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All connections and recommendations worked well. A memorable holiday
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Great service as always
Outstanding service throughout from Noah. Best service ever, so professional , kind and caring. Highly recommended
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Ralph did an amazing job finding us a bespoke arranged trio via Encounter Peru - all things included exceeded my expectation. Fabulous.
I was delighted to be on BA business class, because you got me such a good deal. But its design is stunningly bad, almost miraculously so. And the food was badly conceived, and mostly disgusting.
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DialAFlight were great. American Airlines were abysmal.
Have used you several times and not been let down
Ominous, moody, desolate.
These were the three words that sprang to mind when I touched down on the Galapagos islands after a flight from the Ecuadorian capital Quito. But on stepping out on to the scorched terrain, far from being desolate, I quickly found a myriad of wildlife waiting to greet me.
Dozens of crabs scuttled out from the rocks, giant pelicans swooped in all different directions, giant tortoises traversed the undulating greenery, while sea iguanas sat basking under the equator-fired sun.
FIRST THOUGHTS
I'd been in the Galapagos - some 600 miles from the mainland - less than an hour but it was long enough to see why Charles Darwin described the archipelago as being 'a little world within itself'. Never before have I witnessed such an abundance of wildlife.
Sadie explores the islands as part of a small group tour
I had joined nine other people on an excursion endorsed by famed naturalist Jane Goodall.
Some were drawn to the region after watching David Attenborough's series, while I had developed a fascination with the islands after receiving numerous recommendations from explorer-minded friends.
A LESSON IN HISTORY
Throughout our nine-day trip - which would take us to three of the 18 major islands - we were accompanied by naturalist Alex Arregui, who grew up on the islands.
He revealed how much the islands had changed and how the area had become easier to navigate, with speedier boat services connecting the islands.
Catering to this influx there is Wi-Fi across many of the islands, allowing visitors to Instagram to their heart's content, and there is even a sushi restaurant on the busy island of Santa Cruz, inhabited by 12,000 people. But the Galapagos still retains something extremely special.
The Galapagos blue-footed booby - a marine bird that rears its young on land
On the island of Santa Cruz, we spent the first day visiting the Charles Darwin Centre, which has a turtle breeding programme. Walking back we came across the port-side fish market with giant sea lions pestering fishmongers for off-cuts. Giant pelicans also waited in the wings.
The food was delicious and homely but don't expect five-star cuisine. Some of the tastier treats included fresh coconuts and succulent roast chicken.
SANTA CRUZ
On Santa Cruz we stayed in an extremely comfortable hotel, with fantastic views over the harbour with the water glistening in the pink sunsets.
After a night in the small town we embarked on a two-hour boat ride to the more remote - and mysterious - island of Floreana. As we chased the dying sun a pod of bottlenose dolphins danced before us - at one point I spotted seven in the water, with one leaping into the air and performing a balletic twirl.
Floreana has just 150 inhabitants. The 32 children attend a tiny school just yards from the black sand beach.
Crystal clear waters mean perfect conditions for snorkelling
On Floreana I had one of my most memorable wildlife encounters - swimming with sea turtles and a speedy penguin!
Making our way along a path made of lumps of lava rock, Alex took us to a sheltered cove where the snorkelling was amazing. Dozens of stingrays lurked on the white sandbeds, while sea turtles glided by. My finger constantly clicked my GoPro as things popped up left, right and centre.
Venturing into the cloud-covered hills we visited a giant tortoise sanctuary to watch the incredible creatures lumber through the undergrowth, craning their wrinkled heads in search of food. The word Galapagos is said to come from the Spanish for saddle, because the first settlers thought the giant tortoises looked like crawling saddles.
The islands are home to many animals including the Land Iguana
WHAT TO EXPECT
The history of the Galapagos is fascinating - tales of pirates, love affairs and, of course, Darwin's nature discoveries.
Next was another two hour boat journey, to Isabela. She admitted that island life takes a bit of getting used to and you 'definitely have to be comfortable with your own company'.
This island is brimming with sea lions, the air punctuated with the sound of them grunting and splashing around.
In the words of Darwin 'the natural history of these islands is eminently curious, and well deserves attention' but let's hope that this attention doesn't get out of control.
Amazingly, it is simple old-fashioned service that sets us apart from other travel firms. And yes, we really do answer the phone within 5 seconds!
Check out the reviews on Trustpilot and the word ‘service’ appears again and again. And you’ll find many reviews from customers saying they wasted hours trying to plan a holiday themselves before calling us - often on the advice of a friend - only to find we could offer numerous options not available online, which also saved them money.
Our team of 300 travel managers has been arranging tailor-made holidays for almost 40 years and we believe no one does it better. Judge for yourself.
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Airport Lounges from £25
Once you’re through security leave the crowds, kids and chaos behind you with a visit to one of our comfortable airport lounges.
All offer complimentary food, drinks, wifi and newspapers with some also including Fastrack through security. Prices from £25.
Use our speedy private transfer service to avoid the stress of finding your way out of the airport terminal and looking for a taxi or bus on arrival.
With our meet and greet service, our driver will meet you in the arrivals hall. They will monitor flight arrival times giving you peace of mind that someone will be waiting for you with a name board even if your flight is late.
They will then assist you with your luggage and organise a private transfer directly to your hotel - there’s no waiting around for other passengers for shared transfers!
So no queues, no delays and less stress.
Let us extend the personalised service of your booking into your holiday with great prices on business class flights ready to add a touch of class to your trip.
Take the stress out of travelling with a host of wonderful perks on offer from priority check-in and premium lounge access to chauffeur service and fine in-flight dining, plus the supreme comfort of a fully-reclining seat.
Call us to see how much you could save on Business Class flights.
All customers can take advantage of exclusive premium rates we’ve negotiated for our portfolio of business clients. We’ll maintain your preferred airline loyalty programmes and you’ll have 24/7 support wherever you are in the world.
Curious tourist, culture vulture or sporting addict? Wherever you are in the world we can help you get the most from your trip with sightseeing suggestions, city tours and a variety of leisure activities.
Book in advance through your travel manager and not only will you save an average of 10% over booking locally but you won’t risk missing out if a particularly activity or tour is oversubscribed.
With or without a guide, tours offer a unique insight
Take an escorted small group tour if you really want to find the essence of a country, from a local guide.
Take the open road for a freewheeling self-drive tour - a fantastic way to explore a country at your own pace.
Cruise holidays have come of age allowing you to visit several countries and see amazing places, all on one go.
Bespoke private tours offer you freedom and flexibility without the stress of arranging everything yourself.
