This is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Galapagos Islands. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2005:1159003 RealTravel members http://realtravel.com/images/logo-for-feeds.jpg (c) 2006 RealTravel.com 2008-05-28T18:21:07Z 340158http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Galapagos Islands. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2008-05-28:7055032 2008-05-28T18:21:07Z 2008-05-28T18:21:07Z Alex and Clare http://realtravel.com/member-m6721540-alex_and_clare.html <p><em>"Alex had a close encounter with a penguin"</em></p> <p>a entry by Alex and Clare from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>We awoke to the sound of a large male sea lion ‘barking’ at his harem and after breakfast our guide George took us for a walk in James Bay. Along the way we saw many marine iguanas, sea lions and sally light foot crabs. The bay had grottos which were rock formations where the water surged up from the sea and inside we saw turtles and sea lions swimming.</p><p>We went snorkeling before lunch and saw diamond sting rays, a white tip reef shark, turtles, penguins!, barracudas, king angel fish, bumphead parrot fish, pacific leopard flounders and gold spot sheepheads (to name but a few!).</p><p>On a ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j7055032.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_pfy1I8PYMD-q.v4b6T-BED.UeIc_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/pfy1I8PYMD-q.v4b6T-BED.UeIc_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_pfy1I8PYMD-q.v4b6T-BED.UeIc_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=pfy1I8PYMD-q.v4b6T-BED.UeIc_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j7055032.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j7055032.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-05-28:7054821 2008-05-28T17:48:44Z 2008-05-28T17:48:44Z Alex and Clare http://realtravel.com/member-m6721540-alex_and_clare.html <p><em>"Boarded the Eden boat!"</em></p> <p>a entry by Alex and Clare from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-galapagos_islands-reviews-hotels-d1252832.html">Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands.</a></p> <p>Felt slightly fragile from the night before but felt a lot better after a gorgeous breakfast at the Red Mangrove sitting at a table overlooking the bay. Saw a diamond sting ray and lots of fish swimming in the bay while we were eating and also saw a marine iguana swimming in the water and eating his breakfast!</p><p>Boarded the Eden boat at about 11 am and then had lunch on the boat. In the afternoon we toured Santa Cruz and the highlands. We climbed down a ladder then part walked part climbed and crawled through a lava tunnel. We then visited a tortoise reserve where we were lucky enough to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-journals-j7054821.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_EJM5S1Z1p5OfjZbodruGsQtv1rA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/EJM5S1Z1p5OfjZbodruGsQtv1rA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_EJM5S1Z1p5OfjZbodruGsQtv1rA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=EJM5S1Z1p5OfjZbodruGsQtv1rA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fsanta_cruz-journals-j7054821.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-journals-j7054821.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-01:4658169 2007-06-01T00:15:46Z 2008-02-12T14:49:24Z whichwayisnorth http://realtravel.com/member-m4463451-whichwayisnorth.html <p>a entry by whichwayisnorth from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The Galapagos Islands ... it´s simply impossible for anyone to describe this place in words. Even though we´d heard how tame the animals are, nothing can prepare you for having a sea lion swim up to you and tug at your flipper like a puppy. Or a mother Nazca (masked) boobie come marching across your path and feed her chick literally a foot away from you. We could actually see the fish being regurgitated from the mother´s mouth into here baby´s. The Ecuadorian government has taken extreme measures to preserve the pristene nature of the islands, and it has paid off. If you ever have the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4658169.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_dEGzoImZSGpUOPylR8mxHIoFGUs_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/dEGzoImZSGpUOPylR8mxHIoFGUs_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_dEGzoImZSGpUOPylR8mxHIoFGUs_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=dEGzoImZSGpUOPylR8mxHIoFGUs_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4658169.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4658169.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-06:5714435 2007-10-06T00:11:47Z 2007-11-19T16:34:49Z Niall Hughes http://realtravel.com/member-m4721675-niall_hughes.html <p><em>"The islands are as diverse and interesting as the animals that live on them"</em></p> <p>a entry by Niall Hughes from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The closest I've come to any wildlife watching was when myself and Rogers used to position ourselves outside the Bot at 1am on a Saturday night. In search of something more akin to David Attenborough Sarah and me headed off on a week long cruise of the Galapagos Islands.