Ecuador | Sail The Enchanted Isles
 Wading flamingos |
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12 days / 11 nights
| Location | Nights |
| Quito | 2 |
| Galapagos Cruise | 7 |
| Otavalo | 2 |
A&K special offer available. Click here for more information.
Day 01 Arrive Quito (2,800m)
A private welcome into the Ecuadorian capital before transferring to your hotel.
Day 02 Design Your Day Quito
Plan your day. Choose one of the two following half day activities. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town as well as sights around Panecillo Hill. Or visit a local cooking school with a hands-on demonstration. Lunch and a ‘behind the scene’s’ visit to the studio and private collection of acclaimed artist Osvaldo Viteri is included (B,L).
Quito (Choice of category)
Day 03 Quito-Galapagos Islands
Transfer to the airport where VIP lounge access has been arranged. Fly to Baltra Island in the Galapagos archipelago. Here you board the M/V Eclipse, your home for the next week (B,L,D).
Eclipse (Choice of category)
Day 04 – Day 09 Galapagos Islands
The next six days are spent exploring the tiny islands whose amazing variety of wildlife prompted Darwin to write his ground-breaking ‘Origin of Species’. Most expeditions with your naturalist guide are by pangas – inflatable, rubber vessel with outboard motor. These manoeuvre smoothly into bays offering unequalled opportunities for photography and up-close observation. Snorkels are also available onboard to explore the fascinating underwater world around you.
There are 13 islands and countless smaller islets. Landmark sights include Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome Island, Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island, Gardner Bay on Espanola and the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz.
Wildlife found in the Galapagos includes the Galapagos Tortoise, land and marine iguanas, turtles, the brightly-coloured Sally-Lightfoot Crab, fur seals, sea lions, seven types of dolphin, 16 species of whales and profuse birdlife including three species of booby, penguins, finches, cormorants and waved albatross to name a few (B,L,D).
Eclipse (Choice of category)
Day 10 Galapagos-Otavalo
Disembark at Baltra for the return flight to Quito where you are driven north to Otavalo and your colonial hacienda (B,L,D).
Otavalo (Choice of category)
Day 11 Otavalo
This area is renowned for its colourful market towns which showcase the region’s traditional handicrafts. Visit a selection of these today including San Antonio de Ibarra, a woodcarving centre; Cotacachi, whose narrow streets are full of leather shops; Peguche, home to weavers and musical instrument makers and finally Otavalo, the largest and most well known which is regarded as one of the most attractive Indian markets on the continent selling colourful weavings, woodcarvings, leather goods and bread dough figurines. While you are in the area visit a local indigenous school or walk with a native guide around some village gardens where many species native to the Andes are grown – a chance to learn about their properties, folklore and usage (B,L).
Otavalo (Choice of category)
Day 12 Otavalo-Quito
A morning spent in the delightful rural surrounds of your hacienda before the return drive to Quito and the airport for your departure (B).
Choice of Accommodation
| City | Platinum | Gold |
| Quito | JW Marriott (Executive Room) | Patio Andaluz (Standard) |
| M/V Eclipse | Superior Stateroom | Stateroom |
| Otavalo | Hacienda Zuleta | Hacienda Cusin |
M/V Eclipse
Elegant expeditionary vessel carrying just 48 guests in 27 airconditioned outward facing cabins. The 210 foot vessel has some of the largest cabins of any vessel in the Galapagos all with sea views. Other features include ‘alfresco’ dining, a library/video room, a naturalist guide for every 12 passengers, a hot tub on the outdoor sun deck, observation deck and complimentary use of snorkelling equipment. The atmosphere on board is relaxed and informal, perfect for exploration in one of the world’s most exciting wildlife environments. Click here to download floorplan
