There has recently been a lot of very positive press about the stunning & unique Galapagos Islands. The UK National Geographic Traveller magazine had a full feature story on the island, in the July / August edition. Also the islands were voted as the top “Travel Experience of a lifetime” in the August edition of Wanderlust.

From January 2012 the rules & regulations for visitors to the islands will change quite radically. The National park Authority is not allowing any vessel to visit 1 particularly landing site on the islands more than once a fortnight, rather than the current once a week. This has meant that all the operators have had to change the itineraries with different itinerary options for week 1 & week 2.  Some have planned the 14 nights to consist of a 6 night cruise plus 2 different 4 night cruise options; or a 7 night cruise 1 week then the 2nd week they offer a 3 & a 4 night option. Cruises can also be combined to take back to back, creating a longer trip & visiting more of the islands.

Below is a link to a really interesting BBC documentary, discussing the changes being implemented to save this very special & important part of the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9554939.stm

Apart from the Galapagos Islands the mainland of Ecuador is also stunning & offers a huge amount of diversity. It is less touristic than its neighbouring Peru & you can visit really authentic markets, travel through the Avenue of Volcanoes, go to the Ecuadorian Amazon region, stay in beautiful haciendas, go to the wonderfully pretty city of Cuenca & so much more…

If you would like to discuss visiting Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands please do contact us & we can put together a wonderful trip for you.

Lonely Planet have put together a great article on the top 10 volcanic experiences in Ecuador. At number 1 they list Quito a city which is ideally situated for exploring the highlights of Ecuador, the city is currently located by an active volcano. Taking the tram up to 4000 meters you can be sure to spot some fascinating views.

Number 2 – Cotopaxi

Located in the Andes, the Cotopaxi volcano rises to a height of 19,347 feet above sea level. The Cotopaxi, which means “neck of the moon”, is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. With the last recorded eruption occurring as far back as 1904 the mountains are now very popular with climbers. Climbing the mountain takes about 6-7 hours and an incredible view can be enjoyed for those who manage to get to the top.

Number 3 – Salvador island’s lava fields

This location takes you to the Galapagos Salvador Island where you can find age-old lava crusted into shallow pools, caves and geological swirls. Stunning creatures like the lightfoot crabs populate the pools adding vibrant colour to the landscape.

Number 4 – Hot springs at Baños

Thermal pools in the jungle, Baños is the perfectly location to visit bathhouses to soothe in the most fresh health giving materials.

Number 5 - Quilotoa crater lake

Explore a bottomless crater as you look down from the watch tower or walk around the crater which is 6 hours walk in total. Canoe’s can be hired to explore the mouth of the volcano.

A quick update about the Galapagos islands:-

The world heritage committee of the UNESCO voted 14 to 4 to remove the islands from the list of sites in danger by environmental threats or overuse, reversing the 2007 addition. The  delegation meeting held in Brasilia cited improved efforts by the government of Ecuador to protect the archipelago’s unique biodiversity, through efforts to control migration and control the introduction of invasive species.  However, conservation organizations, such as the US based Galapagos Conservancy and UK based Galapagos Conservation Trust, did express alarm, stating the decision was pre-mature and should not signal a relaxation of vigilant management and conservation efforts in the future. 

Find more about this unique destination – the Galapagos.

Now is a great time to visit the Galapagos with Worldwide Holidays. We have some fantastic special offers for Galapagos cruises with some saving customers up to £750! We only have certain dates available so it really is first come 1st served.

25% off the Santa Cruz

The 46 cabin M/V Santa Cruz was built exclusively for Galapagos Islands with its flat bottom build the boat can travel much closer to the islands than other larger cruise ships. The Santa Cruz has gained worldwide recognition for its excellent standards, including superb service, expert crew, the most knowledgeable multilingual naturalist/guides and menus that feature the very best international cuisine and celebrated Ecuadorian dishes.

