We begin our day with a short walk from the Red Mangrove to the neighbouring Charles Darwin Research Centre. We focus on giant land tortoises but also learn a little more about the broader work of the centre - to sustain threatened species and eradicate any aggresive, non-indigenous ones (rats, ferrel dogs and cats as well as a variety of plants). The people here are fiercely protecting the land, a whopping 97% of the land is National Park. It is comforting to know that this place will look much the same for our grandkids!! After toruing the centre we board a van which takes us from the coast to the highlands. At our first stop, we take a short walk to a view point overlooking two massive sink holes created when underground voids created by lava flows collapsed. After that we move on to a second site where we could walk underground through large lava tubes (cool but a bit claustrophobic for me!). Lava tubes occur when the top layer of a lava flow hardens and the flow below eventually drains off to create these amazing caves. Back up on the surface, we walk around and are able to interact with several giant tortoises within a few feet in their natural habitiat. It was awe-inspiring to see these beautiful gentle giants, 300+lbs and up to 100+ years old lumber about in the pastural highlands. After lunch we board a fast boat for the 1.5 hour journey to neighboring Floreana Island. This is one of the least populated with just 120 residents (2 small hotels, 2 restaurants). Our accommodations in Floreana are these cute little cottages, about 10 of them in all which line the waterfront. They are simply a small bedroom and washroom. There are no common facilities other than the little boardwalk that runs in front of them on the rocky beach. We have our meals at the little open air cafe down the road. Shortly after our arrival, we set off for a short hike along the waterfront with our snorkel gear in tow. After about 20 minutes, we reach a small cove with a sandy entry point. The waterfront is otherwise black lava rock. We gear up and within minutes of entering the water, we encounter numerous sea turtles and stingrays calmly swimming around us. It is a wonderful experience and the kids are thrilled. We snorkel over to a little sandy island not far away and as we get to the island we are happily greeeted by sea lions. We then come across this adorable little guy who our guide tells us is about 2 wks old. One after another we come across his 5 little brothers and sisters!!! These sea lion pups are unbelievably cute and like most species in the Galapagos, have no fear of humans so you can all but touch them (trust me, I wanted to go and hug them but contact is forbidden!) After this wonderful experience, we return to our little cabins, enjoy a simple meal and retire to the sound of the surf crashing outside our door.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week