Ecuador and the Galapagos on the Xpedition

We just arrived yesterday from our incredible adventure in Ecuador and the Galapagos. I always enjoy writing a complete review with photos as a way to relive our trip and to share our experiences with fellow cruisers. So , let´s begin our journey.

Background: Cruisers in our story

Myself (Kim)

Alvaro , my husband

Isabella , 14

Felipe , 11

Nicholas , 7

I am an American , married to a Brazilian , living in Brazil.

I booked the Xpedition cruise almost a year ahead of time. I wanted lots of time to plan and dream. I booked the cruise online with an internet agency and did the rest of the planning myself . We opted not to do the Celebrity package , as we wanted to have the freedom to explore Ecuador on our own.

June 24th rolled around and we were the punctually at the airport in São Paulo. To our dismay , our flight to Lima was 2 hours late due to fog , meaning that we would miss our connection to Quito. We were on TAM airlines to Lima.

Upon arrival in Lima , we were met by TAM reps , who informed us that there were no further flights to Quito that day. The rep then asked us if we´d like to make any phone calls ( we called our hotel in Quito and the car rental) , which they paid for. They then transported us to the 5 star Lima Sheraton Hotel , where the set up a private buffet for us to enjoy ( there were 5 other passengers with us). We enjoyed a good nights sleep and a delicious buffet breakfast ( all included) and at 9:30 a van ( again paid for by TAM) took us to the airport. They gave us cash to pay for the exit fees which we had to pay because we stayed a night in the country.

I must say , I was so pleased and taken aback by this efficient and quite luxurious treatment!

We finally arrived in Quito. The flight from Lima to Quito was beautiful , we had striking views of the Andes all the way. I thought the rainbow was a good omen!

View from plane arriving in Quito

After a quick trip through immigration , we headed over tho the Hertz office to pick up our car . To my dismay , they had rented it since we had arrived a day late ( although we had called!). Luckily , Budget had a car which fitted our needs ( 4x4 for 7 passengers because of luggage). We put all of our stuff in the car and off we went to our first destination : the Hacienda Pinsaqui , near Otavalo.

After a 2 hour drive through gorgeous mountains , we arrived at the 300 yr old hacienda.

We were in time for the welcome cocktail featuring a wonderful Andean group , along with hot toddies and empanadas.

The group was amazing and we purchased one of their CDs.

This little boy was part of the group.

We than went to dinner and back to our cottage for a well deserved rest. There were hot water bottles warming our beds , a nice touch as the nights were very chilly.

We woke up the next morning ready for a hearty breakfast and a trip to the Indian market in Otavalo.

Breakfast area at the Hacienda

Arriving at the Indian Market , we were in awe of the colors and beauty of the people in their traditional dress. The native people of Otavalo maintain their dress as a way of life , not as a "tourist attraction". They are a very successful group and their wares are lovely. We purchased many gifts for very reasonable prices.

Some photos of the Otavalan people:

The women plait their hair and wear gold beads along with long skirts and embroidered blouse and the men were a blue poncho , short white pants and hats. Both wear slippers.

More please!! I loved your travel blog from the Infinity, and am looking forward to the rest of this one!

Thank you , Christine!~

I can´t resist adding a few more photos of Otavalo , its market and people...I was enchanted by the region.

Gourds

My son and the llamas

I purchased several gorgeous tablecloths , some musical instruments for the kids and some colorful platters for our home. Bartering is part of the ritual and everything is very reasonable. Sadly , we had very limited space in our luggage.

We did a Lindblad Expedition Cruise a couple of years ago to the Galapagos...We couldn't have had a better trip...Look forward to your impressions of X.

After Otavalo , we went back to the hacienda for a relaxing afternoon , strolling on the verdant grounds and napping a bit.

Hacienda Pinsaqui

We had dinner both nights at the hacienda. The food and presentation was quite good , some great ceviche. We tended to turn in early every evening on this vacation as our days were very full.

The next morning , we packed up our car and drove to our next destination: Cotopaxi and the Avenue of the Volcanoes . As many of you know , Ecuador is a a major region of volcanic activity. There are over 31 active volcanoes. We drove from Otavalo ( in the North) to Cotopaxi , in the South. It took around 3 hours. The road was quite good and the scenery was breathtaking. We arrived at our next destination: Hacienda San Agustin de Callo , also known as the Inca Hacienda. Part of the hacienda was built in the 15th century as an Inca Palace. There is funding by National Geographic to sudy and excavate at the site.

