Galapagos Island & Ecuador Trip - June 2018

9/13/2017

St. Catherine’s School Alumnae Association

Invites Alumnae, Family, Friends, Current and Past Families, Children

to join us for a Tour of

ECUADOR and the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

JUNE 11 – 20, 2018

St. Catherine’s School Alumnae Association

Invites Alumnae, Family, Friends, Current and Past Families, Children

to join us for a Tour of

ECUADOR and the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

JUNE 11 – 20, 2018

Journey to the Galapagos Islands to explore nature at its best; discover unique animals such as marine iguanas, frigate birds, and blue-footed boobies (birds with blue feet); swim with the playful sea lions, and witness beautiful flora and fauna. A fun and educational experience you do not want to miss! Led by Kara Sexton Humphreys '91

$992 per person Group Air on Delta

$590 per person Group Air Quito / Galapagos Islands

$2,500 Land Only per person double or triple occupancy

$600 Single Supplement

Non refundable and non transferable deposit of $1,000 due December 1, 2017

Final payment and single supplement due February 1, 2018

TRIP INCLUDES:

$100 donation to St. Catherine’s School Scholarship Fund.
Round trip air Richmond / Quito on Delta (return on June 19 is overnight arriving Richmond June 20 morning).
Airport/hotel Quito round trip transfers for Group Air and Land.
Round trip air Quito / Galapagos Islands
Round trip transfers airport / hotel Galapagos.
4 nights boutique hotel Quito (3 nights arrival, 1 night before departure USA.
4 nights hotels Galapagos with swimming pools.
Speedboats to other islands.
1 naturalist guide per 16 persons.
Breakfast daily, 1 Farewell dinner with folklorico dancing group.
Full day city orientation tour with guide and private transportation, Quito and Equator.
Full day tour with guide and private transportation, Otavalo and area.

TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE:

$100 paid in US dollars per person to National Park Authorities upon arrival Galapagos Islands. Cash only
$20 transit fee paid in US dollars cash at airport before flight to Galapagos Islands.
tips
Travel Insurance. Price varies according to age and number of family members. For all St. Catherine's Alumnae trips Allianz Travel Insurance is mandatory for each participant. If a participant is age 17 or younger he/she is insured free with relative joining the group with the Classic Plan. Otherwise, the Basic Plan is best.
Lunch and dinner (except for the farewell dinner noted above.)

Itinerary

MONDAY, June 11, 2018

For those of you on the Delta Group Air, you will arrive at Quito, Ecuador at 10:13 pm., and will be met by a guide with private transportation to the hotel.

Overnight Anahi Boutique Hotel, Quito.

TUESDAY, June 12

By private transportation and with a guide, we will explore Old Colonial Quito which was pronounced very early a World Heritage Site. After lunch on your own, we drive for about 30 minutes to the Equator, “La Mitad del Mundo” - the middle of the world.

Overnight Anahi Boutique Hotel, Quito.

WEDNESDAY, June 13

We start the day with a drive to the lake province of Imbabura by private transportation and head north to the charming village of Otavalo. The market is considered the biggest and most colorful in all of South America. After time spent at the market, we continue on to Cuicocha Lake located at the base of the steep Cotacachi Volcano. In Cotacochi village they are known for their quality leather goods. Here we will have a group lunch. Next, we visit the Peguche Indian town where you will observe life in an Indian village.

Overnight Anahi Boutique Hotel, Quito.

THURSDAY, June 14

Private transfer to the Airport for our 2 and a half hour flight to San Cristobal Island, in the Galapagos Islands. After enjoying a group lunch at a local restaurant we will go to the Interpretation Center where you will have a nice introduction to the history of the islands. Afterwards, we will take a walk to the summit of the hill known as Las Tijeretas and where you will have a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. This hill is often visited by frigate birds. From here we descend to a beautiful, small bay where you may snorkel and swim. Playful sea lions are all over this town in the water AND on the shore.

Overnight Galapagos Planet Hotel, San Cristabol Island

FRIDAY, June 15

By boat a one-hour navigation to Kicker Rock which is a prominent outcrop on the Pacific Ocean. This is a favorite nesting place for blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, seagulls, etc. Afterwards, we go to a wonderful bay known as Puerto Grande. Supposedly there is treasure buried at Puerto Grande. We will travel one-hour by boat to Isla Lobos. Here you will once again find many of the bird species plus the playful sea lions where you can swim and snorkel (but do not touch). After lunch, we go to the Cerro Colorado Turtle Breeding Center. Then we travel to a lagoon known as El Junco which is a crater of an extinct volcano.

Overnight Galapagos Planet Hotel, San Cristobal Island

SATURDAY, June 16

After breakfast, we go to the pier to board a speedboat to Santa Cruz Island. This is a 3-hour journey. Our luggage travels on a separate boat. We have a short walk to our hotel in Puerto Ayora. After lunch, we go to Tortuga Bay (Turtle Bay) which is a beautiful white sandy beach. You will not find a more exquisite beach in the world! On the ocean side, there is a small colony of marine iguanas

Overnight Fiesta Hotel, Santa Cruz Island.

SUNDAY, June 17

Our first stop will be where we can observe gigantic Galapagos turtles in their natural habitat. Later we will go on a walk through a lava tunnel which is an interesting geological formation. We will then enjoy a countryside lunch before going to see an island coffee plantation. Then we are off to the famous Charles Darwin Station where we find the Giant Galapagos Turtles Breeding Center and specimens of land iguanas.

Overnight Fiesta Hotel, Santa Cruz Island

MONDAY, June 18

Transportation to the channel of Itabaca. On the way we make a short stop to observe a large crater formed due to the collapse of dried lava. Then on to Baltra Island and fly back to Quito. Transportation and guide will meet our flight.

Dinner included with Folklorico Dance Group performing.

Overnight Anahi Boutique Hotel

TUESDAY, June 19

Check out. Pay any extra charges such as laundry, food. Store luggage at hotel.

Free Afternoon

Departure to the airport TBA.

23h 30 Departure of Delta Group Air, overnight flight to USA.

WEDNESDAY, June 20

09h 08 Arrive Richmond after going through Customs in Atlanta.

Your Group Leader is Kara Sexton Humphreys, a 1991 graduate of St. Catherine’s School who currently lives in College Station, Texas. She is the Creative Director for Admissions Marketing at Texas A & M University. While at St. Catherine’s School she studied four years of Mandarin Chinese. After graduating from University of San Francisco she went to Taiwan to work and traveled all over China. Thanks to her expertise, she helped Fashion Perspective Tours with their first trip to China and Hong Kong. We were amazed at the places she was able to take us because of her command of the Chinese language. She has also assisted Fashion Perspective Tours with trips to France, Great Britain, and Italy. She is looking forward to meeting each and everyone who comes along on this high adventure and wonderful learning experience.

For more information, contact Pam Sexton: pam@fashionperspectivetours.com or 804.501.6605

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