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I'm at the extremely early stages of planning a Machu Picchu/Galapagos Island trip. We have two weeks so only would have time for a 3 - 4 day cruise. I was reading through one of the guidebooks that was recommended on these boards and the author is against 3 - 4 day tours. Given the time and expense constraints that we are under, is it still worth it? To add to the mix, I tend to get seasick so I'm thinking 3 - 4 days might be enough. I would really appreciate any opinions or experiences that you could share.
Thanks,
Laurie
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Any recommendations for a 3-4 day Galapagos Islands tour?
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I am a travel agent specializing in the Galapagos Islands. We also advise people against the shorter cruises. Each island is unique, with its own endemic species. Travelers on shorter cruises inevitably miss out on something. Also consider that you will fly from mainland Ecuador (Quito or Guayaquil) arriving in the Galapagos and boarding your boat mid day. You will disembark your boat in the mid morning on the last day. On a 3 night cruise this effectively gives you a two day cruise in the Galapagos Islands. Its a long way to go for two days of exploration. We have many clients who want to squeeze the Galapagos and Peru into a week and they end up short changing two spectacular destinations. We advise a 15 day minimum (including travel to/from North America) for a week long Galapagos Cruise with nights in Ecuador on each end and a 5 night package to Machu Piccu including Lima, Cusco, Urubamba Valley and Machu Picchu.
Regarding seasickness, it depends on when you plan to travel. During the "warm season" December through May the water is calm and seasickness is less of an issue. Also consider that these trips travel close to the islands and you are off the boat for a good portion of the day. You may only experience rough seas when crossing from one island to another.
I hope this helps and have a great trip.
Todd Smith
AdventureSmith Explorations
If time and money are adequate then definitely stay longer than 3-4 days or make one trip a Machu Pichu trip and another a Galapagos trip. I personally wouldn't consider a trip of less than 11 days actually in the islands for the reasons in your book. Never been to Machu Pichu.
But, many people go to the Galapagos for 3-4 days and enjoy it. That's why the shorter excursions are offered. Way back when I was first planning a Galapagos trip, I recall talking to a couple of people who had done a short trip and I asked them if they felt they wanted more time. They said 3-4 days was sufficient to see the species they had hoped for. None of these people were extreme nature enthusiasts as I am, just regular travelers.
If your choice is: 3-4 days in the Galapagos or no Galapagos, then do 3-4 days. If you get seasick, then anticipating 7 to 11 days on a boat might make you nauseous just thinking about the trip. Todd Smith has some helpful advise on avoiding seasickness. Over the counter Bonine has saved the day for me on 2 Galapagos cruises where seas got really rolling and on other excursions. And I can't go on a merry-go-round or watch a show at an Imax theater without getting ill.
After a short trip to the Enchanted Isles, you may fall in love and decide to return for a longer stay.
Good luck and have a great trip.
We are going on a short land-based tour to Galapagos next month. We wanted Red Mangrove's Darwin's Triangle - but they were booked - so we opted for Galapagos Safari Camp on Santa Cruz Island in the highlands. Finch Bay also has a land-based program... check those sites out. Have fun.
If you're looking for a land-based tour, consider Galapagos Alternative. We offer comfortable family-owned hotels and day trips from Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz. We focus on benefitting the local people, who will show you true Galapagos hospitality.
Sue Blythe
Galapagos Alternative
www.galapagosalternative.com