</p><p>The Islands are just west of Ecuador and consist of thirteen islands which have been formed over millions of years by volcanic eruptions. Some of the them are still quite active, with the most recent volcanic activity happening the week before we arrived! They contain massive numbers of birds and animals that are endemic ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5714435.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_TVIX363OVHjeILGCZpinrR2uG.M_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/TVIX363OVHjeILGCZpinrR2uG.M_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_TVIX363OVHjeILGCZpinrR2uG.M_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=TVIX363OVHjeILGCZpinrR2uG.M_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j5714435.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5714435.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-14:5995413 2007-11-14T00:32:40Z 2007-11-14T00:53:18Z Anni Español http://realtravel.com/member-m5588922-anni_espa%c3%b1ol.html <p>a entry by Anni Español from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos-galapagos_islands-reviews-hotels-d5234028.html">Galapagos, Galapagos Islands.</a></p> <p>I spent last week on Isla Santa Cruz in the Galâpagos Islands and it was fabuloso!</p><p>I saw iguana, giant tortuga, lots of birds (including the v cool blue-footed boobies), sea-lions, mantra rays, flamingos, bright red little crabs that I loved, and more!</p><p>That place is full to the brim with an amazing variety of wildlife and surreal landscapes... I have been on desert islands, fine sandy beaches, crawled through lava tunnels and seen Russian porn stars pose with iguanas in the red volcanic dirt (sorry, no photos from that hilarious spectacle)!</p><p>It was a great week and I was sad ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos-journals-j5995413.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_OKgCSFHszd9Y.b1Z7jyzoZnsQw8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/OKgCSFHszd9Y.b1Z7jyzoZnsQw8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_OKgCSFHszd9Y.b1Z7jyzoZnsQw8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=OKgCSFHszd9Y.b1Z7jyzoZnsQw8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos-journals-j5995413.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos-journals-j5995413.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-08-26:5389094 2007-08-26T05:10:29Z 2007-08-26T05:40:25Z Meghan1984 http://realtravel.com/member-m2390714-meghan1984.html <p>a entry by Meghan1984 from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-galapagos_islands-reviews-hotels-d1252832.html">Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands.</a></p> <p>When I woke up in the magnificent Galapagos Islands on the third day of my trip, my spirit was happy, but my skin wasn’t. The day before I had not used any sunscreen, and I was paying for it now. I threw on a t-shirt and slathered on some sunscreen, and went to the Garrapatero beach near to the hotel with my travel group. While we were walking on the path to the beach, our tour guide pointed out the poisonous apples on the trees. Supposedly, if you eat the apples, you will die soon after. Once we arrived at the beach, we saw a lagoon with a couple flamingos, and then we walked along the rocky ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-journals-j5389094.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_TEj3PckRlWo85HebUwoSfdfjudM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/TEj3PckRlWo85HebUwoSfdfjudM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_TEj3PckRlWo85HebUwoSfdfjudM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=TEj3PckRlWo85HebUwoSfdfjudM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fsanta_cruz-journals-j5389094.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/santa_cruz-journals-j5389094.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-08-19:5340098 2007-08-19T05:56:48Z 2007-08-26T05:12:36Z Meghan1984 http://realtravel.com/member-m2390714-meghan1984.html <p>a entry by Meghan1984 from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/seymour-galapagos_islands-reviews-hotels-d1255138.html">Seymour, Galapagos Islands.</a></p> <p>The second day in the Galapagos was, by far, my favorite experience in Ecuador. The main mode of transportation that day was a small boat that held about thirty people, mainly tourists, and a few tourist guides. The boat left from Santa Cruz island, where our accommodations were located, and took us first to Seymour Norte Island. Before we even got to Seymour Norte Island, I had some memorable experiences. The scenery on the boat ride was absolutely stunning, with views of the islands and islets' amazing landforms.</p><p>As we got close to Seymour Norte, the waves became violent. I can't ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/seymour-journals-j5340098.