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THE ENCHANTED GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND THE LOST CITY OF MACHU PICHU
Zenith Travel, Ecuador's favorite gay-owned agency, offers for the 2009, the most exclusive gay and lesbian charters on board GUANTANAMERA Galapagos Yacht. Just 16 lucky adventurers will get to experience this once-in-a-lifetime cruise of the Enchanted Galapagos Islands. On your way to the Islands, you'll also visit Quito, one of the most beautiful colonial cities in south America with its vibrant gay life. BE AMAZED BY THE STABILITY, SERVICE AND CONFORT ON BOARD THE GUANTANAMERA GALAPAGOS YACHT. GUANTANAMERA YACHT :  Class: Superior tourist The Guantanamera Yacht is a Galapagos Islands Superior tourist class yacht. It was built in 1995 in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands and is ideal for people who like lots of space on a yacht; it has a nice outside area where you can take sun. It has eight big double cabins with air conditioning, private bathroom and hot water. There is a nice dining room, a comfortable living room and bar.  Departure 2009 Itinerary
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(*) All the cabins in the Yacht are double occupancy. If you are travelling alone we will match your roommate. Prices
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ECUADOR AND GALAPAGOS The price Include: > All transfers Airport-Hotel-Airport The Price does not Include: > Galapagos National Park fees of US $ 100 (To be paid in Galapagos) EXTENSION PERU The Package Include: > Air Ticket Guayaquil - Lima - Cusco - Lima. The Package does not Include: > Domestic Airport departure Tax of US $ 6,05. Detailed Itinerary 17 Dec: USA – QUITO
You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at Vieja Cuba Hotel. 18 Dec: QUITO CITY TOUR + EQUATORIAL MONUMENT + TELEFERIQO
After breakfast, visit the broad avenues of the northern residential section. Continue to Independence Plaza , the Government Palace , La Catedral, El Sagrario, La Companía and San Francisco Churches . Then continue to El Panecillo, the hill that hosts a giant statue of the winged Virgin, where you will have a splendid view of all of old and new town. A few miles north of Quito is the Equatorial Monument at latitude 0 00' 00'' which marks the place where an 18th century expedition established the exact geodesic position of the equator. This is a unique opportunity to be in two hemispheres at the same time. Visit the monument and its ethnography museum or the Intinan Museum. Then transfer to the Teleferiqo station in order to enjoy this new attraction. Overnight at La Vieja Cuba Hotel. 19 Dec: QUITO – OTAVALO INDIAN MARKET – QUITO
After breakfast, drive to the North east branch of the Panamericana. Visit the town of Calderon, know for the figurines made of bread dough and glue. Then the road descends into the spectacular arid Guayllabamba gorge and climbs out again to the fertile oasis of Guayllabamba village, noted for its avocatos and deliciously chirimoyas or custard apples. Continue to Cayambe, known for it snow capped volcano and for the countryside of dairy farms and many flowers plantation. Then we will visit the Plaza del Poncho in Otavalo. The Otavalos Indians are the most ambitious and prosperous craftsmen/merchants of Ecuador. Its market is one of the South America’s most important centers of ethno-tourism and its enormous market, featuring a dazzling array of textiles and crafts. Ponchos wooden goods and Indian Jewelry are sold here. Then Visit Peguche, famous for its beautiful tapestries and the nice waterfall. Return to Quito. Overnight. 20 Dec: QUITO – GALAPAGOS: Baltra Is & Bachas
After breakfast transfer to the airport in order to take your Aerogal flight with destination to Galapagos. Depart 08h20. Arrive in Baltra at 10h20. You will be greeted by your guide and transferred to the Guantanamera Yacht, which will be anchored around Baltra Is. Cabin assignment, introductory welcome talk and lunch. Afterwards, boat drill, and then first outing to visit to Bachas. On the sandy white beaches of Las Bachas we will get a close look at a sea turtle nesting area and a lake frequented by leggy pink flamingos and other migratory birds. Afterward, we cool ourselves off with our first dip in the deliciously blue Pacific Ocean. As this is our first evening together, the crew will invite us to a pre-dinner cocktail on the yacht before the welcome dinner. If the night is clear, as it usually is, the stars above will bedazzle; look for the Southern Cross, the Big Dipper (turned up-side down!) and Orion. Board the Yacht. Naturalist’s briefing on the next day’s activities followed by a welcome cocktail offered by the Captain and dinner. 21 Dec: GALAPAGOS: Plazas Is. & Santa Fe Is.
