Realising the appeal of all things exotic on land as well as sea, luxury cruise line Silversea has expanded the options available to passengers on its Silversea Expedition cruises to the Galapagos Islands with a selection of cruise and land packages for 2013.
Due to set sail for this unique area of ecological wonder in September 2013 and dedicated to the region, the Silver Galapagos is Silversea’s newest ship and joins the line’s existing expedition vessel the Silver Explorer in offering passengers with a sense of adventure an immersive luxury cruise experience.
Long regarded as one of the world’s greatest ecological wonders, the Galapagos is home to the famous giant tortoises, Blue-footed Boobies, sea lions, penguins and land iguanas and is the only place in the world that you’ll find marine iguanas.
Silversea’s new cruise and land packages are designed to offer nature-lovers the best of both worlds and offer three or four day cruises exploring the islands, followed or preceded by a post-cruise South American land adventure, creating a colourful holiday of 8, 10 or 11 days. The idea is that you’ll get a taste for both regions and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to book the kind of holiday where they could see swimming iguanas as well as inquisitive Lamas?
There’s a wide choice of itineraries available, but sure to be popular is the 8-day Machu Picchu and Galapagos Package, where you can experience Ecuador’s colourful capital Quito, spend three days exploring the Galapagos islands, then journey to Peru, for a discovery of all things Inca, including an encounter with the ancient race’s famous lost city, the iconic Machu Picchu.
Or what about a journey to the Andes where you’ll find world’s highest navigable body of water, Lake Titicaca, before setting sail for the islands? Combining two of the world’s most nature-rich regions is the 11-day Amazon Explorer and Galapagos Package; surely a must for exotic animal spotters.
Expect authentic regional cuisine, expertly hosted expeditions, some inspiring locations and, providing you remember to pack your camera, some once-in-a-lifetime holidays snaps.
By Simon Brotherton
Google