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_OeNiPHcoEx7TFNQYVA7m1cA-1pI_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/OeNiPHcoEx7TFNQYVA7m1cA-1pI_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_OeNiPHcoEx7TFNQYVA7m1cA-1pI_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=OeNiPHcoEx7TFNQYVA7m1cA-1pI_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fseymour-journals-j5340098.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/seymour-journals-j5340098.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-08-06:5234000 2007-08-06T23:45:19Z 2007-08-06T23:45:19Z Plumbtalk http://realtravel.com/member-m5110797-plumbtalk.html <p>a entry by Plumbtalk from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Today we walked in the footsteps of James Darwin at James Bay on the island of Santiago. As famous as his work is and as closely associated he is to the Galapagos Islands, we were surprised to find that the man was only here for FIVE WEEKS. He gathered samples in that time and sent them back to England. After years of analysis he wrote his book, The Origin of the Species which deals with “natural selection” which occurred more obviously on these islands than about anywhere else in the world.</p><p>You see the islands were originally barren volcanic rocks, then currents (wind and ocean) came ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5234000.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_I10yP0jfJf153WqBG6sNZNfWgRA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/I10yP0jfJf153WqBG6sNZNfWgRA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_I10yP0jfJf153WqBG6sNZNfWgRA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=I10yP0jfJf153WqBG6sNZNfWgRA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j5234000.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5234000.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-08-06:5233739 2007-08-06T23:07:34Z 2007-08-06T23:07:34Z Plumbtalk http://realtravel.com/member-m5110797-plumbtalk.html <p>a entry by Plumbtalk from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>We left snow capped mountains in Quito and found sweater weather (about 64 degrees) in Galapagos! And we’re still on the EQUATOR! Can you believe it? Our AeroGal Boeing 727 landed on the tiny island of Baltra . Turns out the only thing on the island was the airport … and no road to the nearest town … only a ferry! We paid $100 each to enter the islands. Our bus took us to a waiting area on the pier where the benches were occupied … by SEA LIONS! They wouldn’t give up their seats so we boarded the Zodiac inflatable dingy and motored to the ship. A light lunch was followed by the obligatory ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5233739.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_uooJ8Ze1K1NSk7aaGN78k7AFX.w_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/uooJ8Ze1K1NSk7aaGN78k7AFX.w_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_uooJ8Ze1K1NSk7aaGN78k7AFX.w_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=uooJ8Ze1K1NSk7aaGN78k7AFX.w_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j5233739.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5233739.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-12:5031874 2007-07-12T19:18:31Z 2007-07-12T19:18:31Z Alan http://realtravel.com/member-m1166688-alan.html <p>a entry by Alan from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The Galapagos Islands are a unique and amazing place and even though it cost a fortune, compared to the rest of the trip, it was well worth it.</p><p>Formed entirely from the lava of volcanoes erupting in the middle of the sea 1000km or so off the coast of Ecuador a long long time ago it’s believed the ancestors of the land animals that now inhabit the island must have got here on vegetation rafts. I got this information from the interpretation centre we visited not from the guide as he turned out to be disappointing but I’ll get to that in a bit. Now it didn’t go on to explain what a ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5031874.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_nWFZhwFCr.fv2b0wTciL5t05C8I_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/nWFZhwFCr.fv2b0wTciL5t05C8I_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_nWFZhwFCr.fv2b0wTciL5t05C8I_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=nWFZhwFCr.fv2b0wTciL5t05C8I_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j5031874.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j5031874.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-09:5003698 2007-07-09T16:38:36Z 2007-07-09T21:28:00Z Jamie and Tal http://realtravel.com/member-m2011291-jamie_and_tal.html <p>a entry by Jamie and Tal from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/puerto_ayora-galapagos_islands-reviews-hotels-d5003531.html">Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands.</a></p> <p>After Quito we took a flight to Baltra, one of the two airports on the Galapagos, which took about 2 hrs (via Guayaquil, Ecuador´s largest city). From the airport we took an airport bus to the ferry that took us to Santa Cruz island, the most central island of the Galapagos islands. From there we took a bus to Puerto Ayora, the main town.