Hi. I am just starting to plan our 2010 trip to the Galapagos and Machu Picchu and wanted to ask if anyone has any ideas of the best time to go. I have looked at all the other postings on these two places but none of them is very current so I will probably show up here often with questions. There are so many choices. I thought at least a week in the Galapagos and 5 or 6 days in the Machu Picchu area. Any body have any thoughts on companies they liked or islands that we need to make sure the boat stops at. Thanks for any help. BJinNM

We just booked a Galapagos trip for July '09 so perhaps I can help. I did a ton of research--for months--before deciding on a ship, so I know how overwhelming it can be! How to choose--well there really are three important decisions, and they more or less fall in this order:

1) Size of ship. They range from 12-100 passengers and this is the first decision you really need to make in order to narrow things down. Many people feel the smaller ships offer the most intimate experience, and this is probably true. On the other hand, you need to be comfortable with the small ship experience. This means small cabins, possibly bunk beds (on the more budget ships), limited outdoor areas. Small ships may not be best for children. The largest ships can't go to many of the more remote or protected islands/sites; on the other hand if you are prone to seasickness larger ships are more stable. Personally, we decided that a mid-sized ship would be best for us, something in the 20-40 passenger range. I get claustrophobic and wanted a ship with plenty of outdoor space, with outdoor dining areas, and good-sized cabins. The requirement for any ship is one naturalist guide per 16 passengers (maximum) so on a 30 person ship you'd only have two groups going out at once, etc. Still, if I were more comfortable with boats, I would have liked to go on a 16 passenger boat.

2) Naturally budget comes to play in this as well, but really there are ships in all sizes in all categories (tourist up to luxury), so this is less of a factor then you'd think in terms of picking the size of ship.

3) Itinerary is obviously important. As mentioned, the largest ships--those over about 35 passengers--can't go to some of the more restricted islands. Some of the smaller ships can't make it to the furthermost islands. We specifically wanted an itinerary that included Genovesa (Tower) island, which is not on all itineraries. This helped us narrow things down further. Also--some ships offer a 4, 5, or 7 day cruise. If you are looking for a full week cruise, its best to avoid those ships that break it up because that means mid-cruise they will stop to discharge the old and pick up the new, and that's a time-waster.

Well I could go on and on...get yourself a good planning book, the best is probably Barry Boyce's Travelers Guide to the Galapagos Islands Read up on the different islands and see which are "can't miss" for you. I ended up creating a spreadsheet with the top boats I was interested in, and which islands they go to, because it was so hard to keep track of!

Oh, and in the end, we booked the Evolution, a 32 passenger ship that had the itinerary we wanted.

As for the best time to go--again it kind of depends what your priorities are. Many feel the best all around time is May. Here's a calendar which gives you an idea of what to expect month-to-month.
http://www.galapagosonline.com/predeparture/calendar.htm

Hi, Janet. Thank you so much for your answers. The spreadsheet is a great idea. I always have organized my trips on spreadsheets but didn't think of using one for all this information. Great idea! And I have already run a calendar from the link you sent. Now at least I feel like I can start getting off of square one! Thanks again. BJ

LizS visited both Machu Pichu and the Galapagos. They spent a month (late Jan-February 2006) in a rental on one of the islands and has information on her blog about her stay. That will give you an idea of what the weather will be like in that time period.

May is also a good time to be in Machu Pichu. A friend went with Country Walkers and did the Inca Trail hike in May.

Thanks for the heads up, Marta. I had read LizS's trip report earlier but will definitely read it again. I will also file away the idea of Machu Picchu in May. That would be mid-summer there so might be a good time in the Galapagos also. Thanks for answering. BJinNM

We are at Santiago airport waiting for our flight to Quito and then on to the Galapagos for 7 nights on the Eclipse.
We had to fit it in with a good time to go to Patagonia.

We found Barry Boyce's book a great help in planning. It has nearly everything you need to know.

I will write a trip report sometime, hopefully not to long after the trip.

Jill

Thanks for taking time out to write back! The Boyce book is ordered and being shipped as we speak. Have a wonderful trip. CAn't wait to read your trip report. BJinNM

quote:

Originally posted by fletch:
We are at Santiago airport waiting for our flight to Quito and then on to the Galapagos for 7 nights on the Eclipse.


I will write a trip report sometime, hopefully not to long after the trip.

Jill

I look forward to the trip report too--the Eclipse was high on our list until we discovered it didn't go to Genovesa (we really wanted to go there for the Red-footed Boobies; and in general its an excellent birding island.)

