Jenn & Chris – Page 3 – Mom Dad CuppaKids

Real Life Travel

Oh the Trouble You Will Go Through To See Angkor Wat

by Jenn & Chris on September 25, 2017

Is it worth going to Angkor Wat at Sunrise

Hiring a private guide to tour Angkor Wat was one of the best ideas of our whole trip.

I had the salad.

I wasn’t even thinking when I ordered it.

We had just taken the boat from Nice Beach on Koh Rong Island after a few blessed days chilling out.

Nice Beach Bungalows on Koh Rong Island was pure paradise

Nice Beach Koh Song — The soft beauty of a Cambodian sunrise

The island had been perfect. We had needed a small reprieve after a busy 3 weeks in Vietnam and thought a quick jaunt to a Cambodian beach was the antidote to south east asian heat and long bus rides. The water was crystal clear, and delightfully cool. A wonderful time for all of us as we connected with people from around the world along the way.

Nice Beach Bungalows on Koh Rong give you an option of Bungalow or Tent.

We were starving by the time we got back to the harbour but in relatively good spirits after a harrowing ride in the back of a Cambodian speed boat. Our plan was to take a flight out that night from Shinoukville to Siem Reap to have a (very quick) stop to see Angkor Wat on our way over to Bangkok.

Our forms of boat transfers were quite unique at times

While we were waiting out our time to head to the airport, we opted to head to an American style pub close by to get wifi, have a bite and book a tour guide for the next day’s adventure.

There on the menu, as I sweltered in 42 degree humidity was an answer to everything I craved in that moment. A crispy, fresh ceasar salad. I desperately something crunchy and delicious in the heaviness of the Cambodian heat. All of my travel street smarts vanishing in an instant in the quest to satisfy that craving.

So I ate the salad.

This was an eclectic mix of part tuk tuk part pimp mobile and park pick up. You just never know…

We got on the flight to Siem Reap without problems, and headed to our room for that evening to find relief from the heat. We had coordinated via Trip Advisor & Facebook with a local recommended guide who was going to take us on a private tour to all of the key temples in Siem Reap. This had been one of MY destinations on our dream itinerary and I was counting the hours before we would go see such beautiful and spiritual architecture.

Angkor Thom (the wider city around Angkor Wat) has been on my bucket list for many years

Then midnight hit and something, (everything) suddenly didn’t feel right. I will save you the sordid details barring that I had never been so violently ill in all my life. I silently thanked god more than once that the plastic bags in Cambodia weren’t as crappy as Canadian ones that tend to have a hole in the bottom. These grocery bags were important containment units throughout the night as I wished upon death to stop every part of me responding with such malice.

We were getting picked up at 7am and I was determined that I was going to go see Angkor Wat. It was our only chance as we were heading to the airport the next afternoon. On this trip we all got to pick 3 gotta see things, and this was one of mine.

In that moment, it was everything to me.

So after popping a few Imodium, Gravol, Ibuprofen and a super antibiotic we met up with our driver to take us on this journey. He was unbelievably kind. He had packed ice cold towels and water which I gladly accepted as I hung my head out the side of the tuk tuk.

The intricacy and detail on the temple carvings were stunning

The heat was the most challenging. I was running a cold sweat fever as we walked in 40+ weather. I got very weak. Sometimes it became so much that I would sit in on the steps of the temple and ask Lauren to take photos for me (Spencer was half disinterested and half too worried about me to go) So we hung out at the base while the other two ventured up to the tops of the tomb raider temples.

When we stopped for lunch I felt hungry enough to have a Sprite, knowing that I needed some sort of sugar and hydration in order to keep going. Our last stop was Angkor Wat. I had to be well enough to get there. I was near delirium as I got to a pillar in the main temple, sliding down to the floor and opting to watch monks giving blessings over climbing steps to the top.

On the way out, we had a miscommunication on where we were meeting up with the kids so Chris went to find Spencer, while I was on the hunt for Lauren. Yes, at the entrance to Angkor Wat (which is similar to the entrance of Disney World) we lost our children.

