We visited Santiago Island during low tide, so we walked along to beach to look for wildlife in the tide pools. There were a lot of creatures relaxing in the pools - it was like a day at the spa! I learned that Santiago Island is made of compact ash, not lava, which gives it a very different look & feel. The vegetation was beautiful - there were morning glory vines in full bloom all along the shore and huge cacti further inland. And with an impressive volcano within view on the horizon, the scenery on Santiago was breathtaking.
After our hike, we had chance to snorkel. This was probably the best snorkeling of the trip, because the water was calm and clear and the sea life was abundant. It was the first time I had ever experienced large schools of fish swimming all around me. We also saw a shark and several sea lions in the water - what a treat! I didn't expect the snorkeling to be such a highlight of our trip, but it certainly was.
After lunch, we snorkeled again, just off the shore of La Rabida island. The snorkeling here was great too - we came across a group of playful & curious sea lions in the water. I was struck by how graceful they look in the water, especially given how clumsy they appear on land.
La Rabida Island was beautiful. The earth was a deep red color, and the vegetation was lush and green. We saw a lot of wildlife on our walk, and after exploring a bit on the island, our guide took us for a ride in the zodiak along the shoreline, hoping to spot more wildlife. We saw boobies, a penguin, and several other types of birds. The afternoon was not without a little excitement - our zodiak sprung a leak when we pushed up against a rock to get closer to the penguin. So we had to return to the ship to exchange zodiaks. The guide and driver handled the situation very well, and fortunately we didn't have to test out our life jackets!
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