</p><p>The Galapagos Islands, isolated some 1,000 km (620 miles) off of Ecuador's coast, contain much unique plant and animal life. The islands consist of 6 main islands: San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela, Floreana, Santiago and Fernandina (the last two ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/puerto_ayora-journals-j5003698.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_BWVxOLE4t5LEpalueBBzKgoUqsY_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/BWVxOLE4t5LEpalueBBzKgoUqsY_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_BWVxOLE4t5LEpalueBBzKgoUqsY_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=BWVxOLE4t5LEpalueBBzKgoUqsY_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fpuerto_ayora-journals-j5003698.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/puerto_ayora-journals-j5003698.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-30:4922690 2007-06-30T14:08:25Z 2007-06-30T14:08:25Z jillrocks ecuador http://realtravel.com/member-m3993711-jillrocks_ecuador.html <p>a entry by jillrocks ecuador from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The more time I spend in the Galapagos, the more I think that this place reminds me of what Mars might look like -- especially if there was actually water on Mars. It is rugged and jagged and the plants are red and there are lots of cactus and strange birds and it is just fascinating. I can't imagine what Charles Darwin must have thought when he happened upon this archipelago in the 1830's...</p><p>By the way, Darwin was only like 24 years old when he came here. He left England at the age of 22 on what would end up being a five year expedition to explore the vegetation in South America... ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4922690.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_aQdTjvLsRPY64C3tUyGr59nQt.U_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/aQdTjvLsRPY64C3tUyGr59nQt.U_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_aQdTjvLsRPY64C3tUyGr59nQt.U_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=aQdTjvLsRPY64C3tUyGr59nQt.U_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4922690.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4922690.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-29:4906514 2007-06-29T03:48:20Z 2007-06-29T04:56:44Z jillrocks ecuador http://realtravel.com/member-m3993711-jillrocks_ecuador.html <p>a entry by jillrocks ecuador from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>So, I'm in The Galapagos Islands!! It is so incredibly brilliant and amazingly unique here, I can hardly describe it. Obvs I had not done enough research on the islands, as I was surprised to find that these are actually like desert islands... I took a picture from the window of the airplane so that you can see how they appear from above. There is a lot of vegetation, but because of their location - right on the equator about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador - the islands have many different micro climates, but mostly it's desert.</p><p>We arrived on Wednesday around noon on a flight from ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4906514.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_VkxN4N7dwWifTYw9x1K8fjpx9OE_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/VkxN4N7dwWifTYw9x1K8fjpx9OE_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_VkxN4N7dwWifTYw9x1K8fjpx9OE_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=VkxN4N7dwWifTYw9x1K8fjpx9OE_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4906514.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4906514.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-13:4777470 2007-06-13T23:28:41Z 2007-06-13T23:38:43Z The Patagonians http://realtravel.com/member-m3561938-the_patagonians.html <p>a entry by The Patagonians from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Next stop, one of my all time ambitions, the Galapagos Islands. I stupidly thought they were just off the coast of Ecuador so was a little surprised when it took us about 5 hours to fly there. We arrived and got our luggage and next thing we knew we were on a speed boat to our ocean bound home for 5 days The Encantada. The boat was pretty small and compact but only holds 12 guests which is great as I didn´t want to be touring around with 50 people! The cabin was the smallest place I had seen in the world and being on the top bunk was a little scary when the sea was rough but I survived.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4777470.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_-j58p3o-O6U8vE53hxM3u11QNbw_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/-j58p3o-O6U8vE53hxM3u11QNbw_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_-j58p3o-O6U8vE53hxM3u11QNbw_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=-j58p3o-O6U8vE53hxM3u11QNbw_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4777470.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4777470.