Galapagos Islands

Galapagos is one of those places that many tight ass travellers like ourselves choose to skip because of the out of the way location and the perception that things are way too expensive. Yes, it was a little out of our way and it was definitely on the pricey side versus the rest of South America, but we would do it all over again if it was on the other side of the world and quadruple the price as there is nowhere on earth that is anything like it. Due to the lack of natural predators, the animals have not developed a fear of humans, which means you are able to get extremely close to the wildlife and watch them behave as if you weren’t even there.

We opted for a mix of independent travel and an organized cruise to get a taste of the laid back life on the islands and also be able to see some really unique wildlife in the harder to reach spots. We were extremely lucky to get a last minute spot on a 7 night cruise on a luxury catamaran called Millennium with only 14 passengers (a lovely group of people), our own private bathroom and balcony and delicious food.

We ended our trip with 5 nights on an island called Isabella where we found a small hotel right on the sand - the perfect way to finish up an incredible experience!

We have sooooo many great photos so we'll keep this short and let you enjoy the pics! Click to enlarge if you haven't worked this out yet : )

Albatross taking off and Nazca boobie in flight

Blue footed boobies - one of the most famous sights in the Galapagos Islands

Frigate birds during their mating ritual where they puff up their chests and sing to attract the chicks

Mixture of marine and land iguanas

Our first experience with marine iguanas at Tortuga Bay

One of the most memorable afternoons - a small group on our boat experienced a sunset on an isolated beach covered with hundreds of seals!

Regular day as a kid living on the Galapagos Islands!

Snorkeling with curious seal pups during our cruise!

Giant Galapagos Tortoises in the wild

At the Charles Darwin Research centre

Day trip on our cruise to an absolutely stunning white sand beach. White girls can't jump : (

A selection of some of the amazing landscapes on the different islands

Day trip to see the Sierra Negro volcano reserve where we hiked up to see the world's second largest volcanic crater and lava fields. Pretty exhausting day hiking 16km in the heat but well worth it!

Left to right: Our boat Millennium, view of the beach from our hotel on Isabela Island and our balcony on the cruise

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