Planning Trips to Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean some 500 miles from the Ecuador coast and are a part of Ecuador.

The islands were first made famous by Charles Darwin when, whilst voyaging on the “Beagle” he visited the islands and it was this visit that inspired him to write “Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection”.  It was not necessarily the quantity of different indigenous species that he found on the islands, more the ease in which they were able to be studied, as if having no concern about a human presence.

Since that time Galapagos Islands trips have become increasingly popular especially amongst research groups, professional and amateur. If your flight has landed in Quito, you can take buses en Ecuador  to everywhere on the mainland of Ecuador, but not these islands. To get to these islands, you should take a flight because getting their by boat can take a lot of time.

Trips to Galapagos are not cheap and so you should plan accordingly. If you are planning to travel on a budget, you can do so as far as, and including Quito but you will then have to fly to the islands as even the freight ships are prohibited from carrying passengers. Once there, there are cheaper cruises that you can take around the islands but even the “cheap” ones can be pricey. A cheaper option can be to stay at a hostel on one of the islands and then take day trips to others. This may not allow you to see the outer islands but each particular island may be ideal for seeing different creatures, check before you leave, as the ones you are interested in may be on the near ones anyway, or stay on an island that best suits your intentions.

Where to Stay for Galapagos Islands Trips

To make the best of your holiday and maintain that budget, it is sometimes necessary to book some things in advance. Perhaps Galapagos trips may be one of those times or at least for the part when you are actually on the islands.

If there is something in particular you would like to see on the islands, Giant Tortoise, Penguins or Sea Lions find out if they are on all the islands or just certain ones. Then look for a hostel on an island best suited to your needs. The hostels are more expensive than what you are used to on the mainland but there again, you are in the middle of the ocean.

Cheap Hotels in Quito, Ecuador

Ecuador is becoming a more and more popular destination for tourists every year and although Quito, the capital is an attraction for these visitors itself, most only stay in transit in Quito before taking Ecuador buses 'buses de Ecuador' to famous cities like Guayaquil, Loja, and many others. Nearly all though find themselves spending at least one night at hotel en Quito.

Many of these in transit visitors, whether it is to save money for their final destination, or because they are on a budget, always seem to require cheap hotels in Quito, for the period of their stop over.

Cheap Hotels Quito

It is perhaps fortunate then, that Quito has an abundance of cheap hotels to offer any visitors.

Even if you are intending to stay in Quito and are not just passing through, Quito can offer a wide variety of cheap accommodations. There is an extensive array of hostels in Quito but if, whilst still on a budget, you want that little extra comfort of a hotel, there are plenty of cheap hotels in Quito, one of which is sure to suit your needs.

Although public transport within Quito is relatively cheap, it is always better to try and find accommodations close to your main points of interest.

With this in mind, it is probably advisable to look on the internet, prior to your arrival and locate the addresses of some of the cheap hotels in the vicinity of where you would like to stay. Even if you do not wish to book a hotel online, it will still save you some leg work on arrival by knowing where and what to look for. Whilst online, check out prices in order to give yourself an idea of what you can expect to pay when physically locating a hotel.

Best Time to Visit Ecuador - When should you visit?

Traveling to Ecuador for vacations has for a long time been the choice of thousands every year. Probably best known for its Galapagos Islands, Ecuador itself though, has much to offer the visitor.

The best time of the year for Ecuador travel, is dependent on which part of Ecuador you intend to visit as Ecuador has four distinct climate zones. Each of these climate zones then, has its own weather patterns and therefore each with its own best times to visit.

In the highlands of the Andes Mountains around the city of Quito, the cooler and dryer conditions are in the winter, from June to September. Summer, from December to March is slightly warmer but is also the rainy season. Bearing in mind that temperatures often depend as much on altitude as climate, it is recommended to visit the Andes Mountains during the dry season.

The Pacific Coastal region has a rainy season from December to May and a dry season from June to September. Although the cooler waters of the dry season may attract the Whales and Dolphins, the waters are considered to be a little chilly for us, so if a beach holiday is what you want, then the warmer rainy season is recommended.

If you want to trek the rainforests and marshy lowlands of the Orient in the East of Ecuador, August to November are recommended. This region experiences rain all year round, but the heavier rains occur from December to April.

The Galapagos Islands situated about 500 miles off the Ecuador coast experience a rainy season from December to May when the waters are warmer. The dry season is from June to December and the waters are cooler but rougher. The best time to visit these islands will depend on what you want to see. Sea Lion nesting occurs in the warmer rainy season whilst the Albatross and Penguins appear during the colder months.
 

 

Peak Time for Travel to Ecuador

Regardless of where they are going, most tourists travel to Ecuador in what has become its peak period and that is more dependent on holiday seasons in the United States and Europe than the climate in Ecuador. That means that most tourists visit Ecuador between June and August or December and January, regardless of the optimum weather conditions.

Obviously the peak season also attracts the higher prices, so if you are looking for a budget holiday or just want to keep the expenses down, travel in the off season; besides it may prove to be the correct time for what you intend to do anyway.

 

Traveling in Ecuador

With the exception of flights to the Galapagos Islands, flights within Ecuador can be fairly cheap, maybe even affordable for the visitor on a budget to take at least one flight during their stay. Ecuador buses are the more popular means of transport but ensure you have your Passport handy, as the transit police checks are regular.

Why I travel and how often I do it?

I love traveling! I have been traveling the world for over 20 years now.

There is so much to see and learn in this world. It's amazing how we get so busy in our lives that usually we do not even have time for ourselves.

I always wonder as to why people earn money when they have no time to spend it?

Therefore, I have always tried to organize my life so that I can easily spend some quality time in exploring this world.

Traveling is my passion, but I do not do it throughout the year. I like to work really hard for about 6-8 months and then I take off.

Over the past few years, I have traveled a lot of places in South America. This blog is created by me to provide you some valuable information which you might need while traveling to certain very beautiful places on this earth. Happy days!