The Galapagos is no stranger to motion sickness, and unfortunately, there is no good way to see the islands that does not require traveling, at least in part, on a small boat. For those who suffer from motion sickness as badly as I do, it is a matter of choosing the lesser of the evils.
You can visit the island by cruise, or you can stay in a hotel on one island and make day trips out to tour neighboring islands. While a cruise does require the most time on a ship overall, the boats used for the cruises are a little larger and more steady, and most travel is done overnight, so you can be lying in bed, hopefully sleeping through the worst of it. The boats for the cruises range from 12 to 100 passengers, so for those who suffer the worst, a 100 passenger ship is the best chance of avoiding the dreaded rocking.
The hotel based trips are a nice option for people who prefer to not sleep on a boat, since you return each evening to spend the night on solid land. However, to be able to see anything other than the one island you are staying on, you are required to take little boats. The transits on these boats can be anywhere from 1 to 2 hours in each direction, meaning you lose 2-4 hours of your day traveling between islands – and for those 2-4 hours, you are on a smaller, rockier boat, with nowhere to lay down, and no private bathroom to excuse yourself to if you get sick.
I have never dealt well with motion sickness. I read a sentence in a car, and I’m done in. Despite this, I prefer to take a cruise when I visit the islands. I know my limits and have learned to start taking pills before I ever set foot on a boat - as long as I keep up on the medication throughout the trip, I manage just fine! With the cruise, I am able to waste less daytime and see more variety overall, so it is worth sleeping on rocky waters to make the most of such a magical place.
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