Janet, I just found out my brother-in-law, his wife, and two of their friends are taking the Evolution in April. I'll let you know what they say about it. Small world, huh! BJinNM

too funny--I also know someone taking the Evolution in April. Do you know what date they depart? They may be on the same trip! Anyway I would love to hear their impressions on their return.

They are going on the trip on April 17th that has the photographer in residence. It was booked with International Expeditions. I am so envious of the photographer thing because photography is my passion. BJinNm

ah okay, I believe my friends are going the first week in April--not through International Expeditions but as an independent booking (as I am.) International Expeditions is a lot more expensive, although you do get the benefit of their guide. One reason I felt pretty confident about the Evolution was because it is the ship IE uses.

How do you book directly with the boat? This is a new idea for me as I always thought you had to go through a tour group. Sounds like a plan if it saves some money! BJinNm

BJin, we have been both places and they stay rather the same so reports from a few years ago are valid. I highly recommend the outfit we used for Peru--Southwind Adventures. I can not say enough good about them. They do small groups--there was just one other couple with us. The quality was outstanding. A good time to go to Machu Picchu is in June and be there for the Inti Raymi festival which is a memorable experience. I wrote about it on my website. This is the link to the Peru portion Peru Be sure to get to the section on the IntiRaymi.

Galapagos: Been there, too. Check this link Ecuador for information. We took a larger ship as we had a child. If it were just Ken and I, we would have chosen something smaller. But, with that said, we did have a great time. It wasn't that big and the camaraderie was fun.

I'd be willing to answer questions.

quote:

Originally posted by BJinNM:
How do you book directly with the boat? This is a new idea for me as I always thought you had to go through a tour group. Sounds like a plan if it saves some money! BJinNm

It depends on the boat, but many of them are directly owned by agencies in Ecuador. These are full service agencies who can help you book your entire trip, but because they own the ships, they can give you deals you won't get from the "secondary" operators. For instance we got free airfare from the mainland and a cabin upgrade for 50% off by dealing directly. The Evolution is owned by Quasar Nautica. They also own the Grace, and the Alta, and Lammer Law. Metropolitan Touring is another with several ships: I believe the Santa Cruz, the Isabela II, and La Pinta. Klein Tours has the Coral I and II and the Legend; Ecoventura has the Eric, Flamingo, and Letty; etc. etc.

Now this may not be possible with some of the smaller ships, or the ships that are exclusive to companies like Lindblad.

Jane, Thanks so much. I read your travel reports when I started this planning. You had amazing trips especially some of the detours from regular roads you spoke about. I will for sure have lots of questions once I get all this information a little better under control. Casey is so lucky to have these experiences with you. Thanks for the leads.
Janet, Thanks so much for those company names. The Letty is one of the boats we are considering so I will follow up with Ecoventures. I also just was reading about a few of the other boats and was wondering how so mant companies use the same boats. Now it makes much more sense.
Thanks to both of you. Boy, planning our 24 days in Italy for last October was a lot easier! BJinNM

The Eric, Letty and Flamingo travel together and are identical--except that the Eric has just been fitted to be hybrid powered, which is pretty cool. http://www.ecoventura.com

These are very highly regarded; but, the ships and cabins were a little too small for my comfort level. They have a great itinerary and from what I've heard, great guides. If I wasn't such a landlubbing wimp we might have gone with them

Since I have been on several small ship cruises around the US with my mom (30 passengers or less), I am not too worried. The most interesting one was where the toilet was located under the shower and everything including the paper got wet if you forgot to remove it. That doesn't sound like something you would want to go through! BJinNM

Just in case anyone sees this, tonight on the National Geographic station (both regular and HD) there is an hour show called "Darwin's Secret Notebooks." It is on here at 7 mountain time so I guess that would be 9 PM Eastern. Just a heads up. BJinNM

We left Galapagos a nearly a week ago and it was a wonderful experience.

The Eclipse only has 48 people - a medium size - but the cabins are spacious with good sized bathrooms. The showers were good with ample hot water even with lots showering at the same time.
Our cabin - number 11 - was just above the engine and was noisy even when anchored. The boat usually travels at night, or a short time around lunch time and was noiser then. I used earplugs and slept well.
I would recommend asking for a cabin towards the front or on the deck up (more expensive but quieter), although people there heard the anchor going down.

There are 4 pangas, so the groups are small, usually less than 12 in a party. There was often a choice of excursions so some groups only had 6 to 8 per guide. There were usually a few who stayed on board depending on the excursions and if they just wanted to relax.

