Galapagos began to show off immediately. As we were coming in for a landing, we spotted two yellow-orange land iguanas off the runway.
Darwin finches and lava lizards dodged in and out between groups of travelers.
We could smell the warm, moist air of the ocean. We were greeted by our guide, waited for our group then transferred to a bus, then to the boat.
*Travel tip! We got up at our Quito hotel at 3:30 am for a 4 am pickup. (Which was 1:30 am, our time.) In Baltra, we were told we had to wait in the harbor for people coming in on the later flight before we could begin our journey. I would have REALLY LIKED to have gotten more sleep. ASK if there is a later flight. (Update on this: Adventure Life assured me this was not normal. They schedule everyone all at once so this doesn't occur. Apparently, on my boat someone had made their own travel arrangements, and it didn't line up to ours.)
*Travel tip! Flights into Galapagos have more restrictive rules--your luggage must weigh less than 44 pounds. Also know that they spray into the luggage compartment over your heads before flight to kill non-native bugs. No biggie, just nice to know.
From the boat, more Galapagos showing off: Frigate birds looming overhead, and boobies diving into the bay.
I love the streamlined shape they take when they dive. After everyone was FINALLY on board, we set off for Bachas beach. It's lovely. A great first taste of what the islands offer..
Sea turtle tracks! She came in and laid her eggs!
We did a bit of snorkeling here. Our guide, Johan, told us this wasn't a great spot for that but we needed to check our snorkel equipment out in prep for the next day. We did see a few fish, but the visibility was poor.
My art motivation today was the Sally Lightfoot crab. They really are that bright, and that beautiful. It was fun to watch them scurry about, and anchor themselves to the rocks as the waves rolled over. Their species name is Grapsus grapsus which makes me laugh. They feed on algae, plants and dead animal matter...but they are also cannibals. (We, unfortunately, witnessed this event.) They have also been known to pick ticks off the marine iguanas. They are amazingly quick. A common and delightful sight all over the archipalego.
We went to sleep (sort of, I'll talk about that later) with great anticipation of what the next day would bring!
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.