Galapagos Islands holiday reviews

Highlights of our time at Mashpi Lodge included having breakfast at dawn down by the Life Centre. The guide had led us there when dawn was just appearing behind the trees. It was just us, and it was totally magical. Also on our last day we walked up to the Hummingbird Garden. Vast numbers of different species of hummingbirds fluttered and "buzzed" around us, completely unafraid. All at once the guides brought out a table laid with wine and nibbles. We sat with our fellow guests and just wished the moment would last for ever. Highlights of the La Pinta cruise included climbing to the top of Bartolome island and seeing the whole vista spread out before us. Another special few hours was trekking over the lava field of Santiago laid down only about 150 years ago. The best moment of all for me was disembarking at Darwin Beach on Genovesa and seeing all the frigate birds, nazca and red footed babies and their young, completely unafraid just a few metres away.

Galapagos. Boat Letty. Just fantastic. The programme for the week was well organised and thought out. Bitesize trips and no time wasted. Naturalists were extremely informative. Loved it.

Everything, no wifi or internet, complete peace & relaxztion

There were many highlights but I think the three of us enjoyed our time on the boat Beluga most of all. The crew were delightful, the naturalist on board was outstanding and the other passengers were all a delight to be with. Almost everything worked like clockwork in a very pleasant way. We had a packed itinerary but also time to relax. The Beluga was comfortable without being smart or formal. The food was delicious, healthy, and plentiful. Bernie our naturalist was outstanding in every respect. He spoke excellent English, he was young, enthusiastic, and had a seemingly fathomless knowledge of everything around us.

Everything. Most of all, the landscapes, the proximity to the animals (especially while snorkeling), the crystal-clear water, the weather, the food on board, the therapeutic lack of telephone signal out at sea... Swimming with penguins and sea lions was particularly memorable.