QUICK FACTS

Approximate daily budget? For once, we didn’t keep track of our expenses. It would have spoilt the Galápagos experience… But to give an indication, accommodation varied from US$75 – $120 for a double room, including breakfast (R1 400 – R2 200). Excursions cost US$60 – $150 per person

(R1 100 – R2 800) except for the day trip around

San Cristóbal Island, which was particularly expensive at US$360 for two (R6 700).

How to get there and around? Flying is the only practical option. Foreign tourists must fly the more expensive “tourist class” – you have no choice (US$1 100 return for the two of us; R20 400). And then the costs start mounting because everything is priced in US dollars.

There are two ways of exploring the Galápagos: by sea or land (what we did). With the sea-based option, you fly to Santa Cruz before boarding a cruise ship that takes you between the islands from one activity to the next. You can also fly to San Cristóbal or Isabela, but Santa Cruz is where most tourists arrive. The ships range from 25 to a few hundred passengers and vary in luxury to cater for most budgets. (Except ours!)

You can’t hire a car in the Galápagos – there are so few roads that hiring a car makes no sense. However, you can hire a taxi driver for a short trip to a particular attraction for a few hours. The taxis are mostly doublecab Chev bakkies, like our Isuzus.

Where to stay? There are lots of accommodation options. We used Booking.com and Airbnb. Camping is not an option.

Visa? South Africans can obtain a 90-day visa for Ecuador on arrival.