Galapagos Island

SIGHTSEEING, ECUADOR Updated : Sep 26, 2016, 12.47 PM IST

Ajita Chowhan

Over the past decade Ajita has extensively explored more than 30 countries in Latin America, South East Asia, North America, Western Europe, Scandinavia and Africa. She is an ardent believer of the slow, long-term travel enabling most authentic understanding of culture, landscape, people and society. She continues to do so by currently living and working in the Northern Congo Basin in Sub-Saharan Africa. She curates her elsewhereness as A Small Town Girl at http://www.asmalltowngirl.in.

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Darwin propounded his theory of evolution here. Visiting Galapagos Islands is a costly affair—both in terms of money and time. Tourism is regulated by the tourism ministry in Ecuador. It is obligatory to visit the islands with a tour operator. Sometimes the tours are booked for over months, so planning much in advance is required. The island is not inhabited however, is home to Charles Darwin Research Station. The potential for adventure and fun is exponential. If you go walking around, diving or snorkelling, there is every possibility of sighting giant turtles, sea lions, whale sharks, manta rays, giant iguanas, redneck frigate birds, hammer sharks. A tiny archipelago that comprises of 13 major islands, 6 small islands and roughly 40 very small islands called islets is 1,000 km off Ecuadorean coast. It is reachable by airplanes and cruise ships. Besides diving and snorkelling, kayaking, hiking and cruising in ships, there are other activities that could keep you profoundly engaged like surfing, biking, horseback riding.

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