TR: Galapagos and Peru in July/ Aug 2015

[Milboo]

As a reader of the various TR here, thought it time to add mine in!

The inspiration to travel to South America was reading about a cruise on the Amazon on the MV Aqua/ MV Aria but flights were prohibitively expensive But then all the other plans were not viable (Africa off as friend I was travelling with had just returned, Italy in summer too hot/ expensive/ crowded and Morocco - tour with A &K was not offered). I threw myself at the mercy of a travel agent for inspiration, mention SA flight prices in passing and was quickly told there was a flash sale on LAN for $1599 ex SYD ($800 cheaper than when I'd looked 2 days previously).

So quickly booked flights departing last week of July for 2.5 weeks and chose the QF flights (27 and 28).

Word for the wise here. Oh. Dear. Lord! Despite LAN and QF being both OW carriers, LAN are behind the times and your flight will not appear in your QFF account unless you have a domestic connection on QF. It was not until T-24 that they showed up (even QF could not see the booking beyond a shell) and then my QFF number, despite being in the LAN booking, did not come across. I had to call QF and get them to add it.

Advantage of LAN is no charge for exit leg room seats. Except when you have confirmed seats and T-24 you learn those seats are non existent and you're in 66D...

Another call to QF and best seats on offer were in row 49 but could not secure unless checked in then - which involved them calling the airport to do it. Was assured there were no spare exit row seats, even for purchase.

Not so awesome start was saved my advice at check in that I had a service recovery upgrade to business. However, my friend who was on a separate PNR and only Bronze was not. They did relocate her to an exit row (which apparently there were quite a few spare...) free of charge.

Once in the lounge, I spoke with the Angels who were sympathetic but non- committal. However when my friend later collected the boarding pass, she had been moved to the seat beside me.

Flight to Santiago was just under 12 hours. Food was excellent except they ran out of churros and a fruit plate or a Weiss bar were not quite the same! However I found the crew to be unmemorable for service.

Will keep adding to this over the next few days.

 

[Milboo]

We had 4 hours layover before a LAN flight to Guayaquil so waited it out in the brand new LAN VIP Lounge. Really liked this lounge - nice and big and over 2 levels. Was warned that the second floor gets very warm and certainly found this.

There were 2 food areas, ample drinks out including bubbles and big bowls of potato chips (the SA variety - multicoloured and good!). Lots of different seating options.

Around 6 showers. Found the layout awkward - you can't but end up with water everywhere. Had to get the desk attendant to come and unlock for you which was also odd. There was a first or business class amenities kit (the brown Ferragamo) in there too.

Best bit - a sleeping room! 5 beds with fresh pillow and blanket on them. Spent a couple of hours in there.

We had not been able to check bags through but they did this at the transfer desk - telling us to return later for the new bag tags, despite there being no way back to the desk! However the lounge was able to ring down and get these. Queue for rescreening for transit passengers was pretty long and slow moving.

The lounge is hidden away - you need to find the elevators in the duty free area and go up. It is more obvious if you've checked in at SCL as there is a dedicated premium LAN check in right outside it, along with security.

Flight up to Guayaquil on LAN was pretty full, service was fine and we were on time. Landed about 8pm, quickly got through the usual process, found the hotel shuttle and got to our bed for the night at the Hilton Colon which I had booked on points.

Standard Hilton, live music as it was a Friday night, multiple restaurants (went for the steak house which was ok) and that usual musty smell you get in these humid climates.

 

[RooFlyer]

Subscribing

 

[Milboo]

Thought I should throw in some photos!

Coming into Santiago - went past airport and circled back for landing so got both sides which made for an interesting contrast

 

[Milboo]

As our trip was only planned in May (the Amazon cruise was booked out ), we were very restricted on our choice of boats for Galapagos and had to get one leaving in about a 2-3 day window. I then had the criteria that it had to be luxury (best) or first class (next best). Then we actually had to find berths as people book well in advance!

We secured last 2 berths on a mega catamaran - organised through Creter Tours.

My tips for planning a Galapagos trip
- the best boats book out very early so plan early!
- mega cats are more stable on the water so don't pitch/ roll as much
- I found the 16 pax to be a good number - some boats are 48 or 96 (the Nat Geo boats - upside is better facilities on them)
- the bigger boats seem to attract the older crowd whereas smaller boat is younger mix
- key is the facilities your boat offers - especially snorkelling gear. Some boats offer kayaks and this would have been awesome as an alternate to kayaking
- pack snacks in case the boat food is not to your liking as there is no popping out for something!
- no wifi or cell coverage!

The tour agencies generally 'require' you to have them book your flights from Quito- Guayaquil to either of the 2 airports. This is to streamlined arrangements for collection / transfer etc and because if you're delayed/ miss the flight, the boat does not wait as they have a strict itinerary.

Info post over

 

[Dr Bob]

I'm in for this.

 

[Milboo]

Flight to Baltra was on Avianca and have no complaints - friendly service, plane in good condition etc. Flight over does get a little bumpy in places.

Check in is a little unusual - you have to have your bag screened and it's secured with a security tag or tape before you check in. This is removed as they scan your bag again on arrival.

Life in Galapagos is casual! We watched as our bags got tossed up (and caught) on top of a truck piled high with supplies and we scrambled on an older bus with pax from other boats. There is a 10 minute bus ride to get to the channel between Baltra and the main Island of Santa Cruz. Then you pile on to a barge for a 5 ride across and then get spread out into your boat specific bus for a 45 min drive across the Island to Puerto Ayora.

Very interesting trip as it is a straight road across and it goes through a number of micro climates.

Out front of Baltra airport

The channel:

Waiting for our luggage (which missed the boat) - managed to get a sea lion, a frigate, a marine iguana and a brown pelican sighting in right off the bat!