Hacienda San Agustin de Callo is one of the most wonderful places I have ever visited. Magical. It is located near Cotopaxi National Park , with wonderful views of the volcano. The grounds are impeccable and the service is the same;. It is an all inclusive experience. It is quite expensive and I debated a lot before booking it , but I am so glad we did.

Part of the main house

We had a whole cottage with 3 bedrooms to ourselves. There were fireplaces in each room as well , keeping in mind the nights were chilly. Ponchos were provided for each guest and the meals were exquisite.

The kids at lunch

Hubby and I in our ponchos

one of the many beautiful volcanoes

The front of our cottage

one of our delicious meals

The charming llama herd

While I know many people focus on the Galapagos when thinking of Ecuador , I´d strongly encourage who are considering taking the Xpedition cruise to consider visiting mainland Ecuador as well. It is utterly gorgeous and our experiences there were memorable.

Kim, I am loving this review and looking forward to more! The photos are great. The Galapagos is on our bucket list, as is a Baltic cruise. I know you have done a Baltic cruise, too, so I would be interested to know your recommendation on which to do next. We are thinking of 2013 for our next cruise (we already have a land trip to Paris planned for March 2012). By then our DD's will be 12 and 16. Also, what were your cabin accomodations like on the Xpedition? (I know your review hasn't gotten to the ship yet, so I'll be patient, lol. ) :)

After 2 days at Hacienda San Agustin De Callo , we headed back to Quito . I had selected another hacienda , the only one in Quito. It is a very special place called Hacienda Rumiloma , located on the outskirts of Quito , overlooking the city. It is perched at over 10, 000 ft , in a sort of a volcanic ravine in primary Andean Forest. It is owned by an American expat who is married to an Ecuadorian mountain climber. She is an interior designer and it shows. Every detail of the hacienda has been handled with great care.

The kids had loads of fun playing with the owner´s children and one day the staff hand made kites from reeds with the kids.

The hacienda is also a very popular restaurant. If you are traveling with Celebrity and doing the package , I´d consider making a visit to Rumiloma for dinner. The view of Quito lit below is worth the trip and the food and ambience are magnificent.

The "main " house , where the restaurant is located

The living room , where you can relax with a book

View of Quito below

Flying the handmade kites

details

Taxis to the city were very inexpensive and the hacienda also arranged many day trips if interested.

The staff is incredible , extremely attentive . We asked to leave luggage with our cold weather clothes and the offered to have it waiting for us at the airport when we arrived back from the Galapagos. When we disembarked , there they were , punctually , with our luggage.There was hot chocolate delivered to our room a half an hour before our decadent made to order breakfast every morning , as well as little treats like muffins and cake. And the hot water bottles in our bed every night ( something we loved at all the haciendas).

Junglejane-

Baltic x Galapagos !!! Argghhhh , impossible to choose! Very , very different.

The Galapagos is without a doubt a more " active" choice. Lots of physical activity and incredible interaction with wildlife . My kids went wild , so much to see and do.

We absolutely loved the Baltics ( we tacked on Paris and London too) ...it was a beautiful , fascinating trip.

Since you´ll be doing Paris next , I´d suggest the Galapagos next. We´d been doing a lot of Europe(museums , gardens , castles) and the Galapagos is a wonderful , unique change ...I´d really recommend doing a hacienda beforehand , the kids loved them!! Truly the trip of a lifetime!

I promise I´ll get to the ship soon!

Kim

What wonderful experiences you have given your children! Travel is an education in it's own right and they will always remember these family trips.

We are so looking forward to SA in 2012 and are hoping to do the Baltics in 2013. My only disappointment is that I won't be able to book on board the Infinity as the itineraries won't be out yet:( I know I can purchase a Passages but I hate giving up the category upgrade:eek:

Please keep the pictures coming!!

Christine-

I firmly believe that travel is a wonderful education. My kids have learned so much and we have created wonderful memories.

You will love SA...too bad about the Infinity , such a great ship!

Glad you are enjoying the photos- a passion of mine!

kim

Loving your review, this is one of my dream trips but we're waiting until our youngest is older, shes only 2 now. Keep it coming!

While at Rumiloma , we explored Quito´s Old Town . Stately colonial architecture and churches...

Facade of Jesuit Church

Then we visited the Middle of the World monument and followed by a visit to the "real" middle of the world. The Middle of the World monument which everyone visits is not the true middle of the world , the true one is very close , called the Intiñan Solar Museum. The true location was discovered when GPS was invented. It is on private land and the owner created a museum with lots of fun science experiments and such to be done on the equator.Rather "hokey" , but the kids loved it and my DH and I enjoyed ourselves too.

