We hope the excitement is growing because soon enough we will be wandering around the enchanting city of Quito and exploring some of the most diverse and unique islands in the world. Plus, we’ll be sampling traditional Ecuadorian dishes, visiting local villages, touring colorful, indigenous markets and interacting with wonderful locals everywhere we go!
This document will help you continue to prepare for the adventure ahead. Once you have a read, please let us know if you have any additional questions at all!
The Galapagos Islands, officially named the Archipelago de Colón or Galapagos Archipelago, are located in the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 km (621 mi.) off the coast of mainland Ecuador on the equator.
The Galapagos Islands are world-renowned for their numerous endemic species. Two of these, the giant tortoises and the sparrows, led Charles Darwin to establish his theory of evolution by natural selection. Due to their biological importance, the islands were declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.
In order to maintain and protect the natural habitats and species, there are a few rules that must be followed at all times while in the Galapagos.
In addition to the rules above, the following activities are also prohibited: air tourism, sport hunting, water skiing, submarines, kite surfing, underwater scooters, drones, jet skis, underwater fishing, and motorized dive equipment.
Since the Galapagos have evolved in isolation for millions of years, their ecosystem is very fragile and susceptible to foreign predators or biological threats such as bacteria and fungi. For this reason, every person and piece of luggage that travels to Galapagos has to go through phytosanitary controls at departure in Quito and upon arrival in the archipelago.
In December, days are generally sunny with very little rain, if any at all. Temperatures are quite comfortable, with daily highs around 80F and lows around 70F. Water temperatures average between 72F and 75F.
While the waters around the Galapagos are generally calm, they can, however, get a little rough occasionally. For example, during an open ocean crossing between islands, especially when your boat is headed into the current. Still, seasickness isn’t much of an issue for most visitors. If you are easily seasick, ask your doctor what you can do to ease the symptoms.
Clothing:
Personal Care:
Gadgets & Equipment:
Money & Security:
Luggage: In terms of what you should carry, a suitcase or a backpack, it doesn’t really matter much. The most important thing is that you don’t overpack as traveling around Ecuador/Galapagos, just like traveling in any country, is always easier if you don’t have large, heavy luggage to lug around!
Laundry: It is very easy to have your laundry washed while on the mainland in Ecuador. Our hotel offers this service and it usually costs about $1.00 per item. There will not be laundry service available while on the boat in the Galapagos.
If you have any questions about other items you were thinking about bringing or not bringing, just send us an email and we’ll be happy to let you know if such an item is necessary for the trip.
Feel free to bring whatever gadgets you feel are necessary. However, do keep in mind that the more expensive gadgets you bring, the more you’ll have to watch out for them, not necessarily to protect them from theft, but to protect them from getting banged up or wet while on the move. You’ll be able to leave any valuable items safely in your room on the boat or in the safe at the hotel whenever you’re out and about.
Ecuador uses the standard American two (Type A) and three (Type B) prong sockets with a voltage of 110V.
As for electricity, most mobile phones, laptops and other devices can handle all types of voltage when charging. Check your chargers to see if they say 110 – 220V. If that range is listed on the charger, you will not have any problems charging your device while on the tour.
You will not need an adapter or converter for this trip.
Decent internet is widely available in Quito and on the mainland of Ecuador. However, during the time on the boat in Galapagos, you can expect to be offline for the majority of time. There will not be Wifi on the boat but you may get a signal on your phone every now and then.
For those who wish to get a local SIM card to use during the trip, which will give you a data connection while on the mainland and a couple of times while in the Galapagos, this can be done upon arrival. Just make sure you have a GSM-enabled unlocked phone in order to use a foreign SIM card.
Another option is to activate your home network’s ‘international plan’ which will allow you to continue using your phone as you would at home, with access to a data connection, for a fee that usually ranges from $5 – $10 per day.
Ecuador is a safe country and apart from a handful of innocent scam attempts and pickpocketing, there’s not too much to worry about. Use the same common sense you would use at home and you’ll stay perfectly safe. If you feel an interaction is not genuine, politely say ‘no’ and you’ll be left alone.
In terms of spending money, you should estimate an average of $30 USD per day while on the mainland for all of your needs. This would include meals that are not included in the tour, basic purchases (laundry service, bottled water, etc), as well as any activities you do on your own.
During our time on the boat in the Galapagos you will not need to budget for much spending money since all meals and activities are included in the tour cost with the exception of alcohol (which must be paid for at the end of the Galapagos portion).
You will want to have some money available to tip the boat staff and your naturalist guide. Tips are normally $50 – $80 USD to be split among all of the boat staff and $50 – $100 USD for your guide.
As for exchanging money, you won’t need to worry about that! Ecuador uses USD as their national currency so you can simply plan on bringing some money from home and using ATM machines if you need more. However, please check with your bank at home as many banks charge foreign transaction fees every time you withdraw money from an ATM overseas.
That’s it for now and we hope you are continuing to get more and more excited about this trip, just as we are!
If you have any questions about anything, please reach out to team@wanderingearl.com
