Question 1 :: CNH Tours :: Galapagos Cruises

This brief overview gives you a good idea of the trip we’ve organized for Christmas and New Year’s 2010 – 2011. CNH Tours owners lived in Galapagos for 4 years and know the islands and its people well. We’ve also spent a good deal of time in Quito and are confident you’ll enjoy this part of the trip as well. Both Quito and the Galapagos Islands were inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List for very good reasons!

You will find information below on your hotel, your ship, and a description of the itinerary.

Upon receiving your deposit, we will invite you to select a cabin on a first booked first served basis.

Hotel Quito was the first major international style hotel built in Quito, in the 1950`s. It is located on a ridge separating the city of Quito on the front, with the deep inter-Andean valley below, offering one of the most spectacular views in the city. Renovated extensively in the early 2000’s, it has been able to re-claim its spot as a modern hotel, with all the modern facilities including a very large outdoor heated pool. CNH Tours offers you delicious complimentary buffet breakfasts at the Roof of the World restaurant along with the hotel’s New Year’s Eve dinner celebration.

The Tip Top II is a comfortable, well-maintained steel-hulled motor vessel operated by Rolf Wittmer Tours. Designed for 18 passengers, it carries only 16, making it a bit roomer than the typical 16 passenger ships. Combined with a spacious, indoor salon and generous deck space outdoors, the ship is roomy and comfortable.

Rolf Wittmer Tours has a long history in Galapagos – the Wittmers being among the first settlers on Floreana Island back in the1920’s. There is a fascinating and mysterious story to read about these early pioneers and their neighbours. Their grandson, Rolf Wittmer, now oversees a well-run and well-established tour company focusing on 4 Galapagos cruise ships.

ACCOMODATION: Nine air-conditioned double cabins, each with private bathroom. Sleeping arrangements in each of the double cabins are upper and lower bunk beds, the lower bunks of cabins 1 & 2 are ¾ sized beds,easily accommodating a couple.

Equipment: Twin DAFF diesel engine 220 HP, Carterpillar 250 HP, two generators each of 21 & 12.5 KW for 110V & 220V A/Cand 12V & 24V D/C, Furuno radar, GPS, VHF & SSB radios, bidirectional emergency radios two tenders with outboard motors, color TV, video equipment.

Safety Equipment: Twin 24 miles range Furuno radar's; Apelco Loran echosounder; GP-50 Furuno GPS; MC-7000 SSB radio; M125 Icom VHFradio; ACR RLB-23 Epirb; Silva 150 magnetic compass, barometer; clock; thermometer; helm indicator; searchlight; horn, twin Elliot inflatable liferafts for 12 passengers each (Solas 74/83); 50 life jackets; fire & smoke detectors; complete fire system; twin 17 feet tender with 25 HP outboard motorfor 12 passengers each. Safety equipment complies with international Coast Guard regulations.

Arrival in Quito, Overnight at Hotel Quito. Independent transfer to hotel (we will provide instructions on how to get a taxi at the airport, for those who wish, or, to book a private pick-up service by the hotel).

Free day. If your flight doesn't arrive too late (i.e. European arrivals), you'll have the chance to explore the town a little in the evening.

Buffet breakfast at Hotel Quito and then prepare yourself for a 9AM departure to experience the World Heritage Site of Quito!

For detailed information on this site and its World Heritage Status, we invite you to visit: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/2.

You will spend your afternoon at the Middle of the World Monument to the Equator, where the group will have lunch and see the local cultural sites. This is your chance to actually straddle the equator, with one foot in each hemisphere!

Early breakfast and group transfer to Quito National Departures areafor your flight to Galapagos.

Upon arrival at the National Departures Area of the Quito Airport, you will be metby your Tip Top II Representative who will assist you with checking in, passing through quarantine and wishing you well on your journey to the Enchanted Isles. You will have to acquire your Tourist card here ($10) – TBD. This card helps the authorities keep track of potential illegal immigrants to the islands.

FLIGHT, QUITO – GALAPAGOS. This will consist of a 35 minute hop to Guayaquil (try to get window seats on and cross your fingers for a clear day –you should be able to see several towering snow capped volcanoes during the first half of the flight – try again on the way back). The plane will drop off and pick up passengers in Guayaquil,and you’ll continue on for a 1.5 hour flight to the Galapagos.

Late morning – noon-ish arrival in Galapagos (exact time TBD). Galapagos is 1 hour behind the mainland time zone.

Please have your USD$ 100.00 Park fee(cash). You will be met by your Naturalist Guide at the Baltra Island Airport and then proceed directly to your ship, the M/Y Tip Top II.

