Emma Scala review 1 Nov 2009
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Being able to approach the wildlife so close
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
This trip is not great if you are a lone traveler. I was lucky enough not to have to share a room but there were four occasions when I didn't know if I would be sharing or not the coming night.
I went on a group tour so that I would have time to get to know my group and share the experience with them but, after 3 days all but one person left and they were replaced with new people. If you book the 10 day trip, do not expect to be with the same people for ten days.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I have no idea as we met no local people and we didn't go to any communities.
The impact on the environment was probably minimised due to Galapagos regulations
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The Galapagos Islands were great and I definitely recommend going there. However, I would not recommend this operator. I felt the guide was knowledgeable but not particularly helpful or enthusiastic and that the orerator were constantly trying to suck more money from us.
Read the operator's response here:
Dear Emma,
Thank you for your review posted and for taking the time to complete your post tour evaluation. We strongly believe customer feedback is the best tool we have to review and improve our services. Therefore, we thank you for your efforts in this regard.
I regret to learn that you were overall disappointed with your trip to the Galapagos. I have forwarded your comments to our Local Office for further review. I have reviewed the trip details for your tour, and under the section "Important Notes" number 6 states: "Please note that this trip is a combination of multiple tours. As such, the staff and/or particular vehicles operating your tour may change between tour segments. You may also expect some group members to join or leave the tour, between tour segments."
As an operator, we believe single travelers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve single supplement. Single travelers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. I am happy to know that you did not have to share you accommodation with anyone, but if another single traveler joined the tour, it would be expected that you would have to share part way through the trip. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
I have forwarded your feedback regarding the snorkeling gear that you were given while on board to our Local Operations Team, and they thank you for brining this to our attention. I have requested they inspect the equipment so that they are able to replace or update any pieces that are worn out.
As the face representing our company, we understand the influence our leaders have on the success (or otherwise) of the tour. We are alarmed to learn of your concerns with Pablo and can assure you that we will be following up with him as soon as possible. That said, we will be monitoring the operation of this trip to ensure that it is delivered in a more positive and rewarding way. We hope you can accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment Pablo may have caused you.
I know that nothing can make up for any loss of enjoyment of your travels with us not that they are complete. However, I would like to show you how positive and rewarding our adventures can be (and typically are)!
Again, we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, and we hope despite your concerns that you will travel with us again in the future.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns,
