airfare from the us to galapagos

[Panama Jack]

anyone got any ideas on how to get to the galapagos for less than $1200 us. if anyone has any suggestions they would be appreciated. these galapagos trips are $$$ and im trying to afford it but it seems to be slightly out of reach. we plan to travel next summer and use the aggresor. seems to be $2895 for the boat and $1200+ for the flights per person. (i need two tickets)

 

[Doc]

Airfares are going to cost ya.

From our end of the US, first you have to get to Miami, then Quito (a much better overnite than your next stop...), then Guayaquil, then to Baltra (for $400 aboard TAME Ecuadorian Airlines).

I have posted this before, but I will say again- I've done a lot of live aboards in the Galapagos, and now take groups exclusively to a land based operation. The cost is much less, and the overall experience is broader. The diving? Not the same quantity, but the same quality. Besides, did you really travel all this way just to dive 24/7? This isn't like some Caribbean live aboard where you really don't want to be ashore.

Take a moment to see

http://www.geocities.com/johnofrancis/galapagos.htm

 

[sealkie]

Miami to Guayaquil is about $350 round trip - Tame airline Guyaquil to Galapagos - About $300

 

[ronrosa]

"land based operation. The cost is much less, and the overall experience is broader. The diving? Not the same quantity, but the same quality"

That's the 1st time I've heard the diving quality was the same. Everything I've read or heard states the diving at Wolf & Darwin can't be matched from a land based operator.

Are schooling hammerheads and whale sharks frequent with the land based diving ?

 

[Doc]

Hammerheads are available on demand from the land based op that I mention in the trip report at the website given. Nothing is a for sure, but I have never been disappointed at land based Scuba Iguana by lack of wildlife. As I mentioned, I have done live aboards in the G for the last 15 or so years, and now I have settled on the land based, the people that come along agree. I think you would have to try the best of both types of operations before you could really decide.

In maybe 200+ dives in the Galapagos and 4500+ recreational dives I have only seen one Whale Shark and all I saw was the 8' baby. I did not see the 45' Momma that was behind me that I mistook for a boat. Doh! That was on a shore dive from CoCoView in Roatan. Aint serendipity unpredictable?

No one can guarantee anything, I just find it amazing that one can travel for such a long time and not take a real look at the wonders of the Galapagos, topside as well. It's just as lacking to think that a cruise ship Galapagos traveler who just does terrestrial tours has seen the island's wonders. We always schedule an optional stay in Quito at the Hilton Colon available on both ends of the trip. Beats the hell out of Guayaquil and certainly adds to the fun (and shopping) of the trip.

It's not for everyone, but the land based option allowed us 2 dives per day, sometimes 3. We dove off the front yard of Hotel Galapagos and observed the Marine Iguanas. We came back every afternoon and had time to go next door to the Darwin research Station to watch "turtle love". We walked into town each night and ate at a different restaurant. We went on two different lava tunnel crawls, literaly! We slept in dry beds that didn't move.

In the morning- we would take a comfortable car ride to the shore meeting point, sometimes 20+ miles North to Baltra, jump on the SCUBA Iguana boat- and off we would go diving. No we did not go to Wolf and Darwin, no we did not see Whale Sharks, No- we did not endure that interminable crossing of the expanse of ocean that seperates Wolf & Darwin, but I didn't miss it a bit.

Like I said, not for everyone, but one hell of a suggestion that way too many people simply ignore.

 

[Gaz]

Also cant agree that the diving is the same quality WOLF and DARWIN is unmatchable we saw 28 whalesharks thousands of Hammerheads, Galapagos sharks Dolphins etc there and none on the central zone area the diving is very different in my opinion between the 2 areas and the northern islands can't be beat althought I do agree the land based stuff should also be taken into account and not be missed

Ah well next trip will have to be for a month to fit it all in

Flights are about $600 Houston to Guaya and TAME to the Baltra is $396 in high season and $296 low season

regards


Gaz

 

[sdwho]

To each his own preference. For me, the live-aboard
experience in Galapagos (Peter Hughes) was a great
blend of land and sea. We did the 10 day trip; in addition
to the diving, we did a number of land excursions: a booby/albatross/sea lion hike; marine iguanas; snorkeling with penguins; the giant turtles, etc. Also, we gave ourselves an extra two nights in Quito at the front end of the trip and did a lot of touring (and shopping) on the mainland from there. I thought it was the best way to "have it all"!!