Las Bachas is a beautiful white-sand beach on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island. This is a good place to start your Galapagos visit, test your marine legs and go for a first swim. Sea turtles lay their eggs at the edge of the vegetation: be sure to obey the signs to stay away. There are a couple of salt lagoons behind the sandy berm: lucky visitors will spot a flamingo or two.You can also look for a rusted pontoon, a relic of the Second World War (the Americans had a big base on Baltra island – to protect the Panama Canal from possible Japanese attack). In fact, “bachas” is a poor pronunciation of “barges,” two of which were wrecked offshore at that time: the locals mispronounced the name and it stuck.

Located south of Santiago island, Rabida is one of the most volcanically varied islands in the chain. It consists of eroded hills and lava emitted from spatter cones, resulting in the island's striking colors. A visit begins with a wet landing on the deep maroon colored northern beach.

Marine iguanas and sea lions are often seen resting in the shade of the caves nearby. Behind the beach is the salt brush home where the brown pelicans make their nests. Rabida may be the only opportunity visitors have to see pelicans nesting up close. On the cliffs above the pelicans, blue-footed and masked boobies can be seen.

Following the path visitors arrive at a small saltwater lagoon where pink flamingos, Bahama pintail ducks and common stilts are frequently seen feeding. Rabida offers the best lagoons in the islands for viewing flamingos.

Bartolome is one of the most photographed scenes of Galapagos, Pinnacle Rock lies on this small island. You'll take an extensive snorkel here, where colourful fish abound, with a few friendly sharks and sea turtles. If you’re lucky, you may end up swimming along with a pair of busy penguins, rapidly darting about the rocks in search for food. You'll also have the chance to hike to the top of the island and have a look at its field of spatter cones.

Located in the northeast part of Galapagos, this relatively small island is a low-lying volcano rising just above the ocean surface. Tower is an oasis for sea birds. Having arrived at Tower entering into Darwin's Bay can be a challenge for the captain and crew, who must cross a shallow-narrow channel into the caldera itself to anchor at the base of the steep crater walls. Once inside the volcano birds are visible by the thousands.

Tower attracts an enormous number of pelagic seabirds that come there to nest. Great frigate birds, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels all breed here by the thousands.

Though there are two official visitor sites on the island, due to conservation concerns visits to Prince Phillip's Steps are limited. Vessels with fewer than 40 passengers are the only ones permitted by the National Park Service (you're in luck!). Most ships visit Darwin'sBay, which offers a fantastic opportunity to see the island's birds.

AM: Santa Cruz Highlands, Santa Cruz. Dry Landing. You will have the opportunity to see Galapagos Giant Tortoises in the “semi” wild . This is also one of the best sites for watching land birds: Darwin's Finches, Vermilion Flycatchers, and Galapagos Doves. The land visit may last2-3 hours.

PM: Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz: You’ll strol lto the shared Galapagos National Park Service/Charles Darwin Research Station site. On the outside it looks like a sleepy research station perched on the edge of the scientific world, but looks are deceiving. This is one of the most bustling, conservation-minded organizations in Galapagos. This is where CNH Tours was conceived when we lived and worked at the Charles Darwin Research Station between 1998-2002.

The Plazas Islands are twin islands located off the east coast of Santa Cruz.North Plaza is closed due to scientific research and South Plaza is the visitor site. Both islands were formed by geological uplift. The islands tilt to the north. The island's southern portion having a greater degree of uplift contain cliffs with spectacular views.

Visiting South Plaza begins with a dry landing. The rocky trail circumnavigates the island displaying the combination of dry and coastal vegetation zones. The island is home to enormous prickly pear cactus and the endemic succulent sesuvian. These succulents with almond-shaped leaves are green during the rainy season December-May. Then become red during the dry season giving the island an unusual appearance.

South Plaza has one of the largest populations of land iguanas in the Galapagos. The iguanas seem to be everywhere once you land.These larger than average yellow-brown land iguanas feed on the fruit and pads of the prickly pear cactus.

Home to one of the most beautiful coves in all the Galapagos, Santa Fe was formed from an uplift (rather than a volcano) giving the island a relatively flat surface rather than the typical conical shape of the other islands.

Goats were eradicated in 1971, and Santa Fe is home to a number of endemic species, which have bounced back from the outside threat. They include the Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos Snake, rice rats, a variety of finch and the Galapagos Mockingbird.

Visits to Santa Fe begin with a panga ride across the lovely turquoise lagoon. Once ashore you are brought into contact with of the many sea lion colonies in the Galapagos. Bulls vie for the right of beach master while cows laze in the sun.

