Happy Gringo Review
by Peter Goldsworthy
(South Africa)
The whole package was incredible. Wildlife, snorkeling, the food and even just sitting on the deck of the boat while sailing at night. I had no disappointments nor any regrets of this Galapagos cruise trip.
Operator Performance
I used Happy Gringo Travel from Quito, Ecuador.
They were fantastic; excellent and we used them again when booking for the Amazon rainforest.
They are very professional, friendly and efficient and I would recommend them to anyone.
We heard of them from a travel agency in South Africa who had done some travelling in Ecuador.Getting there
We had an easy flight, no problems whatsoever. We flew with Tame.Boat and Guide
The Darwin takes 16 passengers and 6 crew members. I would recommend this boat as the Captain, crew and food was excellent.
I would not recommend going on a larger boat as this would make the logistics of activities on each island more difficult. The crew members of Darwin however were very efficient and we had a fantastic time.
Our guide was brilliant (not sure of his level) but his knowledge of the area including bird and animal life as well as the volcanic history of the Galapagos was flawless.
No internet connection on the boat but internet cafés available on Santa Cruz (4th day of our trip). There is a power source in each cabin aboard the yacht and charging camera batteries is not a problem.Weather and Sea Conditions
The weather was overcast but warm for the first 3 days then sunny and warm for the rest.
I fortunately did not get sick however my wife took medication to avoid it. She says that the medicine worked well and seasickness did not spoil her trip.
Having said that the weather was kind to us and the sea was calm during our sailing days. The Darwin yacht provided seasickness tablets in case passengers had not brought with them.Wildlife
The snorkelling was incredible! The visibility cannot be beaten, at least 25 meter visibility underwater.
The sea life is amazing and, similar to the land wildlife, is very approachable. One can swim to within arm's reach of turtles, sharks and a multitude of fish.
We saw sea lions, fur seals, many species of bird including blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigates, swallow-tailed gulls and hundreds more!
Land and marine iguana's are abundant on almost all the islands.Typical Day
Breakfast at 0700, morning excursion at 0730 (snorkelling or walk on one of the islands), lunch at 1230, afternoon excursion at 1430. Next day briefing at 1800, dinner at 1830.Tips and Advice
I would recommend that visitors enjoy a cruise to visit the islands as, although expensive, is the only way to properly appreciate the different flora and fauna specific to each island. If one was to stay in Santa Cruz and take day trips, I do not believe that you would have as enjoyable an experience.
Don't forget: bathing suit and sun block.
If you have an underwater camera, take it!
Back to Index
