We cannot say enough good about CNH Tours, particularly Heather Blenkiron who handled our request. Throughout the whole process of planning our Galapagos island vacation, the personal attention that she paid us made us feel like we were her only clients, knowing full well that we weren't. We found out later that she was a Canadian consular officer on the Islands for several years. She was very knowledgeable and very open and honest in her suggestions. We felt like she was working for us, not for the boat companies. Their pre-tour information book (44 pages!) covered every conceivable issue.

For the full trip report, on an independent website, click here

Gene McCullough, party of 4, on the Eric

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Arranging my own independent trip

Selecting the right Galapagos cruise may seem like a game of chance…

If you are like most of the 110,000 visitors who will come to the Galapagos in the next 12 months, you are probably going to visit these islands just once in your lifetime. You've probably been keeping your eyes open and have noticed several ads in travel magazines and in the travel section of your newspaper. A search on the internet reveals dozens of operators offering cruises to Galapagos. Doing a little research, you'll find that there are over 80 ships of all shapes, sizes and qualities that ply the Galapagos waters, that each seems to follow a different itinerary, for different lengths of time, visiting different islands, and that you must be accompanied by one of over 350 Park certified naturalist guides at all times. Further research reveals a wide range of prices, from as low as US$1900 to as high as US$6,500 for an 8 day cruise, while some include the flight from the continent and/or the Park entrance fee, others don't. And this is only the beginning… By the looks of things, selecting a cruise in the Galapagos without in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the industry is very much a gamble.

CNH Tours wants to stack the odds in your favour…

We would like to put our knowledge and experience at your service in helping you select the cruise that best fits your needs. Unlike so many other tour operators, CNH Tours focuses exclusively on Galapagos, and we actually lived on the islands for four years, having worked with the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park Service. Over the years, we've helped more than 1,000 people arrange the best cruise according to their particular needs, ensuring that they steered clear of ships with questionable reputations, and directing them towards itineraries best meeting their particular expectations (e.g birders, water lovers, physical activity enthusiasts, younger crowds, family friendly cruises, generalists). We put our personal knowledge to your service.

Let CNH Tours do the gambling…

Go ahead and contact us for advice. Our email is: info@cnhtours.com Go ahead and ask us a dozen, or several dozens of questions. We'll be happy to answer, to provide insights, to tell you about ships, guides, itineraries, the pros and cons of different seasons in Galapagos, prices… And in the end, you are free to book your cruise with whomever you please.