At the Middle of the World Insect Museum , we all had fun putting live Rhino beetles on our clothes!

one of the interactive experiments

Ansmom-

Thanks for the encouraging words!Glad you´re enjoying the review! Your family will love the trip , I´d recommend wating til age 7 at least to get the most out of it , as it is a very active trip , mentally and physically. Worth the wait!

Kim

You are not in favor of the changes to the M ships? I am of mixed feelings and I am looking forward to see how the changes affect what I love about this class.

Our time on the mainland came to an end...we woke up early Saturday to catch our plane to the...Galapagos!!!

I must say I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. We caught our Aerogal flight and arrived in Baltra a little past noon. We loved Aerogal , spanking new planes , AVODs , kind FAs.

When we were landing , I saw a giant land iguana scurry off the runway. I knew we were in for an adventure.

Since we had not purchased the Celebrity package , we had to make our own air arrangements to the Galapagos ( quite easy). To be prudent , I thought it best to arrive a day ahead. We chose to stay at the Finch Bay Eco Resort in Puerto Ayora. It was a journey to arrive at the hotel...we got a bus , a ferry , a bus and then a water taxi!!

The hotel is beautiful , with a private beach and an inviting azure pool. Tired from our journey , we sat by the bar and ordered some ceviche and drinks. Our boys decided to try out the pool and soon a duck joined them! And , to our delight , the Celebrity Xpedition was practically docked in our front yard ( for the passengers trip to Puerto Ayora). We were tempted to try to swim out and say hi!

Our hotel

we took our first Galpagos hike that afternoon to some volcanic fissures called Las Griets...very pretty.

Las Grietas

We had a nice dinner and retired , as tomorrow would be our big day : Boarding the Xpedition!

Christine:

I haven´t been aboard a "solsticized Ship"...I will keep an open mind. I think the M class ships are perfect , but am interested in seeing the changes.

Sunday , July 3rd...Embarkation Day!

We took our water taxi/truck/ferry ride back to the airport where were met by Celebrity Reps. They whisked our luggage away and told us to wait until the charter with our fellow passengers arrived. We waited at the "bar" and watched our future friends land.

As soon as they went through the immigration process , we all boarded buses , taking us to the location where we´d take our first "panga" (zodiac boat) ride. We boarded the pangas in goups of 15 ( there were about 92 passengers total). as soon as we boarded , we were escorted to the Discovery Lounge , where we were given mimosas ( and OJ) for the kids and taken to our staterooms. We opted to have a room for 3 for the kids right next to our room (for 2) , staterooms 303 and 305. Both were Deluxe Oceanviews. The staterooms were very nice...flatscreen t.v s , showere with glass doors , a little table and a sofa ( in our room) , plenty of storage space and hangers.

We headed to a nice buffet lunch at the Darwin Dining Room. The food on board was good . My favorite part was by far the desserts served at the lunches , sooo yummy. I rarely eat lots of sweets and sometimes I´d have 3 ! Good thing we walked a lot!

Next: our first excursion to North Seymour Island.

Here is a photo of the lovely Xpedition , anchored outside our hotel.

The Xpedition is an elegant ship with 6 decks. Decks 1 and 2 are not used by passengers , they are for crew only. Cabins are located on decks 3 , 4 and 5 (suites are on deck 5). The 6th deck has the hot tub , workout area , deck chairs and the small spa with massage therapy ( which was excellent!).

There is a lounge , where briefings are held ,with a nice bar and an outdoor seating area ( deck 4) , the main dining room ( open seating) on deck 3 and another small bar on deck 5.

The crew couldn´t have been better...extremely attentive and kind . They knew all the passengers names and preferences and went out of their ways to be of service. Our waiter , Marco , was the best we´ve ever had.

The Maitre´d , Carlos , was incredible...my Felipe was seasick on the 2nd day ( as were many peolpe) and we requested popcorn. From then on , every day there was a bowl of popcorn for us ( the kids were thrilled!).

Our Cruise Director , Jean , from France , was helpful and informative and always available for the many questions the passengers had.

We were lucky enough to have a special guest on board: Ellen Prager http://www.ellenprager.com/

She is the author of several books , the President of Earth2Oceans and a well known speaker. She gave talks on the ship and want on the excursions with us , really adding to our experience. She was very present and accessible , a real treat to have her on board.

There is an open bridge policy and Captain Fausto was very affable.

´Will continue with our excursions later....

The ship is compact and cozy. In a way , it reminded me of a mini M-class ship , in its decor and lines. Very classic.

