Galapagos Travel Testimonials

Hi Jennifer,

Hard to believe we have been back from our trip over a week ago now....time sure does fly. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it and to thank you for all you did to arrange such a great vacation! Everything went according to plan and it was wonderful to not have to worry about anything.

We all really enjoyed Vicky, our tour guide in Quito. She was great! Right from the beginning when she was waiting for Craig and me at the airport she took wonderful care of us. She got us checked in at the hotel and arranged to pick us up for our tours. Each day she was on time and was very patient with our group. I think sometimes it must have been a bit like "herding cats" to keep us all together and moving! And I know we must have exceeded the timing of the tours, but she was always very patient with us.

We were fortunate to take our tour of the city center on Monday when there was the changing of the guards and she positioned us perfectly to get the best view and take the best photos. In fact, throughout our time with her she became our photographer and took tons of photos of us in front of all the vistas, so we can prove we really were there!! Since we were there to have a Spanish immersion experience she spoke only Spanish to us and did it slowly enough so we were all able to follow her. She gave clear descriptions of what we were seeing and had a great knowledge of the area. But, she did not talk TOO much....that can be as bad as saying too little!! We were so glad to have her along when we needed to fly from Quito to the Galapagos, that would have been a confusing dash through the airport on our own but she got it all arranged for us so it was very easy.

And here's an example of how wonderful she was, she went and visited John (he broke his ankle) in the hospital several times and was able to give us an update when we came back from the Galapagos. Oh, that's right, she made a point of finding us in the airport because she knew we were going to waiting for our flights back to the US and told us about John and gave us chocolates.....what a sweet person!

The two drivers were excellent (Enrique and Javier) and drove very safely. We spent more time with Javier so got to know him better but they both were very friendly and helpful. Javier led us on a wonderful hike up the volcano and he was very careful and encouraging with us on that hike (we were all huffing and puffing!) We were breathless but had a lot of fun!

The Hotel Mercure was excellent!! Somehow we got suites so my rooms were wonderful!! The breakfast buffet was delicious every morning.. I miss the chocolate croissants! It was also nice to have the opportunity to try some Ecuadorian specialties each morning. The staff of the hotel and restaurant were very helpful, polite and always available. I felt very safe and very well taken care of. It was also nice that the hotel had computers we could use. Definitely a great place to stay and a very inexpensive taxi ride to the district with all the restaurants.

Our Galapagos tour was also wonderful. Except for us and our luggage getting absolutely drenched while taking the shuttle boat to Santa Cruz everything with all of our connections worked out great! The Guantanamera was a good ship and our guide, Marvy, had a lot of energy and gave us a lot of fun tours. He also spoke both in English and Spanish. The food on the boat was delicious and they kept us well fed. After the two-room suite at the Hotel Mercure the cabins were of course quite small, but the bathroom and shower were surprisingly spacious. And since we didn't spend much time in the cabins it wasn't important. I was glad our cabins were on the main deck, especially the last night when my motion sickness patch seemed to lose its effectiveness! (I've decided it was a 56 hour patch not a 72 hour patch!!) The boat had a nice amount of space for relaxing compared with some boats we saw. It was really nice to have only 14 people on the boat and on our tours. I will say I was very glad we were not cruising around when the Tsunami was on the way!

So, again, we had a great time! Thanks so much for all your work setting up such a fun trip. This is the third trip I've taken with Galapagos For Less and they have all been great.

Marcella (USA)
Traveled to: Quito, Otavalo, Cotopaxi & Galapagos Islands

Hi Staci,

We've returned home from our trip and are pleased to report that we had a wonderful time! We particularly enjoyed the Sacred Valley and found the Quechua people to be very welcoming and sincere. Our experience with PFL and Klein was very positive. Everyone was very professional, the customer service was excellent and the itinerary was executed well.

Thanks and best regards,

Norman (US and Canada)
Traveled to: Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Quito and Galapagos

Dear Galapagos For Less,

We had a wonderful trip. All connections and tours were good. The guide in Quito from Klein tours (Ramon) was excellent. The Galapagos tour on Coral II was great.

Thanks for all of your help in planning our last minute trip. We loved Ecuador!

John (Michigan, USA)
Traveled to: Quito & Galapagos Islands

Hi Jennifer,

The trip was fantastic. Everything went off without a hitch. All of our drivers and guides met us on time and helped us with all of our transfers.

I'm very happy that we went with Galapagos For Less. Having that extra assurance that everything was taken care of was worth the extra money spent.

Overall the experience was really nice and worry-free!

