Galapagos Islands

[golftrek]

Just got back from a trip to Galapagos Islands, one of the best trips I have ever taken (and I have traveled a lot). We flew into mainland Ecuador for one night, took a small plane out to the Islands the next morning and were on a small cruise ship (40 passengers) for a week. The ship (Isabella ii) was very nice and the food excellent but this was not a luxury cruise. We had 3 naturalists onboard. This was a trip sponsored by the University of North Carolina alumni association and we had a professor on board who is an expert on the region who gave several lectures. Before hand the tour company (Orbridge) sent us about 10 books (including 2 of Darwin's books) that we read before the trip.

It was a very active trip with a lot of hiking (some fairly steep hills), GREAT snorkeling and kayaking. This is a trip you need to take while you are still in good physical shape. Not everyone on the trip was able to do every activity, but those who did not (especially those who did not snorkel) really missed out.

The animals were the highlight, especially while snorkeling. Seals, sea lions, penguins, giant marine turtles, iguanas, colorful fish, snorkeled all around us. Because the islands are for the most part uninhabited the animals have little fear of humans. The naturalists were with us on all the tours and had to caution us not to touch the animals but often the animals touched the humans and wanted to play!

It was an expensive trip, but it was a once in a life time trip and well with the money. I highly recommend it for those of you who love the outdoors and animals.

Jo Ann

 

[Dreamer]

Sounds like a wonderful trip and hope to do it some day.

 

[MooreBonds]

This was a trip sponsored by the University of North Carolina alumni association and we had a professor on board who is an expert on the region who gave several lectures. Before hand the tour company (Orbridge) sent us about 10 books (including 2 of Darwin's books) that we read before the trip.

Sounds like an amazing time! Thanks for mentioning it! Just bookmarked it for my "seriously look at" list for future trips.

Was this trip exclusively for NC Alumni, or were there some on the trip that weren't alumni?

Is it basically this trip that Orbridge offers:

Orbridge - Travel with Friends - The Galapagos Islands

Or did they adjust the itinerary at all? (except for the naturalists on-board...or were the naturalists part of the standard Orbridge tour?)

 

[golftrek]

Morebrands, the trip I was on was sponsored by UNC alumni Association, but there were some folks from a couple of other Universities there too. The Orbridge trip you linked to looks pretty much like the trip I was on. I think the naturalists are on every trip. Galapagos is an Ecuadorian National Park and all tours are required to have naturalists onboard and they must accompany all excursions. Our Naturalists (all Ecudorians but spoke very good English) were excellent.

The only real difference on our trip was Prof Stephen Walsh from UNC. UNC has a joint program in the Galapagos with a University down there so that part of the program would not be on the normal Orbridge tour. It would still be a great trip, however.

 

[Balance]

Golftrek,

There are 5 places on my list of places I would like to experience in my lifetime. The Galapagos islands is one of them. It's a long story, but my father did business with the government of Ecuador and they needed his company's assistance in the Galapagos. My father could not make the trip and regretted it. He sent a friend that he trusted could handle the job. That friend spent two weeks in the Islands with the government giving him total discretion. He had the time of his life and said it was the greatest experience of his life.

Is this a trip that UNC conducts on an annual basis? I am not an alumni but I do business with the University. Btw, Chapel Hill is a great place (I will be there this week, Brr cold).

 

[golftrek]

The last time UNC did the Galapagos trip was 4 years ago. I don't know if they will only do it more often But the people on the trip all loved it so maybe they will do it more often. Don't wait too long to do this trip--you need to be in good physical shape to really enjoy it.

I live in Chapel Hill and it is a very stimulating place to live, although fairly expensive. We are having a very cold winter (some winters it never gets below freezing here but it has gotten cold this year) BUT we have no snow.

Jo Ann

 

[sengsational]

The animals were the highlight, especially while snorkeling. Seals, sea lions, penguins, giant marine turtles, iguanas, colorful fish, snorkeled all around us. Because the islands are for the most part uninhabited the animals have little fear of humans.

Did they give you a wet suit? Holy crap that water was cold! (Humbolt current). We swam with the fur seals when we were there...cute and curious, whizzing around us clumsy human creatures. But my cousin and I were the only ones in the water (the two youngsters [high school] on the ship). Nobody else got in the water. Yeah, don't go there if you're not into wild animal watching. I liked the land iguana battles! The sea iguanas were sorta gross, with their salt spitting. But I must admit, as a kid, I sort of tuned-out on the shape of the finch's bill and all of that. Lots of boobies there, but not the kind a high school kid is interested in.

