Galapagos Islands: The Perfect Family "Getaway Vacation"

If you are just making the critical decision of where to go during your next holiday, you are not alone. Have you ever thought of participating in a truly educational Galapagos Expedition with your children? It just might be the perfect family "getaway vacation".

Oh, there's nothing wrong with cartoon characters and amusement parks-but-as a parent, you're always concerned about the value of the time spent with your children.

Here's your opportunity to show them a part of the world they've probably never seen, and enjoy the entire process of learning, to boot! And if Mom needs beach time, you can still meet the quota! She can return with a tan, and stories galore.

Learn about Darwin's Theory of Evolution and enjoy the beautiful and unique flora, fauna and scenery of the Galapagos Islands... all at the same time.

Have you ever heard about birds that can't fly? The Galapagos has them.

Have you ever stood next to a Flamingo-- an elegant bird with his long, spindly legs---pink feathers and all; or have you enjoyed getting face-to-face with all types of Iguanas and nose to nose with huge turtles that live in complete and total freedom?

You meet these animals on daily expeditions when you participate in one of the exclusive Galapagos Cruises.

Perish the thought that Galapagos cruises are just educational, they offer immense adventures and true family fun. Nearly every day, you have a possibility to swim from world-class beaches. Has a photographer ever captured you swimming next to a Sea Lion?

In the Galapagos, it happens nearly every day.

Less active families can sunbathe on the beach, or simply chill---read a good book while enjoying the spectacular scenery.

I'd suggest a "Family Cruise" onboard one of several Vessels where you do not have to worry about your children. Children onboard these ships are in the well-trained hands of special Naturalist guides, who organize special land programs--exclusively for the children.

Often, we're asked how old a child must be to travel and enjoy the Galapagos Islands. In my opinion the best age is at least 10 years old. On most special "Family Cruises", however, children from 7 years and up are allowed onboard.

Two of the best Galapagos Vessels-- M/V Eclipse and M/V Evolution-- offer not only the best naturalist cruises throughout the year, but they are the only yachts at the moment offering special "Family Cruises" in the Galapagos.

It is easy to see why the M/V Eclipse is considered by many to be the best vessel cruising in the Galapagos Islands. Outstanding accommodation, world-class food and the best imaginable service make a Galapagos Cruise onboard M/V Eclipse one of the world's fin-est experiences. And this superb vessel offers special family departures during the US Holiday season.

The oversize yacht offers 4 spectacular Deluxe Staterooms on the Bridge Deck--allowing 2 cabins to be converted into a 3 bed cabins. Note, however, that because these are so popular, these cabins have to be booked well in advance. The other 8 Superior Double Staterooms offer spectacular views to the sea and the islands.

On the main deck are another 13 large Double Staterooms. They have a series of porthole windows to the sea which give them a very unique look.

Teens haven't been forgotten, either. Do you have a teenager who doesn't want to have to share a room-especially with a younger brother or sister? Don't worry; there are 2 single bed cabins available on the main deck-just for this very situation!

Public areas onboard M/V Eclipse are absolutely spectacular. Both inside and "al Fresco" Dining is offered on the Weather Deck (located between the Main and the Bridge Deck). All meals can be served in one session. Breakfast and Lunch are buffet-style and the Dinner is a la carte. Enjoy the exquisite dinner inside the elegant Dining room, no formal wear required-casual, sport clothing is expected.

The M/V Eclipse--offering three fabulous sun decks for sunbathing, reading or just enjoying the moment.

M/V Eclipse is one of the world's best "small cruise" ships and it offers the comfort of a much larger vessel. Don't hesitate to participate in one of its cruises.

Another luxury vessel is M/V Evolution. In a bygone era, privileged travelers experienced the magic and mystery of the Galapagos Islands in a relaxed and elegant fashion. You and your family can still become those privileged travelers.