Thank you,

Andrea & Julie (USA)
Traveled to: Cusco, Lima & Galapagos Islands

Dear Kelly,

We had a lovely trip, and all the hotels and transfers were perfect. We were very impressed with the guide, Silvia, from Klein Tours in Quito. She was very professional and helpful.

You could not have done any better for us, all was perfect. Also thanks for organizing the Mitad del Mundo - the Equator line in Quito.Wwe really enjoyed it and would not have liked to have missed it.

I also loved my Galapagos For Less T-Shirt and proudly wear it a lot, I was lucky that the size was perfect!

Thanks for everything.

Karen (USA)
Traveled to: Lima, La Paz, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Quito & Galapagos Islands

Hello Kelly,

Overall the trip was great and we will always look back with pleasure. Highlights would be Galapagos and the train ride from Cuzco to Puno.

Recommended dining was good - we enjoyed Cusco's Inka Grill & Chez Maggy and Lima's Astrid y Gaston.

Overall, very fond memories - thanks for your support.

Kind regards,

Ian & Barbara (USA)
Traveled to : Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca & Galapagos Islands

Hi Jennifer,

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the entire trip. The Inca trail was extremely challenging and I have to admit, I was not as prepared as I thought. The Galapagos portion of the trip was very relaxing and we were very glad that it came after the Inca trail. It seems that the order of our adventures was perfect! Get used to the area in the jungle, then do the killer hike, then relax on the boat;-D Overall, I would rate the trip wonderful, and all of the people that we met and interacted with were helpful, informative, and pleasant.

Have a wonderful day,

Kenne (USA)
Traveled to: Cusco, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Puerto Maldonado, Lima, Quito & Galapagos Islands

Hi Rylee,

We were very impressed with all of our coordinators, guides and drivers; the trip went very smoothly, and everyone was so knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you for setting it all up! The trip was great. The Galapagos expedition was fabulous, as were Cusco and Machu Picchu. Thanks again for all of your help!

Debbie (Georgia, USA)
Traveled to: Lima, Cusco, Quito & Galapagos Islands

Hi Jennifer,

I had a great time in Peru and Ecuador and a smooth ride back home. I had a great time with Jaqui everywhere that we went and I am currently planning another trip to Peru in a few months to see her again. I feel very fortunate for having seen Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, given the events have occurred this past week. Even though we did not have much time in Quito, we did have the opportunity to visit the equator.

 Standing on that imaginary line was a very unique experience for me. I already knew about the Coriolis Effect and the rotation of fluids in the northern and southern hemispheres, however, I had no idea that a person's balance was so bad when standing on that line. That was quite a learning experience. I enjoyed all the excursions to the islands and the beaches. The (Galapagos) islands are wonderful. This is definitely a place that I would want to visit again one day.

The entrance tickets for Machu Picchu and the bus tickets for Jacqueline were booked for a foreigner and not for a Peruvian. As a result, the guide that met us at the Aguas Calientes station took Jaqui's old bus and entrance tickets and refunded the money, so that the less expensive tickets for a Peruvian national could be bought.

I really enjoyed my time in Peru and Ecuador. Thank you.

Rad (Canada and Peru)
Traveled to: Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands

Hi Kristina,

First let me say that overall our trip was amazing! We truly enjoyed the experience and it's a trip memories and friends to last a lifetime!

Cuzco: The hotel was awesome! Our tour guide Kristina was very helpful. We didn't have to think; she walked us through everything and made it very easy for us to be in a foreign place.

Tour to sacred valley was great! Our guide was great and we really liked going to the sights and town afterwards. The tour place is heavily involved in community projects and helps local farmers and local people and schools which was really nice. I highly recommend it. He was a lot of fun too.

Machu Picchu: We loved our tour guide! He was great! We are so glad we took that tour when we first arrived! Kristina gave us good ideas for the second day in Machu Picchu also. The first day we hiked to the sun gate which was a bit challenging but nice. The second day we waited in line early to be able to climb Waynu Picchu. I highly recommend this. Hotel in Machu Picchu was awesome but unfortunately we got there when it was dark and left in the morning before sun came up so didn't get to enjoy it much but it was fabulous.

The Aida Maria and Dario as our tour guide was prob the best experience of our life. We loved the tour, loved Galapagos and met some friends we will have for life. I can go on and on about it. If I were to do it again, I would stay another 2 days in the Galapagos to visit the 2 main islands which the cruise does not go to.

I've already recommended you to my mother and two other friends that are interested in going to South America. I will spread the word! Thank you for all your help making our honeymoon the perfect trip!

Mindy (New Jersey, USA)
Traveled to: Cusco, Machu Picchu, Quito & Galapagos Islands