Ecuador & Galapagos Blog – The perfect travel guide

Galapagos on a budget The Galapagos Islands are a bucket-list destination for adventurous travelers of all ages—there’s so much to do and see, not even a month is long enough. And since few have that kind of time for travel anyway. It’s smart to get your itinerary right so you don’t miss any must-see sights and experiences when visiting Galapagos on a budget. You can do the Galapagos in two ways, a land-based, island hopping tour or a cruise. Cruise itineraries are controlled by the government and arranged into two categories—both to control the flow of tourists to the delicate island ecosystems and to ensure passenger safety with ships navigating tight spaces. You don’t have a lot of options to design your own itinerary if you travel by boat. Island hopping tours offers more flexibility to create the type of experience you crave in the Galapagos Islands. A good tour operator will give you several options for arranging your days and activities for a personalized vacation. Additionaly, thay are more flexible on burget too, as thay allow you to choose form various hotel categories.  Keep in mind that any Galapagos itinerary requires a full day of travel on either end. You’ll fly to mainland Ecuador and then a shorter hop to the islands themselves. So if you choose a 7-day itinerary, you’ll need to block out at least nine days for your trip. Here’s our suggestion for an adventure-packed itinerary for 30+ explorers.   Day 1: Arrive in San Cristobal and set your sights on the frigate birds.   You’ll definitely want to hit the Interpretation Center as soon as you arrive to help you orient yourself to the Galapagos Islands and the amazing wildlife. Don’t forget to take the trail to to Frigate Bird Hill to see your first

Planning your honeymoon? Or maybe a special anniversary celebration? A couples’ cruise to the Galapagos Islands or a Galapagos Honeymoon Cruise is an unforgettable experience for you and your partner to share. It’s got everything a couples’ trip needs: Adventure, gorgeous sea and landscapes, interesting activities, exotic locations, and plenty of opportunity for romance. If you’ve never been to the Galapagos Islands (or if you’ve never planned a cruise before), you may feel a bit overwhelmed with the planning process, so we’ve put together a few tips to help you make the right decisions for your trip. Read on to see how easy it can be to plan the perfect couples’ cruise to the Galapagos.   1. Start with the length of time you can be away from home.     Most Galapagos Islands cruises are between 4 and 8 days, so that means that even if you only have a week to travel, you can still plan a cruise. That said, it’s best if you have 10 days or more, because you’ll need a full day of travel coming and going from continental Ecuador to the Islands and back. Generally speaking, longer cruises are better financially than shorter ones because your “fixed” costs are spread out over more days. Your airfare, for example, is more economical if you spread it out over 12 days instead of 7. And your per-night costs on an 8-day cruise are lower than the costs for a 4-day one. Of course, if you’ve never been on a cruise before, a short itinerary gives you a chance to test the waters, so to speak, without a huge commitment. On the other hand, a short cruise often means fewer choices in terms of boat class and amenities—and you won’t get to visit as many islands, which may