1

Possibly it has something to do with the rates on their web-site being 2005 rates.

I would be a bit nervous of a company that can't afford to up-date their web-site. Have you emailed them to check the current prices?

2

I chek the darwin and cruises in galapagos, I take on november 4 days / 3 nights on the angelito and the price is no the price that cruisesingalapagos.com has and also other boats wich i was searching has not the real price, something is wrong with them, take care!

check this web pages, they have several options on cruises and the first one also have land based trips and island hopping.

www.ectravel.com.ec
www.goecuador.com
www.galapagosislands.com

3

Hey there, I am a travel advisor for a three week volunteer program to three islands in the galapagos doing conservation work while going on tours and exploring. the proce is 1590.00.. Let me know if you want more information. I also can help if your not interested as I have been working in a well travelled Irish bar here and know a lot of the people who are involved with the companies that have tours to the Galapagos. If yo need anything, let me know as It has been a priority of mine to point people to companies and tours that I trust since I came here two years ago.

4

Hello there,

I´ve been doing some research on this site and Lead-adventures has been coming up pretty frequently. As I have been interested in volunteering and have also been researching the current trends in the non-profit, volunteer world, I thought that I would put in my two cents as related to a theory that Jed Emerson has been promoting. Jed started as the director of a non-profit and turned it around through his management. He has since worked in the non-profit world and through his experience in the business world along with his success in the non-profit sector came up with the blended value theory. In short he proposes that non-profits and for profits have more in common than the current thinking suggests. The theory proposes that if non-profits and for profits work together rather than against each other then more can be accomplished. His idea has gathered support and he now regularly speaks to major fortune five hundred companies around the world about how to blend profit with service.

This idea seems to be taking it´s place in the world of travel in Ecuador. The Yanapuma Foundation has started a travel agency that puts fifty percent on it´s profits back into the service projects it supports. Lead-Adventures seems to have the same approach. I would watch both of these organizations as they appear to be rising stars in the new ideology that is shaping in the world of service by combining it with successful business. If you are interested in checking out Jed´s theory the link is here.. http://www.blendedvalue.org/

Edited by: gringoinquito

5

I found this on the galapgos foundation website while doing some research on the need for conservation in the Galapagos!

Current problems

The biggest Galapagos problem is the alarming population growth. With the application of migratory reforms to the Ecuadorian Constitution this situation has been minimized. However, garbage and waste must be adequately managed to avoid contamination of the environment near populated areas.

Accumulation of garbage causes serious consequences to the natural ecosystem of the islands and contaminates the environment near populated areas.

The complex system of marine currents around the islands, in part the local human activities and even tourist-related activities may cause the slow accumulation of inorganic waste, especially plastics, along the shores. This material can alter the shores´ ecosystems with serious consequences.

Also, fishing, once small and destined to supply locals, gained importance from international demand on species found in the Marine Reserve of Galapagos. The constant battle to control illegal fishing of sharks, tuna fish, lobsters, and sea cucumbers, turns into an endless loop of problems.

Human Presence

Thanks to its isolation Galapagos has kept its ecosystems almost unaltered. However, this pristine status and natural equilibrium can be easily put at risk by the different forms of human pressure. According to the established regulations, 97% of the land area of the archipelago is National Park area and only 3% is destined to populated areas.

Tourism is the first source of income for the Galapagos. Currently, around
120,000 persons a year visit the islands.

6

ecuadorinthefall: what's your contact info? I am interested in volunteering on the Galapagos

7

hey, i'm on the way to work at a bar but will get you the info tomorrow!

http://savvyroundtheworld.wordpress.com

8

`Sweet, I'll be waiting for your info!

