This was a trip we have wanted to do all our adult lives and it met our expectations in every way – superbly well arranged, excellently managed, first-class in every respect. I will remember it to my dying day.
We wanted to experience a place where the wildlife considers humankind unimportant. In fact, the Galapagos animals are not unafraid of humans: they ignored us. To stand a few metres from a sea lion and her pup or a nesting blue-footed booby or frigate bird and receive the same lack of interest was fantastic.
We usually like to travel unaccompanied, but this cannot be done in the Galapagos, where you have to be part of a small group. There were about 70 people of all nationalities on board MV Santa Cruz, divided into groups – 13 in ours – each visiting the islands separately with a guide.
The trick with group travel is to ensure yours is composed of people with the same views as you – no problem in the Galapagos, as who goes there if they don’t want to see wildlife? I’d never used our tour operator, Bales Worldwide, before. They were recommended as being the best for what we wanted and I found that to be true.
I have so many favourite bits – like being in a playground in the port town and seeing eight children and an excited dog yelling and leaping, all ignored by five sea lions asleep on the ground around them, one even snoozing on a park bench.
Walking through the nesting-ground of the blue-footed boobies and standing on the beach watching as a sea turtle came up for air about a metre from us was also amazing.
Sightseeing started every day at 8.15am, and we returned late in the afternoon, so we had little time for relaxation except in the evenings. The programmes were strenuous. Landing on the islands from small inflatable boats, dropping over the side into shallow water and wading ashore, then scrambling on to rocks were all part of conforming to the national park’s essential measures to keep the islands pristine. There was considerable walking over rough ground and up hills, covering up to 3km every day. It would not be suitable for anyone with mobility problems, children or those looking to lie on a beach or go nightclubbing. When we did go to the beach, it was to get into wet suits or onto glass-bottomed boats.
The guides were all fully qualified experts and earnest. Sometimes, they gave such detailed descriptions that visitors of a less academic attitude might have found them too intense, but for me they were very good indeed, first-class.
We did have preconceptions that were shattered; for example, the islands were relatively small and close together, whereas in fact they are scattered over 480km of sea and are large to very large – one almost as big as Wales.
The accommodation was fine; the Santa Cruz is a good, solid ship. Our cabin had two single beds with a desk, a cupboard with hanging and shelf space and a tiny en-suite.
There was a sun-deck for the evenings, a small shop, a bar and a restaurant. All the food on the Santa Cruz was excellent.
We found the Galapagos National Park to be well-managed. The rules are strictly enforced – no litter, no food, no flash photography. You must stick to a path at least 1.2m away from wildlife and you must not step on any vegetation.
I also saw no signs of animals being tainted by contact.
Bales Worldwide (www.balesworldwide.com) offers a nine-night “Galapagos and the enchanted isles” holiday, including a four-night cruise on MV Santa Cruz with a stay in Ecuador’s capital Quito, all flights, transfers and sightseeing.
l Dr Patrick Hase is a historian and retired administrative officer from Somerset in the UK - Daily Mail