Most Inspirational Moment
Getting comfortable with snorkelling which gave me the opportunity to snorkel with penguins, a white tipped shark, turtles and a multitude of fish. Hearing howler monkeys in the rainforest (we got to see them too on the canoe trips), seeing the colourful birds at the clay lick. Seeing a large pod of dolphins hunting just before sunset, seeing whale sharks right next to our boat and seeing just how unconcerned the Galapagos wildlife is about the presence of humans. Taking the cable car in Quito up to 4100m and not having any major problems with the altitude, which opened up a number of trip destinations for me.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Estoban (Quito), Patti (Napo), Juan (Galapagos Islands) were all excellent, well organised and enthusiastic.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take it easy the first few days in Quito, it can take a while to get used to the altitude, I felt lightheaded on a couple of occasions but nothing that some slow deep breathes couldn't fix.Take plenty of $1 and $5 bills for taxis and small purchases as getting change might be a problem with higher denomination notes.Use plenty of sun block when snorkelling, especially on your legs.Our flights back from Napo and the Galapagos Islands all ran to time so there was plenty of time to go on some of the optional excursions, allow for this in your budget.The cabins on the Cachalote are quite small so try and avoid taking huge bags/cases, you can always leave items in storage at the hotel in Quito. You can also get laundry done at Napo and at the hotel in Quito.Take more camera memory than you think you'll need, you wouldn't want to run out! It's also worth taking a second camera in case anything happens to the first one.