As I was walking to the end of the entrance steps, a wave hit me again and I ran to the nearest tree to throw up the Sprite from lunch. And as I retched, I peed my pants. Yep. Right there. At the front of Angkor Wat.

In that moment, 2 security guards came up to see if I was OK and if they were going to have to deal with some international incident. Chris came up beside me and told them I was fine as I said, “Oh my god Chris. I peed my pants. And I can’t stop because it happens every time a wave hits me”.

You know what he says?

“Listen, how many OTHER people can say they peed their pants at a Unesco World Heritage Site? That’s gotta be something special”.

And in the middle of foreign country, on a crazy adventure around the world, I started to laugh so hard that I peed my pants.

God, I love my husband.

And our guide.

Yes, we of course ended up finding Lauren. She was being taken care of by the sweetest Cambodian woman who had given her ice water and shade to sit close to where we were. I stand by that in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, I had never seen such an extraordinary example of “it takes a village” and couldn’t be more grateful in this moment that it was extended so kindly to us.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: It important to note that I am a firm believer in taking Dukoral (the traveller’s diarrhea oral vaccine) before heading to a developing country. We were fine for the most part for the first 6 months of our trip until we should have taken a booster. That was when all hell broke loose. This isn’t sponsored. I just believe in the product.

Real Life Travel

Why We All Need to Watch This Movie About Cambodia

by Jenn & Chris on September 23, 2017

First They Killed My Father deepens understanding and helps bring compassion to the connected world in which we live.

**Trigger warning: This talks honestly about what we came to learn and witnessed in Cambodia. There are some heartbreaking and ugly facts but ones you should know more about.

Mom Says

Do me a favour.

Open your hand up and run your fingers over your palm.

What do you feel?

Are they soft and smooth? Are your nail beds clean and well groomed? Manicured even?

Or are they rough? Do they feel worn and full of callouses? Have they been working all day & showing signs of it?

If they are smooth, and if you were living a regular life in Cambodia in the seventies, there was a high probability you would have been killed.

It’s hard to believe that Pol Pot and the Killing Fields happened in our lifetime. The Khmer Rouge took over Phnom Penh in April of 1975 after an on-going civil war between them and the Nol government. The U.S. (on the support side of Nol & involved in the Vietnam War) were carpet bombing villages throughout Cambodia trying to eliminate Vietnamese bases and the Khmer Rouge. Civilians (confused by the reasoning behind the bombings) joined & accepted the Khmer Rouge radical beliefs because they were so angry with the Americans. When the Nol government and the US evacuated, the capital was immediately overtaken with Khmer Rouge guerillas & Pol Pot’s regime. They forced you to leave your house, your money and all your possessions without question.

How quickly life changed in an instant for those in Phnom Penh. Photo credit: Netflix

Pol Pot wanted to create a communist society in Cambodia in which money was gone, personal possessions were a sin and the hierarchy of society was destroyed.

If you were educated and a professional, you were either killed instantly, tortured or sent out into the fields to work under threats of violence, machine guns and rebel forces everywhere.

Did you know that a population the same size as Toronto (2 Million people) were killed during his regime? 2 Million people.

Blunt force was promoted over bullets in order to save money. Children were beaten against trees, their skulls smashed. People were thrown (still alive) into pits to suffocate from the weight of dead bodies that followed.

It was a horror of horrors.

The dark shadow that remains

As we travelled around the world this past year, we gave a word to every country we visited. A word that described (to us) the pulse, or the feeling we got when we immersed ourselves in that country’s culture and energy.

Cambodia’s word was hard to define as we could only describe it as a Shadow.

I couldn’t pick out initially what felt odd about Phnom Penh but I could feel it.

And then you started realizing what was wrong. As you look around, there is nobody old. Hardly anyone over the age of fifty. A generation almost entirely lost.

Many buddhist monks were killed in the genocide.