It was very rough the first 2 days (the crew blamed the full moon with highest high tides and lowest low tides) and we were very glad to be on a larger boat.

We saw nearly every species except the Red Footed Booby, but we are not real bird watchers so we were happy with the Blue Footed Boobies.

The whole trip was an amazing experience, in comfort, with good company and great guides.

Jill

Your trip sounds wonderful. Thanks for the information on placement of a cabin. That will come in handy. Did you spend any extra time in Quito? I don't know if we should go a few days early or stay a few days late to see all the sights and sounds of the Quito area. Any thoughts on that? Please write a trip report so I can enjoy your trip with you. BJinNM

We had 3 nights in Quito and that was enough for me as I had altitude sickness. Quito is 2,800 meters or 9,200 feet.

We stayed in the old town at Patio Andaluz ( sorry can't get the website to copy the link).
We had a private half day tour of Quito the day after we arrived and I was feeling the effects of the altitude so didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.

There are many Catholic Churches/ Cathedrals erected by the different orders. All are very ornate and the history is fascinating. They are all on or near the main square, so a good walking tour.
We then spent 45 minutes (traffic) to see an equator exhibition run as a cultural tour. It was quite interesting but not sure worth the time in the traffic. However it did give us a chance to hear more about the history of Quito which is very interesting.
The next day was a rest day and I felt better until I overdid the food and spent the night feeling bad again.

Friends liked Guayaquil much better than Quito but we only stopped at the airport on the way too and from Baltra.

Jill

Who did you set up your private tours with? I have never, in all our travels, had a private guide but from what I read about Quito, it is important. The guide books all have warning after warning (much more than Rome, for instance) about crimes, muggings, etc. in Quito, and don't walk here , only take a taxi there, sort of stuff. It all has us a little leary about Quito! How safe did you feel , and I realize that being sick, safety was not really on your mind! BJinNM

I am also an anti-tour person but Quito (and similarly Lima) are two cities I would not wander around in unescorted. If you book your Galapagos trip through an agent, or through one of the ship companies, they should be able to book day trips for you in either Quito or Guayaquil.

We have been to Quito twice and so this time are flying to Guayaquil (GYE) (American has a non-stop flight from Miami.) Not that Guayaquil is any safer, but if you don't wish to tour Quito, the advantages of flying direct to GYE are a) no altitude issues; b) shorter, cheaper flight to the Galapagos; and c) Quito airport is notorious for getting fogged in (its in a valley) and so flying into GYE you are more sure of an on-time arrival. (Although, we have been lucky on our two trips and not had any issues flying into Quito, but I've heard lots of stories of folks who couldn't land and ended up in Guayaquil for the night anyway!)

Curious if you've decided yet on a ship??

Thanks for the info about Lima and Quito. That's the feelings I have had. We are thinking about going a few days early and staying a few days after so we can see those cities so we would probably go through a hotel concierge. As muck as I enjoy staying in apartments, I am not sure that is on the agenda here. I have talked a couple of times to the people at Natural Habitat Adventures out of Boulder. They seem to be willing to work with us as far as letting us take the post trip to Machu Picchu first (we live at 6000 ft so thought that going there first would help us with altitude problems). They also include in the trip fees a trip to the Otavalo Market and the equator and include the flight from Quito to the Galapagos. They use the Letty. They also go to Genovesa which I know you are enthusiastic about. I am waiting to see what their dates are for next April or May. They'll have those ready in the end of April. I also want to see how you and my brother-in-law like the ship you are going on since it is the same one. I guess I am just waltzing around making a decision quite yet! BJinNm

Actually, we did a lot of wandering Quito by ourselves and really didn't feel unsafe. We didn't have a guide there. We were at a quaint and delightful hotel by the US Embassy and so even at night walked to and from restaurants. If we were going away from that area at night, we used taxis.

There are several good day trips you can take from Quito which are interesting and worthwhile. Once you are in Quito there is an abundance of businesses offering day trips. I know you have read what I wrote about our trip so you have probably seen what can be done.

The markets are fun, interesting and should be seen and the animal market is well-worth experiencing. The trip to the equator line is good--both for being there and for seeing the country side along the way. Now that I think about it (I need to read my own report), we stayed at a lovely hacienda in Otavalo for a couple nights when we went to the animal market, etc. But you can day trip.

The Cotopaxi volanco tour is beautiful. Again we stayed at a hacienda for that too but that's also day trippable.