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-24:4599586 2007-05-24T13:24:56Z 2007-05-24T21:44:37Z The Hallgrens http://realtravel.com/member-m1212998-the_hallgrens.html <p><em>"It was a great trip, and despite the astronomic costs, the Galapagos is an amazing place to visit and completely worth it"</em></p> <p>a entry by The Hallgrens from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>We didn't have a Galapagos cruise booked ahead of time because our handy Lonely Planet guidebook said it was easy to get there and snag a last-minute deal. Unfortunately trying to secure one was like trying to buy a campervan in New Zealand. The minute we found a good trip, someone else would snag the last 2 spots just minutes ahead of us. After a frustrating day of searching, we finally secured 2 spots on a 60-foot, 16-passenger ship called Daphne. Our cruise would take us on a 8 day/7 night journey to several of the islands, with nature and snorkeling trips throughout the days.</p><p>Day ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4599586.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_3BQ8XIg4RpyE64Dd9WWjB5KtGhc_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/3BQ8XIg4RpyE64Dd9WWjB5KtGhc_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_3BQ8XIg4RpyE64Dd9WWjB5KtGhc_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=3BQ8XIg4RpyE64Dd9WWjB5KtGhc_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4599586.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4599586.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-04-25:4380994 2007-04-25T21:43:09Z 2007-05-24T05:32:12Z go_girl http://realtravel.com/member-m1117772-gogirl.html <p><em>"If you ever travel back in time, don't step on anything!"</em></p> <p>a entry by go_girl from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The few days I spent in the Galapagos Islands have been the most incredible few days of my life. Big call I know!!</p><p>It was so diverse in landscape, so empty of people, so peaceful, so full of animals and it seemed like I couldn’t take a step without almost stepping on some creature!</p><p>We flew to the islands and upon landing we drove to the large island of Santa Cruz where we would just pull over, walk a few dozen metres off the road and see stunning landscape. We saw huge sinkholes in the earth from collapsed volcanos and also walked 250 metres through a lava tunnel that was ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4380994.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_aGym3eN3Xc9XzMUvSwTdRYv4E7A_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/aGym3eN3Xc9XzMUvSwTdRYv4E7A_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_aGym3eN3Xc9XzMUvSwTdRYv4E7A_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=aGym3eN3Xc9XzMUvSwTdRYv4E7A_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4380994.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4380994.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-04-30:4411381 2007-04-30T21:00:23Z 2007-05-24T05:02:10Z go_girl http://realtravel.com/member-m1117772-gogirl.html <p><em>"Where´s Charles Darwin when you need him"</em></p> <p>a entry by go_girl from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>After such an amazing few days I was pretty excited about what else I would see. Day 3 we awoke off another volcanic island and only a couple of other small boats near by. We landed and were immediately greeted by a sea lion chilling out on the steps - quite the welcoming party. The island was one big volcano surrounded by smaller craters and it looked like the moon.. it also looked like it happened only the day before as the whole island was so untouched. Lots of ´lava bombs´ were scattered over the black landscape and they looked like they were still glowing due to the red of the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4411381.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_rbUsTw9jzaeyrTDgNsH5qrIoCIg_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/rbUsTw9jzaeyrTDgNsH5qrIoCIg_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_rbUsTw9jzaeyrTDgNsH5qrIoCIg_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=rbUsTw9jzaeyrTDgNsH5qrIoCIg_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4411381.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4411381.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-17:4541518 2007-05-17T00:02:11Z 2007-05-18T20:18:49Z Emily Jesshope http://realtravel.com/member-m4112117-emily_jesshope.html <p>a entry by Emily Jesshope from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Wow, our stay in the Galapagos was fantastic, well worth splurging on! As we booked it from home the trip included 2 nights (before and after our stay in the Galapagos) in a hotel - not just any hotel i must add, we had 2 nights of absolute luxury in a posh hotel, I swear the bed sheets were the softest I've ever slept in (...or maybe we've just got too used to roughing it) and it was so good to feel properly clean!</p><p>We flew to the Galapagos islands from Quito and stayed in a boat, touring round the islands for 5 days. The boat, crew and the rest of our tour group were all really nice ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4541518.