Family tour to the Andes & Galapagos
| country: | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| location: | Galapagos Islands |
| departures: | 2009: 4 Apr, 11 Jul, 25 Jul, 8 Aug, 22 Aug |
| price: | From £2475 - £2725 (16 days) per adult and from £2175 - £2425 per child (up to 11 yrs) including flights from the UK & internal flights. Minimum age = 6yrs. This trip can also be booked without flights |
"The highlight of this tour for me would definitely be approaching the Galapagos islands and seeing the wildlife for the first time. Following in Darwins footsteps among such a fascinating array of wildlife and in such a precious eco-system would be a very humbling experience."
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
the amazing things you'll be doing
Markets & Music
Quito, a 2800m-high mountain eyrie, is ringed by snow-capped Andean peaks which tower a further 1800m above it. After time in this colonial capital, we'll travel to the bustling market at Otavalo, famous for its artisan markets. There's a gentle walk around Cuicocha lake and we visit the family of a local musician in Peguche where you can try your hand at playing the panpipe!
Valley of the Volcanoes & Rainforest
Next we drive up the flanks of Cotopaxi for a walk beneath the world's highest active volcano (5897m). Heading across the Andes, we descend to the subtropical region around Santo Domingo.
We take walks with our native guide through primary rainforest and swim in jungle rivers. After time relaxing in this idyllic spot we return down the Valley of the Volcanoes, stopping off to visit a local school.
Wildlife of the Galapagos
Continuing to the Galapagos, we spend 6 days in these 'enchanted' islands. We base ourselves in a good hotel in Puerto Ayora, taking day trips out to nearby islands.The landscape is fascinating; a wild moonscape of sharp black lava splashed with bright green foliage and strange plants provides a haven for many unique birds and beasts, including giant tortoises, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas and blue footed boobies. It's little wonder that Charles Darwin described the islands as a living laboratory of evolution.
Quito, a 2800m-high mountain eyrie, is ringed by snow-capped Andean peaks which tower a further 1800m above it. After time in this colonial capital, we'll travel to the bustling market at Otavalo, famous for its artisan markets. There's a gentle walk around Cuicocha lake and we visit the family of a local musician in Peguche where you can try your hand at playing the panpipe!
Valley of the Volcanoes & Rainforest
Next we drive up the flanks of Cotopaxi for a walk beneath the world's highest active volcano (5897m). Heading across the Andes, we descend to the subtropical region around Santo Domingo.
We take walks with our native guide through primary rainforest and swim in jungle rivers. After time relaxing in this idyllic spot we return down the Valley of the Volcanoes, stopping off to visit a local school.
Wildlife of the Galapagos
Continuing to the Galapagos, we spend 6 days in these 'enchanted' islands. We base ourselves in a good hotel in Puerto Ayora, taking day trips out to nearby islands.The landscape is fascinating; a wild moonscape of sharp black lava splashed with bright green foliage and strange plants provides a haven for many unique birds and beasts, including giant tortoises, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas and blue footed boobies. It's little wonder that Charles Darwin described the islands as a living laboratory of evolution.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Quito |
| Day 2: | In Quito - walking tour and viparium visit |
| Day 3: | Drive Otavalo via musician's house, visit artisan market & Cuicocha Lake |
| Day 4: | Drive to Cotopaxi; optional walk. |
| Day 5: | Drive to lodge near Santo Domingo; optional visit to butterfly garden. |
| Day 6: | At lodge; walks and swimming in primary rainforest. |
| Day 7: | Drive Riobamba |
| Day 8: | Drive via Riobamba market to Chimborazo; walk in NP; continue to Quito. |
| Day 9: | Fly to Baltra in Galapagos, drive to Puerto Ayora. Visit highlands and Giant Turtles |
| Day 10-13: | In the Galapagos, visit Charles Darwin Centre; day trips by boat to Santa Fe, Seymour, Bachas, Bartolome and Plazas. |
| Day 14: | Fly Guayaquil |
| Day 15: | Fly London |
| Day 16: | Arrive London |
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age is usually 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip how this holiday makes a difference
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Our tours to Ecuador aim to present the real country in its purest form and expose its soul to our passengers. Where possible we use local suppliers for transport, accommodation and food ensuring we give back to and interact with the locals. Encouraging our groups to use the local language not only gets us closer but adds a sense of fun to the tour.
We invite passengers to become involved with projects such as a homeless charity in Pulingui village. We support local craftwork and learn about local music in Otavalu. Whilst at the Saquisili market passengers can discover the importance of commerce on a local scale whilst experiencing a vibrant encounter with thousands of Indians. In Chimborazo we have an unforgettable meeting with locally children at a local school that leads several projects of conservation and development. Wherever we go we ensure that litter is disposed of properly or reused, such as plastic bottles that we pass to workers at the local sugar cane market where they are recycled. Our Tour Leaders are all trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. This then percolates down through those they deal with. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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 led 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. |