As on M/V Eclipse, a specially-trained Naturalist introduces your children to the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands. M/V Evolution offers space for a maximum of 32 passengers and is a bit smaller than the M/V Eclipse.

On the Bridge Deck, you can enjoy the large "owner's suite" which covers the whole width of the vessel along with two large Bridge deck double cabins. These cabins are ideally shared by a large family seeking privacy--and they have it--because there are no other cabins on this floor.

The 8 large Main-deck cabins and the 4 large lower deck cabins all offer excellent comfort and convey the real "feel" of a cruise ship in the 1920's. Passengers of a bygone era had much more time to travel than many of us today. All cabins, however, offer modern comforts such as individual climate control and ample space to store and hang clothes.

The social areas of M/V Evolution are absolutely splendid. Gourmet-level meals are served either outside "al fresco" or inside in a beautifully-decorated dining room. The M/V Evolution is known for its outstanding cuisine.

M/V Evolution has an unforgettable lounge with wine bar where daily briefings about the next day's activities are held. This ship also features an extensive library about the Galapagos Islands and sun-decks featuring magnificent rattan furniture.

During "Family Cruises"---those that operate during the US School holidays, the M/V Evolution offers a "Kids Club" with special learning activities such as star-gazing and movie nights. Child-oriented Naturalists organize learning activities and provide children with a kid's Expedition Journal. The lectures about the next day's activities are organized especially for children--- the parents have plenty of time to enjoy the cruise and know that your children are in good hands.

Another vessel recommended for children is M/V Galapagos Legend. This yacht has no age limitation for children but any parents with children under 12 years of age are required to sign a "Waiver of LiabilitY" before they begin the cruise.

M/V Galapagos Legend has no specially trained staff for children, but the yacht has a playroom onboard with games and many play items for children.

Other yacht operators are looking in the future to organize special "Family Cruises" in the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands offer a great family destination, where you can spend a beautiful, relaxing, and educational time together as a family; visiting impressive Island retreats, often far away from civilization. Few places exist where a family can enjoy this kind of combination.

Because of the uniqueness of the offering, the demand for these cruises is so large that you have to book well in advance---even a year ahead---especially if you like excellent cabins or want to pick your own cabin from those available.

This year, organize a Summer Holiday in the Galapagos Islands. This is a trip of a lifetime-- especially with your children and teenagers.

It's a trip you'll never forget.

Ecuador: The newest option for Gay Travelers

Ecuador, South America, is being considered more and more as a Gay travel destination without equal.

Gay expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands have been very well known for some time, and there are several of these cruises offered every year. But Ecuador has much more to offer for the Gay and Lesbian Traveler—not the least of which is privacy, enjoyment, and a sense of comfort in the beautiful surroundings within Ecuador.

Gays and Lesbians seeking intimate time with their partner have romantic highland haciendas and small, out of the way inns, as well as major multi-star Hotels to chose from.

Enjoy a candle light dinner next to a romantic fire place or enjoy a nice drink and a good conversation at the hacienda's bar. Because temperatures can be low in the high Andes where many haciendas are located, a fireplace brings just the romantic touch, and will heat your bedroom to ensure that you have a cozy warm night.

During the day, haciendas offer activities ranging from adventurous horseback riding to visits to indigenous markets. There is a day activity for every taste.

Ecuador has a huge artisan tradition and most artisan workshops open their doors to the Gay and Lesbian visitor. Visits to artisan workshops can be combined with hacienda stays, especially north of Quito. Excellent handicraft workshops can be found throughout Ecuador, but especially in the city of Cuenca, about a 40 minute flight south of Quito.

Cuenca has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations and this small, yet bustling town is well-known for its excellent, colonial style Hotels and its Gay and Lesbian community---which can be found right in the center of the City. Plan on taking at least 2 days to explore the City and its surroundings.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to spend at least a half a day in Gualaceo and Chordeleg--well known for jewelry workshops and Orchid farms.

