Wonderful trip to the Quito and The Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Islands
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Jul 1 - Jul 12, 2024
![Deborah](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/e9ab4383fe8f03ed69966bed99b101b491c26e82/original-a165b78ab4ae208459dff06d74e3ec0a.jpg)
Our trip to the Quito and The Galapagos Islands was fabulous! The services provided by KimKim, especially Anthony who coordinated everything for us, was flawless. Every guide and driver we had were knowledgeable, timely, friendly, and welcomed us to Ecuador with open arms. We loved our trip to the cloud forest with David and our 7 day cruise around the Galapagos islands aboard the Archibel I where we saw tons of birds, sea lions, penguins, rays, and other sea animals. When we needed help making a few important changes on the fly, Anthony made it all happen. We felt very supported by him and the KimKim/Responsible Travel Team before and during our travels.
Hotel Reviews
Great hotel, beautifully appointed room with comfortable bed. Lots of options for the breakfast buffet and for dinner as well. Appreciated the two for one mojitos as well! Hotel has armed security 24/7 and feels safe.
We really enjoyed our time on the Archipel I. The food was delicious and plentiful. The chef put a lot of thought into offering a diverse menu for every meal. The fruit drinks provided whenever we returned from an excursion on shore or aboard the dingy were a great treat. The rooms are comfortable, with ample amount of space for storing luggage and clothing. On the first part of the trip we were in a room at the front of the boat which was particularly bumpy, especially because of the route we were on. For the second half of the trip, we moved to a room at the back of the boat which we found a lot less bumpy. The sea may have been less wavy either way but we liked being in the back better and really appreciated the opportunity to move. Overall, the staff on this boat are super.
La Palma Polo Club is a unique experience and location! Our room was HUGE. Loved all the windows and rustic decor. Only thing missing was a desk. Food was good at the restaurant too. Enjoyed walking the grounds. There are not many rooms so you feel like you are at a special place . We only stayed one night before catching our flight so we didn't use the pools or the spa.
Activity Reviews
![Moreno Point - Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/0f5446748216855d21b9c1fa5b8e45c7dfee9694/medium-133b2882a940e4143fce629ff860953f.jpg)
![Espinoza Point (Fernandina Island) - Vicente Roca Point (Isabela Island)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/trip_plan/days/photos/9c450dd1dfa6d155898aff82d465102fd381fae5/medium-1e956abc41a01231688bf325acff9c90.jpg)
![Black Turtle Cove - Flamingos and Relax in Bachas Beach](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/51cb82a8ecf6126aeb6f300aa2b774ae73d00f6d/original-65c7ec6ce11439c179b0962871d2a5b1.jpg)
![Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/0052d0c013939a17f8e7f3d14b06e06734d2418b/original-0ae02b13b2cbe46b3cc6dc1d693a7a72.jpg)
Really enjoyed the Middle of the World experience. Very fun and worthwhile. We also enjoyed the tour of old Quito and the view of the city from the Virgin of Quito statue overlooking the city was outstanding!
![Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/45a3508802b626f74f016b45899fce66925139d6/original-c9c4adc73e87e02899e209cd04c3488d.jpg)
Smooth transfer with lots of time to check in at the airport.
![Arrival to Quito](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/32941ed0568dc39abc3dc34a29a63ed8c2afc597/medium-65be899e99ccb535885150792a15695e.jpg)
Friendly driver met us at the airport and we had a smooth transfer to our hotel for the evening.
![Birding Day in the Cloud Forest](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/e5cd9ee73bb09a4ac6cf53efddb8ff329290bf51/medium-94849fa572aa9f7e39a0e601b91ebccf.jpg)
Our guide knew of a few "private" birding locations where locales set up bananas and other fruit to attract birds to their property, including hummingbirds. These locations did not disappoint! We saw dozens of colorful and unique birds and were able to feed a vast array of beautiful hummingbirds. We also went to the butterfly refuge which was okay. The highlight there was seeing two kinds of toucans and a sunbittern on or near the property.
![Baltra Airport - Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre (Santa Cruz)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/e23d172324999dba446a96490c62a20e75c4b3e8/medium-ab94d23d6e533e00f569c45620d000ec.jpg)
We are glad we saw the breeding center but it is nothing like seeing the giant tortoises in the wild! The breeding center focuses a lot on educating visitors about the tortoises and the Galapagos ecosystem. The baby tortoises from various islands was interesting to see.
![Twin Craters - El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz Island) - Transfer Out to Baltra Airport](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/4ebe6010bb56033b6e6fbca3789ae4ab08f72c08/original-831f1ec08dff549ed033f2e6742578bf.jpg)
We stopped by the twin craters on our way to the airport. It was cool to see the crater (we actually only had time to see one) but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. The time we spent seeing the wild giant tortoises on property nearby was more worthwhile. There were so many of them - both male and female.
![Exploring Genovesa Island: Prince Philip Steps and Darwin Bay](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/trip_plan/days/photos/2040148666147ba5d4fce4231d6d547214a80c14/medium-f854dc84359d2b6c01b493bbd3ff5d33.jpg)
This island was the highlight of our trip! So many birds (red-footed boobys, blue-footed boobys, frigate birds and their chicks), everywhere you looked! Plus several short-eared owls and many other interesting things to see. It is a magical place.
![Bartolome Island - Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/eb7450305a136ba559a69123e821330215c3493e/medium-62e12131aca2eb2e62815b415663a94c.jpg)
This island was another highlight of our trip but not because of the wildlife. The landscape and view from the top is magnificent! Snorkeling after the hike around the cove was lots of fun too.
![Puerto Egas (Santiago Island) - Rabida Island](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/58d8c59b86a54994dddc5cea1a5a1f919fd2ef52/medium-666c840870129dd17003134ffc4845e9.jpg)
![Tamer](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/users/profile_photos/2200f564283e2f9cb4b34e09758416cec9b8d992/original-c74105d87cd4123ef1c4eabe7990c17b.jpg)
I'm so glad to hear that your trip to Quito, the Cloud Forest and the Galapagos Islands was fabulous! It was an absolute pleasure coordinating everything for you and making sure you had a flawless experience. I'm glad to know that you enjoyed your time with our knowledgeable and friendly guides and drivers. It's wonderful that David made your trip to the Cloud Forest memorable and that your Galapagos cruise... Read more