The Galapagos
 

Has anyone taken a trip there recently? I am just starting to look into it. I will also have 2 days in Quito. Any suggestions about things not to miss?

Española/Hood Island--but few trips miss that.

You can check out these links.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...6&tid=34996489

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...6&tid=34943071

If you just want to see some iguanas, a land tortoise or two at the Research Station, and lots of blue footed boobies & sea lions, then 3-4 days is plenty.

But you can spend 11 days in the islands and have amazing sightings on every outing, including snorkeling and kayaking. Just depends on what you want.

The Otavalo Market on Saturdays in Quito is often included. I found a day trip Cotapaxi was interesting. Nice hiking, Inca ruins (very ruined), and wild horses.

If you wish to see the Waved Albatross do not go Jan-Mar when they are at sea.

We were in the Galápagos Islands in Sept., 2009. We traveled on the 16-passenger Tip Top II (first-class category) for an 8-day/7-night cruise. The boat, the crew, the naturalist guide, the food, the islands--all were beyond wonderful. You can read a trip report (text and photos) here: http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/. You might be especially interested in the pages under the Practicalities tab. There, I wrote about life on the boat, decisions we grappled with, and things to consider when packing. Might get you started thinking.

We also spent 2 extra days in Quito before, to make sure we (and our luggage) didn't miss the cruise. One of those days, we explored the northern part of Quito (our hotel was in that area); the other day, we took a day trip to the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, about 2 hours northwest of Quito. You can read about these 2 adventures on that trip report too. Just click on the home page to get to the write-ups you're interested in.

You have a grand adventure awaiting you!

Tina

Quito on the front end of the trip is a good idea for the reasons ztsipapu states. My luggage was making its way to my Quito hotel while I was in Cotapaxi.

Twice I was on a 16-passenger boat, though not Tip Top II and found it to be delightful.

I went to Galapagos in November 2008 with International Expeditions (http://www.ietravel.com) and had an amazing seven-night cruise on the Evolution (just 32 people and two naturalists).

I thought seven nights in Galapagos was ideal - we were able to get away from the islands that every ship visits and out to some of the outlying areas like Genovesa and Fernandina. Genovesa has red-footed boobies and short-eared owls, which are fun to watch, but there's also great kayaking and snorkeling in the caldera.

Keep in mind that the marine life in Galapagos is as impressive as what you see above ground, so make sure that whatever ship you sail on includes lots of swimming and snorkeling. International Expeditions included wet suits and snorkeling gear plus usually two snorkeling trips every day. For the people that didn't want to swim and snorkel that much, they included rides around the island to spot wildlife.