At the completion of our 5-day cruise aboard the Legend, my mother and I had planned to spend two nights in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz to continue our Galapgaos experience and have one more day for an excursion. A lot of travelers will extend their time on land in the Galapagos for scuba diving excursions or to do a specific day trip that their cruise didn't cover. It's a great way to see the local culture, go out to eat, stock up on souvenirs, and move at your own pace.
Going out to local restaurants is one of my favorite things about traveling, so I reveled in the opportunity to go big - lobster! Please and thank you!
We were able to fit a lot into our one full free day on Santa Cruz! Along with our guide, we started the day with a kayaking tour of the lava channels near Puerto Ayora. This involved fighting against some pretty strong waves initially, so it's not for the faint of heart. I was struck by the stunning turquoise water and the lack of crowds with just a 15-minute kayak trip from town.
We also enjoyed a short walk / easy hike (1.5 miles) to Tortuga Bay - most cruises do not visit this site, so it makes a great addition to any free day in Santa Cruz. It was the closest thing to a white sand beach I was able to find in the Galapagos. As I've said before, don't go to the Galapagos if your main goal is to just relax on the beach and sip cocktails - you'll spend much less money doing that elsewhere - but for two hours in a free afternoon? Perfect.
The main thing to keep in mind if extending on land pre- or post-cruise is that it will require extra logistical coordination, time, and flexibility on your part. If just doing the cruise, all of your group airport transfers are included, and you're corralled from place to place by the ship operator - very little thought required on your part. Just follow orders! If extending on land, you'll likely have to remind the ship's crew that you're straying from the group logistics, take a taxi (or arrange a private transfer) from the airport into town, and take a bit more ownership of your schedule to make sure you're in the right place at the right time. If that doesn't deter you, extending on land in the Galapagos is a great way to complement your cruise experience!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.