 

[golftrek]

On our trip we were all given Shortie wetsuits for snorkeling. Everyone wore them. There were 40 people on our trip, mostly retirees in their 60s to early 70s. I would guess that 75% of the people on the trip did some snorkeling. Some snorkeling was easier--from a calm beach, but we also had some deep water snorkels in choppy water, probably only about half of us did those snorkels. My husband and I did EVERYTHING, we definitely got our moneys worth but we have been resting some since we got back home. This was the first cruise I have ever been on where I actually lost a couple of pounds. The food was good, but healthy and I exercised so much on the trip I lost weight.

Snorkeling was by far the highlight of the trip.

For those who did not snorkel there was a glass bottom boat, but I am sure the snorkelers saw the most.

 

[Turboslacker]

Wow sounds incredible. Never heard of this place. Thanks for sharing.

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[robnplunder]

Putting this in my bucket list.

 

[golftrek]

For those who don't know about the Galapagos Islands--these are the islands visited by Charles Darwin when he came up with the theory of evolution back in the 1800s.

The islands are about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. The islands were made by volcanoes, they were never connected to the mainland. Until fairly recently the islands were not occupied by man.

The animals and birds that occupy the Galapagos Islands flew, swam or drifted there from far away places. But all these animals and birds evolved very differently to adapt to the Galapagos environment. Consequently, there are animals and birds there not seen anywhere else in the world. Such as giant tortoises, birds that cannot fly, birds that can use twigs as tools, large iguanas that can swim. And because these birds and animals had no exposure to man they are totally unafraid. You can get very close to them, in fact you have to be careful where you walk or you will step on sea lions and iguanas.

A truly unique and fascinating place.

Jo Ann

 

[dontworry]

I want to see this place some time! Sounds awesome!

 

[grasshopper]

I had a little chat with the owner of the small ship cruise company we like. He wants to offer the Galapagos Islands as a destination. Lindblad Expeditions, would be my next choice. Road Scholar offers a trip that includes Machu Picchu, that could be interesting.



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[rodi]

Galapagos is on my bucket list. (Just posted that in the bucket list thread, then saw this thread.) My dad and step mom went in 2005 or 2006. They were both in their 70's but fit. My step mom had some issues getting ashore, scrambling over rocks, due to some neuropathy, but had no problem with snorkeling. It sounded amazing.

Since travel to that part of the world is fairly pricey - I've got it on my list to combine a trip of the Galapagos and Machu Pichu. But it gets pretty darn pricey, so I'm OMY'ing that trip.

 

[Animorph]

On our list of things to do, and Stanford U. has similar escorted tour. However, DW is a little leery of "lifetime diarrhea" and a few other diseases she's heard about from that area.

 

[golftrek]

We had no stomach issues and we did not hear of anyone else on our trip having any. BUT we were advised not to drink tap water (not even to brush our teeth). The ship we were on, Isabella II, furnished very good water.

I also did not eat any fruit or vegetables that had not been peeled.

Jo Ann

 

[Eagle43]

Just got back from a trip to Galapagos Islands, one of the best trips I have ever taken (and I have traveled a lot). We flew into mainland Ecuador for one night, took a small plane out to the Islands the next morning and were on a small cruise ship (40 passengers) for a week. The ship (Isabella ii) was very nice and the food excellent but this was not a luxury cruise. We had 3 naturalists onboard. This was a trip sponsored by the University of North Carolina alumni association and we had a professor on board who is an expert on the region who gave several lectures. Before hand the tour company (Orbridge) sent us about 10 books (including 2 of Darwin's books) that we read before the trip.

It was a very active trip with a lot of hiking (some fairly steep hills), GREAT snorkeling and kayaking. This is a trip you need to take while you are still in good physical shape. Not everyone on the trip was able to do every activity, but those who did not (especially those who did not snorkel) really missed out.

The animals were the highlight, especially while snorkeling. Seals, sea lions, penguins, giant marine turtles, iguanas, colorful fish, snorkeled all around gus. Because the islands are for the most part uninhabited the animals have little fear of humans. The naturalists were with us on all the tours and had to caution us not to touch the animals but often the animals touched the humans and wanted to play!

It was an expensive trip, but it was a once in a life time trip and well with the money. I highly recommend it for those of you who love the outdoors and animals.

Jo Ann

DW wants to go there, she loves all animals. Would you estimate the cost? Did you schedule the trip, airfare and cruise through UNC alumni? I'm wary of showing her this thread, she will wanna go next week. we are in our 70s now and good enough shape (I think).

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[golftrek]

Eagle43, the UNC package included everything except the flights to and from Ecuador. All other flights and the excursions were included. The only extras we had to pay for were wine and beer.

The total cost for the 2 of us was (gulp) around $15,000. Like I said it was an expensive once in a life time trip that had been on my bucket list since I was a youngster. This will be our only big trip for long while.

I plan to spend the next couple of days while we are snowed in working on a slide show of our photos and reliving the trip. The average air temperature in Galapagos while we were there was mid 80s.

Jo Ann

 

[kcowan]

Its on our bucket list. But we would like to combine it with a trip to Chile and other desirable west coast destinations. Any ideas on that?

 

[Meadbh]

Its on our bucket list. But we would like to combine it with a trip to Chile and other desirable west coast destinations. Any ideas on that?

I have not been to the Galapagos but I visited Chile as part of a South America tour in October 1997. Of the three countries I visited, I liked Chile best. Santiago has a bad rap as a polluted city but its location nestled in the Andes is very scenic. An earthquake livened things up on our first evening in Chile! Valparaiso, the old port city, was worth a visit and I understand it has had many infrastructure improvements since I was there. Vina del Mar is a pleasant seaside resort town. In central Chile, you can visit vineyards and orchards. But the most wonderful part of the country IMHO was the southern end. Puerto Montt (the city of the roses) resembles Newfoundland and has many people of German origin, mostly Mennonites. I spent a wonderful (wet) Sunday afternoon there in a music shop learning about Chilean folk music and history from some delightful local people. Puerto Montt is the departure pint for the "cruise across the Andes", which hops, skips and jumps across lakes and mountain passes to Bariloche in Argentina, using boats, hydrofoils and buses. Along the way you see Mount Osorno, which inspires Japanese people to cry out "Fuji!"...... and many other sights. To me, this was the highlight of my trip. I found Chileans to be very friendly.

You could also combine the Galapagos with a trip to Peru including Macchu Picchu. I haven't been there, and I imagine one needs to be in fairly good shape to do both of those.

Would you fly south from Puerto Vallarta? Presumably it would be cheaper than flying from Canada to South America.

 

[kcowan]

Thanks for the tips on Chile. That sounds like the side trip I want.

You could also combine the Galapagos with a trip to Peru including Macchu Picchu. I haven't been there, and I imagine one needs to be in fairly good shape to do both of those..

I have enough COPD in my left lung to pass on Macchu Picchu. I will just rely on the virtual tours. I hike the hills here in PV but I puff a lot.

Would you fly south from Puerto Vallarta? Presumably it would be cheaper than flying from Canada to South America.

Yes the cost might be a factor but the more important issue is the weather. We are in Mexico from November until May so need to travel south owing to the better weather then.

We also plan a SA Cruise around the horn for another year. But preferably when we are older.

 

[golftrek]

OP here. Our UNC Alumni trip had an option to extend the trip and go to Machu Picchu. We did not do it but a few people on the Galapagos trip did extend to Machu Picchu. The cost was significantly more to extend the trip. I have recently spoken to one of our fellow travelers on the Galapagos trip that did do the Machu Picchu extension and he said it was physically too much to do both trips together. He was exhausted by the time he got to the second part of the trip and could not really enjoy it.. I would think you would need to be in excellent physical shape to do both.

Jo Ann

 

[Meadbh]

OP here. Our UNC Alumni trip had an option to extend the trip and go to Machu Picchu. We did not do it but a few people on the Galapagos trip did extend to Machu Picchu. The cost was significantly more to extend the trip. I have recently spoken to one of our fellow travelers on the Galapagos trip that did do the Machu Picchu extension and he said it was physically too much to do both trips together. He was exhausted by the time he got to the second part of the trip and could not really enjoy it.. I would think you would need to be in excellent physical shape to do both.



Jo Ann

That's good to know, thanks Jo Ann.

 

[Dreamer]

OP here. Our UNC Alumni trip had an option to extend the trip and go to Machu Picchu. We did not do it but a few people on the Galapagos trip did extend to Machu Picchu. The cost was significantly more to extend the trip. I have recently spoken to one of our fellow travelers on the Galapagos trip that did do the Machu Picchu extension and he said it was physically too much to do both trips together. He was exhausted by the time he got to the second part of the trip and could not really enjoy it.. I would think you would need to be in excellent physical shape to do both.

Jo Ann

I have been looking at the Road Scholar trip that does both Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu. Seems like it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one stone, since you have already paid for your flight to the area. Do you have any idea how old your fellow traveler is and what type of shape he was in? (Was he obviously overweight or was he very fit?) I am currently 60 yrs old and would probably wait for a couple of years before doing the trip. I would love to do both, but not if I was so exhausted, I could not enjoy it. Thanks.

 

[golftrek]

Dreamer, most everyone on the trip was 60s to 70s. The fellow who said he was too tired to enjoy the Machu Piccu portion of the trip was older than I am (age 62) but seemed to be in good shape. I think the main problem with going directly from Galapagos Islands to Machu Piccu is altitude, going from sea level to very high mountains in 24 hours. I think it would be better to have a few extra days to acclimate to the higher altitude. On our trip you had to go directly from sea level to Macchu Piccu and immediately start doing activities.. I think that would have been a problem for me.

There is also some rock slides blocking the road to Macchu Piccu right now and portion of that trip has to be walked and climbed over rocks from what I understand.

Jo Ann