Galapagos family holiday
| country: | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands |
| location: | Galapagos Islands |
| departures: | 2010: 22 Jul, 5 Aug, 19 Aug 2011: 7 Apr, 21 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug |
| price: | From £2799 - £3689 (15 days) per adult and from £2729 - £3459 per child including flights from the UK. From £1969 - £2799 per adult and from £1969 - £2799 per child excluding flights. Local payment $110 USD. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Galapagos family holiday
Follow in the footsteps of Darwin to see the unique wildlife of the Galapagos and visit indigenous villages on mainland Ecuador
Northern Highlands
You travel north to Otavalo, your base for the next few nights. From here you can walk through stunning mountain scenery around Lake Cuicocha, visit pre-Inca ruins, learn about traditional Indian villages and haggle at Otavalo’s market.
Swim with Turtles
The Galapagos Islands offer a unique wildlife experience and are a nature lover’s paradise. The animals have no fear of humans - you can swim with penguins and turtles as friendly sea lions twist and turn around you, their inquisitive pups frolicking in the surf.
Animal Paradise
On land, see tightly packed marine iguanas, marvel at the size of giant tortoises and watch blue-footed boobies dance whilst pterodactyl-like frigate birds soar overhead. A trip to the islands is one of the most unforgettable experiences you are ever likely to have.
Galapagos Cruise
In the Galapagos we normally use the Samba or similar tourist class motor yacht, custom designed for cruising these islands. The Samba carries up to 14 passengers within 6 twin or double cabins, and one small double/single cabin, each with private facilities. She boasts an ample indoor dining room/slaon, an outdoor dining area and sun deck.
Northern Highlands
You travel north to Otavalo, your base for the next few nights. From here you can walk through stunning mountain scenery around Lake Cuicocha, visit pre-Inca ruins, learn about traditional Indian villages and haggle at Otavalo’s market.
Swim with Turtles
The Galapagos Islands offer a unique wildlife experience and are a nature lover’s paradise. The animals have no fear of humans - you can swim with penguins and turtles as friendly sea lions twist and turn around you, their inquisitive pups frolicking in the surf.
Animal Paradise
On land, see tightly packed marine iguanas, marvel at the size of giant tortoises and watch blue-footed boobies dance whilst pterodactyl-like frigate birds soar overhead. A trip to the islands is one of the most unforgettable experiences you are ever likely to have.
Galapagos Cruise
In the Galapagos we normally use the Samba or similar tourist class motor yacht, custom designed for cruising these islands. The Samba carries up to 14 passengers within 6 twin or double cabins, and one small double/single cabin, each with private facilities. She boasts an ample indoor dining room/slaon, an outdoor dining area and sun deck.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London; Arrive in Quito After your flight you arrive in Quito and take a short transfer to your first night’s accommodation. You will be met and assisted by a representative from our local agent. Hotel – 2 nights |
| Day 2: | Quito You'll have the morning free to relax before heading out with a local guide to explore the colonial heart of the city. Quito has spread along a valley sandwiched in by volcanoes. The old colonial section has some fantastic buildings and churches. From the foot of the angel on top of the Panecillo hill, you get a fantastic view across the city. You will then continue to the Mitad del Mundo (centre of the earth). This monument marks the spot that in 1736 Charles-Marie de la Condamine declared to be the equator, according to his measurements. It is possible to see how water drains clockwise on one side of the equator and anti-clockwise on the other. You then drive back into Quito. (B) |
| Day 3: | Otavalo Hacienda Driving north, you’ll pass several of the impressive peaks of the Andes Mountains as you head towards your hacienda in the Otavalo region. After the Spanish conquered Ecuador they set up many large farm estates and plantations which were given to nobles and important people. The main owner’s home on these estates was called a hacienda. Many of these have now been converted to take in guests, providing a taste of the colonial life. They make a great base from which to explore the area. You’ll visit the pre-Inca Cochasqui ruins which offer spectacular views and give an insight to the culture that existed before the Spanish arrived. You’ll also visit the Indian villages of Peguche and San Antonio de Ibarra, famed for their weavings and woodcarvings respectively. The villages show you the day to day life of the local people. Hotel – 2 nights (BL) |
| Day 4: | Otavalo Hacienda With mountains all around it is difficult not to have the desire to explore a bit on foot. This morning you’ll head up to Cuicocha, an eroded volcanic crater, and have the chance to walk around the deep blue lake. The length of the walk can be varied but normally takes a couple of hours. The scenery is great and the diverse plant life attracts lots of birds. Don’t be tempted to sample the blue berries you may see – they’re poisonous! After your walk you can visit the town of Cotacachi - home of local leather production - before returning to your hotel. (B) |