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_fV8DImEmIrjuODNM6cvsuV7Yy1A_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/fV8DImEmIrjuODNM6cvsuV7Yy1A_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_fV8DImEmIrjuODNM6cvsuV7Yy1A_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=fV8DImEmIrjuODNM6cvsuV7Yy1A_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4541518.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4541518.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-04-17:4316428 2007-04-17T23:28:20Z 2007-05-18T17:06:34Z RTW trip http://realtravel.com/member-m4075125-rtw_trip.html <p>a entry by RTW trip from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>We arrived in Quito via Punta Arenas and Santiago (both Chile) after 2 days. We spent 1 night in Punta Arenas after getting the bus from Puerto Natales. The bus arrived in at 11.30pm and we made our way to the hostel we had booked. We were greeted by a very confused caretaker who spoke no English. His name was Manuel and he couldn't have been any nicer but this was a real Fawlty Towers moment! We managed to convince him we had a reservation through our pigeon Spanish and the help of the internet so he called the owner who was on holidays to sort it out. We were allowed stay and he even made us ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4316428.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_zc1jbfq2myXwSIrwhqgxTWG0N0k_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/zc1jbfq2myXwSIrwhqgxTWG0N0k_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_zc1jbfq2myXwSIrwhqgxTWG0N0k_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=zc1jbfq2myXwSIrwhqgxTWG0N0k_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4316428.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4316428.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-14:4519910 2007-05-14T00:25:59Z 2007-05-16T14:23:17Z The Hallgrens http://realtravel.com/member-m1212998-the_hallgrens.html <p><em>"Trying to get quality photos of these creatures furthered my appreciation for professional photographers of the deep"</em></p> <p>a entry by The Hallgrens from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Providing chaotic ocean currents that left us feeling more like amoebas in a flushed toilet than divers at sea, the Galapagos has been the most challenging place to dive thus far. We completed three exhausting dives (all within one day), with currents that went up, down, sideways, diagonally, and at times, were nipple-erecting cold. To undergo such environments, you are given a 7 mm wetsuit, full with hood, gloves, and booties, all of which makes you feel like you have a half dozen beachballs tethered to your arms and legs. I pictured myself looking more like the Michelin man than a ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4519910.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_yyKZUtVnfhkbBSGJoP44J.T0x4E_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/yyKZUtVnfhkbBSGJoP44J.T0x4E_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_yyKZUtVnfhkbBSGJoP44J.T0x4E_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=yyKZUtVnfhkbBSGJoP44J.T0x4E_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4519910.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4519910.html tag:realtravel.com,2006-11-23:2908355 2006-11-23T20:47:29Z 2007-05-08T17:41:59Z peterandjudydean http://realtravel.com/member-m2777864-peterandjudydean.html <p>a entry by peterandjudydean from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Galapagos was fabulous!!</p><p>We have been home a month and a bit and I have finally got round to completing this blog and adding the photos - a small selection as it must be. If you want to see more you must either come and see us or ask for a cd!!</p><p>March 7 Arriving on Baltra, the old US air base on the Galapagos, was interesting and we were introduced to Aura, our naturalist, guide and mother hen for the week. By public bus to the dock where we were greeted by sealions lounging on the welcome bench, blue footed boobies, pelicans, marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs, not to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j2908355.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_.TWOeR199KUhYYNnmYKjDsbUZiI_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/.TWOeR199KUhYYNnmYKjDsbUZiI_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_.TWOeR199KUhYYNnmYKjDsbUZiI_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=.TWOeR199KUhYYNnmYKjDsbUZiI_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j2908355.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j2908355.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-04-04:4181389 2007-04-04T20:37:45Z 2007-04-11T19:44:42Z RUTH http://realtravel.com/member-m2029256-ruth.html <p>a entry by RUTH from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>Well decided to go and see what another island looked like took the ferry to Isabela Island which was a horrible small boat with too many people.Took two and half hours!! Arrived about 5 pm the water into the habour was very rough with loads of rocks.