 

[Milboo]

In Puerto Ayora, there was a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Centre to see the giant tortoise before we departed. For those that have been - there were no buses as it was a public holiday so we had a very hot long walk from the wharf, all the way in and back again!

The skin on the land iguanas was amazing

They took bike parking seriously on Puerto Ayora!

 

[Salem]

Looks awesome!

Love the sleeping room idea

 

[Milboo]

All boats in the Galapagos must follow prescribed itineraries and can only visit a landing site once every 14 days. At a site, you must remain on marked paths and you cannot be separate from your guide unless it is a populated area (only 2 of these on our trip). It seems other guides will report your guide if you're seen not adhering to the rules.

You generally have 2 landings a day and an opportunity to snorkel. Boats navigate over lunch time/ middle of day and overnight. Same days we left soon after our afternoon visit was over and sometimes we left middle of the night.

Our first landing was actually not one! Instead we went for a panga ride around Eden Rock - seeing sea lion, marine iguana, Sally Lightfoot crabs, pelicans, blue footed coughies, sea turtles, Nazcar coughie and other bird life

Eden Rock

Sadly no visiting this beach

 

[Milboo]

Our afternoon visit was to Cerro Dragon which has a large land iguana population (we only saw 2, both at the very top of the hill) and the inland salinic lagoons.

Panga at landing - which was on to lava rocks. Just below was 4 or 5 decent sized white tipped reef sharks

Marine iguana sunbaking - the nostril is used to spit out salty water.

 

[Milboo]

Our guide was a big fan of open water snorkelling - which involved getting back into the panga from the water too (we only had a ladder on the side of 1 of the 2). Both pangas went out with the snorkelling group to quickly get anyone who wanted out. I am an off the beach snorkeller but still had a couple of opportunities to do this which was good.

We had a bit of a bumpy night - I actually found it very soothing and slept a lot during the trip - about 12 hours a day - and arrived to anchor at Puerto Villiami just after dawn (trip had taken about 2 hours longer than planned due to the seas). This is the other populated area.

Early morning trip (pre breakfast) was to Tintoreas which is a lava field. It is known for having a channel of crystal clear water that, in certain tides, fills with rays and white tipped reef sharks. And we saw none!

The marine iguanas hanging out

Sally Lightfoot crab

Was a grey morning - bit of drizzle but this was the worst of the weather we had but quickly cleared

 

[Milboo]

We went back ashore after breakfast and being a populated area, our guide let us do whatever we wanted for the next couple of hours - you could walk the beach with him, walk the 1km into town, snorkel etc

As we came in on the pang as there was a feeding frenzy - in here are coughies, sea lion and penguins!

Choose to walk into town for a look

And the back to the wharf area where there is a snorkelling platform which was packed by afternoon

Bit of everything in this one! Penguin, pelican, sea lions and marine iguana on the jetty!

 

[Milboo]

In the afternoon (back to the boat for lunch) we had a scheduled visit to a tortoise breeding centre but we revolted against our guide as people just wanted down time and so it became optional with most of us opting to return to the wharf area for snorkelling with the penguins and sea lions.

You were hard pressed to get a bench to sit on here!

Any place for a nap!

Including the back of our anchored off shore! She later moved up on to the deck, a metre from the door we needed to use!

You can see where they got the inspiration for Godzilla!

 

[Milboo]

Still with me?!

bonus pic of a sea lion looking for a comfy sleeping spot

Next 2 days were quieter for me as I'd taken a tumble getting into the panga (wave bounce) and I could not wear my shoes and 2 out of the 4 landings were the ones marked difficult due to the terrain. People came back from these with scrapes as it was unforgiving lava.

The afternoon was an easier trail, wet landing and thong suitable!

A nice black sand beach beside this (turtle breeding area alongside) gave opportunity for a swim and snorkel too

Got to see a mating ritual between a couple of these guys which was interesting. Apparently the males just chase the females until they get tired!

 

[Milboo]

That night (we were on Western side of Isabela, near Fernindina) we got treated to the best show - frigates courting against the sunset. Was magical.

One of the 2 male suitors - not mating so the red throat piece is deflated

The object of their affection cruising in the up drafts from the boat

The pursuit

And a beautiful sunset

 

[Milboo]

Dawn breaking

This morning's trip was off limits to me again . This was Punta Espinoza which is renowned for its massive marine iguana population. This was taken on very long zoom.

Massive lava fields and the craters/ vents

 

[Milboo]

We navigated across the water (about 40 mins) to Isabela and Targus Cove. As a group we decided not to go ashore - our guide quickly learnt we preferred time in the water vs going to see birds up a steep hill! Plus we had a date with an important spot later and a desire to get a head start on a big night of navigation as we were expecting some rough seas.

Targus Cove has a history since pirate days of navy etc boats putting their names high on to the rocks.

The snorkel was for the experienced people only as it was a very long one along the length of the Island - the rest of us stayed on the boat and picked them up way way away!

This was our important date!

That was the cheat's reference. The land reference was when the little knob in the front left was aligned with the little knob behind it!

We celebrated this on the bridge with a drink and then stayed and watched an amazing sunset and a big pod of dolphins on the horizon (had a whale sighting late afternoon too - while I napped...)

 

[JohnM]

Good stuff. BP just scanned for the ride .

 

[Milboo]

A sleeping tablet took care of any risk of a restless sleep with the heavier seas! Woke the next morning at Puerto Egas/ James Bay which had housed a salt mine years back. It was also the site many of us realised we had sea legs! It is hard to focus your camera when you're swaying!

The other side of the Island was a complete contrast - with lava including tunnels under it giving the wildlife access out to sea.