Galapagos vacations, Ecuador

Planet

Accommodation & Meals:
The majority of the trip is spent sleeping on a first class, motor-sail catamaran called Nemo II which is an environmentally aware vessel. Whilst expedition cruising in the Galapagos there are tight regulations in place to prevent ecological damage to the National Park. For instance, glass is recycled and plastic waste, burnt oils and other non-biodegradable waste is sent back to the mainland for disposal. All cleaning products (like shampoo, detergent and soap) are biodegradable. These waste management efforts helps to protect the islands fragile eco-system. Staff are also employed locally both in Quito and the Galapagos, therefore providing benefit to the community.

Conservation:
We support visits to the Charles Darwin Research Centre on Santa Cruz Island. This center is dedicated to protecting and conserving the ecology of the islands and carries out educational projects in support of conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Entry fees help contribute to all the work going on here by improving demand, facilities and creating employment opportunities for scientists. We are also careful to adhere to National Park guidelines, which, amongst other things, ask that we keep a safe distance from wildlife at all times.

UK office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

Group size
We operate small group tours that have a low impact on the communities we visit and we always ensure our operations do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. This allows us to stay in unique and characterful accommodation that would not have benefitted from tourism due to their limited size.

People

Community:
The Galapagos is renowned for its incredibly unique wildlife and conservation efforts. We try to make as little negative impact on the environment and wildlife as possible, but also to leave a positive impact in terms of community and local economy. We hire guides and drivers from the area, meaning that the state of local employment and economy benefits. Although much of this tour is spent on board the boat or in nature, wherever the opportunity arises clients are encouraged to use local businesses and to engage with people they meet in order to promote positive cultural exchange.