The short loop trail behind the beach and along the coast leads past the salt bushes where Galapagos Hawks can easily be approached. Hiking towards the cliffs leads you to a forest of prickly pear cactus. A member of the cactus family their name comes from the pear shaped fruit the plant produces. Santa Fe's trees are the largest in the Galapagos. Santa Fe is home to endemic land iguanas. These iguanas are the largest in the islands and they are beige to chocolate brown in color and resemble small dinosaurs. Reaching the summit there is a stunning view of the cove beneath.

AM: Gardner Bay. Wet Landing. Snorkel, panga-ride, kayaking and beach combing (just for pictures). Another pristine beach - a wonderful spot for a refreshing swim. Discover yet another species of Galapagos mockingbird (you might actually spot this aggressive bird pecking at your shoelaces!). Later in the afternoon, you'll have a chance to snorkel around Turtle Island- another wonderful snorkeling experience.

PM: Punta Suarez. The scene here is dramatic. We'll start with a short hike through coastal vegetation (red/green marine iguanas aplenty, and sea lions too) and pass through blue-footed booby nesting colonies before we arrive at the top of a high ridge of cliffs. Other sea birds abound here, red-billed tropic birds among them, and the sea below is dramatic as Pacific swells born of distant storms pound the volcanic shoreline. A popular blowhole sends jets of spray high into the air. Snorkeling opportunity – with a lot of sea lion company.

AM: Post Office Bay. Wet Landing. Snorkel, panga-ride and kayaking: A wet landing at a not very scenic location. However, what it lacks for in appearance it makes up for in history. In the late 18th Century, whaling ships started to leave letters for home in a barrel. The idea was that ships on their outward voyage would leave letters for ships on the homeward voyage to collect. The tradition has continued and it is possible to leave postcards which will be collected by other tourists from the same part of the world and posted by them. In the sameway, one is expected to collect any cards that it is possible to post. The post office barrel is above the beach in an area with palo santo trees and mimosa. Walking through this vegetation one comes to an abandoned site where there was a short-lived Norwegian fish drying and canning operation. This lasted for about two years from 1928.

After visiting Post Office Bay, the group has a wonderful snorkeling opportunity at Devil’s Crown, a small islet of jumbled rocks. It is an old spatter cone that has been eroded by the sea. It is one of the best places in Galapagos to snorkel.

PM: Punta Cormorant. Wet Landing: Named not after the bird but a US ship, there is a wet landing onto a, literally, green beach - so coloured because it is made from olivine crystals (volcanic silicates of magnesium and iron). Pencil sea urchins remains may be found on the beach. A short walk inland and the trail comes to a brackish lagoon. This is home to one of the biggest populations of flamingos in the archipelago. Also present are pintail ducks and stilts. The trail crosses a narrow neck of land and comes to a white beach on the eastern side of the island. Ghost crabs inhabit the beach,and rays and turtles can be seen in the sea.

The visitor trail on North Seymour is approximately 2 km in length crossing the inland of the island and exploring the rocky coast. Along the way the trail passes colonies of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds.

The magnificent frigate bird, a large black bird with a long wingspan, and a hooked beak, is extremely fast and has excellent vision. Frigate birds are known for the large red pouch on their necks. During mating season the males throw back their heads, inflate the pouch (sometimes to the size of a soccer ball), and shake trying to capture the attention of female frigates. Boobies and frigates share an interesting relationship. Sharing the same nesting area on North Seymour blue-footed boobies nest on the ground making their nests from the twigs of the fragrant palo santo trees, while the magnificent frigate bird nests just above them in the salt bushes.

From the shore, you can see Daphne Major island offshore – this is where natural selection was actually first scientifically demonstrated – for a fascinating story, read the book “The Beak of the Finch”.

Late morning drop off at Baltra island airport – flight back to the continent, transfer to Hotel Quito.

Free afternoon. CNH Tours has booked you for the New Year’s eve celebration dinner at the hotel - celebrate New Year's in Ecuadorian style.

Buffet breakfast. This morning marks the official end of your Active Galapagos tour. We hope you had the time of your life! Please note that you are responsible for your return land transfer to the International Departures Area of the Quito Airport for your departure from Ecuador. You might want to arrange for the transfer with the hotel concierge on the day before.

A much more detailed, 50+ page “Galapagos Voyage Guide” written by us, specifically for you, will be provided upon booking. It will include a great deal more practical information, reading lists,climate information, health and safety recommendations, and more.

See: http://www.margret-wittmer.com/