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Detailed
Info for Galapagos Trip Guests
I have been getting the same questions from a
lot of people about the Galapagos trips so I
thought I would put up a detailed thing here for
people who are going on the trips to answer all the
usual trip questions. If you have read the trip
page, this page and the FAQ page and you still have
a question, you must have insatiable curiousity!
Feel free to e-mail me!
First of all, the payment schedules:
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Trip dates:
August 4-18, 2009
On the boat: August 6-17, 2009
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2009
($6,400.00)
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Deposit
(Due ASAP)
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$500.00
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Payment 2
10/1/08
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$600.00
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Payment 3
1/1/09
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$1,200.00
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Payment 4
3/1/09
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$1,800.00
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Payment 5
5/1/09
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$2,300.00
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PLEASE
DO NOT BE LATE WITH YOUR PAYMENTS AS I
WILL HAVE TO COVER YOUR PAYMENT WITH
AGGRESSOR!
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2009 TRAVEL DATES FOR YOUR ITINERARY
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2009
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Fly to Guayaquil from
your home city
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AUG 4, 2009
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We all fly to Galapagos
from Guayquil as a group
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AUG 6, 2009
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We return to Guayaquil
from San Cristobal
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AUG 17, 2009
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You fly home from
Guayaquil
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AUG 18, 2009
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Please use the above table to plan your plane
tickets.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What's the deal with all these new rules in
the Galapagos and how does it affect this
trip?
The Galapagos National Park has taken steps to
increase protection of the resource. As a result,
they have removed several diving permits from some
dive boats, they have curtailed some of the land
hike permits for dive boats, and we can only hope
that they are also being stricter on illegal
fishing enforcement. Aggressor tells us that
they have all their permits in place and these
changes will not affect our itinerary at all. I
will keep you posted if there are any changes that
affect us.
Why must I come down two days before the boat
leaves?
Most of the flights into Guayaquil land pretty late
at night, so you are actually only going to have
one full day in Guayaquil (two nights). The reason
for this is that the airlines often misplace bags.
Delayed bags on a liveaboard do not make it to the
boat in time unless we hold the boat to wait for
them. We will NOT hold the boat to wait for bags.
Everyone is paying a lot of money to dive the
Galapagos, and holding up the boat for a day is a
waste of a very expensive diving day. Therefore, I
ask everyone to spend a tiny bit of extra money for
an inexpensive hotel room in Guayaquil to be sure
that there is an extra day for delayed baggage to
catch up before we fly to the Galapagos. It also
allows everyone to relax after traveling,
experience the culture, get to know each other and
adjust to the time zone. Every time we do it this
way, everyone agrees that it was worth it. If you
absolutely can't come down a day early, just
remember: pack your carry-on well because if your
bags don't arrive, you will be diving without them!
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh :-) but this rule is
for the benefit of the entire group.
Where do we stay in Guayaquil?
We stay at the Unipark Hotel in downtown Guayaquil.
It's a very upscale place and because Ecuador is
inexpensive, this hotel is only $80 per night. It
is comparable to $200-$300 a night hotels in the
U.S.
How do I pay for the Hotel?
You pay for your room once you get there. They take
all the usual credit cards. You can split it with
your roommate if you are traveling alone.
I'm traveling alone. Who is my
roommate?
I will hook you up with another single as a
roommate for both Guayaquil and the boat. Hopefully
you will get along. I have never had a problem in
the past! You can split the cost of the hotel, so
it's only $40 pp per night.
Who arranges the hotel and the airport
transfers?
That's my job. Don't worry about it. My role as the
trip leader is to take the hassle out of all this
stuff. I will be in touch with everyone at the
appropriate time to get your flight info, then I
will arrange to have you picked up at the airport
and taken to the hotel. Your room will be waiting
and the front desk will have all your info. Don't
stress out! This is why you are going with me--so I
can handle the details.
Where do I get tickets to the Galapagos from
Guayaquil?
The Aggressor office has to buy those because only
licensed Galapagos travel agencies can order
tickets (i.e. you can't get them yourself on
Expedia.com!). I will give you more info about this
as the trip approaches. They run about $350.00
round-trip from Guayaquil to San Cristobal and
back.
What are the restrictions on baggage?
They are very restrictive on baggage to the
Galapagos, and for no good reason since they fly a
Boeing 737 back and forth, not a puddle-jumper.
Nonetheless, they have a one bag limit and 20 kilos
(44 pounds) weight limit on checked bags. There is
no way any diver on Earth can meet those
restrictions. It's a scam to make extra money. My
advice is to pack as lightly as you can within
reason and we'll deal with it when we get
there. In general, we can usually pile all our gear
together in Guayaquil and check in as a group,
paying about $20 each in excess baggage. Coming
back from the Galapagos is a little more tricky.
The most I have ever paid for myself getting my
gear back is $130. (And I travel heavy with a
rebreather!) If you are an average diver, you won't
have to pay more than about $50 to get your gear
back. So, don't worry too much about it. My
philosophy here is that you are spending a lot of
money to travel all the way to the Galapagos to
dive. It's not worth skimping on gear you might
need (like an extra camera body or something
important) just to maybe save $50 in excess baggage
fees! Bring what you need and plan on spending a
little cash for luggage.
How much cash do I bring?
One of the nice things about Ecuador is that they
are now using the U.S. dollar as their official
currency so you can bring U.S. dollars and use them
easily. You need $125 in fees (Galapagos entry fee
and Ecuador exit fee) in cash. (see the fees
section below) They don't take credit cards! You
need some cash for spending in Guayaquil (great
prices on leather and wool goods) and money for
tips for the boat crew. (The boat will take credit
cards but it's a lot easier to bring cash for
that). I recommend at least $600 per person in
cash.
What do I wear?
The weather this time of year is nowhere near as
hot as you think. In Guayaquil you can wear shorts
and a t-shirt, although you should bring one casual
outfit for going out to dinner. The Galapagos will
be warm during the day and chilly at night,
especially on the water, so bring a sweatshirt and
a pair of long pants.
What other fees do I pay?
There are three fees that you have to pay. I have
no control over these! You must pay a $100 park fee
to enter the Galapagos. This fee must be paid in
cash only and it is paid when you land in
San Cristobal (Galapagos). You must pay a $25 exit
fee when you leave Ecuador. This must be paid in
cash and it is paid when you leave Guayaquil to
return home. Finally, you must pay a port charge of
$70. This is paid to the dive boat and handed over
to the Ecuadorian government. This is paid on the
boat and can be paid by cash or credit card.
For general questions about my trips, please
read my Dive Adventure
FAQ page!
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