Travel to Ecuador, Galapagos: Galapagos Family Adventure Aboard the Galaxy, December 2009

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Galapagos Family Adventure Aboard the Galaxy, December 2009

			DAYS: 11 GRADE: I define PRICE: From $4195 per person HIGHLIGHTS: Quito Galapagos cruise wildlife interactions snorkeling kayaking ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges Yacht/Ship MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

New Year's and Christmas in Ecuador is the most festive and colorful time for a Galapagos family vacation. Experience the fascinating blend of Indian and Spanish culture and holiday festivities in the Andes and embark on a Galapagos Islands adventure to discover exotic and bizarre wildlife voyaging throughout Darwin's archipelago. During this 8-day voyage, our private Wildland-chartered Galapagos yacht visits major wildlife sites including the remote Genovesa Island. We hike among among cinder cones, lava flows, white and black sand beaches, and rocky cliffs, and snorkeling and swim with sea lions in the clear Equatorial waters. Ask about our 'Christmas in Ecuador' trip extension to include a private Otavalo tour and then conclude your Ecuador holiday watching the colorful New Year's festivities in Quito.

DAY 1 :  ARRIVE QUITO
Arrive in Quito and transfer to Patio Andaluz, a 4 star boutique hotel situated in the heart of the refurbished colonial center of Quito. Overnight Patio Andaluz or similar. [Meals on your own]

DAY 2 :  QUITO

	Your home in the Galapagos is the comfortable and intimate M/Y Galaxy

DAY 3 :  GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Private transfer this morning to the domestic airport for the 2 hour flight to begin our trip to Galapagos. We meet our naturalist guide and transfer to the M/Y Galaxy, an exclusive Wildland Adventures' Galapagos yacht charter.  We are greeted by the ship's crew who take care of your luggage and run through safety drills before our Galapagos adventure gets under way to Lobos Island. The protected and serene habitat of Lobos Island preserves many rare and endangered species of plants and birds found here. Watch Blue-footed Boobies dive for fish and see lazy sea lions bask on the lava shores. As the sun sets, enjoy a typical Ecuadorian meal, the nightly briefing, and formal presentation of the captain and crew. Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

DAY 4 :  SANTA FE ISLAND & BLACK TURTLE COVE
Santa Fe is a snorkeler's paradise with a deep blue-green bay protected by a long peninsula where we swim with sea lions cavorting in the crystalline waters. The hike today takes you atop a cliff where you may see a species of land iguana endemic to this island.  Black Turtle Cove is a Red Mangrove lagoon and serves as a nursery for many types of sharks as well as Golden and Spotted Eagle rays.  The water is mirror-calm and, by paddling quietly, it is possible to see dozens of amazing aquatic creatures floating just beneath the surface.  Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

Watch out for Galapagos wildlife sharing the trails with Blue-footed boobies!

DAY 5 :  GENOVESA & DARWIN BAY
Our trip to Galapagos continues in Darwin Bay, at Genovesa Island, the caldera of a collapsed volcano with steep, soaring walls. Snorkeling in the submerged caldera is excellent as the high nutrient content of the water attracts an abundance of sea life. Known as the Bird Island, Genovesa is habitat for a wealth of avian species including great frigate birds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, and Darwin's finches. This afternoon we might kayak or ride the dinghy below the steep cliffs to view birds nesting in the narrow rock crevices. Red-Billed Tropicbirds, as well as Masked and Red-Footed Boobies are usually seen on the hike up Prince Philips Steps to the high plateau. The path meanders through the Palo Santo forest before emerging on the other side of the island. Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

DAY 6 :  SANTIAGO & BARTOLOME ISLANDS
Our Galapagos expedition makes a landing at the beautiful black sand beach of Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island. We hike over a large black lava flow that provides prime examples of Pahoehoe (ropy lava) as we make our way to a series of small cinder cones. This is a great site to see examples of the first flora colonizers such as Mollugo crockeri and Lava Cactus.  In the afternoon visit Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome Island where penguins are often spotted. Hike up to the summit of the island for spectacular views of the rock, the white-sand beaches and the lush mangrove swamps below. We identify various volcanic formations like spatter and tuff cones with our guide, keeping an eye out for pelicans and Galapagos Hawks. Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

	Kids commune with animals and learn about evolution on our Galapagos family vacations.

DAY 7 :  SANTA CRUZ ISLAND & CHARLES DARWIN STATION
We visit the famous Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz Island to learn about Galapagos tourism, current scientific research and conservation initiatives including several breeding programs that hope to reintroduce specific tortoise species back onto the island of their origin. We meet Lonesome George, possibly the oldest resident of Galapagos and the last surviving individual giant tortoise of his Pinta Island sub-species. Our Galapagos adventure heads to the interior lush green highlands where we explore lava tubes and pit craters, and look for giant tortoises in the wild. Enjoy a typical Ecuadorian lunch at a local restaurant. Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

DAY 8 :  FLOREANA ISLAND
Of all the islands in the Galapagos, Floreana has the most intriguing human history. Learn about the 18th century whalers who created the wooden barrel in Post Office Bay which is still used as a general mail distribution center, and the particularly eccentric self-proclaimed baroness who mysteriously disappeared one night. However, wildlife is still found here and the fine olivine and white sand beaches are common nesting areas for green sea turtles. A nearby lagoon is home to flamingos, pintail ducks, stilts, and other shorebirds. Visitors may also spot stingrays and white-tipped reef sharks swimming in the shallows of the bay.  Overnight on the M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

DAY 9 :  ESPANOLA & PUNTA SUAREZ ISLANDS
We make a wet landing on the beach where sea lions gather at Gardener Bay, Espanola. Snorkeling from shore here, we find plenty of beautiful fish as well as harmless nurse sharks and gentle sea turtles. Due to its isolation, Espanola has a high number of endemic species found only on this island; here we visit the nesting site of over ten thousand pairs of Waved albatross. At one meter high with a two meter wing span, the Waved albatross is one of the most impressive and comical aerial acrobats in the world. Remarkably, the islands off the coast of Ecuador are their only refuge on Earth. This afternoon our Galapagos trip heads off to Punta Suarez to see up to five species of nesting seabirds including the Hood Island mockingbirds, Galapagos doves, and Galapagos hawks. Prehistoric-looking Marine iguanas and giant lava lizards roam the terrain. A short hike leads to the Blowhole, a fissure in the lava cliffs which blasts incoming breakers into geysers over 90 feet high. Overnight on the Galapagos yacht M/Y Galaxy. [BLD]

DAY 10 :  RETURN TO QUITO
We conclude our Galapagos Islands vacation by disembarking with our guide who accompanies passengers to the Galapagos Island airport for the afternoon flight to the mainland. Transfer in from the Quito airport and overnight at Patio Andaluz or similar. [B]

DAY 11 :  DEPART
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home or extend your trip especially to celebrate New Year's Eve in Quito.  [B]

Here's how Wildland traveler Earll Murman describes his New Year's experience in Quito:

Quito was lots of fun for New Year's. On December 31, Quito turns into a giant street party. The main street, Amazonas, is shut to traffic and there are all sorts of sales people, food, and displays. People are milling everywhere, some wearing masks and all having fun. Bands played and people danced. Read more...

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. C o n t a c t Jeff Stivers 1(800)345-4453