Bucket lists are stupid. I don’t want to think of dying every time I travel! Get home from the trip and think “Yay! I’m one step closer to death!” Of course, the list is never complete. If I had one, it would keep growing with each new person I meet and experience I have!

With that said, the Galápagos Islands are on many peoples’ bucket lists. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Galápagos Islands cruise on a yacht with 12-14 other guests. Would we be bored? What would we do all day? Would we like the people? Well, we were not bored- we hiked, snorkeled, kayaked, and learned so much. Every island was different, and there was something new around every corner. We had 2-4 excursions every day and I still had enough down time to keep up with my journal. And the people were awesome! We had a wide age range, and everyone was friendly and interesting. We shared travel stories over dinner every night, and even talked politics without arguments.

What are you waiting for? Book that trip. This is one of the few truly wild places left, with some spots completely undisturbed by humans. Who knows how long this will last?

Why Natural Habitat Adventures?

I can’t say Nat Hab is the best tour provider in the Galapagos because I have not tried all of them! But I can say that we were extremely happy and pleasantly surprised with them and would definitely travel with them again. The pre-trip portion was s bit frustrating, though. We had to change our dates a couple of times, and the trip itinerary changed as well. Our tour advisor was not always quick to respond and there was often confusion about dates.

But, once we set foot on Ecuadorian soil, everything was perfect. Airport pickups were punctual and friendly, hotel choices were good, and pre-cruise tours were good. We booked a pre-cruise extension in the Amazon, which was AH-MAZING… read the first of my 3-part series about it here.  

Between the Amazon and our Galapagos cruise, we had a couple of nights in Quito, which was a fun, charming city. Nat Hab arranged a day tour of Quito, a nice dinner at the hotel, and a pre-departure briefing about the islands. Read my top ten things to do in Quito here.

We stayed at Hotel Patio Andaluz, which was charming, well-located, and had excellent service.

Nat Hab partners with the World Wildlife Fund and is committed to conservation and minimizing their environmental footprint. They specialize in small group adventures to some of the most wild, remote places on earth. They offer cruises and land-based tours all over the world. Prices for the Galapagos trip that we did start around $10,000 per person, including the cruise, domestic air, all transfers, hotel and tour in Quito, airport hotel when needed, and most food. We did the Eastern Itinerary on the Tip Top IV. Most of their cruises include an overnight stay in their tortoise camp, which is truly special.

Cruise versus Land-Based Tours

There are two ways to see the Galápagos Islands- you can do a cruise or a land-based tour. Cruises are better for the environment and long-term survival of the Islands. Tourism has increased massively over the past couple of decades. Land-based tours have become more popular, as they tend to be more affordable. With this increase has come growth and development of the inhabited islands. Hotels, restaurants, shops, and tour providers have set up shop to accommodate the crowds.

All of this increases the area inhabited by humans and pushes out wildlife. Wildlife does resist- in the towns, you’ll find animals in close proximity to humans. But they would certainly rather have their own space…  In my opinion, save up and do a cruise. If you are visiting the Galapagos, you must be a nature lover… do the right thing.

With that said, here is a summary of pros and cons of each:

Cruises:

• Pros:
  • Less environmental impact: Choose an eco-friendly provider.
  • Greater Wildlife Coverage: Cruises often access more remote islands, providing opportunities to see a wider variety of wildlife.
  • Efficient Itinerary: They maximize your time by traveling at night, allowing you to wake up at new destinations.
  • Comprehensive Experience: Cruises typically include guided excursions, meals, and activities, simplifying your travel experience.
  • Access to islands that are only available by cruise.
• Cons:
  • Higher Cost: Cruises tend to be more expensive than land-based tours.
  • Fixed Schedules: You must adhere to the cruise itinerary.
  • potential for seasickness.

Land-Based Tours:

• Pros:
  • More Flexibility: You have greater freedom to customize your itinerary and pace.
  • Lower Cost: Land-based tours can be more budget-friendly.
  • Interaction with Local Culture: You’ll have more opportunities to experience local life.
  • More flexibility with diving excursions.
• Cons:
  • Greater Environmental Impact.
  • Limited Island Access: You may not be able to visit as many remote islands.
  • More Planning Required: You’ll need to arrange accommodations, meals, and day trips.
  • More time spent traveling to daily excursion sites.

Our Trip

Pre-Cruise Tour and Hotel in Quito

We arrived a couple of days before the start of our pre-cruise Amazon extension. We stayed at the Wyndham Quito Airport, which was convenient and nice. The buffet was abysmal and if you can, make other arrangements for dinner. The breakfast buffet was fine.

We had booked a day trip to Banos ahead of time. I DO NOT recommend doing this. Banos was cool, but you need more than one day. It was supposed to take 2.5-3 hours to get there but it took 5 HOURS each way because of traffic. SO, we spent 10 hours in the car with a boring tour guide who hardly spoke. Go to the Mindo Cloud Forest if you only have one day. We went to the Mega Adventure Park Rio Blanca where we ziplined and jumped off a bridge. Highly recommend!

Between the Amazon and the Galapagos, we spent a couple of nights in Quito at the Hotel Patio Andaluz which I highly recommend. We had some free time and explored a little on our own. I HIGHLY recommend the Quito After Dark food tour on Viator. This was so much more than a food tour. Santiago showed us street art, took us to a street art gallery, and fed us some of the best food we had on the entire trip. We had stimulating discussions about politics, principles, and philosophies.

Nat Hab had arranged a city tour for our group, which was a nice introduction to the city and included many of its most famous sites. Notably absent on the tour was the Basilica del Voto Nacional, which was our favorite attraction in the city. Don’t miss this Neo-Gothic cathedral at the top of Itchimba hill.

We met our group during this time, and we had a great group! Couples, friends, families, all well-traveled and friendly. Come back next time to read about all the details of our Eastern Itinerary on Nat Hab’s Tip Top IV!