What To See and Do in the Galapagos Islands
Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010
The Galapagos Islands are a must for any nature or animal lover. These volcanic islands lie in the Pacific Ocean, 600 miles west of Ecuador and are home to unique forms of animal life and varied landscapes. It is the ideal spot for those seeking soft adventure, time at the beach or to swim, snorkel or dive.
- The Galapagos Islands are a national park where a guide will take you on hikes to see the amazing species like Darwin's finches, land and marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and a mix of tropical and polar species.
- See giant tortoises, waved albatrosses and sea turtles in some of their last habitats on earth.
- Visit the Darwin Research Station, a scientific operation, conducting research and assisting other researchers within the Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve.
- This is one of the world's leading diving destinations.
- There are two white sandy beaches at Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz Island. One is popular for surfing due to the high winds, while the other is a good swimming beach. Here you'll also see sea turtles (which the Bay is named after), sea lions, marine iguanas, pelicans, flamingos and lava gulls.
Tags: galapagos cruise , galapagos cruise tour , galapagos islands , What To See and Do in the Galapagos Islands
Unique Galapagos Wildlife
Posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Nowhere else in the world will you find some of these species of wildlife; friendly and inquisitive, the animals have a remarkable lack of fear and are unaffected by mankind.
Giant Tortoise: The giant tortoise played a crucial role in Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Vegetarians, they are famed for their longevity – they can live over 100 years, and weigh about 500 pounds.
Marine Iguana: The Galapagos Islands are the only place on earth where you will find a lizard that swims and hunts for food in the ocean. Marine and land iguanas resemble creatures from the early Prehistoric Age.
Frigate Birds: Stunt flyers with incredible eyesight, the adult male has the distinctive feature of a bright red pouch that majestically swells as it searches for just the right female – they are fascinating to watch.
Penguins: The only penguins found north of the Equator, these flightless seabirds are highly amusing as they go about their day to day life. They swim at speeds up to 24 mph!
Sally Lightfoot Crab: Taking their unusual name from an ability to “skip” across the water, this colorful crustacean is but one of 100 species of crab that are found in the Galapagos Islands.
Sea Lion: Playful and inquisitive, crowd-pleasing sea lions live in colonies along the beaches and rocky shorelines. These frolicsome mammals are often spied romping with their young pups at sea and on land.
Macchu Picchu and the Galapagos Review
Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Just thought I'd give you an update on our recent trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. We had a wonderful and mostly uneventful trip. We were very pleased with General Tours and their attention to detail. There were tour operators to meet us at every airport, and they made sure we were always taken care of at our hotels and on our tours. The hotels were very nice and accommodating. We especially enjoyed the Inka Terra hotel in Aguas Calientes near Machu Picchu.
On the down side.....we were very disappointed in our cabin on the ship. I have reviewed our original correspondence, and we feel we had wait listed for the Renaissance suite. When you contacted us in July, that is what we thought we were upgrading to for the additional fee. Our cabin was small and dirty. We did have a nice sliding door that led to a very small balcony, but the rest of room was very small. Other guests that we met were on a lower level (2nd level) and they had much larger rooms complete with a walk in closet. Their view was limited as they only had port holes, but the room was much more commodious. Since we spent very little time in our rooms, it would probably be good information that you can afford any future clients so that they may make a decision about their rooms based on some facts. The crew and staff were all very attentive and polite, so we chalked it up to experience and enjoyed ourselves each day. The last day of the cruise, we were taken off the ship at 8AM, amused ourselves on land in a small town near the airport, then transported to the airport around 11AM. Unfortunately, the plane we were to board at 1PM back to Guayaquil was damaged, and we, the departing guests, had to wait at the airport for 6 hours until they were able to send another plane from the mainland for us. You should have heard the roar from the crowd when the plane finally arrived......we boarded, and were in the air in 20 minutes! There are no lights at the airport or at the terminal, so it was crucial we get in the air during daylight. It was a close call.
We have friends that are now considering doing this tour and we would like to get a breakdown of the fees, and maybe some available dates for them. Again, we really enjoyed working with General Tours and plan to use them in the future. One of the highlights of the trip for me was the train ride on the Hiram Bingham train. It was a wonderful experience.
Thank you for all your help. M/M Saunders
For more information on this and other popular trips to the Galapagos, visit our South America website.
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