Explore the wonders of Ecuador, as we experience four different regions under the guidance of world class researchers. The Andean highlands, the colonial capital Quito, the Amazon jungle and the Galapagos Islands - ours to enjoy.
Join us, January 28 - February 11, 2012.
Galapagos and Quito only option is also available.
January 28 - February 7, 2012.
Quito - Ecuador's colonial capital and home to the country's finest University - the Univerisidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). Explore the city's history and architecture.
Guides - We will be accompanied by world class researchers from USFQ throughout our time in Ecuador, including while exploring the Amazon and cruising the Galapagos.
Wildlife -
Experience exotic flora and fauna up close in diverse ecosystems.
Amazon -
Tiputini Biodiverity Research Station, a working research station with fine cuisine and unique daily tours, including canopy walks, piranha fishing, night and day treks and boat tours. We will enjoy the Amazon from a Tuesday to a Friday.
Galapagos Islands -
GAIAS - Visit University campus located 200 meters from where Charles Darwin came ashore.
Two days on land and also a five day
luxury cruise around the islands. Snorkeling opportunities, swim with sea lions, see iguanas, turtles, birds and other wildlife. A week enjoying this unique ecosystem, on land and by sea, accompanied by a top Galapagos researcher.
Cuisine -
Fine food throughout the trip and non-alcoholic beverages included. We will also visit the country's finest culinary school for a hands-on food and wine pairing experience.
The Experience -
Mostly inclusive tour with unique experiences, fine accommodations, great meals, superb guides and a lifetime of memories traveling with a small group to this fascinating part of the world.
Costs - For full trip, Jan 28 - Feb 11
Price for a single traveler - $6995
Price for a companion, sharing accommodations with another traveler - $6495
What is included for entire trip?
All accommodations – Hotel in Quito, lodge in the Amazon, Hotel and Catamaran in the Galapagos Islands
University faculty as guides
Drinks with meals – soft drinks and water
Lectures, entrance fees, local guides Airfare Quito - Coca - Quito (Amazon)
Airfare to/from Galapagos Islands
Yasuni (Amazon) National Park Fee
Amazon guides and tours
Galapagos National Park Fee
Galapagos Immigration Card
Galapagos guides and tours
Services of Mike Cloonan, Innovative Immersions’ founder, throughout the trip.
For those on the Galapagos/Quito only portion of the trip - Airfare to/from Coca, lodge at Tiputini in the Amazon, Park fee and Amazon guide tours and meals are NOT included in your pricing, as you will not be on that part of the trip.
What is not included?
International airfare to/from
Delta Airlines returns late in the evening (currently 12:30 AM) while American, Continental and LAN depart Quito in the morning.
Click "Itinerary Ecuador Trip" button at top, for link to detailed trip itinerary.Click "Purchase Your Trip" button at top, to register for the trip.
TRIP IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO 14 TRAVELERS
PLEASE REGISTER EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
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I have had the great fortune of traveling all over the world and visiting six continents (Antarctica coming soon). Certain locations and experiences remain with me, long after the passport stamps have dried. Ecuador's incredible diversity and ever-present photo opportunities make this compact nation such a memorable destination and one I want to share with others.
Our small group will visit the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon rain forest, colonial Quito and the Andean highlands - enjoying the beauty of such spectacular locations, while guided by internationally renowned researchers and scholars from Ecuador's premier school, the Univerisidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).
These guides will educate, enlighten and entertain us while we experience an incredibly diverse real world classroom that they call home. Highlights will include two of the earth's most amazing ecosystems - the Amazon rain forest and the Galapagos Islands.
We will visit the University's Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS) in the Amazon. David Pearson, Ph.D. in The New Key to
Ecuador and the Galapagos, 2nd Edition, "unabashedly recommends TBS as
the best place in all of Ecuador to see wildlife." In the February, 1999
issue of National Geographic, journalist Virgina Morell called TBS
"the most remarkable place" after visiting several sites around the
world, while writing a series of articles on biodiversity.
The Galapagos Islands sparked Darwin's Theory of Evolution and we will visit his landing site, a few hundred meters from GAIAS (Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences), our partner University's research and educational headquarters. We will also spend four nights cruising the islands on a first class motorized catamaran, getting up close to the unique wildlife including turtles, iguanas, sea lions and countless birds.
We are proud to present this unique small group journey, exploring some of the most spectacular sights in the world, in the company of world renowned experts.
Please click on the buttons above to learn more about the exciting "itinerary", "background" details, "photos" of places we will visit, and helpful "resource" links, as you prepare to join us for this trip-of-a-lifetime. Feel free to contact me for more information and I hope you can join us for this Innovative Immersion.
Regards,
Mike Cloonan
Mike Cloonan
President
Innovative Immersions
mike@innovativeimmersions.com