So--I am not much help but there are things to see in and around Quito which make several days worthwhile there. Here is a link to a site which tell of types of day trips Quito Daytrips I am not recommending this company--I just googled to get info describing day trips. Don't know anything about the company. Gee, wish I were going again!

I see that I was writing this as you were posting and so you already have plans for some of these things. Lucky you!

Thanks so much, Jane. As a matter of fact, I just reread your blog this morning. I looked at those day trips and there are some very good ideas. Wasn't there recently a string of letters on SlowTalk about the joys of planning a trip? Guess what side I fall on--I am not happy unless I am planning. Thanks everyone for all this input. Keep it coming! BJinNM

Just thought I would let everyone know that last week I booked our Galapagos trip for May, 2010. We'll be on the Nina with Natural Habitat Adventures. Hopefully by this time next month I will also have booked the Machu Picchu part. Seems amazing to be doing this over a year in advance but this little ship only has room for 16 people! My brother-in-law leaves Friday for the Galapagos on the Evolution so when he returns I'll let everyone know how he and his wife enjoyed that boat. BJinNM

FWIW, my wife and I cruised on Celebrity's small cruise ship, Xpedition, in July 2007 and really enjoyed the amenities and comfort that the Xpedition (allegedly built to serve the Galapagos tourist trade). It provided professional guides/naturalists and access to the islands via kodiaks (heavy-duty rubber rafts) and the creature comforts of an air-conditioned small luxury cruise ship. For those interested in in more than just roughing it (so to speak), I would highly recommend looking into Celebrity's Xpedition. I will gladly email you my review of the ship and tour; just let me know.

Well, here's an update on what is happening with our Galapagos trip. We are scheduled to depart New Mexico to Lima next April 24th (no plane reservations yet) and pick up our tour to Machu Picchu on April 25th. We return to Lima on April 30th and are planning on staying there until May 4th when we will fly to Quito. We will spend a few days in Quito and then pick up pur Galapagos tour on May 7th returning to Quito May 15th and flying back to New Mexico on May 16th. The ship is the Nina. Now comes the fun part of finding places to stay in Lima (we are already set, we think, in Quito). I think since it is our first time in South America we probably need a little guidance and so will opt to stay in a hotel, probably in the Miraflores area of Lima. Does anyone have any ideas? There are no reviews on SlowTrav that I can find and I am pouring over the ones at TripAdvisor but have no idea what Lima is like. HELP!!

Janet, how did your Galapagos trip go? We are now totally booked for everything in both Ecuador and Peru (icluding flights, hotels, boats --the Nina, BTW, etc.) and wish we were leaving tomorrow instead of the end of April. I am really interested in hearing your thoughts and impressions. BJinNM

Our Galapagos trip on the Evolution was absolutely FANTASTIC. I can't even begin to express how amazing it was--everything you read about and more. By the way several times we crossed paths with the Nina and it looks like a very nice boat...I've heard good things about it too.

To be honest, I was nervous/skeptical about the whole cruise thing because while I don't get seasick, I get claustrophobic and was anxious about the "not being able to get off" factor. But wow, I could really get into this ship thing, at least on a small ship like the Evolution. In fact most of us were joking at the end about taking over the ship and keeping it another week (however, one last very choppy night made me realize that I needed to get back to dry land.)

The Evolution was the perfect choice for us because it was so spacious and comfortable, so many different areas to sit, much outdoor space, one never felt crowded.

Food was much, much better than I had expected and I gained three pounds! A lot of variety and some special treats like lobster on our last night, a ceviche lunch, sushi and sashimi "snacks" awaiting us when we returned from our afternoon excursion.

important tip:

If you have good camera gear (DSLR etc.) then a waterproof backpack or dry bag is essential for the panga rides. Often you need to put the bag down on the floor of the panga and it will get wet! Even if you just have a compact camera, whatever you do don't keep it in a bag on your back because a rogue splash can kill it. One poor woman on the trip had just that happen, fortunately it was at the end of the trip.

If you plan to snorkel a lot, I'd suggest bringing your own gear. Ships gear is okay but we were glad we had "dry"-style snorkels...the water is choppy and this really helped keep water out of the snorkel.

We had a great group, lots of very interesting folks, most in their 30's-50's. We were so happy we didn't book a large boat--you will be thrilled with the Nina, I'm sure.

Did your Brother-in-law go on the Evolution?

I would be happy to answer any specific questions.

Do you have plans for what you will do out of Quito and Lima?

I'm going to post a link to my photos in another thread shortly!

