Customer Journeys: In November 2020 Peter & Minara are the first UK tourists to visit Ecuador & Galapagos since March

Peter & Minara’s Trip Summary

In Brief

Length of trip:  19 days

Areas of interest:  Photography, Steam Trains, Galapagos Wildlife

Style of trip:  Privately guided journey through mainland Ecuador combined with a Galapagos photo cruise onboard a top luxury yacht

The story of their trip

Peter and Minara’s trip to Ecuador and Galapagos was a historic one. Their trip started on 29th October 2020 and for us at The Latin America Travel Company they were our first customers to depart on a trip since the border closures across Latin America in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is safe to say we were quite excited about it!

Due to the pandemic, there were several hoops that had to be jumped through when it came to traveling to Ecuador. Entry requirements are constantly changing, but at the time of their departure Peter and Minara had to obtain a negative PCR test result for COVID19 dated within 10 days of their flight to Ecuador. They also had to fill out a health questionnaire on arrival and their temperatures were checked at the airport.

In order for them to get to the Galapagos, they were required to take a second test in Ecuador because the Galapagos requires all visitors to show a negative test result taken within 96 hours of the flight to the islands. We coordinated this for them and the doctor visited them at their hotel in Guayaquil to take the test. The results were emailed to them within 24 hours and in advance of their flight to the Galapagos.

Although they had to fulfill these extra requirements, the reward was a chance to experience Ecuador and Galapagos with hardly any other tourists. Peter and Minara were pretty much the only people staying in all the hotels they visited on the mainland. They didn’t encounter any other British tourists during their trip. They were quite possibly the very first UK tourists to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos islands since March, much to the delight of all the guides, hoteliers, drivers, yacht crew and everyone working in tourism in Ecuador.

Peter and Minara’s arrival in Ecuador signified the first green shoots of hope for the tourism industry that the tourists are now starting to return. 

Peter & Minara’s Photo Journal

Here are a selection of the beautiful photos that Peter took during his historic trip with us in Ecuador and Galapagos.

What Peter & Minara thought about their trip

“I cannot speak highly enough of our trip to Ecuador. We had a wonderful welcome from everyone and felt perfectly safe. We were the first international tourists back in our hotels and the Galapagos cruise ship had not sailed since March. Our small group had the animals to ourselves and how well they posed for our photos. Our experience was 5 star. It must be the best time ever to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos.”

Peter Shirley, November 2020.

Download their itinerary

Take a closer look at Peter and Minara’s itinerary.