| Day 5: | Otavalo Market/Quito Today you'll visit the famous Otavalo Indian Market. The industrious Otavalenos are always instantly recognisable due to their striking appearance: the pony-tailed men in their distinctive uniform of felt hat, navy and grey poncho, calf-length white cotton trousers and rope-soled alpargatas; the women in white blouses, dark skirts and necklaces of gold and coral. At the market it is possible to buy almost everything from a chicken for the Sunday roast to a carpet for your front room – the choice and variety is almost endless. In the afternoon you will return to Quito via the beautiful Monjada lakes. Hotel – 1 night (BL) |
| Day 6: | Fly to Galapagos and start cruise This morning you make an early start to fly down to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and economic dynamo. After a short stop, your flight continues almost 1000km directly west to Baltra, one of only two commercial airports on the islands. More importantly for you, it's the starting point for your voyage through the so-called "Enchanted Islands" and you immediately board the boat that's to be your floating home and set sail. Today you visit one of the biggest and most populous of the islands – Santa Cruz. The interior however is still relatively remote. You'll head up to the highlands, which are sometimes shrouded in cloud - particularly from June to November - creating a very different micro-climate. You’ll see lava tubes and to aim to seek out giant tortoise in the wild. You will be asked to pay a USD10 transit fee at Quito airport. Unfortunately the leader cannot accompany you into the departure hall but the process is relatively straightforward. Boat (twin cabins) - 7 nights (BD) |
| Day 7: | Rabida Island; Puerto Egas on Santiago Island Today you’ll make a wet landing to visit Rabida (Jervis Island), at the geographical centre of the archipelago. This island is renowned for the feral goats, which have made the landscape even more barren by eating anything remotely green! Behind a picturesque beach of dark red sand lies a saltwater lagoon where you may see flamingos feeding. This afternoon you’ll go ashore at Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. Here, you can normally see both fur seal and sea lion, and perhaps swim with them in a series of rocky pools known as the Fur Seal Grotto. You should also spot the principal aerial predator of the islands - the Galápagos hawk - and visit a pelican nesting area. In addition you may see marine iguana, oystercatcher, and the great blue heron. (BLD) |
| Day 8: | Bartolome Island; Sullivan Bay This morning you make a wet landing to visit Bartolome (Bartholomew) Island, off the eastern shore of James (Santiago or San Salvador) Island. A short walk across an area of lava flow to the summit of a once active volcano offers a panoramic view of Sullivan Bay with the impressive, sail-shaped Pinnacle Rock pointing skywards - one of the most photographed scenes in the Galápagos. In the afternoon you head around the north of the island to Sullivan Bay which, along with Hawaii, has fine examples of lava formations not often encountered elsewhere: intestinal-looking Pahoehoe rope lava, spatter cones and lava tubes. The lava tubes were formed when the outside of a lava flow cooled, leaving molten material still flowing through its core. When the lava flow finally stopped there was not enough liquid to fill the inner cavity, and so a tunnel was left - some of these are large enough to walk inside. (BLD) |
| Day 9: | Seymour Island; Bachas Beach First off, you visit North Seymour, a low, flat island just to the north of Baltra, to admire the forest of palo santo trees and the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in Galápagos - visible at any time of year. The swallow-tailed gull, with its distinctive crimson eye-ring, is common here and there's also a large population of blue-footed boobies. Following Seymour you head to Bachas Beach. Between December and March Pacific green turtles come here to breed and you can often spot eagle or golden rays, herons and pelicans. (BLD) |
| Day 10: | Plazas Island; Santa Fe Island This morning, your shore trip to South Plazas Island gives you an initial glimpse of one of the most typical Galápagos species - the land iguana. The cliff-top trail you follow generally reveals swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters and lovely red-billed tropicbirds, with their shrill cry, which nest in the crevices and on the ledges of the cliff. The vegetation consists largely of giant opuntia (prickly pear) cactus and a wide expanse of salt-tolerant sesuvium. Far below, at the foot of the wave-lashed cliffs, there's a thriving colony of bachelor sea lion. Cruising southward in the middle of the day you arrive at Santa Fe (Barrington Island) to make a wet landing - if the bull sea lions don't get in the way! This small island was formed by a volcanic upwelling from the ocean bed; you can climb the escarpment for fine views. During your walk you're almost bound to see land iguana; the shy endemic species here is a lovely golden-yellow with a pronounced row of dorsal spines. (BLD) |
