Perfect 8 night family trip to the Highlands and Galapagos
Ecuador
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Dec 23 - Dec 31, 2023
Our family of 5 (kids ages 23,20,16) enjoyed the most incredible trip to the Highlands and Galapagos. Tamer patiently listened and tweaked our itinerary, which was a wonderful mix of culture, history, adventure, nature, and recharging. It was perfect!
We spent 4 nights in Quito at the lovely Ikala Hotel. We absolutely loved our guide Danny! He took us to the city center on a bustling Christmas Eve day, joined us for an incredible cooking class where we prepared and ate a delicious Ecuadorian meal, and led us through an exhilarating trek to the magnificent Quilotoa Lake where we kayaked and journeyed back up to the top. We loved experimenting with gravity at the equator and will never forget the many impromptu stops- thanks to Danny!- where we interacted with locals to see a slice of life we’d never before experienced- from farmers to artists to weavers. Our visit to the highlands was perfectly planned and Danny was the ideal guide to lead us.
Next we flew to Santa Cruz for 4 nights at the incredible Hotel
Solymar where iguanas, sea lions, grey pelicans, blue footed boobies, frigate birds, and crabs were mainstays at the beautiful oceanfront restaurant and pool area. Vivian was our fabulous enthusiastic guide to the Darwin Center, giant tortoise preserve, and kayaking in Tortugo Bay. Day trips to Seymour Island on a beautiful sail boat and snorkeling at Le Fe and Pinzon Islands were memorable highlights from this special vacation.
Every step of the way, Alejandra checked in and prepped us for the next morning’s pick up times and itinerary. We never had to worry about timing or where to be. The whole trip we felt like we were in excellent hands.
Thank you Tamer for delivering on your promise of a vacation to remember!!
Hotel Reviews
We loved the Ikala. The complimentary breakfast buffet was the delicious, as was our dinner at the hotel’s restaurant on Christmas (one of very few restaurants in the area that was open!). Our rooms were beautiful and spacious. The front desk staff was very responsive when we had problems with our safe and the toilet. We highly recommend!
The oceanfront location was incredible! Wildlife was abundant and part of the culture of the hotel. The rooms were small but comfortable.
Activity Reviews
It was an exhilarating climb to the base where we kayaked and then trekked slowly back to the top.
Visiting the city center on Christmas Eve Day was a real treat. The cooking class was incredible- we loved the chef and plan to try out the dishes we prepped when we return home!
We especially loved the visit to the local weaver.
We loved planting a tree! Our terrific guide Vivian planned for us to wear rubber boots since the ground was wet from recent rainfall. She also tweaked our itinerary and moved our visit to the Darwin Center to the following day once she realized we may feel rushed.
Our whole trip built up to this most incredible snorkeling experience!! We saw tons of gorgeous fish and swam right up to giant sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, and more!
What a beautiful place!! The perfect entry to seeing wildlife up close.
The boat was absolutely beautful, and the visit to Seymour Island was so cool. We saw different frigate birds and blue footed boobies and iguanas and learned about- and saw firsthand- their mating patterns.
Happy New Year :) May 2024 bring you and the family much joy, blessings, and more incredible travel adventures for you and the family :)
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience with us, and for this valuable and detailed feedback! I'm extremely delighted to hear that you and the family had an incredible trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and that I and our team, especially Danny, Vivian, and Alejandra, contributed to making it a perfect... Read more