Groggily we deplaned at dawn in Atlanta. Connections after this point were pretty routine,
As we flew homeward I reflected a bit on our travels. It occurred to me that had we made the same trip a decade or so ago, before I had adapted to the digital age, I would have had to shoot the equivalent of 125 36-exposure rolls of film to shoot as many frames as I had over the last three weeks.
We had debated in planning our trip whether to take the hiking tour or a boat cruise and we elected to do a combination and I'm glad we did because we were able to see a greater variety of sights and creatures than we would have with either trip alone. And the Sacha Lodge side trip was a delightful bonus that provided a striking contrast to what we found in the islands.
I had wanted to see the Galapagos for more than 35 years - ever since I read an Annie Dillard essay in which she rhapsodized over the Palo Santo trees. Now I had my own memories and images of the flora, fauna, geology, history, and people - enough to last a lifetime.
Thinking about the fragile ecology of this truly unique spot on our earth I was reassured by something that our guide Andres had said. Granted, there is a danger of loving the Galapagos to death by the tens of thousands of tourists visiting every year, he said. But with the establishment of the Galapagos National Park and enforcement of protective regulations, it is actually the interest and concern of the tourists that keeps the islands in the international spotlight and ensures the preservation of this treasure.
Arriving home in Great Falls we stepped out of the airport into - what else? - a Montana snow squall.
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!
Hazel Araza
10 hours ago
(1) great information on the website and throughout all the "materials." (2) Jane Packer is great: knowledgeable, responsive, takes a personal interest and tone, seems to care about the customer as a person not a sale.
Larry Bethune
18 hours ago
great people doing a wonderful job to make our voyages happen.
trudy
1 day ago
For our first trip to Costa Rica, Adventure Life designed a tour that meets the interests, ecological and adventure, of our party; but also takes into account our physical limitations sine we are all septuagenarian. We are looking forward to the trip.
John Zent
2 days ago
Adventure Life is my favorite travel company due to their genuine care for their customers. They make every effort to ensure a wonderful travel experience for you. Their personal touch really gives the customer a lot of confidence with their travel plans and the trip leaders are always outstanding. They are truly consistent and accountable with the great service they provide. I can't thank Adventure Life enough for the incredible trips I have enjoyed thanks to them and their attention to detail.