Galapagos 101

Despite the many charms of Ecuador (and there are many, including some spectacular mountains and volcanoes, beautifully restored Spanish colonial cities, Inca ruins, laid-back chill out backpacker towns, UNESCO World Heritage Quito and the Amazon jungle…to name but a few), for many people Ecuador means only one thing: the incredible Galapagos islands.

Lying 1000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador, the small volcanic island group became famous after Darwin spent time here and was so impressed by the strange animal adaptations that it became the basis for his Origin of Species. Nowhere else in the world will you ever be able to get so close to animals—their isolation over millennia means they have no natural fear of humans.

The Galapagos Islands is one of the few places I really don’t suggest going it alone and ‘figuring things out’ as you go along. Because of the isolation, the best way to see them is by boat, and the logistics of boats, naturalists and permits just makes it worth organizing through one of the many companies running expeditions in the islands. Unfortunately, this also means there is really no cheap way to see the Galaplagos, although some outfits are naturally cheaper than others. (It is possible to do land-based explorations of the islands, but this would mean you spend an inordinate amount of time traveling to and from the islands, returning to sleep on shore.) Flights from the mainland are usually included.

Boats run the gamut from simple to lavish. G.A.P Adventures has at least 5 boats and lots of choices, and the comfort and food was great as far as we were concerned—much better than expected actually. If you have money to burn, Butterfield & Robinson does high-end tours, as does Lindblad Expeditions, the latter in conjunction with National Geographic for the serious nature enthusiast. There are many others, and they are easy to find. The cheaper end of the spectrum are probably easiest to book in Quito; last-minute space is often discounted.

Like most visitors, I couldn’t help myself when it came to snapping pictures. If you’ve spent any time at all reading this blog, you’ll know that I’ve become a shutterbug of sorts. Well, thanks to the wonders of digital photography, after one week in the Galapagos I had over 3000 photos. Eek. (On my first long world trip, to South-East Asia, I shot something like 6 rolls in 8 months.) Thus, this section will be heavy on pictures—there’s just so much to shoot!