Ecuador Living

Galapagos tours are one of the most special vacations in the world and some of the cruise ships are first class.

This is not surprising coming from a Norwegian run company. The Norwegians are the masters of the cruise.

They have huge staterooms.

And are luxuriously appointed.

Here are some guests enjoying a cruise and Athala II.

Ecuador Living works with Haugan tours to save Ecuador Living premium subscribers up to $1,000 discount.

First let’s look at Galapagos tours offered by Haugan Cruises.

There are numerous cruise companies offering Galapagos tours.  To make sure your tour is good be sure to choose  a first class ship.

Here is how Ecuador Living subscribers have received up to a quadruple Galapagos savings… thousands of savings for a couple on a four day Galapagos cruise…all from friends of Ecuador Living.

How good are Galapagos cruises?

I believe they are so great that… as a wedding gift to our youngest daughter and great new son-in law… Merri and I  gave them a Galapagos cruise… beginning in Quito at Mansion del Angel,

Here is our daughter Ele at the Mansion.  She wrote:  “Well, as you can see we are at the Mansion del Angel and are so grateful for the amazing room we have.  We really feel like royalty and everyone is so lovely to us.

The Galapagos was amazing. What an experience. Loads of wildlife… so much learned, gorgeous food and friends made.

When we arrived at the islands and whilst waiting to jump on deck, we were greeted by multiple sea lions. As you can see they are very tame and often stole our seats.

Here is a shot of the boat.

The boat was called the Athala and had 10 crew members. There were 16 guests in total, all very friendly.

The first deck is where we ate, met, watched videos and there were 4 double rooms. The second deck had a jacuzzi, bar and again 4 double rooms but ours had balconies, very posh!

We went snorkeling with sharks, turtles, sea lions and a plethora of sea life. The White Tip Reef Sharks, about 7 foot long, are not dangerous due to the large amount of food in the reef but it was scary to come face to face with one.

We saw and swam with a pod of approximately 60 wild dolphins. This was probably the most memorable experience.  Looking down and not being able to count the endless number of dolphins surrounding you was a once in a lifetime experience.

Our second excursion was to Floreana island to see sea lions relaxing on the beach and we had our first encounter with sea iguanas, they spit if you get too close.

Here…

are a  few shots of the wildlife we saw.

We had to put our cameras on sports mode in case these giant turtles tried to get away!

Merri and I are delighted that Ben and Ele had such a great time.

The Galapagos Islands are amazing… well worth every penny, but not inexpensive. So we are happy to be able to put together programs that help readers enjoy the most luxurious Galapagos cruises with four types of savings that amount to a lot.

Savings #1: Your first savings is in Quito at one of several hotels, Mansion de Angel, Steubel Suites and the Radisson.  Because we refer readers to these hotels without asking for a commission, Ecuador Living subscribers save as much as half off the normal room rate plus get upgrades when space is available.

See more on The Mansion del Angel boutique Hotel in Quito here.

See the Steubel Suites and Cafe here.

Savings #2: We track Ecuador airlines and watch for specials.  For example Icaro often offers a Quito Galapagos special.  Normally the air fare for the 600 mile Quito Galapagos flight is around $45o.

Recently Icaro provided subscribers a Quito – Galapagos- Quito fare for just $149.99 including taxes… a $300 savings.

Icaro Air is a small Ecuador airline based in Quito and operates domestic passenger services as well as fixed-wing and helicopter charter flights.

They used to serve Cuenca, Loja, Esmeraldas and Lago Agrio, but since 2009 have focused their fleet of two  Boeing 737-200 and one Boeing 737-200C on flights to Guayaquil, Manta and Coca.

You can often save hundreds using Icaro to Galapagos at www.icaro.aero

Savings #3: You can reduce your tour price in half on a space available cruise.

For example a recent current fee for a four day cruise in the low season, September 1 to December 15, was $2,095.  Ecuador Living monitors these last minute prices and lets subscribers know. Cruises are as low as $1,045. You save $1,050 per person!

The great adventure in the Galapagos of course is the wildlife and nature… the education and the wonderful like minded souls you meet.

However gaining all this can be combined with luxury.

The Athala II offers one of the most luxurious ways to enjoy this unique environmental experience.

The Catamaran Athala II was specifically designed and built to cruise the Galapagos Islands in style. The elegant design provides more comfort, superior speed, excellent stability and meets all the latest safety standards.

You gain generous comfortable accommodations and amenities of larger boats while still preserving the relaxed exclusivity of a smaller vessel.

The layout, furnishings, food and crew to be at an excellent standard. 

All cabins on board are deluxe, with well-appointed private bathroom, water, air conditioning, wall to wall carpeting. All have ocean views with large portrait windows (not portholes).

All cabins are a minimum 175 square feet and the main deck rooms have the additional luxury of a private balcony.
The main deck also boasts the dining area and a separate comfortable lounge area complete with plasma TVs, lap tops, DVD player, stereo and library. The upper deck has a well-stocked bar, Jacuzzi and a beautiful open teak deck area for relaxation, alfresco dining and barbeques. 
The huge sundeck is great for whale and dolphin watching or to simply relax and soak up the sun between island excursions. In the evenings there is no better place for star gazing. 
You have a crew of 10 + 1 naturalist guide. The crew is friendly, full time, experienced and highly professional. Your guide is guaranteed to be bilingual (minimum fluent English and Spanish) and of the highest standard.

Athala simply offers the best there is in the Galapagos.

Savings #4: Finally since we can place Ecuador Living subscribers on these tours without commission, you can save 15% more… another  $157.

Total savings for a couple can be as high as $3,114. $100 (Two nights savings at a Quito hotel).  Air fare savings $600. Cruise savings, $2,100 and $314 discount for Ecuador Living subscribers.  Actual savings depends on the season and specials available.

A Galapagos cruise is a trip of a lifetime and Ecuador Living can help you afford one.

See how to subscribe to Ecuador Living here.

When you subscribe to Ecuador Living’s premium service…  just let us know dates when you would like to cruise.  We’ll then watch for space available cruises on or near those dates and let you know. Send me a note with “Galapagos Dates” in the subject line so we can file your dates and keep you informed.

Gary

2012 – Ecuador Real Estate – Super Thinking + Spanish – Gary Scott Course Schedule

Last modified on 2012-02-05 12:28:22 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

to beautiful places from mountains to…

the sea with hidden…

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Our Ecuador real estate tours help you learn the ropes in Ecuador.

We also provide a very personal service that helps you save money and makes your trip to Ecuador more comfortable and secure.

We hope to help you in Ecuador soon. See details for each of our Ecuador real estate tours here.

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