A short 4 hour trip by bus from Cuenca is the tropical city of Guayaquil. If you have the time, rent a car or travel with a public bus from Cuenca to Guayaquil. Make sure that you travel through the spectacular Cajas National Park with its hundreds of lakes.

Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and serves as the main port for the country. The city has a very active gay community and it is an excellent gateway for travel to Galapagos Islands. The main gay-bars and clubs can be found at the Rocafuerte Street, 2 blocks behind the Malecon 2000, about at the height of the Ramada Hotel.

Before you dive into the nightlife, walk along the Malecon 2000 and walk up the stairs to the Light House above Las Penas, the small old town of Guayaquil. On both sides of the stairs can be found a variety of bars and restaurants, which invite the Guayaquil visitor in for a cold beer---far and away, the best drink in this tropical city. If you have a moment more, visit “Parque Seminario” or “Parque de las Iguanas” as the locals call it. Here, Iguanas walk around like cats and dogs in North American or European parks. Although it may be tempting, don’t try to pet the Iguanas.

Within 40 minutes flight time is the City of Quito. Should you travel in the morning, make sure that you sit on the right hand side of the Aircraft, because this side of the flight has the most beautiful mountain scenery imaginable.
Quito is a bustling, cosmopolitan city, and offers the most of all the Ecuadorian cities to the Gay Traveler. Stay in the old town. Especially recommended is the beautiful—and pricey—“Gay-owned” Bed and Breakfast “Villa Colonna”.
Not far away from this Bed and Breakfast you can find the offices of True Colors Travel, where you can get Expert advice on all travel related topics in Ecuador.

The historical part of Quito has been designated as a World Heritage Site by the UN and offers some of the most spectacular colonial churches in the world. In your visit to the colonial center, seek out and enjoy some of the various excellent museums.
The Gay Clubs and Bars you will find in the Mariscal district in northern Quito. Here, there are many excellent Bars, Clubs and Restaurants. You will feel a comfortable ambiance every day of the week, but especially from Wednesday to Sunday. For Gays and Lesbian who seek Gourmet Dining, there are several excellent restaurants be found behind the Swissotel, around Isabel La Catolica street. My favorite restaurant in this sector, and one which I recommend highly, is “La Choza” which offers excellent Ecuadorian food.

Quito hosts the most important Gay and Lesbian film festival in Latin America. For dates and programs visit quitogay.net

Ecuador offers Gay and Lesbian Travelers interesting options for sightseeing, enjoyment, and unique opportunities, and guarantees the trip of a lifetime.

For the best experience, participate in one of the True Colors exclusive Gay and Lesbian Roundtrips, organized by the Experts of Gay Travel in Ecuador, Galapagos and Peru. We look forward to meeting you on one of our journeys.

Galapagos: How find the right Galapagos Cruise?

An Expedition to the Galapagos Islands is for most people a “once in a lifetime” experience. Good trip planning is essential and the following article will help you to take the right decisions.

When is the best season to travel to Galapagos Islands?

The Galapagos have the spectacular flora and fauna all rear round.

My preference are the month February and March because of the warm water temperature. During these 2 months the Galapagos are under the influence of the warm “El Nino Stream” and the sea can reach up to 86 F (24 Celsius).
February and March are also the rainiest and warmest months and the Air temperature can reach over 86 - 88 F (30 Celsius).

In contrast, during the month of August and September the water of the sea is only about 66 - 68 F (18 - 19 Celsius) and the Air 74 - 77 F (24 Celsius). During this period you have little rainfall and the vegetation on the islands is very dry and on some islands desert like. During this period the sea can be rough

What kind of tour is the best to explore the Galapagos Islands?

The best option to explore the Galapagos Islands is with a cruise where you sleep on the yacht.

