Quito 10-Day Tours and Trips

Well, what can I say Everyone will tell you how you get to the animals and birds in the Galapagos; but you really do! Watch your feet or you could trip over sea lions or iguanas. Not to mention stepping on the gulls or boobies. One of our party had a red footed boobie land on her hand. Another had a sea lion sniff his toes! Everywhere you look there is another creature. Mockingbirds insisting that they have their picture taken. Sea birds swooping low overhead. A truly AMAZING place. And snorkelling; so close to the wonderful aquatic life. Feeling like sea lions yourself due to the wet suits.

Overall, this was a great trip! This is our 4th trip with this tour company, and once again, we loved our experience. It was a nice combination of activity and downtime and felt like a vacation. The Galapagos is such a unique and special place. Our guide, Pablo, was extremely knowledgeable about everything. He shared his knowledge and personal stories with us which added to our experience. People ask what our favorite part was, and that is really difficult to answer because so many things stick out: the wildlife being so present everywhere, snorkeling with giant turtles, the hike up the volcano.

An excellent trip on a comfortable boat with a good crew and good food. We saw all of the expected wildlife, and snorkelling with sea lions and turtles amongst the fish was a particular highlight. The boat is not operated by Explore, so on my trip there were other nationalities who had booked through other operators, but it was a good mix. On the afternoon of the first day at the hotel I received a WhatsApp from the cruise operator providing details of the airport transfer (handled by the hotel in my case) and of their representative who met me at the airport to provide my printed boarding pass and Transit Control Card. They also helped with the additional baggage check required before bag drop. The message also includes the flight details if you want to complete the bio-security form at https://declaracion.abgalapagos.gob.ec/ before arriving at the airport. After snorkelling the crew will rinse all your gear and then hang wetsuits to dry (I think it was 80 USD to rent a wetsuit on board for the six days, but masks, snorkels and fins were free). There are lines with clothes pegs on the top deck to dry your swimwear. Remember to take USD cash for tipping the crew and guide at the end of the trip. Two envelopes were left in my cabin for this, but the amount suggested at 15 USD per day for the guide and 25 USD per day for the crew of 11 was about double that in the trip notes.

This was truly one of the best trips ever, thanks to the amazing itinerary, remote and unspoiled landscapes, unique and plentiful wildlife, seamless logistics, and excellent fellow travelers, but most of all because of our incredible guide, Pablo! His deep understanding of the science, his passion and enthusiasm, and his dramatic delivery kept us all enthralled. He had answers to all of our questions and made sure everyone was OK at all times. THANK YOU FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!!

An absolutely fantastic trip. I cannot say enough about how organized and complete everything was. Pablo was a fantastic guide and his love for the Galapagos was evident. We also had the pleasure of having Paolo on the trip and he was terrific as well. I always thought that when I made it to the Galapagos it would be by boat. I am delighted and so happy that this was a land-based trip. I cannot say enough about how much my husband and I enjoyed this adventure. Thank you, tour operator, Pablo and Paolo.

Just back from this trip. Wish we were still on board the Cachalote. What an amazing experience! The time in Quito is limited but we managed to pack in lots, the Teleferico, Old Town, La Bascilica, Botanical Gardens, Quito is easy to get around, taxis are cheap. All transfers were very well managed by the local agents Enchanted Expeditions. The boat, Cachalote 1 was fantastic. Great crew, all friendly. El Capitan ran the ship well. Pedro made exceptional food both quality and amounts from his little galley. Safety was taken seriously. The Galapagos Islands were all and much more than expected. Every day was different, packed full of activities and experiences.