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Looking for a way to see Galapagos on a budget. Possible? I've seen that people spend upwards to $4,000 for 2. Anyone do it for substantially less. Just starting to check it out.
Ecuador/Galapagos on a budget
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$4,000 for 2 - are you referring to the entire trip or the cruise in Galapagos?
It's an expensive destination that is hard to do on a really tight budget - here is a link to a GAP Adventure tour appropriately entitled "Galapagos on a Shoestring" even so I don't think it hits your budget
http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/SEGS
You might want to check out the Lonely Planet Thorntree board - might have some backpacking suggestions. I stayed in Puerto Ayora for a month a couple of years ago and you could make it your base (staying cheaply at a guest house and food is pretty cheap) and do some day trips to see the animals......but it really compromises the whole reason to go to Galapagos I think.
Here's a radical suggestion: How about doing mainland Ecuador and forgetting the Galapagos? Nothing against visiting the islands, but it gets very expensive. There has to be a mechanism to keep the Galapagos from becoming a mass tourist destination. I understand that. This is how they've chosen to do it.
The roundtrip airfare from Quito or Guayaquil runs around $350-$400 pp. Then you pay a $100 pp entry fee. On top of that, you have the airfare to get to Quito or Guayaquil in the first place. There is so much to see and do on the mainland. I think sometimes people forget that Ecuador is not only the Galapagos.
Just a thought.
I would recommend saving the Galapagos for a later time. I lived in Ecuador twice, and there is so much to see in the country! You will be amazed at how different the regions are in food, culture, temperature, landscape, etc. The Galapagos Islands are amazing, but staying on the island (which is what you will have to do on a budget) is very very hot and pretty uncomfortable. This is probably the one place in the world that I would actually recommend a cruise. Since the Galapagos are newer islands, you will hike around all day on lava and dry dirt. Going back to your ship would help because you will be on water and your ship will probably have air conditioning. I'm happy to give you any other information that you want about the Galapagos or about Ecuador. Have a great trip!