Three generations enjoy Galápagos

My husband and I, along with our daughter and our 13-year-old nature-loving grandson, toured the Galápagos Islands, Dec. 22-29, 2019, using Galapagos Alternative (Galápagos Islands; phone, in the US [Florida], 352/316-8348, www.galapagosalternative.com).

We first contacted the company in mid-April 2019. We found them through a Google search, and they were, by far, the most responsive, in a personal way, of the companies we contacted. Javier Moreno and his wife, Jill, have established a fine reputation due to their attention to detail and knowledge of accommodations and restaurants on Santa Cruz and Isabela islands.

An itinerary specialist (in our case, Lauren) customizes each package. We picked which islands we wanted to visit and what we wanted to do. All of our excursions were planned in advance.

Excluding airfare to/from Quito, Ecuador, and from Quito to/from the Galápagos, the cost of our trip was $13,000 for the four of us. (Included in that total was the cost of our visit in Quito, $1,760, at the end of the trip.)

Our guides for hikes, bike rides and snorkeling adventures were professional, friendly and experienced. Highlights of our trip included seeing giant Galápagos tortoises roaming in nature plus blue-footed boobies, frigate bird colonies and the many iguanas and sea lions on walking paths, not to mention the unique flora of the island.

Each day we had instructions on what to take, the type of shoes we needed to wear and what meals would be provided. All of our rides to points of departure were on time, and we enjoyed visiting with the friendly drivers.

On Santa Cruz, Javier took us to a coffee plantation and a pioneer farm to observe organic agriculture. We enjoyed the views, and our grandson took our breath away as he calmly soared over the farm site on a huge swing. We toured the Darwin Center on the island on our own time; there was a guide there as well.

We spent Dec. 30 and 31 in Quito. With a local driver/guide, we toured the historical colonial center and nearby Pichincha volcano, taking the cable car to the top. On Dec. 31 we were taken to the Middle of the World site for an educational and fun time learning more about the equator.

Interacting with the people on each island was another highlight of this trip. We highly recommend this way of experiencing the Galápagos Islands. Our family truly enjoyed our “3-generation” trip.

NANCY KERR
Pratt, KS