Galapagos with Teens: Surf or Turf?

Tue, Aug 24, 2010

Senior editor Norie Quintos, who edits the annual Tours of a
Lifetime package in the magazine, just returned from a trip to the Galapagos
and mainland Ecuador with her teen sons. This is the second of a four-part
series. To see the first post, click here.

The biggest logistical decision travelers to the Galapagos
face is whether to go on a boat-based or land-based tour. Each has its pros and
cons and what’s right for the neighbor down the street or your golf buddy isn’t
necessarily what is right for you. And then, of course, there’s the environment
to consider.

Boat-Based Travel

For Americans, the most popular way to travel around the
Galapagos Islands is by live-aboard boat. While traditional 2,000-passenger,
Carnival-style cruise ships are unable to ply these waters, boats that do cruise
the archipelago range in capacity from eight to 100 passengers. (Full
disclosure: National Geographic Expeditions operates two well-regarded ships in
the Galapagos, the 96-passenger Endeavor and the 48-passenger Islander). Boats
vary greatly in level of comfort. Travelers typically fly to Quito or Guayaquil
in mainland Ecuador and take a domestic flight to either San Cristobal or
Baltra in the Galapagos, depending on your ship’s itinerary. Ships have a
repeating eight-day itinerary, which are often split into four-, five- and
eight-day cruises covering two or more of the 60-some islands and islets.
(Next year, some boats will start a 15-day itinerary and by 2012 all boats will
operate 15-day itineraries, which can be split into cruises of four days and
up, without repeating any sites. Because almost 97 percent of the
Galapagos is designated as a national park, landings are pre-determined and
strictly controlled. The daily schedule generally goes something like this:
Breakfast on board; morning landing and excursion via Zodiac; lunch on board;
afternoon excursion; evening sail to next destination.

Land-Based Tours

So-called land-based trips base themselves on one or more of
the four islands inhabited by humans as a base (typically Santa Cruz, San
Cristobal, and Isabela), and use vans or motorboats for day excursions. There
are no high-rise hotel chains on the islands and only two small luxury
properties. More typical are inns, B&Bs, and hostels ranging from
backpacker-style to comfortable. In the past, these were the choice of budget travelers and adventurous Europeans, but
land-based tours are becoming more popular as lodging standards improve and
tour options expand.

To find the best choice, weigh your priorities and look at
the specific options available to you. Here are some factors to consider:

Cost: Land-based tours can be cheaper than cruises because
accommodations tend to be more modest; many packages also exclude some meals.

Comfort: An advantage of the live-aboard boat is that you’ll
only have to unpack once, compared with having to move two or three times on
land. And the most expensive boats are more luxurious than the typical
Galapagos hotel. However, you’ll get far more living space in a hotel than in a
cramped boat cabin. Prone to seasickness? You may prefer spending nights on
land. The caveat is that the smaller boats that take you from one island to
another on a land tour can cause worse seasickness symptoms than the larger
cruise vessels. (In either case, over-the-counter pills or a prescription patch
can help).

Activity Level: High-energy folks may do better on land,
where there are opportunities for longer and more strenuous hikes, snorkeling,
and kayaking. Boat activities are constrained by time limitations and the
fitness level of the majority of the group.

Sustainability: Figuring out which kind of trip is more
environment-friendly is a little like the playing the paper- or plastic-bag
game. There are reasonable arguments on either side. The cruise industry has
been regulated by a strict set of protocols developed over 40 years. Park
naturalists accompany every excursion; guests are not allowed off marked
trails; all food is eaten on board; and waste sorted, carried away, and
recycled. “There has been a well-established system of metrics that has successfully
guided boat-based tourism,” notes Johannah Barry of the Galapagos Conservancy.
Land-based tourism is by comparison relatively new and unregulated; there have
been few if any studies showing their impact on the fragile ecosystems. Barry
worries that land-based tourism involves some recreational activities that are
not normally associated with the Galapagos and may increase the risk of harm to
the environment. “If you want to go horseback riding or surfing, there are
better places than the Galapagos to do it,” he notes. On the plus side, land-based
operators say they don’t travel as far as cruises do, using up less fuel; they
contend that land tours provide more income to the existing local population,
whose former fishing-based livelihood has been decimated by regulations
designed to protect the marine environment. They argue that large Ecuadoran or
international boat companies take much of the money out of the Galapagos.

So, what should responsible travelers do? Choose the travel
style that best suits your needs. Then, find an established operator (whether
land- or boat-based) that shares your concern for the environment by asking
pointed questions about every aspect of the trip. Make sure your operator is a
member of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA), whose members agree to adhere to ecological standards.

Other considerations: Liveaboard boats make more efficient
use of your vacation time because inter-island travel is done while you are
sleeping. Land tours give you more contact with the residents as you patronize
local hotels and restaurants; you’ll also have more opportunity to practice
your Spanish. Tipping is simpler on a cruise: You’ll hand over an envelope at
the end, with the cash being divided among the crew. On land, you’ll have to
pull out your wallet repeatedly, handing out small bills to the seemingly
endless stream of porters and drivers and local guides, in addition to and
end-of-trip gratuity for your main guide.

Avoid problems: Type in “travel Galapagos” on the Web and
you’ll find a bewildering array of travel agents, tour outfitters, and cruise
companies clamoring for your business. Beware of booking though the Internet
with an unknown agency. Some liveaboard boats are not up to Western standards
or may be switched with inferior vessels without notice. A significant number
are not even registered. A U.S.-based operator doesn’t prevent all problems,
but can wield more leverage and be held accountable should an issue arise.

To help me navigate the variety of choices available, I
turned to Seattle-based tour operator Southern Explorations.
Founder and CEO Justin Laycob was a kayaker who fell in love with South America
as a teen, went to school in Ecuador and learned Spanish, and mined his contacts to turn his
travel passion into a business. He custom-designed a trip for us, accommodating
my desire to experience both boat-based and land-based travel in the Galapagos.
He also crafted an extension on the mainland. Because I was bringing my teen
sons, I wanted a boat that would have other active families. Because I was a
single mother, I wanted a friendly environment conducive to social interaction
with other guests. We settled on a boat from the well-rated Ecoventura fleet. The Flamingo 1 accommodated 20 passengers in 10 cabins. There were
eight children ranging in age from 12 to 16. Perfect.

For the land portion, Laycob suggested a customized
multi-sport trip, where we would be snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking through
the islands, and rafting and mountain biking on the mainland. “I’m not good at
hills,” I complained. No problem, we could arrange a mostly downhill ride.
Sold.

All photos by Norie Quintos

In the next posting, Norie and the kids get schooled.

Galapagos Islands – Ecuador – South America – Provinces – Travel and Tourism