Dear Jonathan,

It has been almost a month since my wife Kathy Shepard and I took our Enchanted Expeditions vacation to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and I realized that I had not sent you a letter of appreciation for all of the help that you provided in making our trip so memorable. We had a wonderful time on the trip, and it is one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. All of the people from Enchanted Expeditions who we met were great---Wendy gave us an excellent tour of Quito, and Juan is a tremendous guide and advocate for the Galapagos Islands. The entire staff on the Beluga was great, as were all of our fellow passengers. Everyone involved helped to make this a "trip of a lifetime." I also want to thank you for the bottle of wine, fruit basket and 11th anniversary cake that Kathy and I received---We really appreciated these, and were very happy to share these with our fellow passengers. Thank you again for everything, and if we decide to take another trip to Ecuador, we will be sure to use Enchanted Expeditions.

Mark Smith

Dear Enchanted Expeditions,

We wanted to let you know how fantastic our recent 8 day tour on the Beluga was. We toured the western islands from 7/29-8/5. Our guide was Juan Tapia who is absolutely amazing. The Beluga is a magnificent boat with a magnificent crew. We have already recommended the boat and Juan to several friends and will continue to do so. When we return to the Galapagos we will tour on no other boat and will request Juan once again. Thank you for making our dream come true.

Don and Eileen Goodrich

CT, USA

Dear Enchanted Expeditions,

I just wanted to let you know what a fantastic holiday I had aboard Cachalote. The Galapagos islands are an amazing, magical place with interesting geology and of course wonderful wildlife. It has always been my dream to visit and I was certainly not disappointed.

The Cachalote is a lovely home and her crew were absolutely fantastic – professional, hard -working and friendly. Angel, the 1st mate, a man of few words, was an incredibly skilled and considerate panga driver. Richard, our steward, always immaculately dressed tended to our every need, kept the cabins very clean, entertained us with his towel and serviette shapes and made a great cocktail. And of course our guide, Darwin Alvarez, whose passion, knowledge and compassion for the islands and their inhabitants was truly inspirational. Thank you so much to all of you for the best time of my life and all of the truly wonderful memories. My dream is now to one day return to these magical islands and once again sail aboard the Cachalote!

Suzy Hannaby

Devon, England, UK

I am back in Denver and wanted to thank you and Enchanted Expeditions for help in putting my trip together. My flights were OK and I had a wonderful time at Napo Lodge and the experience in Galapagos Islands aboard Beluga was just plain awesome; Juan is one heck of an awesome guide!! It was a trip of a lifetime. I enjoyed Ecuador quite a bit; you certainly have a beautiful country.


In future, if someone asks me about Galapagos Islands / Ecuador; I will refer them to you / Beluga so that you can work with them. I hope my pictures will inspire a few people to make the drip down there!

You are true professionals and I wish you the best in future.
Best Wishes
Pamesh Agrawal

We booked an 8-day, 7 night Galapagos cruise on the Beluga Motor Yacht with Enchanted Expeditions starting on January 28, 2011.  Our travel agent was Wendy Mejia who did an exceptional job of answering e-mails quickly, making sure our questions were answered, and ensuring that everything went off without a hitch. She provided first-rate service and information.

Our trip was outstanding, and we would highly recommend it! The Beluga was stunning, our naturalist guide was the greatest, the food was superb and the crew excellent. As well, the cabins and yacht were very clean and well maintained. The whole package was incredible!
Our guide, Juan Tapias, is brilliant, and his knowledge of the area, including bird and animal life, as well as the volcanic history of the Galapagos, was flawless. He really made the trip exciting and educational. He was always very enthusiastic and exhibited high energy. He took the time to answer everybody's questions during the cruise. Juan is very passionate about the islands and he explained things very well.
The crew members of the Beluga were very efficient and friendly, and we had a fantastic time together. We were also very fortunate to have adventurous and fun-loving fellow guests, which made us feel even more connected. We are one big “Beluga” family! The wonderful chef, Pablo, provided three scrumptious meals a day, plus three snacks in between. Every single meal was fantastic.