Really enjoying this thread. Keep it up!:D

Thanks Calazula!

When we embarked on Sunday , we had lunch and then our painless safety drill at 3:45. At 4:30 , we were already in our pangas ( zodiac boats) headed for our first island , North Seymour. Our first naturalist , Marvin , was great.

We got out of the panga and immediately encountered tons of critters. There are no words to express what it is like to be in a place where the wildlife has no fear of humans. The birds don´t fly away , the lizards don´t skitter and the sea lions want to play with you! The look on the kids faces ( and on mine) was priceless.

Swallow Tail Gull

Sea Lion Nursing ( we saw this a lot , so lovely)

Frigates in the Mating Season

Darling Blue Footed Boobies

On this first excursion , we also saw a small snake , several other sea birds , locusts and interesting vegetation , such as the Palo Santo tree which exudes an incense smell.

We were lucky enough to have made friends with a great family on our rool call , which worked out splendidly. We requested to be grouped with them on the excursions , which ended up being doubly great-our group was smaller and we had all " cool" people in our group.

We returned to the ship exhilarated by our first visit!

Dinner was nice. The food on the ship was good , not great....which was fine with me , as I ate too many desserts at lunch.

Signing off for now...

Looking forward to more posts. Snakes?! Not happy about that. Do I have to not be afraid of snakes to take this journey? :confused:

Thanks Calazula!

 

When we embarked on Sunday , we had lunch and then our painless safety drill at 3:45. At 4:30 , we were already in our pangas ( zodiac boats) headed for our first island , North Seymour. Our first naturalist , Marvin , was great.

 

We got out of the panga and immediately encountered tons of critters. There are no words to express what it is like to be in a place where the wildlife has no fear of humans. The birds don´t fly away , the lizards don´t skitter and the sea lions want to play with you! The look on the kids faces ( and on mine) was priceless.

 

Swallow Tail Gull

 

Sea Lion Nursing ( we saw this a lot , so lovely)

 

Frigates in the Mating Season

 

Darling Blue Footed Boobies

 

On this first excursion , we also saw a small snake , several other sea birds , locusts and interesting vegetation , such as the Palo Santo tree which exudes an incense smell.

 

We were lucky enough to have made friends with a great family on our rool call , which worked out splendidly. We requested to be grouped with them on the excursions , which ended up being doubly great-our group was smaller and we had all " cool" people in our group.

 

We returned to the ship exhilarated by our first visit!

 

Dinner was nice. The food on the ship was good , not great....which was fine with me , as I ate too many desserts at lunch.

 

Signing off for now...

No need to worry about snakes...we saw one very small one the entire time. There are no poisonous snakes on the Galapagos and snakes are quite rare.

On our second day , we had a very early excursion! Our pangas left at 7 a.m. sharp to circumnavigate Kicker Rock . although I love to sleep , I am so glad we did this , as it was amazing!

Kicker Rock is special due to the way the light hits it early morning , making it bathed in golden light. There are many sea birds living on the rock , as well as sea lions and many sea turtles swimming around. We were lucky enough to have Ellen Panger , the writer/ marine biologist in our panga with us , making comments.

Kicker Rock , before 7 a.m , seen from the ship

The Xpedition seen from our panga

Kicker Rock , bathed in morning light

Family at Kicker Rock

We had several giant sea turtles swim very close to our panga , which was quite exciting.

We got back on board to breakfast. There were eggs , pancakes , made to order omelets and waffles , bacon....The breakfast was good , but the waffles didn´t compare to the M-Class ships , sadly! The bacon was yummy , very crispy , the way I like it. The highlight were the nice juices , several made from typical Ecuadourian fruits.

In the afternoon , before the 2nd excursion , we had to report to Deck 5 to get our snorkel gear....this was rather a pain , albeit necessary. Since we are not expereinced snorkelers , it was a bit difficult trying everything on the 3 kids and on ourselves.

However , it was so worth it! The snorkeling was a very special experience , a whole different side of the Galapagos not to be missed.

I hope in some way the photos can inspire fellow cruisers to but this cruise on your list , it is truly unforgettable.

More later.

.

Just a quick note to say that folks often come back from cruises and post reviews on the main cruise line boards. They are most welcome and appreciated by our members, both here and in our reviews section. I'm delighted to see another wonderful review, Kim. This cruise is on my bucket list, too. Thanks for sharing!!!

This info is very helpful - we're leaving on the Xpedition in mid-August - taking our three kids, aged 12, 14 and 16. Were there other kids on your cruise? What about wet suits, enough and did they fit the kids? Thanks!