Natural Paradise

Accommodations Review

It was so nice to have a deck! We had purchased a cruise on a different boat and we loved the upgrade. The bathroom was nice, and the bedroom was spacious and very comfortable. I was very pleased with the cabin.

Hot water was iffy. Sometimes, we had it; other times I didn't. I also had various vibrations when the boat was encountering rocky water. These things were hard to fix because they were intermittent.

Meals Review

I loved the food. It was plentiful, varied and delicious (the chef never overcooked the fish). The food was delicious: varied, plentiful, cooked to perfection and often very creative. It was also beautifully presented! And the table was always set beautifully, too

Itinerary Review

The geology -- how varied it was from island to island -- will always stick with me. I'm not a beach person, but I adored the wild variety of beach colors: black, red, yellow, peppered white. I also loved sea kayaking and snorkeling. I sometimes felt activities were too short, especially the beach visits.

I didn't like when the cruise lost half our passengers and we had to adjust to new guests to fill out the boat. I think this should be fixed so an 8-day cruise has the same people throughout, including crew members. Part of the experience is getting to know one's fellow passengers, but this was difficult when suddenly half the boat got off and new people got on.

Transportation Review

No hiccups, even though we were dealing with travel to Ecuador during Covid. Taylor kept us up-to-date on changes in testing protocols, including the dropping of PCR testing in Galapagos but its continuation for admittance back into the U.S.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

As noted above, Taylor did an outstanding job. Way beyond the call of duty! She answered emails with punctuality and care, and she had correct and thorough answers to everything. She did an exceptional job.

Crew & Guides Review

Better than excellent. Our naturalist, Josey, was positively amazing! And the crew was so diligent, punctual and thorough. One afternoon, I wanted to swim from the beach back to the boat. To ensure my safety, Josy sat in the Zodiak/Panga while I swam alongside. So kind. She knew so much about the habits of birds. And when she didn't have a ready answer, she said so. She also kept us organized and on time. I loved her!

Traveler Advice

Do it!

Meals Review

Beautifully prepared meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

Crew & Guides Review

James, on the Natural Paradise in Galapagos, was well informed, took care to make sure nothing was missed.

Transportation Review

No worries about getting from one place to the next.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Tons of information before going on the trip.

Traveler Advice

Be ready to participate! This is an active trip.

Accommodations Review

Ship was lovely - nice spaces to relax, excellent upper deck. Airport hotel was excellent - particularly on the club level.

Meals Review

Tea and coffee available all day was especially nice. So were the snacks, they were unexpected. The food was exceptional.

Itinerary Review

We enjoyed every bit of this trip - I was particularly interested in Post Office Bay but felt every stop had something to offer. The towns where we had free time were of the least interest to me but that's because I was interested in seeing wildlife on the trip.

Transportation Review

Everything from the initial contact through getting to the airport was exceptional.

Crew & Guides Review

Daniel was very professional. He was a great guide; very informative and quick to say he didn't know something (which wasn't very often).

Fellow Passengers Review

We felt really lucky with how wonderful the other participants were. We especially appreciated that there were no big groups.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Excellent information and very quick and patient to answer questions I had. Very clear communication sent. Everything went smoothly. Extremely pleased with pricing and experience.

Traveler Advice

If you'd like good pictures it's worth it to invest in renting/buying a camera with a telephoto lens (even with as close as you get to the animals). Don't shy away from going if you get motion sickness.

Accommodations Review

Quito Airport holiday Inn was lovely. Casa Gangotena in Quito was fabulous. The Natural Paradise was wonderful!

Meals Review

The chef on the boat was top notch. Great food all 8 days for every meal and snack!

Itinerary Review

Quito was lovely for 2 days, but the Galapagos stole our hearts. It was beyond our expectations. Wildlife and activities in such a special part of the world. We made some great connections and had a lot of fun together with the other passengers on the ship!

Crew & Guides Review

Our guide Alejandra Camacho was great. She was knowledgeable, friendly, flexible and fun. The crew was also very accommodating and attentive, friendly and welcoming.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

So much good info - we were prepared for everything. AdventureSmith was very helpful and responsive.

Traveler Advice

Try all the activities.

Accommodations Review

Our room on Natural Paradise was much more spacious than I anticipated with a nice balcony for watching sunrise/sunsets. Nice too to have the option of drying wet clothing outside.

Meals Review

Unbelievable options for food every night, and always a meal unlike a previous one. I was surprised that there were always healthy options. The chef was most accommodating to anyone with food restrictions. I had wine with every meal. Our bartender, Jorge, was great. Snacks in between outings were also wonderful.

Itinerary Review

Espańola was my favorite of the islands that we visited, as was my expectation leading up to the cruise. We were there in the wrong season to see the waved albatross, but still, it was a fascinating place. Easy hiking, mostly flat, and abundant wildlife. We saw nesting Nazca boobies with chicks, many sea lions, Christmas marine iguanas, spectacular vistas of bird covered cliffs, tropic birds in flight, amazing schools of fish, sea turtles, and occasional shark when snorkeling in the warm February sea, no wet suit necessary.

Least interesting to me were the two inhabited towns that we visited, Puero Villamil on Isabela, and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal, although, even these were pretty cool island towns. Great group of travelers on our cruise. Friendly bunch, many laughs, and good company on a small boat cruise.

Crew & Guides Review

Wow, our naturalist guide on board (Marcus) was so nice, and he provided great detail on what to expect on our excursions. His knowledge of the animals and plants was amazing. He was easy to talk to and enthusiastically answered any questions from the guests. The crew of the Natural Paradise were so very helpful and extremely friendly. I was so impressed that our cruise director, Jorge, was fluent in Chinese. Fantastic guide and great group of fellow travelers.

Transportation Review

Our internal transport from mainland Ecuador to the Galápagos Islands was smooth and nothing unexpected happened. We had been well informed as to making connections with guides and when to be where and ready.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We felt very reassured that we were going to have a great trip and thanks to Lauren, we were confident that we were adequately prepared for this adventure.

Traveler Advice

Relax, this is a very comfortable cruise and you will be so glad that you did it.