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The Galapagos Update:
This exciting adventure will begin when you arrive at your hotel in Quito on April 22 nd, 2009 for your overnight stay before departing on April 23 rd for the flight from Quito to Galapagos where you will begin your journey of these “Enchanting Islands” for fifteen days until your return to Quito on May 7 th, 2009 for your overnight stay before your return flight on May 8 th, 2009. Our home-away-from-home for fourteen nights fifteen days will take place aboard an 82’ foot long by 33’ wide “luxury” class catamaran/vessel with outstanding amenities….a floating hotel!! In case some of you are not aware, all the tour boats traveling in the Galapagos are rated or classified in much the same way finer hotels are rated all over the world, such as ‘five star’, ‘three star’ etc.
In the Galapagos tour/boat/vessel ratings the top of the line is “luxury”class, then 1 st class, tourist superior, tourist class, then economy. After spending 16 days “reconning” the Galapagos a few years ago, I realized having the right craft to be your home for that length of time is as important (or almost as important) as having great wildlife. I KNEW we’d have great wildlife and scenics at our fingertips, but decided to wait until the right accommodations came my way on the dates I wanted. Well, here we are!! I’ve chartered, for my group of onlyfifteen guests, their private use of this five-star “Luxury” Class catamaran. All the accommodations have a private balcony (which is totally fantastic), private baths, and individual climate control facilities etc. etc.
There are (2) two 364’ square foot luxury suites--bigger than my family room—(with a king-size bed and a hide-a-way twin bed), and six (6) cabins measuring 194’ square-foot each with twin beds….you do the math….these are great accommodations!!!!! There are eight (8) crew members to attend to our every need (including gourmet food), and a ‘round-the-clock’, bilingual naturalist/guide that will help educate and direct us to all the sites, and wildlife. This vessel is fully equipped to be able to accommodate passengers who are interested in diving & snorkeling. She has a very large dive staging area in the stern equipped with tank racks, benches and storage lockers, etc. For divers who wish to use nitrox, she is equipped with a state of the art Nitrox membrane system .
Please keep in mind the enchanting Galapagos Islands are devoted by, and fiercely protected by the National Park Authority and its personnel… (as it should be!!!). No honest & truly forthright tour leader or tour/boat company can promise anyone special permission to do anything on the islands we visit. Each company/boat and/or group (such as myself) puts in special requests and itinerary schedules to the Galapagos Park Service, who review everything that is going on with ALL the crafts submitting permission requests. If at all possible, (according to the crowds, quantity of crafts etc., etc.) all requests are considered and granted. Being that my tour has such a small group in comparison to some of the larger cruise ships (many with 80 and up passengers), our chances are very good-to excellent-to almost guarantee to have our wishes fulfilled. Actually, I’ve really never heard of anyone coming away from the Galapagos unhappy or disgruntled. For the most part, I’ve seen nothing but good to wonderful photographs, especially these; the days of digital point and shoot, (and for some people the knowledge of Photoshop can help). It is now a wide-open photo world, open to everyone and anyone who can push a button and/or read a manual. (I’ll grant you, the latter is the biggest challenge to most of us!!) For those of you who would care to have photo critiques and/or guidance on the ‘how to’s’ of photography or a smattering of Photoshop, I’m sure I can find how to fill that bill also!!!
Blue-footed & Red-footed Boobies await your attention, as does the silly & knowing smile of Charles Darwin’s Galapagos Tortoise. The only color in that part of the world is the Sally Lightfoot Crab, but the black and whites of the volcanic lava art work is incredible (just fun to walk on if nothing else) as well as intermingling with the land and marine iguanas with their curious stares.
Baby sea lions talk and squawk at you in the playful ways of all little kiddies as you walk along the sandy beaches and along lava rock and their pools. Whoever named this spot of the world the “enchanting” islands knew what they were talking about!! I guess that is why some of you are returning for a third and fourth time……I know I can’t wait to visit again!!!
Just by word of mouth, I have already had a couple of interested parties verbally sign on for this trip, wanting to send a “hold my spot” deposit. When you see the following figures and what I include in my tours you will understand why they are anxious to be On Board!! Not only is the destination phenomenal in itself (just to see it if nothing else), but what I have to offer for accommodations and amenities is pretty terrific also. So now let’s get down to the “nitty-gritty”--the cost of this outstanding adventure is:
$8,500.00 per person double occupancy for one of the six 194’ sq. foot cabins for the fourteen nights/fifteen days on board.
$9,500.00 per person double occupancy for the 364’ sq. foot luxury suites for fourteen nights, fifteen days on board.
Tour Includes:
Hotel accommodations upon arrival in Quito for one night
*All tips for our bilingual naturalist/guide and crew members
Includes all meals on board the vessel
All Galapagos Park Fees
Galapagos Tourist Card
Hotel accommodations on return to Quito for one night
* (means rarely included in most Galapagos tour packages)
Does Not Include:
Meals in Quito
Departure & Arrival Taxes
Alcoholic beverages
Wet suits (rental available at $45.00 per week)
Deposit & Cancellation Policy:
“Hold Your Spot” deposit due immediately $1,000.00
July 15 th, 2008 additional deposit of $2,500.00
Balance Due November 1st (depending on your accommodation selection)
Please make checks payable to:
Joanne Williams Photography, Inc, 2237 NE 30th Street, Lighthouse Point , Florida 33064
Cancellation prior to October lst, 2008 is $500.00 non-refundable fee
Cancellation after October lst, 2008 until November 30th there will be a $1,000.00 non-refundable fee
Cancellation after November 30th all deposits are non-refundable, unless we are able to re-sell your spot. In that case, we will refund all but the original $1,000.00 deposit.
PLEASE, for those who are SERIOUSLY interested, let me know as soon as possible. Thanks and “Let’s Party with the Wildlife” !!!!!
Photo Researchers, Editors, and Publishers:
As stated in previous newsletters, at no obligation to you, send me a “want list” of images you are looking for that may coincide with a trip I’m about to take, or have recently taken, and I’ll do my very best to seek out that subject and shoot it with your request in mind. This may save you some expense, give me a specific mission and possibly a sale of that image. It’s a ‘win, win situation’!
A quick reminder that my library of 35mm original slides houses approximately 75,000 images, and my digital library presently holds over 41,000 (and growing-hourly)!
At last! You can see the LCD panel on your digital camera even on sunny and glary days! Also protects the UV effects of the sun on the screen...$25. each. (add $1.00 for shipping and handling)