You can explore this amazing boat in detail by visiting our new 360 degrees virtual tour page. You can browse some of the cabins available or take a stroll along the Sundeck and Jacuzzi

Worldwide Holidays are able to offer you 25% off the Santa Cruz allowing you to explore the outstanding Galapagos Islands much closer than other boats can offer.

2009 prices held for 2010/11

Planning a Galapagos trip for 2011? Prices for 2011 are held for early bookings on some Galapagos products. A visit to the Galapagos Islands is an inspiring experience for most – the “holiday of a lifetime”. Immediately on arrival, you sense that you have landed in a place like no other on earth. We would be happy to put together a tailor-made  itinerary for you and help plan the perfect trip. You can request a brochure or contact us for a qoute and we will be happy to help.

Hola everyone..

Some updates…

* Peru: Good news for Machu Picchu, the train service will start operations again on the 1st April. Hurray!!

* Ecuador: We have some excellent Galapagos Island cruise offers for this year, which is saving clients up to £750 per person. We only have certain dates available so it really is first come 1st served.

This year & 2011 are going to be big years for the Galapagos Islands as a huge change is due to be implemented from January 2012. The Galapagos National Park has issued a notice to all Galapagos operators informing that, as of January 1st, 2012 all Galapagos vessels must operate with 15-day/14-night itineraries, which can be cut into two 7-night itineraries or as two 6-day/5 night and one 5-day/4-night itinerary. The purpose of this measure is to re-arrange all itineraries in an orderly way, to control the number of persons visiting a determined visitor site at a given time. So basically a boat will only be able to visit a particular visitor site / island once every 2 weeks rather than every week as they currently do.
I urge anyone that is thinking of visiting the Galapagos Islands to do so sooner rather than later. 2011 rates are going to be higher than 2010, by approx 10% & discounts are not likely.

We also have some wonderful specialist Ecuador & Galapagos itineraries for clients interested in Geology & Photography. Here are the PDF details for each programme. Please do let me know if you would like full details.
Ecuador & Galapagos Geology Tour

Ecuador & Galapagos Photography Tour

Worldwide Holidays is now taking bookings for special family cruises to the Galapagos departing in July. A 50% discount for children aged 6-18 now makes this adventure holiday of a lifetime more affordable. With the children’s Galapagos discount extended to include older children up to the age of 18, this makes for the perfect trip for families with older children too.

On these special Galapagos family tours, age-appropriate activities are scheduled for both teens and younger children. You will be snorkelling in a real sea aquarium and swim with playful sea lions and giant sea turtles. You will enjoy exciting Galapagos treks with experts while strolling by incredible and unique animals only found in the islands. And what better surroundings to learn about the evolution of the species while participating in the Young Pirates workshops led by specialist naturalist guides?

The Yacht
The seven night voyage will be enjoyed onboard La Pinta – a modern and comfortable Galapagos island yacht. The stylish interior, superior safety and informal ambience make La Pinta perfect for a family cruise. After a day of exploring, the fun continues at night when the friendly staff put on evening entertainment with star gazing, movie nights and more.

Galapagos
Situated in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 kilometres west of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are famous for their giant tortoises and blue footed boobies. During a trip to the Galapagos Islands you are sure to experience up-close encounters with an abundance of species; both on land and in water.

Worldwide Holidays
The team of travel experts at Worldwide Holidays offer personalised itineraries and tailor made holidays to Cuba, Costa Rica, Peru and other exotic destinations. Fiona is the Ecuador & Galapagos Islands expert and has extensive knowledge and experience of the destination. She is ready to answer all your questions about this special family adventure or other Galapagos Islands luxury cruises. Due to its popularity as a travel destination and limited numbers available on board the yachts, Fiona recommends to book holidays to the Galapagos as early as possible.

Watch the video

La Pinta is the newest boat to cruise the Galapagos Islands, with its arrival in March 2008. It is now the top boat sailing the waters, with wonderful guides & excellent accommodation. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin, there are now a number of special offers for a cruise on La Pinta or one of its sister yachts that sail around the Galapagos Islands.

