Heaven for the diving and nature enthusiast
Written: Dec 18 '00 (Updated Dec 18 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: amazing wildlife, personalized service, once-in-a-lifetime experience
Cons: expensive, rough sea conditions in August
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| gschen's Full Review: Galápagos Islands |
I have to say, my week spent in the Galapagos Islands this summer was one of the most incredible vacations of my life! I had read and heard about the abundance of natural wildlife on the islands, but nothing prepared me for the shock of coming face to face with a blue-footed booby or snorkeling with playful sea lions! You can't get any closer to the Discovery Channel in real life.
A few details:
1) Air Travel -- I highly recommend a cruise tour if you want to experience the diversity of the wildlife; you can always spend a few days longer on Puerto Ayora, the main island, after your tour. We arranged all of our transportation from Quito, which was far cheaper than making reservations in the United States.
There are two airports in the Galapagos: Baltra Airport on Santa Cruz and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Airport on San Cristobal. We flew into Baltra, where the majority of flights arrive, but the airport depends more on where your tour operator plans to pick you up. If you reserve a package deal through many of the tour operators, they can purchase air tickets for you, which will eliminate any possible confusion.
2) Size and Type of Boat -- This indicates both the stability and size of your sleeping quarters, so if you are prone to seasickness or if you plan your trip during rough waters (as we did), you may decide to go for one of the larger vessels. That said, however, I still stuck with a small 10-passenger yacht (the Beagle III) and would recommend it for its intimacy and personal attention. The staff was wonderful, Luis (our guide) was very knowledgeable, the food was great, and it was definitely a plus to visit each island with a small group -- which will not happen if you opt for the larger (and admittedly more luxurious and expensive) 100+ passenger cruise ships.
Just be sure to stock up on anti-seasickness medication before you go because the waves are VERY rough as you travel from island to island and can ruin an otherwise wonderful vacation. Also, note that the cabin sizes are small in general and absolutely tiny if you choose a smaller yacht/boat. However, since you spend most of your time on deck or on the islands, you really will only be in your cabins at night. The last thing to consider before choosing your vessel is bathroom privacy -- we had 2 bathrooms for 10 people. They weren't private, but there was hot water (a must that is NOT guaranteed on all boats, so be sure to ask beforehand), and they were perfectly adequate.
3) Length of cruise -- Tours have standard routes for 4, 5, or 7+ day trips. Obviously, if you can afford the weeklong+ excursions, you won't go wrong. At the minimum, I would suggest a four night/five day package, which will allow you to cover a lot of ocean without spending a fortune. Getting to and from the isalnds from the mainland consumes a half day each way, so even then, you will only have a full 4 days.
As for the Northern vs. Southern island tours, it really depends on your preference for wildlife. Each island boasts different animal and plant life, so decide what you want to see beforehand, and choose accordingly. We went on the Southern islands tour for 4 nights, which was a great option for us since we like to snorkel and dive.
4)Costs -- Here is the only bad part about the Galapagos. Unlike the rest of Ecuador, traveling to the islands is EXPENSIVE. If you travel during the high season (late June to August), expect to shell out at least $1000 for 5 days on a midrange yacht. A good rule of thumb for the boat portion is about $200 per night (though you can get cheaper boats with worse accommodations and worse service).
We got an incredible deal through the language school I attended in Quito during the previous weeks (Academia Latinoamericana, which I loved and will review in another article)-- $550 on the Beagle III, as opposed to the normal $900 they charge during high season for the 4 night package. Add the $378 airfare during high season and the $100 park pass, and you're right around the $1000 mark already (and that's with our discount). At least the food and lodgings are already included.
If you have the time or patience, however, you can cut these costs down considerably by 1)traveling during low-season, which is generally from January until June (and coincides with warmer weather and smoother waters...go figure); 2) making reservations in Ecuador rather than in the US; or 3) spending a few days beforehand in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz scouting for deals.
The closer to the date of the cruise and closer you are to the embarkation port, the cheaper deal you can get -- makes since since all the tour operators want to fill up their boats, even if it is at a discount from their original asking price. Here's the catch, though -- during high season, it is extremely difficult to get reservations on any boat unless you do it beforehand, so if you travel from July-December (and especially from July-August), you may end up with no boat if you wait until you arrive in Puerto Ayora. We barely found 4 spaces on the Beagle III, and we started making arrangements for the August trip a month earlier in Quito.
4) Miscellaneous costs -- These mainly include tipping (general rule of thumbs is $5-$10/passenger/day for the crew and $5-$10/passenger/day for the guide, and any alcohol you purchase aboard the boat (which is why I recommend bringing a six-pack with you from the mainland if you must have your beer).
5) Specialty tours -- There are tours specifically tailored to one activity, such as diving, photography, or bird-watching. We did a general tour, so I can't give personal recommendations on these. However, if you are a diving enthusiast (and how could you not be after you've dived in the Galapagos), I have heard that Scuba Iguana and Sub-Aqua have great diving tours that incorporate some land visits as well. These can be arranged on-line or in Ecuador.
Lastly, I have to say one thing about the diving -- it is absolutely incredible! Difficult, yes, because of the cold water (7mm wetsuits with hoods are a must) and rough conditions (again, we went in August, so I imagine April would have given us smoother waters), but there is no other site that allows you access to so many large mammals. We saw hammerheads, schools of fishes, turtles, rays, white-tipped sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea lions, and even a few dolphins (though they were spotted from the boat and not while we were diving). If you are experienced, go to the northern islands (Darwin and Wolf), where you can see whale sharks galore!
We added a two day/four dive trip to our regular tour, and spent a few days in PUerto Ayora to dive with Sub-Aqua. Well worth it. Costs added up to around $400 for the 6 dives. Luckily, hotel costs are cheap in Puerto Ayora if you don't mind not staying in first-class accommodations. We were perfectly pleased with our $14/night lodgings (though the name of the hotel escapes me now). I have heard good things about the Hotel Solymar and Estrella del Mar as well -- they are also in the $20/double range.
If you made it to the end of this epinion, you're well on your way to the Galapagos! If possible, try to extend your trip to see the rest of Ecuador, which I have also reviewed in other parts of the Ecuador Travel section. If you want two good resource to the Galapagos islands, check out Barry Boyce's Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands, and Open Road Publishing's Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Guide. Hope this helps, and enjoy your vacation!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gschen
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Member: Grace Chen Yu
Location: Bay Area, CA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 5 members
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