A heaviness comes with such a violent act of genocide that brings with it an unhealthy aftermath. Orphans or child soldiers who were taught to fight, and kill at young ages now had to move on to living out life in Cambodia or as refugees, from a place where the value of human life had been reduced to nothing. There wasn’t any PTSD counselling in the years following. There is a scar there that remains, raw and red. Human trafficking is still a huge issue and we saw more than we wanted to of incidents of dirty old men taking advantage of sex tourism with young Cambodian girls & boys. It felt disgusting and still a reality there.

Why it is important to watch First They Killed My Father

In the world of over-saturated information, we have become de-sensitized to the atrocities that play out elsewhere.

This film (originally a book by Loung Ung & now available on Netflix) is worth watching because it gives you greater insight into how something so horrific could happen so quickly. It helps you see the way in which the Khmer used confusion, starvation, and fear to gain authority in the country. It shows how people living normal everyday lives suddenly lost everything for no reason except geography.

It also sheds light on the trauma that the Cambodian people must deal with as they move on with their lives. The people we met were so kind but carry with them heartbreak that we can’t even comprehend.

Compassion needs to lead the way

You never know anyone else’s story, especially in the case of refugees coming from war torn countries. We truly have NO idea what they witnessed or experienced in their home country.

Too often commentary is on refugees and what they are taking. What about what they have lost?

The next time you hear someone referring to refugees in a negative light, say something. Let compassion lead the way over judgement. Nobody wants to leave their home. Take a moment to imagine what life was like before they lost everything.

What if this was you?

Humanity needs a shift & we are the ones to be part of that. Will you be one to help point it in the right direction?

Corruption still exists in Cambodia, it is something we all witnessed as we paid additional fees to cross the border

Dad Says

There is an extraordinary aftermath of a generation obliterated. As a traveller, you hear that everyone gets sick in Cambodia. Why? Because there are no elders teaching the next generation to value of washing their hands. There is a vacuum where traditional music would be played, but nobody knows the songs anymore. Mass gaps in learning because by removing a generation, you lose everything they could pass along; knowledge, stories, love, pastimes.

There are great films that tell this story, first and foremost was The Killing Fields, released in 1984. A powerful piece that stands the test of time and was well deserving of the awards it won shining a light on these atrocities. The Missing Picture and S-21 are documentaries that are powerful in their own way. And now First They Killed My Father. What Angelina Jolie does is First They Killed My Father is brings to life a story that needs to be told, forcing people to stare ugly in the face and realize that these acts of warfare are happening in the same world which we live in. ln our lifetime, the killing fields happened. Rwanda, Bosnia, the Kurds, and now the Rohingya in Myanmar.

We are proving that, as a species, we are capable of such great highs but we can also stoop so very low, more barbaric and savage than any who have come before. We can stop it by realizing it, facing it, and fighting it. We cannot pretend it isn’t happening there, or it could very well happen here. Talk about it with your children, and stop with the ‘poor souls wouldn’t understand’ garbage. Bambi’s mom died and we made it through.

Real Life

Out of Time.

by Jenn & Chris on September 8, 2017

When All Your Reasons Have Run Out.

I have no more excuses. None.

The summer treated us with divine gifts. A series of golden moments with family, friends, as a couple, and on our own.

We embraced new interests and reconnected with old passions.

We sat silently on the dock, and took time to find a deeper gratitude and appreciation for the country we live in.

We even found a place to live and a place to work. Well, Chris did.

Now it’s my turn.

Big Girl Underpants

When we decided to come home, we made a conscious choice to give ourselves peace, time, and space in the summer. We talked a lot about what we wanted to be when we grow up and the parts I loved (and hated) about working in social media, marketing, and events.

It was important to us to figure out ways to continue on our path of living big. To live life fully and make it a priority to follow hearts and follow dreams.

My dream, simply put, is to create and be creative. To get my hands dirty and have tactile, tangible pieces developing in my hands. I have never had such a deep urge to design beautiful things, fun videos, and write words. Many of them.