9

i just got back from my vacation in South America. When I got to Galapagos I did not have anything planned. No cruises, no hotels/ guesthouses. When I arrived on Baltra, I took a bus to the main town Puerto Ayora for 80 cents. Skip the $15 taxis. The ride takes around 50 min. Right after getting off the bus I had a beer (to go) and started walking the streets to familiarize myself with the town. After a couple of minutes I walked into a random travel agency to inquire about cruises. I did not think I would get one because I thought they all would be out of my budget. However, the lady started presenting me with offers..... She started with $1000 ones for 4D3N cruises... I said no and asked for the least expensive ones.... She offered me one for $550 on a yacht... The name of it was 'Galapagos Vision'. On the pictures it seemed as a decent one. So, I started negotiating and.... I got that cruise + speed boat to San Cristobal Island ($25 value) + Snorkeling gear ($50 value) , all for $450 !!! I had done extensive research on various cruises and .... the least expensive cruise I found was for $570 on backpacker-style boat. I had 10 minutes to make up my mind because the last boat for San Cristobal was leaving in 15 minutes. After paying I run straight to the dock to catch the speed boat and after 2 hours I was on San Cristobal. There I spent a night and early in the morning I was taken to the yacht. The yacht was a decent one. Cannot complain. 5 double cabins, clean and the food served there was excellent! One night and after a few bottles of wine I asked the other people how much they paid and...they paid anywhere from $750 just for the cruise to $1300 (including flight to and from Quito). So, I think I got an excellent deal.
almost all boats do the 8D/7N cruise. They make a big loop from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz (4days) back to San Cristobal (another 4 days). I heard San Cristobal to Santa Cruz is much more interesting than Sana Cruz to San Cristobal leg. So, if you do only four days, do it from San Cristobal. I did that and was very happy with it.
After the cruise, I had 3 extra days on the islands and spent more time on the streets of Puerto Ayora and noticed that all travel agencies had last-minute cruises in all price ranges. However, don't forget that I was there in October and it was a low season there. Nonetheless, I think you should not have any problems getting a last minute cruise when you go there. Even, if you don't get a cruise you can explore the islands on your own. There are many one/two day excursions to different islands. Everything can be covered by using the public speed boats. It might be even cheaper if you do it that way. I do not recommend 1 day excursions to Isla Isabella from Santa Cruz because you will not see what is promised due to no time. For Isabella, I recommend at least 2-4 days. there are volcano you can climb, beaches where tourists from cruises dont go and many more spectacular places.

As for the cost of accommodation, there are plenty of rooms in all price range. From $10/night further form the main street to $300/ night. I had a very nice clean room for $15/night right behind the main street.
What else.....
Like I said...if you don't get a cruise, you can cover everything by doing day or 2 day excursions. It might be cheaper but will take 1 or 2 more days.

If you decide to purchase a cruise from a local agency, tell them that you want snorkeling gear included! On the cruise they charge you $10/day! All travel agencies have snorkeling gear for rent and if they have enough, they will throw it into the deal.

If you have any question just let me know.
thanks
konrad

10

Thanks for this info as am heading to Galapagos myself in August. Hope to stay on the 3 main islands first for about 10 days in total before sorting a cruise out. I'll see how it maps out and hope to report here on the results. Thanks all, especially Konrad's input, very useful!
H

11

Def don't stay 10 days on any of these islands, San Cristobal maximum 2 and Puerto Ayora 3 at the max..or else u gonna be bored! Use the remaining days on the beach of Salinas or the surfers place further north close to Guayagil instead!

12

Oh come on lionfjudah stop advertising boring Salinas and let the poster spend the rest of his time how he wants on Galapagos since there are other desitinations there and he does plan a cruise as well as island stays - most sensible - from one Aussie to another and forget the beaches in Ecuaodor if you are an Aussie as you will find comparable beaches in Australia. However the culture in Ecuador in the Sierras, other coastal areas and Oriente (jungle) can be most interesting so if inclined do that as well as Galapagos. Foreget about the beaches near Salinas and Guyaquil - too touristy and boring IMO - from one Aussie to another.

13

I'm hitting Quito 15. october, and nothing else planned than to do the Conrad-advice.
Although I'm travelling with my gf, so it would be harder to find 2 available spots, we're going for this.

Where would you recommend flying to and from the islands, since I'm landing in quito, will this be cheaper, or should I go to other cities?

I'd rather wait out on Santa Cruz looking for a cruise, than on mainland. It seems cheaper, and more "last minute".

I don't really care about the boat's condition, as long as I get an awesome experience!

14

Hello, are u by any chance still working in the galapagos? we are a couple, flying there for 2 weeks from december 4th. we just bought the flight to get to islands ,we land at s.cristobal, but did not book any cruise or anything yet...do u have any good advice for us? not spending too much and seeing the best places...? maybe if u are already off the islands you know guys that are still there?
thanks in advance
shahar and roni