</p><p>Stayed in the hotel San Vincinte but in an extension which the first night could not find so had to return to main hotel to be directed.</p><p>Next day did a tour to Volcano Sierra Negra the second largest crater in the world it last erupted in 1998.</p><p>We went by road then horse back and had about an hours walk in the crater to see ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4181389.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_Ffo3r8lP-vUbDDrBpHq.Smj98-Q_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/Ffo3r8lP-vUbDDrBpHq.Smj98-Q_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_Ffo3r8lP-vUbDDrBpHq.Smj98-Q_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=Ffo3r8lP-vUbDDrBpHq.Smj98-Q_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j4181389.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j4181389.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-15:3982093 2007-03-15T02:40:25Z 2007-03-29T20:16:37Z Ben and Gini http://realtravel.com/member-m3062021-ben_and_gini.html <p>a entry by Ben and Gini from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>I feel this could be along one! Got to really do the place the place justice after all!</p><p>We booked an eight day cruise round the Galapagos islands on a boat called Monserrat II. The boat only came into service in January this year so it was nice and new. We decided that as time was tight on our trip we didn't want to risk going for a late booking and so paid in advance, however I am pretty sure that some people on our boat got it cheaper, so there you are folks, if you have time to spare you could save yourself a quid or so! There are many agencies in Quito offering late deals. We also ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3982093.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_iOpUJ.ML2AKgPqWhurreLVv2FiM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/iOpUJ.ML2AKgPqWhurreLVv2FiM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_iOpUJ.ML2AKgPqWhurreLVv2FiM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=iOpUJ.ML2AKgPqWhurreLVv2FiM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j3982093.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3982093.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-02:3848362 2007-03-02T23:04:50Z 2007-03-20T22:58:58Z Louise & Dave http://realtravel.com/member-m3670313-louise__dave.html <p>a entry by Louise &amp; Dave from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>The most amazing place either of us has ever visited!!!</p><p>My Cards been cloned in Salvador, &amp; now completely broke, but Dave has treated me to 8 days in the Galapagos Islands!</p><p>We were booking the cruise last minute from Quito, so options were poor, but we managed to find a 4 day tour on a first class boat that turned out to be amazing.</p><p>Flying into the Island of San Cristobal we were told that our boat was having difficulties &amp; we wouldn't´t be able to get on board until that evening! Although disappointed we got on with it &amp; gave us a great opportunity to meet the 13 other ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3848362.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_EMq5RqHOIewixAfXKlx.WSPZNPM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/EMq5RqHOIewixAfXKlx.WSPZNPM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_EMq5RqHOIewixAfXKlx.WSPZNPM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=EMq5RqHOIewixAfXKlx.WSPZNPM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j3848362.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3848362.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-08:3907086 2007-03-08T22:03:13Z 2007-03-18T20:17:04Z John & Bexster http://realtravel.com/member-m2767365-john__bexster.html <p>a entry by John &amp; Bexster from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-ecuador-reviews-hotels-d1159003.html">Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.</a></p> <p>We flew from Quito to the Galapagos Islands, we had been looking forward to this trip and it certainly was not a disappointment. We started our trip with a 5 day cruise, the boat Amigo I was a lot nicer than we thought and we had a private cabin with bathroom. There were 13 of us on the boat and we visited several of the islands during the days and sailed by night.</p><p>During the days we went on a morning and a afternoon trek to see various wildlife and landscapes, we usually had a snorkeling trip every day before our 3 course lunch (The food was great, lots of fresh fish an shrimps, bad ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3907086.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_8Oa9vlcfc.CFW.AITUOs5ipPpz8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/8Oa9vlcfc.CFW.AITUOs5ipPpz8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_8Oa9vlcfc.CFW.AITUOs5ipPpz8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=8Oa9vlcfc.CFW.AITUOs5ipPpz8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgalapagos_islands-journals-j3907086.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/galapagos_islands-journals-j3907086.html