After breakfast we will visit Santa Fe Island which is about 20 km southeast of Santa Cruz. There is a good anchorage in an attractive bay on the north coast. Some of the cacti here are over 10 meters high. Here you will see the Santa Fe land Iguana. This specie of iguana is found nowhere else in the world. Here you will see a sea lion colony, marine iguanas, blue foot booby, masked booby, lava lizard, giant tortoise, and leaf-toes geckoes. Excellent snorkeling In the afternoon we will visit Plazas Is. The two Islands were formed by uplift due to faulting. The yacht anchor between them, and land on South Plaza the larger of the islands. A dry landing brings you to an opuntia cactus forest where there are many land iguanas. You will find sea lion colonies and along a cliff-top walk where swallow-tailed gulls and other species nest. Also will see red-billed tropic birds, frigates, pelicans and Audubon's shearwaters. Snorkeling with sealions is a possibility and out to sea you may glimpse a manta ray "flying". 22 Dec: GALAPAGOS: Espanola Is.
After breakfast, disembark at Gardner Bay (wet landing) for a short walk along the whitest coral beach you can possibly imagine. You can either take a short walk and watch the sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, enjoy the beach, snorkel and swim from the beach, or ride the glass-bottom boat around nearby islets. Rewarding snorkeling at these locations. 23 Day: GALAPÁGOS: Floreana Is.
Floreana Island is perceived as one of the most exotic Islands of the archipelago. At Punta Cormorant you land on a green olivine sand beach. Following a 100 m long path you will soon reach a lagoon with flamingoes, white-checked pintail ducks and other shorebirds. The trail goes on to a white beach made of grinned coral, so it looks like flour. This is the green sea turtle’s nesting place. To the west, Post Office Bay keeps the legendary post barrel that whalers used to send their mail. 24 Dec: GALAPAGOS: Charles Darwin Station, Highlands of Santa Cruz.
On another visit, travelers have the chance to investigate the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora, staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. Here you can also admire Giant Tortoises, part of the breeding program. Also travelers can admire the impressive Giant Prickly-Pear Cactus forest and many land birds. The visit to the station takes around 40 minutes. After this visit passengers have some free time to walk around town and shop for souvenirs. The lush greenery of the Santa Cruz highlands is a welcome contrast with the arid scenery of the smaller, lower islands. Points of interest are the famed lava tunnels, a fun and geologically informative visit and a turtles farm. 25 Dec: GALAPAGOS: RABIDA ISLAND & BARTOLOME ISLAND.
Known for its unique reddish-maroon terrain, Isla Rabida is also home to large populations of sea lions, pelicans and flamingoes. Though this island is uninhabited, visiting here is a must to enjoy the intriguing natural beauty and wildlife of the area. Make a wet landing on the unusual red sand beaches here, to see sea lion colonies flourishing amidst hundreds of nesting pelicans. This island offers some of the best views of these wonderful birds in their natural habitat. Another sight not to be missed is the saltwater lagoon found here, where vast numbers of brightly colored pink flamingoes can be seen lazying around male sea lions that have been ousted from their groups. A reddish color due to the oxidization of lava, Isla Rabida has a wonderful walking trail, along which one can take in the palo santo trees that cover the island’s main volcanic peak. On Bartolome, it seems like we are walking on the moon as this young Island is inhospitable to most plants and animals. The volcanic formations include lava bombs as well as spatter cones and cinder cones. After a dry landing, we have a 30 minute steep climb to a summit of a once active volcano for a panoramic view including the famous " Pinnacle Rock", an eroded tuff cone. Down below, the water is crystal clear where we can swim and snorkel with schools of fish. Penguins are usually spotted in this area. On the other side, is another beach with sea turtles and white-tipped sharks. 26 Dec: GALAPAGOS: GENOVESA IS.