Sounds like your trip was amazing. I am so excited about ours. We are flying into Lima via LAN out of LA on the 24th of April and will spend two days at the Casa Andina Private Collection, one of them compted by the tour company. Then do the Machu Picchu trip, then back to Lima for 4 days at the Radisson Miraflores. May 4th we go to Quito via LAN and then stay at the Hilton Colon for 4 days. The Galapagos trip ends on May 15th and we fly via LAN through Miami back on the 16th. The airline thing was complicated by Continental dropping Delta as a partner and picking up United. We collect Delta and American miles so I bit the bullet and used the air specialist at Natural Habitat Adventures (company we booked the two tours with), She was great and came up with a mixture of airlines we could get miles on and was able to get us the Lima-Quito leg for next to nothing if we booked internationally with LAN. It was, including her fees, $100 cheaper than Continental before the Lima-Quito leg was added. Going to look at your pictures now. I am bringing my Nikon D80 with a 18-200 lens. I have a bigger lens but don't want the weight of it. The dry bag sounds like a very wise move. Thanks for all your help. BJinNM

And yes my brother-in-law was on the Evolution in May and loved it also. They got to see the volcano erupting and got some amazing lava flow pictures. BJinNM

Well, our trip to Lima, Macchu Pichu, Quito and the Galapagos is only 50 days away. I can't believe it's almost here!! We are spending several days on our own in both Lima and Quito so I thought I would ask for restaurant recommendations and can't-be-missed places to go in those two cities. You guys were so helpful when it came to booking our Galapagos and Macchu Pichu legs that I figured I would call on you again for suggestions. BJinNM

BJ, have you verified with your agent that you will be able to get to Macchu Pichu? From what I've been reading on the Fodor's forum, they don't expect the railway to be fully operational until June... I would definitely check with your agent.

http://www.fodors.com/communit...finished-in-june.cfm

I just found this article which makes it look a bit more promising:

http://www.ferturperu.info/mac...n-or-before-april-1/

so it seems that you might be able to get the train from Ollantaytambo by some time in April. Still, I would check with your agent and find out what alternate plans they might offer just in case.

Thanks for those articles, Janet. Thank goodness is all I can say that we are not trying to do this on our own. Our agent actually wouldn't issue our itinerary until last week because of the railroad situation. This is one time when it is worth every extra cent we are paying to have someone else worry about it. We are scheduled to fly to Cusco on April 26th and get to Ollantaytambo on the 27th. So onto Aquas Caliente and Machu Picchu on the 28th. Keep your fingers crossed! BJinNM

Whew, I'm glad they are on top of it! After I posted I thought, I sure hope you knew about this already!! Fingers crossed you will get there--it will surely be an adventure, no matter what. I am sure they are doing everything in their power to get people up to MP as so many in that area depend on the tourist for their livelihood. And the rest of your trip will be spectacular as well!

It should be an adventure no matter what! I only hope I can take 1/4 as good pictures in the Galapagos as you did. Yours are wonderful! I think, because of weight, I will only take my 18-200 mm lens and I know you took bigger ones. Your pictures are quite an inspiration! BJinNM

quote:

o it seems that you might be able to get the train from Ollantaytambo by some time in April. Still,

That's where we got the train. There are some nice ruins there.

Okay, so now everyone keep their fingers crossed that we get through to Machu Picchu and that the train, bus, walking, etc. happens!
BJinNM

I'll definitely keep my fingers crossed.

quote:

We are spending several days on our own in both Lima and Quito so I thought I would ask for restaurant recommendations and can't-be-missed places to go in those two cities. You guys were so helpful when it came to booking our Galapagos and Macchu Pichu legs that I figured I would call on you again for suggestions.

I'd also love to hear any recommendations especially for Quito. We haven't made any further plans beyond bring home "The Rough Guide" for Ecuador from the library again. I did see "No Reservations" segment this week on Ecuador. It was not for the faint of heart - especially married to a fish/vegetarian. I'm certain that there are less adventurous places to eat. Any recommendations?

Marta, I noticed that my first post about the Galapagos was February of 2009 so I know the stage you are working from. It is really a huge trip to plan, isn't it? And fun just thinking about! My second step was to go through all the suggestions for companies on this forum and on TripAdvisor and send for catalogs. That made things even more confusing and overwhelming but this time with pictures and prices! I really love the company I booked with (Natural Habitat Adventures, I have no connection with them except as a client). Thanks for topping this out and I do hope someone somewhere will have some suggestions for restaurants and sights. BJinNM