And if I am truly living big, this is where my next adventure begins.
I have said repeatedly that I want to write a book and write consistently on the blog. I really do. Yet I always seem to find ways to be too busy or overwhelmed by other “stuff” that needs to be done first.

At least that is where I put the blame.

Getting out of your own way

I love taking on challenges. I can and have done uncomfortable time and again. I have climbed mountains, ridden motorcycles, scuba dived, sky dived, zip-lined, and so many more adventurous, physical, and out-of-my comfort zone type of activities.

This challenge feels much different. It is far more getting-out-of-my-own-head kind of game instead of a physical one.

My success is no longer a concrete goal that I can simply accomplish by crossing the finish line. My success is determined now on my skill in telling a story.

I need to create an exciting enough experience for you, the audience, to keep coming along for the ride. And frankly, I’m not quite sure I have that capability.

Putting it out there always makes (some part of it) come true

I have a book (or two) in my head along with a couple of screenplays and dozens and dozens of blog posts of the trip.

And I want to write them all.

I am saying this now on the internet so that it might come true. (While gagging in the process).

Now my husband, friends and family are all holding me accountable. They are asking me how my writing is going and all I want to say is “Sod off, I’m not ready and Thank you”. My discipline and focus not yet refined enough to keep me in my seat. Social media still grabs hold of me too often.

I love them all dearly and can’t tell them enough how much I appreciate the nudge to start this ambition.

So now I must write. I no longer have a reason or excuse not to do this.

It’s time to start pursuing another dream with reckless abandon.

What do you dream of doing? Sometimes just putting it out into the world is the best way to get it started. Drop us a line and we can hold EACH OTHER to living as big as we can.

Real Life

Hitting Reset & The Trust Factor.

by Jenn & Chris on July 31, 2017

We Started Again. In The Middle of Our Lives.

You just gotta believe it will all work out.

We talk a lot about the universe in our world. About it aligning; putting energy into the right place; thinking positive and about trusting the flow of life.

Sure, to some it might seem all a bit Hippity Dippity (as my family/friends have been known to call it).

To me, I can absolutely 100% feel when I am fighting what should be moving along naturally in our life.

I seriously love pushing past my comfort zone. I like taking on challenges.

But trusting and letting go of what should be?

To stop worrying and let things flow to what will?

Mancora Peru beach — Letting things flow led us unexpectedly to one of the most beautiful beaches in South America. Mancora, Peru

Mancora was where we randomly saw humpback whales breaching just off the coast

Well, that’s probably one of the biggest challenges of my life.

Being totally open.

Letting things flow.

Goddamn, F#&%ing trust.

Take all of my life’s baggage, issues and protective barriers, bottle it up into one word and throw me the middle finger.

There you have it. That word is trust.

I hate and love it all at the same time.

Kids swinging swing at the end of the world — Our kids flying high on the swing at the end of the world caused me to work on some trust issues. Banos, Ecuador

Super tight spaces are not our favorite but this was a great lesson in the kids leading our trust & flow as we ventured to Pailon Del Diablo for the day

We have been home for 2 months and I have these panic moments that our trip feels like it’s floating away like a dream.

Before we came home, I cried that we were coming back to Canada.

I wasn’t ready to finish with our travels. Our family was so deeply connected and enjoying every ounce of travelling together. It felt like a special space and one I didn’t want to let go.

Yet we could sense that it was the right time. We had used up the majority of our budget, we were all starting to get tired of laundry and moving every few days and we could all feel an ache to see family & friends. (When the Acropolis came in at #27 of cool things we had done on the trip, we knew we had hit travel weary).

The kids got a chance to reconnect with friends and finish out the school year. It helped with getting ready for the adjustment to a new school, all the requisite kiss-my-ass (did I write that out loud?) IPRC, IEP, transition school meetings were had and we got things tidied up for school plans for the fall.

We came home to living a life of transition. It has felt liberating and like walking a cliff’s edge all at the same time.

We are starting our life again. Finding jobs, a place to live, and creating a plan.