The snorkeling was impressive, with a lot of sea life that were very approachable. We saw many turtles, white tip sharks, sting rays, manta rays, penguins, marine iguanas and way too many fish to speak of. As well, we enjoyed the unbelievable wildlife on the islands; too many animals to list here! The days were full and we came home a bit weary, but with such fine memories and unbelievable pictures.

We had a few rainy days with low visibility both on land and in the water. However this was obviously out of the control of Enchanted Expeditions, and Juan and the crew kept our spirits up and we continued to thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Safety was a primary concern with the Beluga staff and Captain Santiago, and every precaution was taken to ensure our well-being and security.

Everything was perfect in our visit to this magnificent paradise of the Galapagos Islands. The wildlife, the scenery, the snorkeling, the food, the crew, and the yacht were unbeatable. Sitting on the deck of the boat while sailing at night, and looking up at the stars was absolutely magical. We have not been disappointed, nor do we have any regrets of this Galapagos cruise. This is truly a trip of a lifetime.

We highly recommend Enchanted Expeditions and the Beluga crew for exploring the Galapagos Islands.

Sincerely,
John MacMichael and Teresa Talyson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

We had a fantastic trip on board the Beluga. The guide was very good. The food excellent. The crew couldn't of done anything different to make our trip better. It was one of the best trips we have ever taken.I would recommend the Beluga to everyone I know.

I would recommend the Beluga to everyone I know.
Best Regards,
Don Lambert

Hi Jonathan,

What wonderful cruise everything went better than expected..just wanted to let you know..somehow a comment card went missing..pleae do not blame darwin or crew..cause we had a more than superior time..willbe cooking for a trip to amazon end of july so please refer me to Wolgang..you are the best.

Thank you,
Raye Hamblen
Sun city,Arizona

Hi,

I just want to let you know I had an amazing time on the Cachalote!   The crew & Juan were great and they made the trip fun and memorable!

Thank you,
Pauline Doan

Dear Jonathan,

We were on your Galapagos trip in November on Cachalote and  I just wanted to tell you that this was perfect! The boat, the crew and everything else was meeting or exceeding our expectations, so that we had a very nice stay there.

Thank you for that!

Best regards
Florian München

We would like to thank all those wonderful people that made our week aboard the "Beluga" in the Galapagos such an unforgetable experience. Captain Santiago and his crew were ready at any moment to assist in any way. From chef Pedro with his delicious meals, Enrique keeping our cabins shipshape and our plates and glasses full, Angel and Gilbert running us to and from shore, the engineering crew seldom seen but hard at work and Monica, a great guide and wonderful person.

We miss you all!

Thanks, folks!!

Glenn & Aurora

Aruba

Hi Jonathan, I just wanted to let you know that Chandler and I had a wonderful time on our trip to the Galapagos. Everything was great-from the people on the boat to the crew. The crew worked very hard to make sure everyone had a great time. We were especially fond of our guide Valentina. She was incredible. She was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I appreciate all you did to make our trip happen!

Thanks again, Leslie USA

Having just returned from a two week trip on Cachalote I round the Galapagos islands I wanted to write to pass on my comments about the trip. Our guide was exceptional. She was knowledgable, enthusiastic and had a great sense of humour. She definitely made our trip very enjoyable and great fun. The crew were also fantastic. The whole team were helpful, friendly and went out of their way to make our time on Cachalote very special. Please forward to whoever is appropriate and pass on my thanks to everyone involved.

L. Pexton

Jonathan,

We just wanted to get back to you to thank you for your assistance in arranging our trip with Enchanted Expeditions and our cruise on the Beluga. It was a wonderful trip. All the guides were excellent, food abundant and well prepared, and your hotel recommendation of the Almeda appropriate. We have already recommended your company to several of our friends who are considering trips to Ecuador and the Galapagos. We also enjoyed meeting your mother on Santa Cruz and learning that you are quite near us. If you ever have occasion to come to visit give us a call.

