Insight Guides: Equador & Galapagos
My go-to source of information before (and after) a trip are the Insight Guides. I particularly like their format with lots of information on the people, history and culture of the country as well as its geography, regions and environment. They also give detail about places and things to see and do, with lots of useful information on things like currency, power plugs, and transport. This guide has several chapters on the Galapagos Islands covering the history, geology and wildlife as well as information on visiting the islands.
DVD: Galapagos with David Attenborough
David Attenborough has been a hero of mine since I was a child and I have almost every DVD of his that has been produced. This series came out on TV soon after I visited Galapagos and I was eagerly looking forward to being able to watch it and say “I’ve been there and seen that too”. After an initial flash of disappointment, I quickly realised that he had visited (almost) all the places that we hadn’t seen and that this was a wonderful complement to our adventures and didn’t dampen my imaginings of “channelling David Attenborough” on my travels.
Galapagos: Preserving Darwin’s Legacy
This book was published in 2009 and is recognised by the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation as an official publication celebrating their joint 50th anniversary.
It is described as “an evocative and authoritative anthology of natural science essays to nurture the curious mind and to stretch the imagination. Illustrated with hundreds of vivid photographs, it is a glorious celebration of what has been learnt about Darwin’s famed ‘natural laboratory of evolution’, and what it will take to preserve it.”
It is a series of readable essays by scientists and experts on their outstanding achievements and discoveries on Galapagos. The book is edited and illustrated by the world’s most celebrated Galapagos photographer, New Zealander Tui De Roy.
For trips to the Galapagos Islands see:
Explore South America with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)
Peregrine Adventures Travel Destinations (Comfort tours)
Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)
Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites. So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more ☺.
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