A 7 night cruise on board the Yacht La Pinta is the ultimate luxurious expedition adventure in the Galapagos Islands. The 63-meter (207-foot) yacht accommodates 48 guests. Guest will also enjoy the Galapagos Marine Reserve - the second largest in the world – with various snorkelling outings, chances for swimming and whale and dolphin watching during inter-island cruising.

La Pinta’s ample staterooms provide Galapagos explorers with unparalleled comfort. Its 24 cabins are located mid-ship, in the Upper Deck, with twin beds (32″ x 79″ inches), which can be converted to one Queen bed (64″ x 79″ inches), with private bathroom and air conditioning. Six cabins are connected, for the convenience of families travelling together, and there are also 4 triple cabins of approximately 22 square meters (236 square feet). Bedding is fine cotton, down duvets and a choice of pillows. A huge advantage this boat design has, is that all cabins have a large 5 foot window on the outside of the boat. Call me now for details of the special offers available to travel to this incredible place in this special anniversary year.

Our recent ‘blog’ reported the excellent news about the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George – a tortoise thought of for decades of being the last member of a virtually extinct species, possibly becoming a father – further news has been released regarding the finding of yet more eggs!

Park Wardens at Galapagos National Park have now found a second patch of eight eggs. These eggs are undergoing their incubation period at the Charles Darwin Research Station where conservationists explained…… “most eggs are incubated at a slightly warmer temperature to produce a higher rate of female off-spring (tortoises lack the gender gene and temperature determines length of incubation, which determines gender). This is critical to ensure a faster recovery of the population, currently with a single member – George. The females that have shared George’s home for many years now, belong to the closest species to the Pinta Tortoise”.

We wait further news from the Galapagos!

Great news from the Galapagos Islands – their oldest living resident, George the Tortoise is about to become a father! We recently received this press release from the Galapagos National Park.

“The world’s most famous tortoise, and the living symbol of the Galapagos National Park, has taken an important step into saving it’s species from imminent extinction.

A last member of its kind, a male tortoise was found alone on his home island Pinta in the early seventies. Soon brought to the safety of the Charles Darwin Research Station, and named Jorge, or George in English, by the park wardens that took care of him. The word soon spread that Lonesome George was a living extinction unless a female was found for him to reproduce.

Scientists have searched the Island Pinta, as well as any zoo or private collection worldwide for a partner for George. Hopes have, over the futile years, focused on the last resource to save his species. George should breed with the most similar tortoise species in Galapagos. For this purpose, George has been sharing his pen with two attractive females from island Isabela’s northernmost volcano Wolf, a race similar to George, both physically and genetically. Strangely, George has shown so far little if any attraction to these females, and hopes to save the species have again dropped systematically.

Until this week: National Park Authorities proudly announced the finding of the first fertile eggs laid in George’s pen. A new hope is standing high to save the rarest tortoise in the world from extinction”.

Watch this space for further news!!

February 2008 – the launch of “La Pinta” the newest yacht in the Galapagos Islands. What an honor to be on the launch of this lovely, luxurious ship as it left Guayaquil. La Pinta started service in the Galapagos in April of this year offering plush, luxury cabins, with all mod cons including ipods – which proved to be the perfect respite after a long day exploring! This yacht operates only on a 7 day cruise but I really would not want to get off any sooner!

After snorkeling with sea lions, sea turtles and penguins we than all returned to the ship to enjoy the last sunset and of course cocktails, when one of the naturalists spotted something in the water and we discovered to our amazement that we were in amongst a pod of 50 sperm whales. What a truly amazing experience, even all the naturalists on board were bowled over by this amazing sight as the pod were feeding and mating, breaching etc.

The Galapagos is one of the most amazing places on earth and has survived virtually untouched since Darwin’s discovery of the islands in 1835.. Our ground agents are in my opinion experts at making your visit the best, never to be forgotten experience.