Jerry and Barbara USA

The crew and boat were superior in every way. The beauty of the boat, just having been redone was wonderful. And the chef and his delicacies were excellent, especially the lobster which he obtained from the fishermen on the west side of Isabela. Monica Plaza as our naturalist could not have been any better, she is a real gem and an excellent resource. She answered every question from the travelers in a very thoughtful way.

Being a small boat, it was easy to get to know all of the other travelers and the crew. My expectations for the trip were exceeded.

Thank you!
Mr. Hahn Oregon USA

Our trip was great. The Cachalote I is very nice. Our fellow passengers were congenial, and the size of the group seemed just right. The crew was hardworking and eager to please. The guide was knowledgeable, considerate and helpful, and he took particular notice of the interests of the different members of the group. The Islands are, of course, very interesting, with spectacular scenery and spectacular wildlife.

Finally, a personal word to you, Monse. You have been very helpful, very quick to respond, and always there when we needed to reach you by e-mail. This has been true from my first contact with your organization... Your individual and prompt attention are greatly appreciated. I will highly recommend your organization, and you individually, to anyone I know who is coming to Ecuador for vacation.

Mr. Lundy, Jr.
Baltimore USA

Now Online, an interesting article by Jim Semeniuk documenting his families adventures with us in the Galapagos Islands "Without exception, every person who told me about their trip tothe Galapagos was awed by their experience..."

Jonathan,
I just got back from Ecuador and want to let you know that the tour arranged to Cotopaxi by Wendy was wonderful! Tour guide Marco Castro and driver Ivan were exceptional! Marco was so informative and so kind. I would recommend the duo to anyone looking to learn and see unusual sites. Thank you so much and I hope to make it back again to see more.

Debby
Ohio USA

...Absolutely fantastic. The naturalist guide on the Beluga was great. The staff was attentive - service was personalized.  The crew could not have been any better!!!  Very good food and accommodations. Food was healthy, fresh, delicious. Awesome. One of the best trips we have ever taken. Highly recommend the Beluga.

Mary Turney
USA

....I went on this wonderful trip to the Galapagos last month. The Cachalote was a comfortable boat and the crew were professional and friendly. Our naturalist guide was excellent. His infections enthusiasm and extensive knowledge turned a very good holiday into a fantastic one!

C. Kelly

.I just want to say again what a FABULOUS time we had on Cachalote. It exceeded all expectations and was truly the trip of a lifetime. I will be recommending it to many friends here in the states.

I particularly wanted to compliment the guide, who was not only very knowledgeable about the islands, but also a very warm and wonderful host. Who expected a naturalist guide who would also play his guitar and sing for us and teach us all to dance salsa?! I also wanted to compliment the panga driver, who was very highly skilled, and always made us feel safe in even the most choppy waters and difficult landings.

Thank you all for all your assistance, too.

Sincerely,
R. Dickinson

...it was fantastic; we had a guide who was excellent, really informative and I could not fault the crew who were always friendly and helpful. The standard of cooking was first class and the cook did a great Christmas dinner for us! The islands themselves were out of this world. I will never forget them and we were all really pleased that we chose the Cachalote.

Thanks again for all your help!
Ms. Edwards

...we had an opportunity to take a trip through Baños and other parts of south Quito, arranged by your company. We wanted you to know how much we enjoyed this trip, and especially how wonderful our guide was.

He impressed us as being incredibly knowledgeable as to the history, geography, and cultures and subcultures of Ecuador, and was so eager to impart his knowledge to us in the most charming manner. In addition to his knowledge and competence, he has such a warm and charming personality, and he made us feel so at home in a foreign country. He was the perfect ambassador to Ecuador...

We would certainly recommend your company to any friends who plan to visit Ecuador.

Sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. Busch