Dear Maggy, Richard, Lynn, Dennis, Heather, and Kimberly,

Welcome to Ecuador! I hope you had a safe flight to Quito and are very excited about your vacation in the country!

In this folder, you will find all the necessary information about your Galapagos island hopping and other tours, the printed voucher for the island hopping and the jungle tour, flight tickets to Galapagos, your INGALA transit cards, etc.

Please find enclosed the following documents

• voucher for your 8-day Galapagos island hopping tour
• detailed itinerary for the Galapagos tour
• your Galapagos flight tickets
• voucher for your 4-day jungle tour to La Selva Jungle Lodge
• detailed itinerary for the jungle tour
• your tour itinerary for your whole package
• helpful information about the island hopping
• your INGALA transit cards
• You won’t get the flight tickets for the jungle in printed form. The representative of La Selva Jungle Lodge will hand you over the boarding passes at Quito airport on the day of your flight.

Here is some more detailed information about each day, pickups, and what you have to keep in mind:

July 5th

For today, you have booked a half-day city tour through Quito old town in the afternoon. The morning is free so that you can either relax in the hotel or discover a bit of Quito individually in the morning. Your guide for the city tour is going to pick you up at 2 pm at your hotel Portal de Cantuna.

July 6th

Today you start your Galapagos island hopping tour. The driver for the airport transfer is going to pick you up at your hotel Portal de Cantuna at 7 am. Your flight to San Cristobal with LAN Airlines leaves at 10:40 am. You have to be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight.

At the airport in Quito, you don’t have to get your INGALA transit cards anymore as I have already got them for you in advance. You find them enclosed in this folder. Please add your home address and signature on the INGALA cards! You will have to show them upon your arrival on San Cristobal island. Still, you have to go to the INGALA counter (on the right side if you enter the national departures building – has a green logo) and pass through the door right beside the counter. There you have your luggage checked (as it is not allowed to bring fruit, vegetables, or seeds to Galapagos) by SIGCAL. They have to put a sticker on each of the bags that the luggage is checked so that you can check-in the bags with LAN Airlines.

At the airport in San Cristobal, there will be a representative of the operator of the island hopping waiting for you after you have paid the Galapagos park entrance fee (100 USD p. p. in cash – please don’t pay in 100 USD bills as they are often not accepted) and received your bags. Please watch out for a sign with your name (our partner agency on Galapagos). The transport will take you to your hotel, then you have lunch and start the tour.

I also email you some additional information about the island hopping tour which includes a packing list for your tour (I think I already emailed you the file, but just in case, here it is again). Please take some good walking shoes with you for the hike to Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela Island. The ground can be muddy and it´s more comfortable to walk if you have the right shoes.

It’s a good idea to buy some pills or patches against seasickness in advance for the transport by speed boat between Isabela and Santa Cruz. In July, the sea is more turbulent and the speed boat rides can get pretty bumpy depending on the weather. Generally, it’s recommendable to sit at the back of the speed boats, where it moves a little less. The speed boat ride will take a max. 2,5 hours.

July 13th

Today your island hopping tour ends. The transfer will drop you off in time at the airport in Baltra. Your flight back to Quito with LAN Airlines leaves Baltra at 12:45 pm and arrives in Quito at 17:20 pm.

When you get out with your bags, a driver will wait for you with a sign with your name (Magy) on it to take you to your hotel Portal de Cantuna in Quito old town.

July 14th

For 2 of your group, the tour finishes today with the transfer to the airport.

The airport transfer is going to pick up Heather at the hotel Portal de Cantuna at 2:15 am (!) am to take her to the airport to catch her Avianca flight AV256 at 6 am.

The airport transfer is going to pick up Kimberly at the hotel Portal de Cantuna at 10:30 am to take her to the airport to catch her Copa Airlines flight CM828 at 15:07 pm.

For 4 of your group, the tour continues today with the transfer to the airport to start your 4-day tour to La Selva Jungle Lodge. As I mentioned before, your flight times might still change, but if everything remains like mentioned in the voucher, the airport transfer would pick you up at 7:30 am. You have to be at the airport (national departures) at 9 am to take your flight to Coca at 10 am with Aerogal Airlines. Please remember to take your entire luggage with you, as you will be at another hotel (La Casona de la Ronda) when you come back from the jungle.

A representative of La Selva Lodge, Mr. Brito, will be waiting for you near the Aerogal check-in counter at national departures to assist you with the check-in process from approx. 8:45 am on. Please don’t check in yourselves at the Aerogal counter! You will also be picked up by a representative of the lodge at Coca airport. In the provisional voucher, you will also find a packing list and tipping guidelines for the tour.

At the lodge, two superior suites are reserved for you.

July 17th

Today you fly back from Coca to Quito with Aerogal at 11:15 am. You will be dropped off by La Selva Lodge at the airport in Coca in the morning. You arrive at Quito airport at 11:50 am.

When you get out with your bags, a driver will wait for you with a sign with your name (Magy) on it to take you to your hotel La Casona de la Ronda in Quito old town, where you stay for the remaining two nights.

July 18th

Today you have a free day in Quito.  Night at La Casona de la Ronda.

July 19th

According to your flight info, you leave today at 15:07 pm from Quito airport with Copa Airlines flight CM828. The driver is going to pick you up at La Casona de la Ronda at 10:30 am to take you to the airport. This is the end of our services 🙂

If you need any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Enclosed please find my business card, o – please note that my mobile phone number. My phone number is 0995431895 (from a local phone) and 00593-995431895 (from an international phone). You can also write an email any time and I usually answer quickly.

Have a great time in Ecuador and on the Galapagos islands! Thank you very much for choosing Barefoot Expeditions!

Best regards,

Your Barefoot  Team ?