Cruise & tour Ecuador & Galapagos
| country: | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| location: | Galapagos Islands |
| departures: | Between one and four departures a month on Sundays throughout the year |
| price: | From £870 (13 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $450 plus US $100 N.P. fee and from £225 for domestic flight. We can arrange flights from the UK |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Ecuador is a microcosm of South America. Within its borders are snow-capped mountains, smoking volcanoes, large rivers, lush tropical coastal plains and dense Amazonian jungle. And if this isn't enough to tempt the adventurous traveller then 1,000 km off the coast lie the world famous Galapagos Islands.
These huge volcanic peaks, rising from the ocean floor, are home to many unique species of wildlife including the giant Galapagos tortoise. Charles Darwin's observations of the islands' flora and fauna played a substantial part in the formu-lation of his theory of evolution. On your Ecuador holiday you will get to experience all these things and much more.
This operator gives clients the option of offsetting carbon emissions on all of its holidays. In conjunction with Climate Friendly we have established an appropriate cash amount for each of our holidays, based on the type of transportation used and the distances travelled. This amount is donated to Climate Friendly and used to support new renewable energy projects that prevent greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere. The amount required to offset this holiday is £10 - this does not include your international flight.
These huge volcanic peaks, rising from the ocean floor, are home to many unique species of wildlife including the giant Galapagos tortoise. Charles Darwin's observations of the islands' flora and fauna played a substantial part in the formu-lation of his theory of evolution. On your Ecuador holiday you will get to experience all these things and much more.
This operator gives clients the option of offsetting carbon emissions on all of its holidays. In conjunction with Climate Friendly we have established an appropriate cash amount for each of our holidays, based on the type of transportation used and the distances travelled. This amount is donated to Climate Friendly and used to support new renewable energy projects that prevent greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere. The amount required to offset this holiday is £10 - this does not include your international flight.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Quito. Your trip starts with your arrival in Quito today and an evening breifing meeting. |
| Day 2-5: | Galapagos Cruise. From Quito you’ll fly to the Island of Baltra where your Galapagos cruise begins. You’ll spend four nights on board a tourist class boat, cruising the islands of the Galapagos. There you can hope to see giant tortoise, albatross, blue and red-footed boobies, fur seals, marine iguana, flightless cormorants and tonnes of other wildlife. You’ll also have the opportunity to swim and snorkel and take regular excursions ashore. Return to Quito on day 5. |
| Day 6: | Our Ecuador. Your tour leader will take you on a walking tour of Quito's colonial centre. |
| Day 7: | Otavalo Market. Today you travel to the north of Quito to enjoy the colourful Indian market town of Otavalo. On the way you'll visit the 'Mitad del Mundo' the line that marks the Equator. At Otavalo you will find one of the best handicraft markets in the Andes. In the afternoon you'll visit the surrounding villages where you can see the local Indian communities at work making their beautiful handicrafts. |
| Day 8-9: | Amazon Jungle. We leave Quito early in the morning and travel by minibus to the volcanic baths at Papallacta. Take a dip in the hot thermal pools before continuing on to the Yacuma lodge in the Amazon jungle for a two-night stay. During your stay you’ll explore the jungle with local guides who’ll share their knowledge of the local flora and fauna. |
| Day 10-11: | Banos. Rejoining the road it’s a steep climb into the Andes. Towering mountain peaks and deep gorges give stunning scenery, but don’t look down if you don’t like heights! We break our drive with a short trek to one of Ecuador’s most beautiful waterfalls, “El Pailon del Diablo”, arriving in Banos in the late afternoon. The town of Banos lies in one of the most beautiful settings in the Andes and there’s time to explore or venture off into the surrounding countryside. There are many optional activities here, including mountain bike riding, white water rafting and horseback riding. |
| Day 12: | Cotopaxi Volcano and Quito. We return to Quito, stopping to visit the Cotopaxi Volcano (5897m), the highest active volcano in the world. |
| Day 13: | Departure. Tour ends after breakfast. |
travellers' tales
No photograph or TV documentary can replicate the awesome sights, sounds and experience gained from carefully planned itineries for the small groups catered for on these eco friendly holidays. (more)
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how this holiday makes a difference
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We discover the diversity of Ecuador on this adventure. Our journey starts with a cruise around the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's greatest marine reserves and home to many unique species of wildlife including the giant Galapagos tortoise and the marine Iguana. Travelling on a small vessel with a maximum of 16 passengers on board means we are doing all we can to minimize our impact on this fragile environment – it also means we enjoy an intimate atmosphere on board, unlike some of the floating gin palaces we come across!
Much of the wildlife has no instinctive fear of man so this is a fantastic opportunity, under the watchful eye of our licensed biologist, to get up close with nature. Next up is the Amazon jungle, where we stay in a small jungle lodge owned and operated by the indigenous Indians of the region. Leaving the jungle lowlands behind us we enter the towering peaks and volcanoes of the Andes Mountains. We finish our holiday discovering the back streets of Quito and the colourful Indian market town of Otavalo. This trip is focused on respecting and benefiting the local people and the environment of this country. On this trip you will be lead by an experienced local leader passionate about their country's history, heritage and natural beauty that will help you to get 'under the skin' of their country and see it through the eyes of a local. This trip stays at locally run accommodation; we eat at local restaurants and travel on local transport. This ensures the financial return to the local economy opens up training and employment opportunities - and allows for informal and meaningful interaction between our travellers and local people. We are constantly seeking new and innovative ways of neutralising our impact on the environment. We will become the first Australian adventure tour operator to offer a voluntary carbon offsetting option on the land component of all its tours, as well as the accompanying flights. Our Community Trust provides funds for local community projects and initiatives that promote responsible and sustainable tourism development in the destinations in which we operate. First and foremost, but not exclusively, the Trust supports projects and initiatives that advance education and employment within the tourism and hospitality industry. The Trust operates on a not-for-profit basis, with every cent of funds donated by us, our staff and our travellers, going to the nominated projects. The maximum group size on all of our adventures is 16 passengers – with exception of some African trips (24 max) and in the Polar Regions, where our ship carries a maximum of 110 passengers. Travelling in small groups ensures we make significantly less impact on the natural environment, as well as breaking down many of the communication barriers presented by a larger group. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and time to make your own discoveries. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as gaining an understanding of the respective cultures you visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |