IMPORTANT … recent cruise comment from SULIDAE: October 10th to 14th, 2009:

Thank you for all of your help organizing some of my travels in Ecuador. It was great fun.

I wanted to make some comments about the guide that was assigned to the Sulidae for the Galapagos tour. I do not know if there is a Galapagos guide organization that I may contact as well.

Firstly, the crew of the Sulidae were fantastic, helpful, kind, and went above and beyond to make us all feel welcome and cared for. The guide, however, was extremely disappointing, to the point of being hazardous. His name is Martin. Our tour was Oct. 10-14. It was his first experience as a guide, which in and of itself is not a problem. He had only learned English for a couple weeks. He practiced a few things to say, but was not able to answer any of our questions. Some of these questions were as simple as “do we need hiking boots or
sandals” or “how long is the walk”. He would start answering something completely different. We were never adequately prepared for the day, because we were not informed.

The language barrier was challenging, but not the worst part. He told us in so many words that he was being a guide for the money. He can make 3 times as much money than he used to. Many times we would be waiting for him, ready to go on shore at the appointed time, and he was still sleeping. In the evenings, his “talk” about the itinerary for the next day consisted of reading times and places off the white board, with no explanation, back story, history, etc. If we asked a complicated question such as “what animals might we see?”, once he finally understood the question, he would have to look to one of the crew, and ask them.

The main fault was that he did not appear to care. One of the passengers was struggling severely with sea sickness. The crew was empathetic, and brought her her meals on deck so that she would be more comfortable. The guide simply laughed at her. Another passenger was stung while snorkeling, was in major pain, and climbed up onto the panga with a very red and throbbing arm. The guide again laughed and carried on pointing out fish from the boat. The crew and other passengers finally told the guide that we needed to bring her back to the main boat so she could be treated.

The most dangerous of slip ups on the part of the guide was during another snorkeling expedition. We were taking the panga to the area designated for snorkeling. On the way, there were penguins and other animals. One of the passengers asked if we could snorkel there for a few minutes, then carry on to the next place. The guide said sure. One of the passengers was about to jump in, and the first mate yelled to the guide that we couldn’t snorkel there – there were sharks, and it was feeding time.

Any time we came close to another guide, we were saddened by the amount of information they were passing to their group, and by the enthusiasm with which they partook in their explanation. It is really a shame to have missed so much information about the incredible islands and animals.

I am saying this only because I firmly believe this man should not be a guide. He is unkind and uncaring, and misrepresents the Galapagos. We learned much more from the crew, who spoke no English, because they were knowledgeable and passionate about their islands!

Is there a Galapagos tour guide operation that I may contact?

Thank you for your time.

Cheers,
Jill Ahlstrand

As this is unconfirmed & unofficial news at this point we will keep readers informed as news continues to break.

Robin Slater
President
Sangay Touring

BOAT: ANGELIQUE
CLASS: Tourist Superior

CRUISE DATE: May 18th to 25th, 2009
PASEENGERS: Bram Caudri & Grabriela Wellman

We (young couple, aged 28-29) very much enjoyed our stay on the Angelique. It is a boat that offers basic comfort and cleanliness, and quite good meals. It is not luxurious but for us it was absolutely fine. The 7/8 day tour we took was amazing, and although i have of course not been on other tours, it seems that we visited all the important and most beautiful spots on the eastern islands.

Cabins
The boat has eight cabins. They are a bit small, but big enough to stay in, and anyway on the Galapagos who wants to stay in a cabin. We stayed in one next to the engine (cabin 8). It has advantages and disadvantages. The smell of diesel oil is quite overwhelming and the noise of the engine is loud (although you get used to both nuisances fairly quickly). On the other hand, as you are near the back of the boat, the cabins are the most stable at night when the boat travels, and that helps you getting a good night rest. In the front of the boat your bed moves with the waves enthusiastically! As the nights are relatively short anyway, we were (in the end) happy to be where we were. I suppose the cabins one step closer to the front would be the most comfortable ones (I think that would be cabins 5 & 6).

Food
The food provided on the boat was basically what you would expect from a simple buffet in a normal, 2 or 3 star european hotel. Breakfast was a cold continental buffet breakfast (the English people will perhaps be slightly disappointed), and lunch and dinner were warm buffet. Of course, there was no great variation in the food on offer, but honestly what can you expect them to provide you with on a bunch of small islands?

Other
Main observations are:
- the boat was in good shape (we felt safe all the time);
- the rooms had good airco and electricity;
- the roof terrace on the boat is amazing to relax on after a long day, and though the other boats may be more modern, the top deck of the Angelique is nicer than any of their afterdecks;
- it was kept quite clean by very friendly and helpful staff.

I suppose the Angelique ranks in between the budget boats and the fancy boats (the reference to a simple 2/3 star hotel is accurate, I think). All in all, if you are looking for a boat with basic amenities, the Angelique is an excellent choice. If you are looking for luxury, this is not the boat for you, but if you just want a nice, safe boat and an enjoyable trip, it is perfect.

What follows below is a smorgasbord of offering for October 2009 ….

PROMOTIONS EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH SANGAY TOURING (info@sangay.com)

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BOAT: AMIGO

DATES: Oct.04 – 08 / 04 – 11 / 08 – 15 / 11 – 15 / 11 – 18 / 15 – 22 / 18 – 22 / 18 -25

RATES: $1350 [7-nights] / $850 [4-nights]

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BOAT: NEW FLAMINGO

DATES: Oct.06 – 09 / Oct.06 – 13 / Oct.13 – 20 / Oct.20 – 27 / Oct.27 – Nov.03

RATES: $1405 [7-nights] / $1000 [4-nights] / $650 [3-nights]

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BOAT: RUMBA

DATES: Oct.18 – 25 / Oct.18 – 22 / Oct.22 – 29 / Oct.25 – Nov.01 / Oct.25 – 29

RATES: $1405 [7-nights] / $900  [4-nights] / $715 [3-nights]

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BOAT: SULIDAE

DATES: Oct.01 – 08 / Oct.03 – 07 / Oct.08 – 15 / Oct.10 – 14 / Oct.22 – 29 / Oct.24 – 28 / Oct.29 – Nov.05

RATES: $1375 [7-nights] / $1000 [4-nights]

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BOAT: AIDA MARIA

DATES: Oct.11 – 18 / Oct.18 – 25 / Oct.25 – Nov.01

RATES: $1850 [7-nights] / $1375 [4-nights] / $950 [3-nights]

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BOAT: ANGELITO

DATES: Oct.04 – 11 / Oct.11 – 18 / Oct.18 – 25 / Oct.25 – Nov.01

RATES: $1850 [7-nights] / $1150 [4-nights]

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BOAT: ANGELIQUE

DATES: Oct.05 – 12 / Oct.15 – 22 / Oct.19 – 26 / Oct.22 – 29 / Oct.26 – Nov.02

RATES: $2050 [7-nights] / $1275 [4-nights] / $1000 [3-nights]

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BOAT: GUANTANAMERA
DATES: Oct.04 – 11 / Oct.11 – 15

RATES: $1430 [7-nights] / $910 [4-nights]

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BOAT: ARCHIPEL II

DATES: Oct.05 – 09 / Oct.05 – 12 / Oct.12 – 16 / Oct.12 – 19 / Oct.19 – 23 / Oct.19 – 26 / Oct.26 – 30 / Oct.26 – Nov.02

RATES: $1750 [7-nights] / $1100 [4-nights] / $900 [3-nights]

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BOAT: BEAGLE

DATES: Oct.13 – 20 / Oct.20 – 27

RATES: $2100 [7-nights]

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BOAT: BELUGA

DATES: Oct.02 – 09 (now $2450) / Oct.09 – 16 / Oct.23 – 30 / Oct.30 – Nov.06

RATES: $3100 [7-nights]

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BOAT: CACHALOTE

DATES: Oct.07 – 14 / Oct.21 – 28 / Oct.28 – Nov.04

RATES: $2400 [7-nights]

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BOAT: CORMORANT II

DATES: Oct.14 – 21

RATES: $1900 [7-nights]

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BOAT: EDEN

DATES: Oct.04 – 08 / Oct.04 – 11 / Oct.18 – 22 / Oct.18 – 25 (7-nights now $1850 / 4-nights now $1300)

RATES: $1850 [7-nights] / $1300 [4-nights]

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BOAT: ERIK / LETTY / FLAMINGO

DATES: Oct.04 – 11 / Oct.11 – 18 / Oct.18 – 25 / Oct.25 – Nov.01

RATES: 10% discount off regular rates

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BOAT: GALAXY

DATES: Oct.03 – 06 / Oct.17 – 24 / Oct.17 – 20 / Oct.20 – 24 / Oct.20 – 27 / Oct.24 – 27 / Oct.24 – 31 / Oct.27 – 31 / Oct.27 – Nov.03 / Oct.31 – Nov.03

RATES: $2250 [7-nights] / $1550 [4-nights] / $1200 [3-nights) – ALL INCLUDE AIR TICKET

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BOAT: MARY ANNE

DATES: Oct.21 - 28

RATES: $3000 [7-nights]

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BOAT: NEMO II

DATES: Oct.11 – 18 / Oct.18 – 25 / Oct.25 – Nov.01

RATES: $1750 [7-nights]

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BOAT: QUEEN OF GALAPAGOS

DATES: Oct.12 – 16 / Oct.30 – Nov.02

RATES: $1410 [4-nights]

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BOAT: SAGITTA

DATES: Oct.14 – 21 / Oct.21 – 28

RATES: $2900 [7-nights]

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BOAT: ANAHI

DATES: Oct.06 – 13 / Oct.09 – 16 / Oct.13 – 20

RATES: Upper deck Suite:      $4075 [7-nights] / $2700 [4-nights] / $2100 [3-nights]
Main deck Standard:  $3550 [7-nights] / $2400 [4-nights] / $1835 [3-nights]

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BOAT: ATHALA

DATES: Oct.02 – 06 ($700 discount) / Oct.06 – 13 / Oct.09 – 16 / Oct.13 – 20 / Oct.16 – 20

RATES: $3800 [7-nights] / $2225 [4-nights]

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BOAT: GALAPAGOS ODYSSEY

DATES: Oct.04 – 11 / Oct.08 – 15 / Oct.11 – 18

RATES: Double or twin bed cabin.:         $3300 [7-nights] / $2000 [4-nights] / $1650 [3-nights]
Single cabin lower deck             $5000 [7-nights] / $3050 [4-nights] / $2450 [3-nights]
Single cabin main/upper deck:  $6700 [7-nights] / $4100 [4-nights] / $3300 [3-nights]

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Thank you for visiting Sangay Touring® which has over 15 years of proven professional experience in Ecuador and Galapagos travel arrangements.  Over the years we have continued to evolve in order to ensure that we exceed the needs and requirements of our valued clients. Our continued growth is largely due to the continued recommendations and referrals of our extremely satisfied clients.

As one former client stated “I appreciate your efforts on this difficult situation. You’ve really pulled out all the stops …  I’m pleased to be going with someone you trust.   It’s not easy choosing a boat, or indeed an agent because there are so many who all look the same. We chose you because you were the most responsive and informative when we made our inquiries, and it is turning out to have been a wise decision.” [Keith Turner]

Aspects to closely consider in planning your Galapagos trip

• Most Galapagos cruises run for 4 nights (5 days) or 7 nights (8 days). Keep in mind that you fly to and from Galapagos on the first and last day respectively; the 4 night cruise is really only a 3 full day cruise and the 7 night cruise a 6 full day cruise. We always recommend the latter for various reasons: the flight and Galapagos National Park entry fee ($100 pp) is the same whether you go for 4 or 7 nights and is therefore better value for money for the 7 night cruise!  Additionally, most people visit the Galapagos Islands only once and for this reason we recommend making the most of it and going for the full 7-nights;
• The standard cabin arrangements are double cabins – most yachts have bunk bed (upper/lower berth) cabins;  the majority have private bathrooms.
• Galapagos airlines and most Galapagos yacht operators consider children anyone under the age of 12 at the time of the cruise (some yacht operators classify children as less  than 11 years of age);
• Flights to the Galapagos Islands (which are booked in conjunction with your cruise) can be taken from either Quito or Guayaquil.  The respective yacht operator guarantees flight spaces for their cruise dates (i.e., flying out to Galapagos on the first day of the cruise and returning back from Galapagos on the last day of the cruise.  For those wishing to fly out earlier and/or stay on in Galapagos after the cruise, there is no guarantee of available flights spaces but we will do our best to achieve the desire  flight date change(s);
• Most yachts carry 16 passengers, allocated in 8 double cabins;
• All yachts carry snorkel equipment (some charge a nominal rental fee for this equipment);
• A very, very limited number carry kayaks and/or offer scuba diving.

Please review the options provided below and contact me as soon as possible to reserve (or temporarily block/hold) your spaces for a memorable, trip of a lifetime in Galapagos.

• Rates indicated are adult rates per person & based on double cabin accommodation (unless otherwise specified), in US dollars;
• For single travelers, if you want a cabin to yourself a single supplement is applied (varies from boat to boat) – but if you are willing to share, no single supplement is applied;
• Yacht details are subject to change;
• Prices and availabilities are subject to change;
• Remaining spaces are limited and selling out quickly so the indicated options are valid for today (subject to change);

Rates indicated (cruise rates) do not include the following:

• Round trip Galapagos airline ticket (which is booked in conjunction with the cruise)

Note(s): Rates include aiport taxes; ‘Child’ is considered anyone under the age of 12 at the time of the flight (copy of passport required).

• Galapagos National Park entrance fee [$100 per adult / $50 for children]
• TCC (Tourist Migratory Control Card) [$10 per person]
• Alcoholic beverages & soft drinks;
• Snorkel equipment (on some yachts);
• Tips/gratuities;
• Personal expenses

NOTE:  (1) Rates are subject to change (quite often rates drop due to last minute promotions published by the respective cruise operators);