Holiday review by Mrs. Tracy Lyons
Name: Mrs. Tracy LyonsDate of trip: 05/07/2015
Number of people: 4
Country: EcuadorOverall level of Satisfaction
Tribes Overall: "We had many great experiences - certainly a trip of a lifetime. It was a very active holiday, with lots of very early starts and we hadn't really built any down time into it - that was probably the thing we could have improved."
Tribes Service: "Only comment was with regard to weight allowance for the flight to the Galapagos. We thought we were allowed 15 kilos but were told the day we arrived in Quito via email from Tribes that it was actually 20. It made packing slightly challenging - 15 kilos each with different things required for rainforest and Galapagos cruising is not very much! If we had known it was 20 kilos BEFORE leaving the UK it would have made life much easier. Luckily we got laundry done in Quito, the rainforest and the Eclipse to compensate. "
Guides: "Luis and Victor were superb at Sacha Lodge. They knew where to find things (especially Victor) and gave us so much information about the rainforest and the species we saw.
The four guides on Eclipse were all excellent. So much knowledge, professional and friendly."
Social & Environmental Responsibility: "Yes, the guides made sure we knew the impact of tourism and the help it gave to the local people. The trip to the Native village along the Napo reinforced this.
In the Galapagos, we were made aware of how the government is changing regulations to encourage hotels to be built and various things that will be detrimental to the ecology of the islands. It was sad to hear. Locally, we were encourage to spend money at the Darwin Centre Shop so we directly contributed to the scientific centre. "
Accommodation
Very clean, 4 star hotel. Note that most rooms do not have an outside window. Most have a window on to one of 2 large internal courtyards. Restaurant food was good and staff very helpful.
Good cabins although carpet quite stained and could do with replacing. Bathroom small but very clean. Housekeeping was fantastic. Food excellent and communal areas very well appointed. Outside dining makes a welcome change and was well organised. Best cabins are in the middle of the ship, lower deck level, as there is a lot of movement during the night when the ship moves between islands.
Well organised, well run and rooms very clean. Bathroom was excellent. Food was very good especially considering it was in the middle of the rainforest. Every effort made to make people feel included. A nice touch was the guide dined with your group on the table.
Our Memories
"The tree top canopy at Sacha Lodge was very memorable. It pushed us but was worth it to see so much at the top of the rainforest including macaws, parrots, toucans, vultures, monkeys and sloths."
"Getting so close to the wildlife on completely uninhabited islands was amazing. The sealions were incredibly nosey and wanted to dive and swim around you, blowing bubbles in your face to get you to play with them. We got so close to penguins, stepped over iguanas, and saw all types of birds. Fantastic!"
customer rating
5/5 from 85 reviews
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facts and information
Time: GMT -5 hours
Flight time: There is an international airport at Quito and at Guayaquil. KLM and Iberia have routes via Europe to both cities. The flying time is about 14 hours. It is also possible to fly via America.
Language: Spanish is Ecuador's official language.
Visas: Not required for British travellers. Other nationalities should obtain advice from their embassy.
Health: There are no compulsory vaccinations, except yellow fever if visiting the rainforest. Malaria prophylactics are also recommended in the rainforest.
