Tour & Cruise Ecuador's Galapagos Islands Of South America

For those looking to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Stanford Travel Systems offers a wide variety of cruise options for three, four and seven night cruises in the Galapagos Islands. See a wide variety of ships and cruise options combined with hotel accommodations tours and transfers on the mainland of Ecuador

Oh, did I mention they fly and have blue feet...What, you were expecting something else. Hey your too old anyway to reminisce about anything more than blue footed birds, remember I'm talking about memories for your much later years.

So, for now plan your tour and cruise to the Galapagos Islands so you can have more than just a pair of blue footed boobies to remember.

When I think of the difference between Stanford Travel Systems and other companies that run tours and process cruise packages in Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, and Peru including Machu Picchu, I am struck by the high amount of professionalism our staff shows to our clients year in and year out. The bottom line is, we really do care about our clients, and our record and the quality of our tours, reflects that concern and care. I know it is such a cliché to say, we provide person and professional attention to our tours, so here is an anecdote to emphasize my point.

We had a couple from the mid-west, the Jacksons, scheduled to take a full day tour up to Otavalo and the Otavalo Indian market north of Quito, in Ecuador. One of our best guides, Fabrizzio, was scheduled to pick them up at the hotel for the tour that would take the balance of the day. (I would like to add at this point, that all of our guides are certified and handpicked and many of them are personal friends that we have worked with us for years). When Fabrizzio arrived at their hotel, Mrs. Jackson was complaining of a toothache and said she could not continue the tour, because of the amount of pain she was having. Fabrizzio took the initiative to find a local dentist he knows, and arranged an appointment for Mrs. Jackson that same morning. After the appointment, Mrs. Jackson reported that she felt much better and they were able to continue with the full day tour.

Most clients would have had to remain in the hotel and never finish their tour. Now, I am not suggesting that we offer medical and dental check-ups as part of our Ecuadorian tours, just that I don't know of any other company in Ecuador or the Galapagos Islands, which would provide that level of service for a client to solve such a problem and save the tour and the day for the passenger. Needless to say, clients like that will appreciate the care they received, and refer us on to their friends and relatives.

Regarding the Galapagos Islands, well this is a group of islands that have fascinated humanity for hundreds of years, since their discovery in the 1500's. One thing that strikes the visitor most remarkably on arrival in the Galapagos is the fact that you realize immediately that the Galapagos are one of the few places on earth where the islands are owned by the animals and sea birds and the humans are just visitors there. Wander on to Espanola Island for example, where flocks of sea birds, blue footed and red footed, and nazca boobies, cross your path on foot going about the business of nest building or feeding with no concern for your presence there. Occasionally, a bird will shoot you an inquisitive look as if to say, "What are you doing here". The amazing thing is that the animals and birds have never learned to fear humans, and do tolerate the occasional visit to their island by humans.

I remember once being on the islands of Genovesa. After taking a walking tour of the island, a group of us lay down on the sand to wait for the ship to come back and pick us up for dinner. We were reclining in the midst of a group of swallow-tailed gulls, and there was one, young gull, intent on learning how to fly. One of the passengers next to us elevated her knees to find a comfortable resting pose. As this island is generally very flat, the young gull immediately realized that her knees might possibly be the highest local point on the island. Taking advantage of the situation, this gull actually flew up and perched directly on her knees and proceeded to practice learning how to fly. Where else in the world, would you see such a close proximity between wild animals and birds and human beings? Visiting the Galapagos Islands is an amazing experience for all.

Those who can - should consider Stanford Travel Systems, when you expect more.

Tour operator with high quality tours in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. We have a local office in Quito and use the very best guides. Our clients come back time after time saying that they had the vacation of a lifetime.

The best way to see the Galapagos Islands is by taking a cruise. Only three out of the thirteen major islands are inhabited and these population centers are far from the best and most interesting islands. In general, the large ships such as the Galapagos Explorer II http://www.MVGalapagosExplorer.com or the Galapagos Legend http://www.stanfordtravel.com/ships/galapagos-legend/galapagos_legend.htm that carry up to 100 passengers visit the inner islands on a three night cruise, and the more remote islands on a four night cruise. In general, the larger ships have larger, more comfortable cabins up to all suite size cabins on the MV Galapagos Explorer II. Smaller ships such as Eclipse, forty-eight passengers, offer a full seven night cruise - see http://www.stanfordtravel.com/ships/eclipse/eclipse.htm. The smaller yachts such as the Coral I or Coral II offer Galapagos cruises on yachts that accommodate twenty to thirty passengers. Most of the smaller yachts only offer a full seven night cruise.

As a visitor today you get to witness two great events. The first is the impact man has had on a very delicate Eco system. The next great thing you will witness is the advancements humans have done to stop further destruction and effected a reversal in some instances.