WHY THIS TRIP
The Samba is a beautiful and graceful 78-foot steel-hulled motor-yacht, whose stabilizing sail offers a smooth ride. A Samba Galapagos Cruise offers a luxurious opportunity for small groups of 14 passengers on a full eight-day tour of the islands. The Samba is comfortable and well laid-out, meaning you will have plenty of space to relax in your cabin and in the ample public areas. She is the perfect yacht to enhance the magical nature of a trip to the Galapagos!
All of the Samba’s cabins are air conditioned and have private bathrooms, ensuring your comfort and privacy on the cruise. You will be able to enjoy the delicious meals onboard in the air-conditioned indoor saloon or under Equatorial sun on the outdoor dining area astern.
The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s richest underwater environments so it is fitting that snorkeling is one of the highlights of this tour. The small group of up to 14 passengers on the Samba will enjoy ample deck space and quality service while sailing through the stunning Galapagos Islands.
Jerry –
Our young, energetic guide Jimmy Patiño kept us well-informed and very active. I especially liked the pre-dawn departures in the pangas to view the wildlife as they celebrated the new day and photograph them in the best pre-sunrise light. I understand that the guide has the option to vary the start time each day and thankfully, all the passengers were cooperative and congenial. There were two other ships shadowing us on the same itinerary and we were the first ones active each morning. It really made a difference. We also lingered longer than the other charters to give us an unhurried opportunity to observe the wildlife.
The crew on the Samba was terrific. Each had their own duty and performed it with enthusiasm. They were always anxious to help us, whether walking on slippery, uneven lava or pulling off our wetsuits after a chilling snorkeling outing. The ship was in immaculate condition and very safety conscious.
I can’t say enough about the delicious food. Each meal was elegantly presented and on several days fresh fish was acquired from nearby fishing boats. Special dietary needs were cheerfully accommodated.
Thank you for reserving cabin #7 for us. It’s the only one on the upper deck and the only cabin with a large window that opens. All the others are on the lowest deck at the waterline with only a small porthole that doesn’t open. They’re also closer to the engines and generator. If one is prone to motion sickness, the only disadvantage to being higher on the ship is that there is more movement.
If I were to go back to the Galapagos, I’d definitely choose the Samba again. I would also bring more lightweight, long sleeve shirts for sun protection. When I saw Jimmy and the crew totally covered up or slathering on the sunscreen I doubled my own use of SPF 30. The equatorial sun is really brutal.
Thanks for all your help throughout the reservation process!
Lynette –
The trip was great. If the traveller can handle sailing in a small yacht the food, crew, itinerary were first class. Juan who is the owner of the boat was the field officer. His knowledge and sensitivity to the environment was outstanding. The Hostel De la Rabida was also an excellent hostel. Both Gloria anf Carlos who speak excellent English were extremely helpful with local knowledge and handling queries. The hostel was clean, food excellent staff friendly. The food had a homely atmosphere with the lounge chairs and fire being lit every evening.
Rosanne C –
Our guide was very good at “spotting” the animals–every article we read that said we “might” see something we saw it. We were shadowing the Beagle and they did not see everything (their guide was extremely verbose)
Patti M –
Although I had read about the Galapagos, I was still amazed. Our guide, Juan, knew so much and is an excellent teacher so we learned a great deal more than I thought we would. I watched other groups and I don’t think they did as much or learned as much as we did. Everything was carefully planned and executed with great intelligence and thoughtfulness. I don’t think it could have been better.
The equipment provided was well kept, clean and sanitary (wet suits, and snorkelling gear, and pangas).
Food was excellent. Accommodations were good. The bunk beds were a it awkward for us because we are in our 70s but we managed. Everything was clean and comfortable. The air conditioning is a bit temperamental but all got fixed by Roberto when necessary.
For me the trip was moderately difficult because I have a herniated disc in my back but Juan explained very clearly what each shore excursion entailed so I was able to judge whether or not I could do the excursions. I missed only two. I appreciated that and the physical help the crew gave to me getting into and out of the pangas. They were wonderful.
I don’t suppose one needed experience although we have travelled a lot (and in third world countries) so we are pretty resilient. One would need to be prepared to be on an older boat with ladders and stairs. You also need to be physically fit (which I actually am despite the pain in my back). Some of us were in our 70s and we managed beautifully. The crew were excellent about safety and about helping people onto and off the pangas. One would also enjoy the trip more, I would think, having read some of the wonderful books on the Galapagos and its history. It certainly made it more special to me.
The only glitch is that the order for our pickup in Quito after the trip (transferring from the hotel to the airport) was lost but we telephoned at pickup time and the driver came shortly thereafter. He apologized and we made our flight. He had not been informed of the pickup.
Thanks for all your help, Allie. It was altogether the MOST amazing trip (and we have travelled to some pretty amazing places)!
Ted & Gill –
This was the trip of a lifetime! We feel very lucky to have had Juan as our guide, his amazing knowledge of the islands made our trip truly memorable.
Richard L –
Excellent guides! And extremely efficient, friendly and courteous staff! Food was great and much better than expected. In general, I knew this trip was going to be great and it still exceeded my expectations!
Marilyn R –
Just the right amount of activities to keep us busy and make best use of our time. EXCELLENT guide! Sylvia, our guide was the BEST – so knowledgeable and organized
Sarah F –
The Samba, lead by Juan Manuel with support from the crew, was an amazing boat that provided us an amazing experience. I would recommend anyone for this trip. The trip was more educational than expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Also, I would love to return to Galapagos again.
Tracy H –
Our trip to the Galapagos aboard the M/Y Samba was a very nice trip. Thank you Angermeyer! Thank you Detour!
Susan P –
Before reaching the Galapagos I had extremely high expectations for the trip. However these were continually exceeded. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on board the Samba. The crew were fantastic and looked after us thoroughly, our guide was amazing – a true expert who demonstrated the highlights of each of the islands we visited. Over the course of the week I saw more than I imagined possible in terms of wildlife and fauna.
Kathleen H –
Excellent food, excellent activities, excellent adventure!
kdeleeuw –
When you make a booking over the internet, there is always the risk that reality is not as nice as described in the brochure. But in our case we found that reality was actually much better than the description. We had an unbelievable trip. In the first place, the nature guide was excellent. Very knowledgeable, but also able to explain things very clearly. In addition, we found that the program and the timing of visiting islands was very well organised. All members of the crew were very professional and friendly. We had great meals. Overall a fantastic experience.
Chris W –
Every aspect of the tour exceeded our expectations. We found the Samba and her crew a very good escort to the islands. Every member of the crew was exceptional in his own field and we appreciated the care that was taken to ensure that we were well informed and well looked after at all times. The only aspect of the tour that was moderately difficult was the snorkelling and that was only due to our own inexperience. The guide was at hand to help us overcome any problems and make sure that we were able to enjoy looking at the underwater life around the islands.