Today we spend the entire day on one of the most spectacular Islands in Galapagos, Tower ( Genovesa ). Truly a bird-watchers paradise. The volcanic seacliffs offer a prime breeding place for Frigate Birds, swallow tailed gulls, Storm Petrels, Tropic Birds and Red-footed boobies. Disembark at El Barranco also known as Prince Phillip's steps in the morning and Darwin Bay in the afternoon. Enjoy open areas where you can spot small marine iguanas, and many birds. Our first view of Galapagos volcanoes, Darwin bay is an eroded crater under water, nearby is the white coral beach where will find many birds, opuntia cacti forests and mangroves. Time is allowed for swimming and snorkeling. 27 Dec: GALAPAGOS: NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND & BALTRA.IS FLIGHT QUITO
North Seymour is an uplifted island. In previous times, this was the ocean’s bed. Afternoon outing at north Seymour (dry landing) for a walk along the coast and the interior of the island observing bird colonies of blue footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow tailed gulls and also sea lions and marine iguanas. A shorter walk is also available. Then you will be transferred to Baltra Airport to take your Aerogal flight with destination to Quito. Depart at 12:45 arriving in Quito at 16h45. You will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight. 28 Dec: QUITO – FLIGHT BACK HOME After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in order to take ate Your flight back home. END OF THE ECUADORIAN TRIP EXTENSION TO THE LOST CITY OF MACHU PICHU Discover The Celestial World From the Inca capital city of Cuzco to the archaeological ruins of Sacsayhauman, Kenko, Pucapucara & Tambo Machay then to the famous Pisac Market for shopping in the Sacred Valley. The trip would not be complete with out the Orient Express Vistadom train ride winding into the Andean mountains to the mystical citidel of Machu Picchu. As all TAMBO TOURS programs this trip can be combined to many others to suite your time and interest. 27 Dec: GALAPAGOS – GUAYAQUIL - LIMA
North Seymour is an uplifted island. In previous times, this was the ocean’s bed. Afternoon outing at north Seymour (dry landing) for a walk along the coast and the interior of the island observing bird colonies of blue footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow tailed gulls and also sea lions and marine iguanas. A shorter walk is also available. Then you will be transferred to Baltra Airport to take your TAME flight with destination to Guayaquil. Depart at 12:30 arriving in Guayaquil at at 15h00. Then you take your International connection flight to Lima. Depart at 17h55. Arrive in Lima at 19h45. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight. 28 Dec: LIMA - CUZCO
You will be pick up from you hotel and transferred to the airport in order to take your flight to Cusco. On your arrival into Cuzco our staff will meet and transfer you to the Hotel. Use the remainder of the morning to acclimate to the 11,300 ft. altitude in the Inca capital of Cuzco. In the afternoon (1:45 p.m.), our staff will meet and transfer you by bus for a City tour of Cuzco and the Colonial and Inca sites of La Cathedral and Santo Domingo Convent, or Q’oricancha, Tambo Machay, Kenko, Pucapucara, and Sacsayhauman. Early evening return to Cuzco (5:45-6:15 p.m.)and then to your hotel. Overnight. 29 Dec: CUZCO – MACHU PICCHU
After breakfast, you will be pick up at the hotel and transfer to the train station. Backpacker train leaves from Cusco at 06:15, arriving in Aguas Calientes at 10.10. Rest of the day free. Overnight in Aguas Calientes. 30 Dec: MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO
After breakfast, tour in Machu Picchu. The citadel of Machu Picchu is the most important tourist attraction of Cusco. Rediscovered in 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham, this citadel is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape architecture in the world. The citadel is situated over 2,300 meters above sea level in the province of Urubamba. This archeological monument is on the top of a mountain. The area has a view over the deep gorge of the Urubamba River from there, surrounded by areas covered by the tropical jungle . The VISTADOME train will leave from Aguas Calientes at 15:20 hrs, arriving in Cusco around 19:45. Transfer to your hotel. / lunch Included. Overnight. 31 Dec: CUZCO - LIMA
After breakfast, our staff will transfer you to the Cuzco airport for your departing flight to Lima. Transfer to your hotel. Ovenright. 01 Jan: LIMA - FLIGTH BACK HOME After breakfast you will be transferred to Lima airport in order to take your International flight back home. Our staff will transfer you to the Cuzco airport for your departing flight to Lima and for your International connection flight back home. |
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