Our first Ecuador & The Galapagos tour just ended and it was just magical.
So many of the guests made their dreams come true on this trip and the joy in their faces and their excitement will stay with me forever as a reminder of why we do what we do.
Two moments stand out for me, among the MANY incredible wildlife encounters and "pinch me" instants.
We were swimming with sea lions in Genovesa Island, enjoying the baby blue warm waters with sea lions literally swimming up to our noses and feet, playing with us and taunting us to touch them (we did not).
One of the guests was so excited, I had to capture the moment on camera. It was pure joy to see her with such childlike smile on her face as the sea lion playfully touched her feet. At the same time, another guest was coming out of the water jumping up and down saying "I am having so much fun!".
These are the kinds of moments that make all the tough times and detail-oriented planning worth it.
 |
After the tour, I have 5 days before I board the cruise we have chartered for next year's Ecuador tour, and have decided to spend them in San Cristobal and Isabela islands on my own, working and taking some excursions.
San Cristobal is full of loud sea lions in town. This beach right in the town center has so many of them...I could hear them from my room through the balcony door 
 |
In Isabela, I have taken a short afternoon tour and was lucky enough to see so many blue footed boobies and penguins I could even swim with. I did not have my GoPro with me this time, but it left me speechless to be right there looking at a penguin 2m away that then jumped into the water and swam next to me 
If Galapagos, the Amazon and Ecuador as a whole have been a dream trip for you, we are retuning to Ecuador for our combo Ecuador (Amazon + Indigenous Andes) and The Galapagos tour in May 2027 (BOOK HERE) and will launch a new Galapagos only tour for December 2027 soon. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when it goes live.
In the meantime, go follow me via Instagram stories for the behind the scenes of sailing the Galapagos. Be ready for major FOMO as I take you on a once in a lifetime journey during the 2 weeks I am spending here.
Other tips to stave off pickpockets
Here are a few other safety tips:
- Have your bag on your lap or across your chest when sitting down to eat, and your phone attached to the lanyard and across your body too. Never leave valuables on the table where they can be easily taken by anyone passing by
- Don't walk with your bag / phone lanyard on the side of the road, keep them in the inside of the sidewalk so that someone driving at the back of a scooter cannot pull them and drive away, throwing you to the ground in the process
- Don't put things in your back pockets where they can be easily stolen
- If you don't have an anti-theft bag, you can use carabiners to secure zips and prevent others from opening them much like the mechanism anti-theft bags use. See how to do this with my Tip #96
Tags: Genovesa Island Ecuador & The Galapagos tour Solo Female Traveler