We spent the morning exploring the Charles Darwin Research Center. The center is definitely a working research station, rather than a visitors' center. In some ways, that was very refreshing to me - that it wasn't all dolled up and dumbed down for we tourists, but I was also thankful to be with our guide, who could explain the center's projects and aims. We saw Lonesome George, as well as many other tortoises in every stage of development.
Before heading back to the ship for lunch, we had some free time in Puerto Ayora. My dad used the time to explore more of the research station, and I used the time to inspect several of the yachts we work with that happened to be anchored in Puerto Ayora that morning. I saw the Coral I & II, Monserrat I, Valkiria, Millennium, La Pinta, and Cormorant II. It was fun to see the different styles and sizes of Galapagos yacht - each offers a very different experience.
In the afternoon, we took small buses up to the Santa Cruz highlands. It was interesting to see more of the island, as the landscape changed a lot as we moved up and away from the coast. The highlands tend to get more precipitation than the lower elevations, so there were a lot of tall trees and lush green vegetation. It was beautiful. We drove through several small communities and past several small farms and orchards - I loved seeing all of the exotic plants and trees... Sometimes in Montana, it's easy to forget where mangoes, bananas and coffee come from. We hiked through a private farm, where it's easy to spot giant tortoises. We saw a lot of them, and also learned a lot about farming on the islands. The farm was a great example of how locals can get involved in and profit from the tourism industry in a very practical and sustainable way.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner