Galapagos + Amazon questions

Hi

Have a look at Carpe DM Adventures. Whilst I did not personally utilise the below organisation, they were recommended to me by a fellow traveller (who booked the GI the night before going). Be sure to research where you want to go on the Galapagos Islands before you book and thoroughly research the standards of the boat depending on your requirements.

Enjoy, Ecuador is an amazing place.

When I stayed at the camping at Sani Lodge in July 2012 we were only four people there, but I know that it was fully booked after I left. So, it might be a good idea to book in advance.

I stayed at Sani Lodge for 6 days/5 nights and during these days we didn’t see any dolphins and I actually don’t think they are present there.

On my Sani Lodge travel page (under Favourites) I have written what wildlife we saw during my visit: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/3fbdb/22ac41/

Thanks for the info, I´ve looked in a bit further and noticed that Cuyabeno is a better and cheaper option. It seems Cuyabeno lodge is a good alternative. Nicky lodge have exploration tours but there´s no info on the charge and they also got a terrible review here on LP.

Thanks for the info about the CD webpage. It seems you can get good deals on cruises, but then its also perhaps a risk to wait..

We booked a cruise ahead of time because of when we were there and because we wanted a specific boat, but plenty of people book when they get there, either in Quito or Puerto Ayora. We paid much more than your budget, but maybe at the last minute it would be about the same. And July should be quieter than December, when we were there. The other option is a land based tour with tours each day to see various animals, which is less expensive. . As for diving, we did not dive there, but the snorkeling was great. We were told that the diving is not wonderful and maybe not worth the expense. This is because there is no real offshore reef; the fish and sea animals all hang around the rocks surrounding the various islands and they are easy to see while snorkeling, especially if you dive down a bit. We saw all the fish we were looking for, plus penguins. sea lions, turtles, sharks (2 kinds), iguanas,sea snakes, sea horses, etc.

Since I have "plenty of time" 25/6-6/7 on Galapagos it may actually be worth to wait with the booking and try to get a good offer for a longer cruise. Late June and early July is also as you mention not peak season but the beginning of the low season.

Hi,

I've just returned from the Galapagos. I booked my cruise ( land and snorkeling activities) in Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz but it took me a few days to sort out. I met others who had booked in Quito. Both will give you a better deal than booking from Europe and are more likely to be closer to your budget, although I think you'd probably need to go higher for a 8 day cruise.

I met some people who had done some diving. The Galapagos is supposed to be mainly suitable for experienced divers but there are some that are intermediate. I met some experienced guys who had done a 5 day dive cruise that went to Wolf and Darwin islands in the far north west and I believe this is the ultimate for diving but may be beyond your budget and does not include land animals. They also went diving at Gordons rock on a day trip and their photos were incredible. They were less impressed with Kicker rock. The Galapagos is amazing, but everyone's experience and what they see is totally different so there's no guarantees anywhere but it will still be great. For example, I did a morning snorkel trip and persuaded some friends to do the same trip the next morning with the same company as I had seen a mantra ray. They saw two manta rays and blue footed boobies doing their mating dance! I went snorkeling on the same beach beach four times and had a totally different experience each time depending on the tide, swells, no of people, and what animals showed up! From what you've said I'd recommend booking a cruise at Quito or in Galapagos and then doing some day dive trips. Try to decide what your priorities our re cruises before as there are several itineraries, classes of boat, and range of travelers. I found thorn tree and the web very helpful for that.

Have a brilliant time.
x

I was browsing this post because I am attempting to book a last minute Galapagos tour for next month. BUT...I saw that you mentioned the Amazon and I just returned from a trip there so I thought I could provide some insight. My sister and I were debating between the Lower Rio Napo (Sani Lodge) and Cuyabeno Reserve (Cuyabeno Lodge/Nicky Lodge). We eventually decided to go with Cuyabeno because it was so much more affordable. Cuyabeno Lodge was booked so we went with Nicky Lodge. I was a little hesitant because of the online reviews, but I am SO happy we choose Nicky Lodge. While the transport staff was meh (didn't really great us or talk to us on our way to the lodge), the lodge staff was AMAZING. The local guides were out of this world (Rita is the coolest woman on earth) and they literally know the jungle inside and out. We had an amazing five day stay and I couldn't recommend the place more. The only downside to Nicky Lodge is that the English speaking guides are still learning the language. This was not an issue for my sister and I because we are fluent in Spanish (and you said you were as well). If you want to truly experience the jungle with native guides, Nicky Lodge is your place!