GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS – ECUADOR

ANGELA DUKES – CREATIVE DIRECTOR

For any lover of the natural world, the Galápagos Islands have always held an irresistible appeal and I’m no different – it’s been a lifelong ambition to visit with my family. So many tales – in print and on the big and small screen – are told of Charles Darwin’s time on Galápagos, and how his five week study of the animals of the islands inspired his theory of evolution presented in On the Origin of Species, that visiting would almost be part-pilgrimage, part-wildlife expedition.

Around 1,000 km from South America, yet technically part of Ecuador, the 19 island archipelago is so remote that once it was only visited by refuge seeking pirates. But it’s the isolation, or rather the unique wildlife that developed as a result of that isolation, that’s always drawn me to them. The giant tortoises, the marine iguanas, the flightless cormorant: across a landscape shaped over millennia by volcanic eruptions, it would be the most unique safari in the world with an almost otherworldly feel to it. Staying at the luxurious eco-resort Pikaia Lodge (pikaialodge.com) would make a great base from which to explore.

For a photographer, Galápagos is the most perfect location shoot. The locals – the furry, feathered, scaled and shelled ones that is, not the 30,000 walking, talking ones – are said to largely remain unfussed by the passing travellers, and often stick around for a portrait or two. With the vivid blue-footed booby, the volcano red chest of the magnificent frigate bird, multicoloured paintwork of the Sally Lightfoot crabs and even the muted tones of the local tortoises – when the beautifully barren Galápagos landscapes can’t deliver the palette you want, the residents will.

I’d combine my visit with a trip to mainland Ecuador, taking in a second of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Different landscapes, different climate, thousands of different species – it would be an experience to make up for any time in lockdown.