| Day 11: | Espanola Island; Gardner Bay; Punta Suarez At Gardner Bay - the beach is a good spot for swimming and snorkelling - you can take to the water to swim with a colony of friendly and inquisitive female sea lions. After lunch at Espanola (Hood Island), you head ashore by panga (small launch) for a wet landing at Punta Suarez, and follow the marked trail with your wildlife guide. Here you'll have an excellent opportunity to see two members of the gannet family up close; the more common blue-footed booby, and the elegant masked booby. The name booby comes from the Spanish word ‘bobo’ meaning silly and stupid and may relate to their extraordinary tameness and apparent lack of concern at the presence of man – or to their funny dance! Between April and November, Espanola's low scrub provides your best opportunity to observe a breeding colony of waved albatross; during the remainder of the year, these majestic birds spend their time aloft and far out to sea, effortlessly riding the air currents. Other resident species are swallow-tailed gull, red-billed tropicbird, oystercatcher, Galapagos hawk, Galapagos dove, and large cactus finch - a veritable riot of avian life! Along the rocky coastline you may see marine iguana and lava lizards, and you'll visit the impressive blowhole which harnesses the ocean's energy. (BLD) |
| Day 12: | Floreana Island; Punta Cormoran; Post Office Bay In the morning you arrive at Floreana (also known as Santa Maria or Charles Island), which is unusual in that it has a dependable water supply and its soil is rich in nutrients; this happy combination gives rise to abundant plant life. This morning, the boat takes you to Punta Cormoran, the northern tip of the island. The brackish lagoon sports a resident population of flamingo. You may also see pintail duck, common stilt and brown pelican. Entire hillsides of curiously gaunt and grey palo santo trees habitually flower around Christmas (hence its name, holy stick), and give the island a distinctive look. Other plant life includes the attractive cutleaf daisy, lantana shrubs with their white flowers, and scalesia (of the sunflower family). At Post Office Bay, where you’ll spend the afternoon, you can see the post barrel put into use by the original whaling vessels: outbound ships left mail for home in the barrel, and home bound ships would pick up any mail for their part of the world. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the island was famous amongst visiting whalers and sealers for its sheltered anchorage, permanent water and seemingly endless supply of meat - the giant Galápagos tortoise. A small farming settlement was established. Unfettered by regulation, many whalers and sealers made fortunes from their trade but by the middle of the century, the tortoise population had been nearly wiped out, the sperm whale and fur seal were close to extinction, and the colonists had moved on elsewhere. (BLD) |
| Day 13: | Santa Cruise Island; Charles Darwin Station; fly to Quito Today's final highlight is your visit to the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station, established in 1961 at Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island where all scientific research is co-ordinated and the wildlife guides who accompany each boat are trained. Puerto Ayora is the largest town in the islands and the main port for cruising yachts. Here you should see various sub-species of giant Galápagos tortoise, whose eggs are collected and brought for incubation to ensure the survival of the species. These gentle, prehistoric-looking monsters, which can weigh up to around 250kg and live to an age of over 125 years, are some of the largest living tortoises. The saddle-backed tortoises (galapago means saddle in Spanish) which flourished on Espanola and Floreana so impressed the first European visitors that their name was given to the entire group of islands. After your final farewells to the skipper and crew, you head to Baltra airport for the flight back to Quito, via Guayaquil. Hotel - 1 night (B) |
| Day 14: | Fly to London Trip ends for Land Only clients in Quito. Group flight clients for the UK transfer to airport and fly to London. (B) |
| Day 15: | Arrive in London |
traveller reviews for Galapagos family holiday
We loved the holiday - it was the whole family's favourite to date and was made special because of the other families and the Guides, esp. in the Galapagos where Pedro, the local guide, was intelligent, fun and great with the children. (more)
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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In the Galapagos we use locally owned transport, locally owned hotels and local guides. All rubbish is collected and disposed of responsibly. While on the trip we visit the Darwin Research Centre where talks are given about the maintenance and preservation of the Galapogos Islands. Using small boats ensures minimal disruption to the wildlife and ecosystems of the Galápagos. All visitors to the Galápagos Islands must pay a Park Tax which is used to protect this incredible natural paradise.
Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
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. |
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