Seth

RoatanMan once bubbled...

No one can guarantee anything, I just find it amazing that one can travel for such a long time and not take a real look at the wonders of the Galapagos, topside as well. It's just as lacking to think that a cruise ship Galapagos traveler who just does terrestrial tours has seen the island's wonders. We always schedule an optional stay in Quito at the Hilton Colon available on both ends of the trip. Beats the hell out of Guayaquil and certainly adds to the fun (and shopping) of the trip.

[/B]

 

[Zeina]

We paid $517 for Newark-Guayaquil on Continental last November
You need to add about $300 for Guayaquil-Baltra

If you can afford it, it is well worth it though

 

[DiverDave76]

We flew American out of Atlanta to Miami and then on to Guyaquil, Ecuador for around $600 ea and then $375 for the round trip on TAME airlines from Guyaquil to Baltra. Beware that TAME only allows 40lbs per person and charges for every kg over that limit. I didn't see a diver go through with less than about 50 lbs..so expect extras.

Going with the Aggressor allows you to do land excursions as well as diving in the "wildest spot on earth". Wolf and Darwin can't be touched. 17 Whalesharks, thousands of hammerheads, galapagos sharks, silky sharks, mantas, dolphins, sailfish, seals, you name it...the large schools of fish almost blocked out the light.
The land excursions were great but I would be glad to go back and do nothing but dive Wolf and Darwin. The apex of all diving!

Dave

 

[-hh]

RoatanMan once bubbled...
Hammerheads are available on demand from the land based op that I mention...

I find that to be surprising, partly because I didn't see a single HH down south, nor did any of our Liveaboard's briefings while down south ever even mention the possibility of HH's.

My question would be that with your 200+ dives in the Galapagos, of those that were 'down south', how many of them had HH sightings? 5%? 10%? 20%? My inclination would be to say that the overall odds are much better up north, so what's the deal? Is there an obscure spot for HH's down south that the locals go to that the Liveaboards don't bother with?

...I just find it amazing that one can travel for such a long time and not take a real look at the wonders of the Galapagos, topside as well. It's just as lacking to think that a cruise ship Galapagos traveler who just does terrestrial tours has seen the island's wonders.

And the "just a Scuba liveaboard traveler" miss a lot too.

My opinion is that the high cost (time+money) to just get there means that any traveller should seriously think about amortizing these fixed costs out by spending more than just one week there.

Insofar as what to do, land-based diving is one option. Another is to take a "normal" cruise...various plans are available.

Personally, I am very glad that we spent a full week onboard one of the land tour liveaboard boats, because their land excursions absolutely blew away the visits that the scuba liveaboard offered, both in the places visited and things seen as well as the quality of the guides.

We always schedule an optional stay in Quito at the Hilton Colon available on both ends of the trip. Beats the hell out of Guayaquil and certainly adds to the fun (and shopping) of the trip.

We had 2 nights on the way down + 1 going back. The general recommendation is a 24+ hour layover to assure checked baggage keeps up with you. The reason for 2 nights on the way down for us was because our flights arrived extremely late (our total layover was only ~26 hours).

And while I'll agree that Quito has more sightseeing than Guayaquil, pragmatically, the gateway city flexibility can save you money. Also, it pragmatically makes little difference where you stay if you're asleep for "all" of it. Also, be aware that Quito is on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire", and the Quito airport has occasionally closed due to airbourne volcanic ash...the last closure that I'm aware of was last November.


Nov/Dec 2002 Airfares:

NJ to Guayquil: $600 pp/RT + Guyaquil to Baltra: $400 pp/RT.

The USA flight was on Continental and should have been $900: I got lucky because of a friend who has family in Ecauador and she insisted calling her travel agent. The deal is that I need to have a 12-month calendar made up for her as a gift this Christmas from the best of my Galapagos photo's.


-hh