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BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 8, 2013

G is for Getaway to the Galápagos Islands

BlueBooby(600 x 399) (450 x 299)

The fragile, moon-like landscape of the Galápagos Islands lures more than 100,000 visitors each year despite the archipelago’s remote location 600 miles off the west coast of mainland Ecuador. Ever since Darwin‘s famed visit aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835, travelers have been enchanted by its history, exotic vegetation and wildlife.

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In order to protect the eco-system of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as much as possible, the Ecuadorian government restricts the number of cruises that can visit each island at any one time. But you don’t have to worry about missing out: each of the 13 major islands, from the oldest in the East (Española) to the most recent (Fernindina) in the west, offers unique flora and fauna diversity for an extraordinary experience.

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To plan your own escape to the Galápagos Islands, choose from among a variety of tour options, including 8-day small-ship cruises, shorter-stay lodge-based day trips, and combined land/islands packages. Visit Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism site or discovergalapagos.com for more information.

In case you missed the travelogue of my own 2011 journey to the Galápagos,  you can catch up on my stories here:

http://bit.ly/12CrGLs                 http://bit.ly/10Bvo84                   http://bit.ly/Z4pXhV                         http://bit.ly/XoJd9q

http://bit.ly/10BvTyT               http://bit.ly/XoJiK8                        http://bit.ly/Yc8o0H                        http://bit.ly/Zxc8vt 

http://bit.ly/10Bx0ia                http://bit.ly/16J79ae                     http://bit.ly/XzY4Ai

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What about you, wanderboomers? Have you visited the Galápagos Islands yet?

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: archipelago, cruises, Darwin, diversity, eco-system, Ecuador, Espanola, Fernindina, flora and fauna, HMS Beagle, landscape, small-ship cruises, the Galapagos Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, vegetation, wildlife

BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON August 9, 2011

Termas Papallacta – It’s a (Chocolate) Wrap

On the other side of the doors and gates displayed in my post, Take-Two at Termas Papallacta, hotel guests can explore several options: take a dip in the hot springs pools outside their rooms or cabins; visit the public baths that include nine thermal pools and three cold water pools; enjoy a typical meal of Ecuadorian food or international cuisine, with fresh ingredients from the hotel’s organic garden, in the hotel restaurant; take a self-guided tour, or walk with a native guide, along a path of flora and fauna discovery; OR head for the spa.

Here’s the best part, though: when you stay for three days and three nights and the weather cooperates, you can take advantage of most everything the resort has to offer. But because the weather was rainy and cold during my visit, I borrowed a couple of books from the hotel bookshelves, and spent much of my time either reading, submerged in the hot springs pool right outside my room (which I had completely to myself) or at the spa.

Walking into the spa is healing in itself. Guests can relax in a small waiting area, complete with fireplace,while waiting for their appointment.

Roses are abundant throughout the facility, a nod to one of Ecuador’s top industries. After checking in, I was led to another waiting area where I slipped on disposable shoe covers over my sandals before being handed a robe and disposable two-piece bathing suit. After changing, I entered the inner sanctum for my spa experience.

Let’s just say that I started at the top with my first choice of treatments – the chocolate body wrap. I was slathered from head to toe in one of my favorite treats, clingwrapped and swaddled in hot towels. OMG . . . The only sound was a whisper in my ear: “Would you like your face covered, too?” She had to ask?? I drifted in and out of a Willy Wonka coma before coming back light years later to the present. A high pressure body wash removed all evidence of what had been an extraordinary indulgence.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Destinations Tagged With: Chocolate, Ecuadorian food, flora and fauna, international cuisine, nature walk, spa, Willy Wonka

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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