Introducing GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
The Origin of Species
Visas: Single entry US$55- Double Entry US$70 Curency: USD $ (£1 = $1.52) Cilmate: Galapagos is on the equator but the weather is not tropical. Temperatures range from 21C to 30C and there are two seasons: ‘warm season’ is from January to June and ‘dry season’ is from July to December. Contacts:
en.ecuador.travel
BOOK IT Explore Worldwide offers a 15-day
Volcanoes and Galapagos holiday including a seven-day hotel stay in the islands costing from £3,149pp B&B in November, including fl ights and excursions.
Explore.co.uk Kuoni has a nine-night Andean Rainforest and Galapagos tour combining three nights in Quito, two nights in the cloud forest and a four-night Galapagos cruise costing from £5,052pp, full-board including fl ights and transfers.
Kuoni.co.uk For cruisers, Celebrity Cruises’ 92-passenger Celebrity Xpedition sails two seven-night cruises around the islands with prices from £3,731pp on March 8, including fl ights, transfers, drinks and gratuities.
Cruisingpower.com
GETTING THERE UK to Quito:
Iberia (via Madrid): KLM (via Amsterdam). Quito to the Galapagos: LAN Ecuador (via Guayaquil)
The Galapagos T
BY JANE ARCHER
GENERAL INFO Languages: Spanish Time Zone: -6 GMT
he Galapagos archipelago lies some 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in
South America and is known for its wildlife, much of it unique to the islands, and the role the animals played in helping Charles Darwin formulate his theories on evolution. The Ecuador Ministry for
Tourism embarked on a concerted UK marketing and PR campaign this year, led by Lotus UK. It included PR support, trade initiatives, roadshows, exhibitions and advertising. Giohana Albuja, European
Market Coordinator at the Ministry of Tourism for Ecuador is optimistic about tourism’s prospects, commenting. “Ecuador’s visitor numbers increased from 1,140,978 in 2011 to 1,272,953 in 2012, with the UK market decreasing in the same period from 22,877 to 21,011. The UK’s economic situation along with the recent media focus on other South American destinations has undoubtedly affected the number of our UK tourists.”
Land and sea There are two ways for clients to
experience the destination – by staying in a hotel and taking day trips by boat to other islands or on a cruise, the latter being by far the best option, even for
confi rmed land-lubbers. Cruise ships are small – 100 is the maximum number of passengers allowed and most only carry a few dozen – and visit a couple of islands each day so passengers can go ashore on walks with naturalists from the Galapagos National Park. “It’s a bucket list destination,” said a spokesperson for Sanctuary Retreats, which operates the 16-passenger Athala II and 48-passenger Eclipse around the islands. “Our high-end exploration vessels sell very well.” Whichever cruise ship clients choose, they will make landings in infl atable zodiacs or dinghies, often stepping into water or onto rocks, so they need a good degree of mobility. They also need a sense of adventure, as the islands are undeveloped, with uneven dusty paths. A couple of anniversaries in
2009 – the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the release of the Origin of Species – and David Attenborough’s Galapagos 3D, shown on Sky earlier this year, have helped to keep the islands fi rmly in the headlines. Cruise operators operating
vessels in the Galapagos certainly noticed a surge in of interest. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell,
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Head of Trade Sales for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club Cruises, said demand for Celebrity Xpedition, a yacht based in the islands, ‘shot up’ after Galapagos 3D aired. “The feedback we got was incredible; we’re getting bookings through to 2015,” she said.
“Cruise ships are small – 100 is the maximum number of passengers allowed and most only carry a few dozen”
New operator offerings Sanctuary Retreats has two
seven-night photo-themed cruises in the Galapagos in 2014 hosted by award-winning photographer Jonathan Green. They take place onboard the MV Eclipse, beginning May 3 and August 23, priced from around £3,340pp (cruise-only).
sanctuaryretreats.com Exodus has new nine-day holidays that combine a seven-night Galapagos cruise on the 16-passenger yachts Queen Beatriz or Pelikano with two nights in Quito. Prices start from £2,155pp B&B with some lunches and dinner, but excluding fl ights.
exodus.co.uk
Above: Some of the animals that helped Charles Darwin formulate his theories about the origin of species. Pictures courtesy of Silversea Cruises and Metropolitan Touring
November 2013 37
METROPOLITAN TOURING
SILVERSEA CRUISES
SILVERSEA CRUISES
SILVERSEA CRUISES
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