!
Sue Johnson review 22 Apr 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We hiked the Inca trail; catching sight of Machu Picchu through the cloud as we approached was spectacular! We also visited the Galapagos and were amazed by the abundance of wildlife.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It is cold at night on the Inca Trail; bring thermals and a good sleeping bag. Also bring waterproofs; it is likely to rain!3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Certainly benefitted local people; guides, local restaurants etc. The only disappointment as far as environmental impact was concerned was the number of internal flights required.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very enjoyable. Would recommendHoliday Reviews
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