Galapagos WildlifeThe foremost attraction of the islands for visitorsis the fearlessness of the animals, enabling you toenjoy one of your closest ever encounters withnature. The birdlife is abundant, with albatross,penguins, boobies, frigate birds, flamingos,cormorants and finches among the species youare likely to see. Reptiles are most famouslyrepresented by Lonesome George, believed to bethe last surviving giant tortoise from the island ofLa Pinta, and there are numerous marine iguanas,golden land iguanas and colourful lava lizards. No amount of photos will prepare you for thesheer number of sea lions seen across thearchipelago. In addition, there is a smallpopulation of fur seals. The diversity of thewildlife is not solely reserved for terra firma withan estimated 400 species of fish roaming theGalapagos waters. Exploring the GalapagosExploration of the Galapagos is either undertakenon an expedition cruise vessel or as part of apackage from a hotel or lodge. No two days inthe islands are the same due to the enormousdiversity of landscapes, flora and fauna, but eachday tends to start with an early rise. Every visitorsite is approached on a panga (small inflatablespeedboat) where a wet or dry landing awaits.Wet landings will involve taking the panga to theshoreline and disembarking into the edge of thesurf whereas some visitor sites have jettiesconstructed to allow for a dry landing. In groups that will number a maximum of 16 (this is the maximum passenger to guide ratioallowed by the Galapagos National Park), you willexplore each visitor site on foot, maybe with anoptional snorkelling excursion afterwards. Theprocess is repeated in the afternoon at anotherarea of interest, perhaps rounded off with sometime on a beach. Back on board the boat or inyour hotel there will be time for a drink andsome dinner before a briefing on the followingday's activities. Most people tend to go to bedearly in Galapagos thanks to the combination offresh air and new experiences, and in preparationfor the following morning's adventures.www.audleytravel.com/ecuador ?01993 838 655 ?Ecuador & the Galapagos41Audley in theGalapagosWith the wealth of options available,planning a trip to the Galapagos canseem like a daunting prospect. We hope this is where we can help as ourspecialists have travelled extensively tothe islands with Audley. We havearranged trips for over 2,500 clients inthe last ten years so have all of theirexperience and feedback to draw on.We offer a hand-picked choice ofexpedition vessels and comfortablehotels which we believe will provide aperfect base for your Galapagos trip. This information iscollated together with inspirationalfeatures and answersto commonly askedquestions in our dedicatedbrochure. Please call ourspecialists on01993 838 635for your copy.GALAPAGOSTAILOR-MADEJOURNEYSFORTHEDISCERNINGTRAVELLERSea lion pupGiant tortoiseNazca boobiesBlue-footed boobyMarine iguanaFlightless cormorant

When to go??The best time to travel.?A good time to travel, but there may be some factors to be aware of.~Travel is possible, but this is not the best time of year.?Travel is not recommended.Ecuador hosts visitors all year-round. The Andeanhighlands are very much an archetypal 'fourseason in one day' destination, and the altitudemeans that it is always cold at night. As a roughguide the driest months in the Andes are May toOctober although the rains do not arrive inearnest until January. Conversely, althoughgenerally hot and wet year round, the driermonths in the Ecuadorian Amazon tend to bebetween December and April. The Galapagos can be visited year round although Septembercan be cooler and the seas choppier.Time difference:GMT-5 hoursFlight time from UK:16 hoursPricesWe offer trips to cater for a wide range ofbudgets. You can find up-to-date guideline prices for your trip to Ecuador on our website,alternatively please call our specialists to discuss your plans.Tailoring your tripThe itineraries shown are designed to give you aflavour of what is possible, and are routes thatwork particularly well. We can use these as abasis to plan your trip or can design a completelydifferent itinerary to suit your tastes and interests.Please call one of our Ecuador specialists to startplanning your itinerary.Telephone: 01993 838 655Getting aroundBeing a small country most of Ecuador can betravelled by road but a good network of flightscan speed up a number of journeys, particularly asthe majority of Ecuadorian roads are something ofa bumpy ride. The Amazon and Galapagos areonly accessible by air.42JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec?????????????????La Compañia church, QuitoOtavaloGalapagosIslandsQuitoColours of EcuadorEnjoy a fascinating trip to mainland Ecuador,including the historical centre of Quito and thecolourful markets of the north, before heading tothe Galapagos Islands for your closest everencounter with wildlife.Day 1Fly from the UK to Quito.Day 2Enjoy a guided tour of the highlightsof Quito.Day 3Take a full day trip to the colourfulmarket towns of Otavalo and thesurrounding area.Days 4-7Fly to the Galapagos and board yourchosen vessel. Daily excursions onthe islands sailing overnight to yournext destination.Day 8Disembark your vessel and transferto a Galapagos hotel for a two nightstay.Day 9Relax by the pool or undertake some additional excursions within the Galapagos.Day 10Fly to Guayaquil, on the Ecuadorianmainland, connecting with your flight home.Day 11Arrive in the UK.Stay longerSpend more time in the Galapagos by taking alonger voyage on your chosen vessel, or choose toexplore the Avenue of Volcanoes or the Amazon.Frigate bird, Galapagos IslandsHat seller, Otavalo marketGuayaquil