Wildlife of Ecuador & Galapagos Trip Review

Natural World Safaris client Tim Barlow fulfilled a lifelong dream when he visited Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. below, he shares with us some of his memories and photos from the trip.

"Natural World Safaris has become my partner in exploring new areas of the world and I've enjoyed some incredible trips, creating a lifetime of memories including trekking with the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda and enjoying intimate encounters with orangutans and proboscis monkeys in Borneo. My latest NWS trip took me to Ecuador and a week in the Galapagos archipelago."

Arriving in Ecuador, my guide and driver treated me to an excellent mountain biking trip on the Pululahua Volcano, a dormant volcano in the north of Quito. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the Equatorial Line (Latitude 0). I then enjoyed the rest of the day sightseeing in the beautiful colonial capital city, Quito.

The following day was a hike in Cotopaxi National Park and wildlife sanctuary, established around the highest active volcano in the world. The high plain and paramo surrounding Cotopaxi’s massive cone is an amazing place to hike and as the weather was cooperating we were able to trek up the volcano to the edge of the glacier peak where I was treated to a stunning view and a very unique environment.

Next on my adventure, the Galapagos Islands. As a professional biologist, I was first inspired by the writings of Charles Darwin and I had always dreamt of visiting the famous archipelago. Finally my dream came true; it was one of the most amazing weeks of my life.

The visits to the islands of South Plaza, Santa Cruz, Chinese Hat, Santiago, Genovesa, North Seymour, Santa Fe, and Floreana were all unique and very special in their beauty, topography and wildlife. Our guide, Samuel, was a wealth of knowledge and good humor. In between trips to the islands we enjoyed snorkeling and other water activities. The snorkeling was outstanding and a surprise highlight of the trip. There was never a dull moment.

I had never spend more than a day out to sea and so had been apprehensive about a week out on the Pacific Ocean but the MV Evolution and crew made this a luxurious and extremely comfortable trip. In fact the accommodations exceeded all expectations.

I plan on making the Galapagos a regular trip; it was that memorable and enjoyable. But first NWS has put together another great adventure for me this spring and next, I am off to Costa Rica.

Safe travels Tim, we look forward to reading your next trip report!