Great trip with amazing wildlife. Our guide Carly was amazing!

We enjoyed it very much. Carley was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. The food and accomodations were excellent. We saw some amazing birds and their behaviors.

Another fabulous trip with Reefs to Rockies! It was amazing to see the cranes in such high numbers at multiple settings and times of day. An absolutely beautiful, other worldly and unforgettable experience. We were also privileged to observe the antics of prairie chickens at at their lek at two different Nebraska locations, another other worldly experience. I also enjoyed seeing so many raptors on our trip and learning how to identify them. Sheridan is a fun, considerate, and very knowledgeable guide. I had been really curious about prairie habitats and I learned so much from her on this trip. Can't wait for the next one!

Thanks to Reefs to Rockies and their team in Ecuador for a great trip. In honor of my 80th year I took my small family to the Galapagos! Having previously traveled to Mexico to see the Monarch butterflies and Ecuador/Galapagos with Reefs to Rockies, I reached out to Shimano over a year ago to help plan our trip. I provided an outline of our time frame and the places that we wanted to see and things we wanted to do. We worked together to make our “bucket list once in a lifetime” trip happen. Over the course of the year answers to my many questions, including during the trip, were quickly given. From our arrival in Quito in the wee hours of the morning to our departure, also in the wee hours, our drivers and guides were there helping with our baggage, with negotiating the “paperwork” involved in visiting the Galapagos—the first stop of our itinerary—and with informed conversations about the places we were visiting. If I were to choose whether to have a land base or being based off a boat while visiting the Galapagos Islands, I would find that a quite difficult choice to make. Being a lucky woman, I have been able to do both thanks to Reefs to Rockies. This trip we sailed with Galaxy Cruises on the Alya from Santa Cruz around Isabell Island with stops at Santiago and Ferdnandina and back at Santa Cruz. Days were activity filled but there was no pressure to join in every single one. The small crew managing the boat attended to all details without being the least bit intrusive. We were well fed and there was abundant drink (not included)—our shipmates from New Orleans partied hard while my family and the other family on board did not! It was a congenial group. I appreciated not having to pack and close up my bag for 5 days. Because this entire area is a National Park, trips are highly managed and it seemed that we were the only people on the islands most days with abundant tortoises, iguanas, seals, sea lions and birds seemingly oblivious to our presence. Blue footed boobies are most amazing! The professional photographer who was along as a guest set up a shared photo album for all to contribute to. We have some very fine images. My seven year old grandson managed his first big trip with (mostly) good humor. The day we crossed the Equator, Max was at the helm of the boat (briefly)! Although the cruise guide said that he could not recall another child on the boat since he joined the staff at the very beginning, some 10 years ago, there was a properly fitting life jacket and wet suit for Max’s use. Max brought his own snorkel and fins and joined in on about every snorkel excursion. There was a “panga” available and picked him up out of the water as soon as he signaled that he was ready and done. Although I suspect that his “favorite activity” changes from day to day he stated, when asked the last evening, that the hike to Darwin Lake was his favorite. Perhaps seeing both a hawk and flamingos made that so. Back home, he told his classmates that he drove a boat over the equator. Prior to boarding the Alya, we spent 2 nights in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island so my son could do a dive. After the boat part of our trip, we met our driver and guide on the mainland for 2 nights near Cotapaxi Volcano, staying at the same lodge, Chilcabamba, where I had stayed on my previous trip. It is a magical place and I wanted to return. Shimano finds the very best small hotels! I also wanted my grandson to see another part of Ecuador. On our full day there, we did two short hikes well suited to both the 7 (almost 8) year old and the 79 (almost 80) year old in the Cotopaxi National Park with lunch at a small restaurant nearby. Because it was a Sunday there were local people from Quito also enjoying an outing and short hike around the small lake. Max was reluctant to hike but with a bit of encouragement managed quite well in-spite of the 12,000 Ft ,elevation. I was left panting! There was a change in itinerary on our last day—the road to the Pita River and scenic falls was closed. Instead we went into Quito for a short city tour. I can not imagine a trip to the Galapagos that does not include Quito. I grew up a “flat lander” on the vast, flat prairie of Nebraska where my great grandparents “settled” the land in the late 1800-s. The Spanish arrived in Quito in 1535 to a land that is shaped by volcano and erosion into steep ravines. The Spaniards built a city there on the backs of the native inhabitants laboring for the church. That history is a part of who the people of Ecuador are today and not to be missed in my opinion. Again, a heartfelt thanks to Reefs to Rockies and all who made this trip possible.

This trip was well organized and well executed. Driving times were broken up to allow for breaks. Our accommodations were very nice as were the restaurants we dined at. The tours to see birds were well run and informative. We were fortunate to have a great group of enthusiastic, interesting and well traveled companions who made for pleasurable company.