There are the following kinds of cruises available in Galapagos:

Naturalist Cruises:
On this cruise you do guided land visits on foot. Depending on the island, you have time at a beach to swim and snorkel with sea lions and observe the marine life. You visit in the morning a spot, have lunch on the yacht when navigating to the next spot, and visit another spot in the afternoon.

Active Cruises:
As Naturalist Cruises but you have the possibility to Scuba Dive. Depending on the cruise you can do up to about 4 immersions on a 8 Day cruise.
The responsible yacht operators use specialized diving operator that takes you to special diving spots during the cruise. That means that you will miss the land visits during your “Diving Days”.

Be aware that the diving spots are often not where land visits spots are and if the yacht offers you an immersion at the place where the boat is located for the land visit, you will often not see much more as when snorkeling.

Diving Cruises:
These cruises are for the experienced diver only. To participate you should have at least 50 logged open water dives during the last calendar year. Make sure that the cruises includes Darwin and Wolf Islands. This kind of cruise is whiteout any interest for a non - Diving guest because you do only a very few land visits.

How long should I stay in Galapagos Islands?

The larger 90+ passenger vessels offer 4, 5 and 8 Day Cruises. All these yachts are fast, and even during a 4 Day cruise you will comfortably see a lot of the Galapagos Islands.

If you travel on a smaller yacht, - 20 Passengers, I recommend that you do at least a 5 Day cruise, but better an 8 Day cruise.

A general recommendation is that you do better a good 5 Day cruise than an mediocre 8 Day cruise.

With what kind of yacht should I cruise:

Large vessels up to 100 Passengers:
The Galapagos National Park authorities don’t allow vessels with more than 100 Passengers onboard. Most large Galapagos vessels are larger than for 100 Passengers, that means they are never sold out until the last cabin.

All these large vessels are very good organized when visiting the islands. You don’t really feel the large numbers of travelers visiting the same island at the same time. On all the yachts you have never more than 16 travelers for a naturalist guide.

Motor yachts for up to 20 Passengers:
A motor yacht is a great option to explore the Galapagos Islands. You travel with an intimate group and make easy new friends onboard.

You travel overnight from island to island and especially lower deck cabins will have motor noise overnight. During the day you might hear the Electric Generator.

Make sure that you travel in an upper deck cabin. Unfortunately not all the yachts have cabin assignment in advance or if they have, the upper deck cabins are more expensive.

Depending on the yacht, there are cabins with upper / lower berths or tow lower berths. Especially lower deck cabins on Motor Yachts tend to have upper / lower berths.

Sailing Yacht for up to 16 Passengers:
That’s without any doubt the most authentic Galapagos Experience. Accommodation is in often in cabins with upper / lower berths on the lower deck. Engine and Generator noise you will have as in most Motor Yachts.

The sails will be used only during the day if the wind conditions permit.

Most sailing yachts in Galapagos have a beautiful interior, but to move around is not that easy as onboard a motor yacht. Often you have to go up a ladder instead of a stair and larger guests have sometimes to draw their head when moving around the yacht.

Is it a good idea to bring children to Galapagos?

Most quality yachts have an age restriction of 7 - 10 years for children. On all the yachts you have to sign a “Weaver of Liability” if you child is less than 12 years old.

Think twice to bring children less than 10 years to Galapagos if you like to enjoy the trip yourself too.

Consider that the sea can be rough at any time and the journey by zodiac from the yacht to the island that you visit can be wet for the guests and difficult for children.

Most yachts don’t offer an interesting children discount, and on most cruises is nobody onboard to look specially for your children.

The exception are special “Family Cruises” who leave usually during the US School Holidays and are offered on some medium sized deluxe class motor Yachts. On these cruises is the age limit for children is by 7 years and there is a special naturalist guide on-board to look after the children.

Which ever tour you choose, a trip to Galapagos Islands is expensive and needs exact and professional planning. Make sure that you travel with an expert Galapagos Tour Operator who insures that you have have Your “Once in a Lifetime travel experience” you will be talked about for generations.