Sail the Galapagos with Darwin's great great grandson
To mark a number of special Galapagos themed anniversaries, Reef & Rainforest Tours is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Charles Darwin’s great, great grandson Randal Keynes on a special, exclusive fundraising cruise (in aid of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos Conservation Trust) around the Galapagos. The trip sets sail on 24th October 2009 and is personally hosted by Randal Keynes who is actively involved in the conservation of the Galapagos.
Randal has dedicated a lifetime to studying Darwin and boasts a treasure chest of information and anecdotes about his famous relative; this will form an integral part of this educational and enlightening experience through his on-board lectures and participation in the daily land visits made by the MV Eclipse during her seven-night voyage through the archipelago.
You’ll also be treated to behind-the-scenes access to the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, which will be complemented by other events such as an invitation-only cocktail hosted by Her Majesty the Queen’s Ambassador to Ecuador at the British Embassy residence in Quito, and a private reception and dinner.
From the comfort of MV Eclipse, guests will be able to explore this remarkable island ecosystem which so enthralled Darwin, with dedicated naturalist guides and plenty of opportunities to hike, swim, snorkel, kayak and watch wildlife. With a maximum capacity of 48 passengers this cruise is sure to offer the ultimate intimate Galapagos wildlife experience.
Despite restrictions on the numbers of tourists to places like Galapagos, I can’t help wondering how they will ultimately change the place.
If you want to see Galapagos as an armchair traveller, try the film ‘Master and Commander’ starring Russell Crowe. As well as being a great film it also includes some stunning scenery of Galapagos.
For the price of the Galapago’s, I really feel that there are more luxurious places to visit (Male, Bora Bora). Also, this seems like more of a cruise than actually sailing. Not my cup of tea, but to each their own!
I always thought the idea of going to the Galapagos Islands was to experience the truely unique environment rather than look for luxury, as Kendal indicated above. A friend of mine recently visited the islands and said that the trip by boat was a great way to see and expereince different parts and wildlife.
I also thought that they restricted the number of visitors to the islands to try and keep some kind of control on the environment as best they can.
Short of visiting I sure David Attenbourgh has visited and done a programme on it – will have to be the next best thing for the moment!