The month of May could not have arrived any faster. I’d been looking forward to this month for so long, and here we finally are!

I’m so excited, I’m surprised that I kept quiet about this trip for so long.

If you’re a long-time reader of this blog, you’d know that I’m not one for bucket lists. In my opinion, they make travelling descend to the level of a chore, or worse, a brag-list of some sort.

So what I have instead are a few travel dreams. Yes, I realise and am thankful that I get to travel as often as I do, but I still have a few travel dreams that are yet to happen.  It may come as a surprise to some of you (certainly not to those who know me ), but most of these travel dreams involve wildlife.

If you follow my feed on Instagram – in the last few days, I may kind of have hinted what’s about to come … a lot of wildlife 😉

Ok, ok, I won’t keep this to myself any longer. You see, for the longest time, I’ve always had this wish in my heart:

So yes, in 24 hours I am headed to the Galapagos, baby! 🙂

Where exactly are the Galapagos Islands?

You’ve heard of it, you know of it, but where is it exactly?

The Galapagos Islands are 973 km (605 miles) off the west coast of South America. Ecuador, the country where they belong to, is the closest land mass.

So we fly out to Quito, Ecuador (via 2 cities in the United States) and then from Quito, take another 2 domestic flights to San Cristobal, where our cruise departs from.

Here’s a closer look at the Galapagos Islands:

For 8 days, we will be exploring those islands – snorkelling, hiking, trekking, and hopefully encounter a whole lot of wildlife.

This is the main reason why The Galapagos calls out to me so much. It is considered one of the world’s foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing. The unique and isolated location of the islands gave way to diversity of plant and animal species, many of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution was a product of his time spent in the islands when he visited in 1835.

These are just some of the many wildlife I hope to encounter:

I just might die if a baby Fur Seal looks up at me with those adorable eyes! Or worse, get fined / arrested for seal-napping!

How will I explore the Galapagos Islands?

You cannot independently explore the islands. You need to have an official registered guide, or go on a cruise.

I will be going with Ecoventura, the leader in sustainable cruising through the Galapagos Islands. Keeping things balanced in the Galapagos is of extreme importance. While tourism definitely helps, it can also be a factor of the islands’ decline. So I’m happy to be going with the most respected company that is committed to maintaining the ecosystem balance of the Galapagos.

Ecoventura has been operating for over two decades, and they are the first company to be certified as Smart Voyager, an ecological program developed by The Rainforest Alliance.

Ecoventura also specialises in small tour groups (no more than 20 people) , and have very recently launched their luxury vessel, the MV Origin. This vessel is so new, it went on its maiden voyage February 28 this year!

I’m really looking forward to explore the Galapagos in style and in comfort.  Exploring the Galapagos onboard the MV Origin is the perfect way to sum up my travel philosophy – sleeping and resting in luxury but definitely up at the call of adventure during the day!

After a surely action-packed week in the Galapagos, we will be stopping in the US for a little while before heading back to Australia.

Florida in spring!  We will be in Orlando, and this part of the trip is purely, 100% relaxation. And when I say relaxation – I mean that I won’t be working with any companies or brands at all. I just need this time to really not think about anything and just be a kid again. (Yes, the two big theme parks are inevitable). After all, the last time I was in Orlando ,I was NINE, and visited Disney World. The Little Mermaid was THE biggest and latest craze then. Disney’s come a looong way since Ariel, and I reckon visiting kid places when you’re an adult is twice the fun 😉

Getting there

Well no doubt, it’s going to be a L-O-N-G, long journey from Australia to Ecuador. When I look at the itinerary, it almost feels like embarking on an expedition.

I’m glad that we’ll be travelling quite comfortably in this trip, with Delta Airlines in their Delta One Business Class cabin.

Just a few of the things I’m looking forward to: The In-Flight bedding by Westin Heavenly, direct aisle access on all seats, and TUMI amenity kits!

Follow the journey!

I hope you follow me in this long journey, which I’m sure will be equal parts arduous, rewarding, exhilarating, and fun!

I’ll be posting live updates (where wi-fi is present!) of the trip on the following platforms:

INSTAGRAM

 

FACEBOOK

 

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

And do subscribe to my YouTube Channel where I will be posting videos of my travels and adventures for sure!

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Now, I’ve got a motherload to pack. If you have long followed my travels, I give you my ENDLESS THANKS and hope you are excited about this trip as I am. I’d never been this ecstatic about a long journey. I hope you all enjoy the ride 🙂

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Have you been to the Galapagos? Any tips? If you haven’t, is there anything about the Galapagos you’d like to know or find out?