Galapagos - Losing out on Darwin's Natural Selection?
An island group that needs to adapt to survive the modern tourism natural selection.
20.09.2010
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." Charles Darwin
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Good source of information about Galapagos hotels & diving (click)
Best and only luxury hotel on the islands: Hotel Iguana Crossing, Isabela Island, Galapagos *****
Best price-benefit-ratio on the main island: Hotel Solymar, Santa Cruz, Galapagos ***/*
Least price-worthy hotel ever: Royal Palm, Galapagos (Member Leading Hotels) although only one with individual airport pick-up
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To Galapagos, all flights leave from Quito (here view from Hilton): 4h with a fuel-stop in Guayaquil...
... on the recommendable AeroGal, TAME or LAN ...
... to be greeted by a friendly sealion at the ferry from the airport-island Baltra to the main island Santa Cruz...
... where many other sealions are ready to play at the Hotel Solymar.
In the footsteps of pirates, whalers and Charles Darwin ...
... separating the Dragons from the Lizzys. (Baldessarini)
Lizards
Iguanas
Penguins
Turtles (mating)
"Lonesome George" (Unfortunately not mating anymore. At age 100, and the only survivor of his species.)
GIANT Turtles !
CUTE Sealions
HUNGRY Cormorants
BEAUTIFUL flamingos on the right. Many CHEAP BIRD TOURISTS flocking to the Galapagos, on the left.
The only luxury hotel on the islands: the "Iguana Crossing" on Isabela
When the Ecuadorian President Raffael Correa (center, in blue shirt) heard about my complaints regarding the weak tourism target group, the unsophisticated infrastructure and the rustic, overpriced hotels in the Galapagos he flew over for an emergency press conference, announcing several 5-star-hotels and an individual taxi pick-up service from the airport (well, so I would have dreamed ...)
The tourist concept of the Galapagos really needs an overhaul !!!
Better examples are the Okavango Delta in Botswana or Operation Loango in Gabon and CAR.
The Galapagos Islands should only be visited on a private yacht - and for those who can afford it by private jet. Otherwise one may be VERY disappointed by the low quality tourism that is offered, especially when arriving at the crowded airport, on the compulsory first public (!) packed bus, on the badly maintained boats, or looking at the rustic (but expensive) hotel infrastructure. Luckily, the wonderful wildlife makes up for a lot of the shortcomings of the two-legged inhabitants.
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A nice local wall map of the Galapagos Islands:
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Must read books when in the Galapagos (Source: Amazon):
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Posted by LuxuryRogue 08:10 Archived in Ecuador
