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| Custom Designed Itinerary |  |
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| Emphasis on Photography | ||||
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| Your Trip Questions Answered | ||||
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Middlemen Better Price Personalized Service |
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| Top Quality Hand-Picked Naturalist Guide | ||||
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| Comfortable, Well Operated Ship | ||||
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| No Surprises! | ||||
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| Experience Small Scale Tourism | ||||
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| Questions or Comments? | ||||
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Custom Designed Itinerary Because we charter the entire ship, we get to design our own exclusive itineraries. Our itineraries were developed after having consulted with experienced naturalist guides, and with recommendations from Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park Service senior staff. They give you the opportunity to see the greatest diversity of wildlife and landscapes in an 8 day cruise. In particular, all of our itineraries include the less frequented outer reaches of the archipelago's west side. Here, cold and nutrient rich waters reach the surface and provide nourishment to a great abundance and diversity of wildlife - from time to time, pods of up to 1,000 bottle nosed dolphins are spotted in these waters, whales breach, and frothing masses of tuna churn the sea's surface as they pursue their prey (please remember though that none of this is guaranteed - every cruise is different). In addition, our itinerary will give you more opportunities to snorkel - you'll have the chance to get into the water one, two, and sometimes three times a day. Galapagos underwater life is as unique as its terrestrial life - for this reason, the Galapagos Marine Reserve was recently established. Where else can you swim with penguins, sharks (the non-agressive kind of course!), sea lions, sea turtles and schools of thousands of tropical fish, sometimes during the same snorkel outing? Back To Top |
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Emphasis
on Photography Galapagos is a photographer's dream come true. Dramatic landscapes are the backdrop for a multitude of apparently "tame" species of diverse wildlife. Close ups of nesting birds, chicks, penguins, tortoises, iguanas... are all possible. Our naturalist guides are themselves experienced amateur photographers and will always be ready to advise you on best photo opportunities, lighting, strategies. Back To Top |
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No
Middlemen / Better Price / Personalized Service Most cruises in Galapagos are sold through a surprisingly long chain of intermediaries, starting in Galapagos and ending with your travel agent. Each intermediary takes a cut on the price you pay, driving the cost of your cruise upward. Our charter cruise is organized and run by two professional parties - 1) the ship owner and operator and 2) an experienced, certified travel agent. With the added support of our Galapagos expert, prospective cruise participants can be assured that they will receive quality, personalized service for a very competitve price. Back To Top |
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Quality Hand-Picked Naturalist Guide The Galapagos National Park Service requires that cruise ships contract at least one naturalist guide per 16 passengers. These guides are formally trained by the Park, with support from the Charles Darwin Research Station. Because the guide plays such a critical role during the entire cruise, your complete Galapagos experience is very much dependant on his or her ability to convey to you the mysteries and wonders of the islands. Currently there are approximately 380 guides certified by the National Park. They are rated as level 1, 2 or 3 guides. Level 3 guides must have a university degree in the biological sciences and be fluent in a foreign language - in our case - English. We choose only from among the very best level 3 guides. Qualities we look for in guides include having an intimate grasp of Galapagos natural history (biological, geological) and ability to convey his/her knowledge in a captivating and entertaining fashion. The guides we work with have published scientific articles, have been invited to speak to groups abroad, have guided in Antarctica... they are among the best. Our guides must also know how to engage passengers, ensuring that they have a memorable overall experience. An excellent guide also has a knack for showing you hidden aspects of Galapagos: caves, snorkeling sites, rarely told stories and where to find that elusive fur seal. Of course, the guide must have an excellent command of the English language and a well developed sense of humour! Back To Top |
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Comfortable,
Safe, Clean and Well-Operated Ship A total of about 80 cruise ships ply the waters of Galapagos, ranging from 90 passenger mini-Caribbean luxury liners to 8 passenger boats. Of course, quality ranges from dark, humid, cramped and cockroach infested skiffs to glitter and glamour vessels. And as usual, one generally gets what one pays for. A US$150 per day cruise may get you an amateury converted fishing boat, while a US$600 per day cruise will get you a top cabin in a luxurious vessel. Finding an ideal ship that combines reasonable price with good quality standards is the challenge. Working directly in Galapagos, our associate has been able to talk to experienced naturalist guides in order to get comments on a variety of ships. Only ships that have been personally inspected by our Galapagos associate are considered for our cruises. Back To Top |
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Surprises! - The Ship You Book Will Be the One on Which You Will Sail From time to time we hear from Galapagos travelers that, at the last minute, their tour company switched the boat on which they were to take their cruise. This happens because agencies selling places on different ships consult each other prior to ship departures in order to consolidate undersold cruises and reduce their costs. Usually travelers are disappointed and feel they have been misled. Unless there are events completely beyond our control, this will not happen with our charters. Back To Top |
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Experience
in Small Scale Tourism CNH Tours has organized exclusive tours to the Yucatan, Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia, Central Mexico/Monarch Butterfly Reserves and Ecuador/Galapagos since 1997. We have a very high rate of return travelers and "word of mouth" travelers. Back To Top |
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/ Comments? Once again, should you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our Galapagos specialist via email. She will be pleased to hear from you. Back To Top |
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CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE TOURS, 2006, All Rights Reserved