The Galapagos was a magical trip – a trip of a lifetime! Three generations took the 1-week G Adventures Family Land Galapagos Multi-Activities Tour in August 2016. After the tour, my sons (ages 11 and 13) and I stayed an additional week in Ecuador (4 extra nights in the Galapagos and 4 nights in Quito). With a family-focused tour, the pace of the itinerary was just right; there were plenty of adventures, time to enjoy the moment and explore further, as well as downtime in between activities. As huge wildlife enthusiasts and travel buffs, my sons and I were in complete awe of the endemic flora, fauna, and geography.
Our G Adventures guide, Fernando, was exceptional. His passion and genuine love for the Galapagos allowed us to have that much more of a magical and fulfilling experience. From educating us about wildlife, history, and science to ensuring that we were having the most fun we could possibly have on a snorkel trip, his enthusiasm really sparked the energy in all of us. We ended our tour feeling inspired to live more compassionately.
August proved to be the perfect time of year for us. It ranged in between the high 60’s to high 70’s. Even though we were at the equator, it was so pleasant with no high humidity. The Humboldt Current brought in nutrient-rich waters, which allowed us to see abundant underwater wildlife, such as sea turtles, sharks, sea lions and countless fish. Above water, there were plenty of Blue-Footed Boobies and Magnificent Frigate Birds in all different stages of life – eggs, hatchlings, juveniles, adults. Of course, we saw giant tortoises roaming free in the Santa Cruz Highlands, marine iguanas, land iguanas, and lizards. My sons and I loved reading about wildlife that we encountered and marking the pages within our “Wildlife in the Galapagos” guidebook. The delightful air temps allowed for very enjoyable hikes and excursions.
Pack lightly. Each of us packed only one small rolling carry-on and a backpack, and this included our full wetsuits, snorkel mask, mouthpiece and photography equipment. We also brought back chocolate, Galapagos coffee and a carved wooden tortoise as souvenirs. The use of packing cubes helped in organizing our luggage.
In closing, our family trip to the Galapagos Islands was a dream come true! For two weeks after our return, I found myself reluctant to go through our photos and videos, since I thought the longing would be too great. It was that special! The Galapagos Islands was a very moving, almost spiritual, trip for me. We also had a great time getting to know the two other families (one from Chicago and one from Sweden) on our G Adventures Tour. Our children had such good laughs with their new friends. Thank you Rochelle and the Peace Frogs crew for helping my family and I in planning such a memorable trip. Your knowledge, expertise and booking of our tour and flights really allowed us to enjoy the trip itself; we were not distracted with trip logistics leading up to and during our vacation. We’re so happy to have worked with you on our Galapagos family adventure! – Yvonne, August 2016
