Monday, December 19, 2011

An Alternative to Cruising - Galapagos Islands Holiday by Land

By John Randall


The majority who come to the Galapagos Islands travel among the islands through small cruise boats, the most popular and an excellent way to investigate this transcendental archipelago. On a cruise, you sleep and eat on the ship, and disembark on some of the islands, depending on the ship's schedule.

For a totally different Galapagos experience, you have an alternate choice: Galapagos Island go by land. Here, you can stay in comfortable remote lodges right on the Islands, and tour from terra firma. If sleeping in a genuine bed in a cushy room with a private bath and awakening to the thunder of the surf is your notion of an ideal eco tour, then a land-based Galapagos trip could be for you. The lodges are controlled and run by an eco-sensitive Ecuadorian company that prides itself on its green discoveries and its local commercial and community support, so you are promised that your ease is not at the expense of the frail ecosystem of the Galapagos.

Accomodations are comfortable to sumptuous and the food is superb - all at affordable costs.

On a land-based tour, you come to plenty of the same places as visitors who are arriving by boat but you're already there! And, a land-based vacation still provides lots of chances to get in and on the water. You can select from a few programs which provide stays on one or two of the finest islands, and some of the finest snorkeling and scuba diving is just offshore! In addition to excursions to a couple of the best wildlife viewing areas, you are going to be able to hike the remote beaches and coves at your leisure.

For the adventuresome, snorkeling and scuba diving in the Galapagos is an experience found few other places on the planet. Think of snorkeling with sea turtles, playful seals and sea lions, Galapagos penguins, and blue-footed boobies! Snorkeling in the Galapagos is not for everybody; the water could be chillier than you predict, and the currents can be robust. Not surprising, considering you are in a remote shangri la of volcanic islands rising from the ocean floor!

Scuba diving options are available for the experienced authorized diver. You'll see enormous collections of hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, manta rays and of course the ever-playful sea lions and fur seals. If you've have more than about 40 or 50 open water dives, this is a total must option!




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