Ecuador Adventure Trips

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 really was a trip of a lifetime. Go with an open heart and mind. Manage your expectations of wildlife. It's in the name. It's amazing to see living creatures in their natural habitat with no fear of humans.

This was our 4th trip with Explore and it did not disappoint. It really was the trip of a lifetime and we loved every minute of it. Our guide Diego was absolutely fabulous and really made the trip very enjoyable and educational for us all. The wildlife is astounding!

The tour gave a fantastic opportunity to experience many aspects of Ecuador and the Galapagos, both its culture and its incredible biodiversity. The tour is very well organised by Explore!; we felt safe at all times and our guide, Diego, was exceptional, adding so much more to the tour than just 'guiding' us. His passion for and knowledge of his country was inspirational.

Diego was a fantastic tour leader. He managed the adversity of the itinerary when it had to be changed due to civil unrest, he kept us up to date with the situation and produced a great variety of alternative destinations. He was very interested in the wildlife and flora, he was able to take wonderful pictures of the things we saw - which he shared with us. He was passionate and very knowledgeable about his country and passed that enthusiasm to us. The itinerary was varied and the days were full. My only comment would be that it would be nicer to sometimes have meals at the end of the day instead of big meals at lunchtime.

Our Explore holiday was fantastic.Diego Torres was our local guide. He spent everyday with us and made sure we knew what we were doing and were safe. No words to explain how good he was. We were expertly guided every day. His enthusiasm for wildlife was fantastic and we all gained from his positive energy. And taking us for Great Experiences All our guides in The Galapagos were also excellent and we would highly recommend them all. They told us about the island as well as sharing their enthusiastic for wildlife. Diana of IsobelaMiayari of IsobelaJamie of Santa Cruz