In the past 2 months, I have felt like a rudderless sail, creative inspired, slightly depressed, tearfully grateful, intensely curious, over-stimulated and quiet. The quiet has been good. Taking a step back from the digital space to be fully present with people and nature has been a really healthy choice.

This is, and always will be the place that keeps me grounded – Galla Lake

But we still have had those burning questions that have been asked an infinite amount of times since we got back.

“What are you going to do now?”

This is where that damn trust & flow has played a big role in staying the course. We believed, we focused on the positive and we breathed through those moments that in the past would have sent me straight into an anxiety attack.

A lo and behold.

I am happy to share some big news for our family.

Today, Chris is starting a really exciting venture with Union Foods as the Director of Construction & Design. He will be responsible for overseeing the development of the majority of Union Station’s new food ventures with a forward-thinking, innovative company. (This is also the group that owns the ridiculously delicious Union Chicken at Sherway Gardens). If you haven’t gone for brunch and tried their Chicken & Waffles you are missing out. Trust me.

For me, I am reigniting Hart & Galla with some small upcoming events and select social strategy design for companies that fit well with our personal ethos. I am also putting it here for accountability (Gulp!) that I am working on a book proposal about our trip and plan on putting energy into MomDadCuppaKids daily. I am intent on writing more actively on this blog of personal stories, travel tips, world schooling, simplifying your life, event ideas, and special needs dialogue. My hope is to inspire people with a “hey, if we can do it, you can do it” energy and totally open to any ideas you might have.

We still have no permanent fixed address but for now that is fine.

For now, we will just Trust…& Flow.

Real Life

A Kid-Free Summer.

by Jenn & Chris on July 25, 2017

What we wish we knew about sending our kids away.

We joke about being kid-free for the summer, letting loose, partying like it’s 1999.

Whooping it up, staying up late, sleeping in, reading, writing and relaxing sounds pretty much like heaven right?

We never expected it to feel like this.

Dad Says:

Well, here is something I don’t ever think I would have admitted in public before…

I really miss my family when they are not around.

My kids, fresh off an 8 month adventure around the world and often living in the same room for weeks at a time, were offered a chance to go visit their grandparents in Manitoba. They jumped at the opportunity. Hell, it involves a swimming pool, salads that are made of jello and whipped cream, and cousins who love to play. This planned adventure was to encompass 6 weeks, to work timing wise for an upcoming wedding in the Peg. We are now at week 3 and I miss them tonnes. I miss my daughter, who is now into making weird faces and having contests over who looks strangest in FaceTime videos, and my son, who gives me virtual hugs and kisses all the time while telling me how to defeat the big boss in Sonic. Damn you Eggman!

Watching our daughter overcome her fears of deep water meant 5+ hrs of snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef

We learned our son was a hopeless romantic with his comments on the beauty of the sunset over the Atacama Desert

I miss my sister and her kin. We would get together every few weekends or so for a lunch or a night at the cottage, and just laugh about how stupid we were as children and truthfully as adults as well. But she has a boy to kiss, and a job, and her family is all over the place, so I don’t get that chance lately and I miss it. Don’t tell her please, I don’t think I could stand the rebuke.

I miss my wife, who just left me alone for 3 days after being with me constantly for the past 9 months. She is smiley, dancey, and gets louder when given red wine, and she is all mine. I love her, and surprisingly I miss her too. I should be watching kung fu movies, eating food that makes me fart, and generally forgoing body conditioning and washing, not writing a post pining for her. Don’t tell her this either, or there will be no living with her now.

I miss my nieces and nephews, who I know think I am the funnest uncle ever, a F’uncle, if you will. They love my puns and bad jokes and cooking and weird beer selection. I know they do, I don’t even have to ask…

Watching Chris’ mom fulfill a life long dream of seeing elephants in Thailand was a memory that will hold so special for all of us.

Finally, I miss my mom, too. She was away for a trip, now returned and heading up to join me for a few days of her sharing how, if I corrected just a few little things, would be just sprightly and perfect in every way. And, truth be told, I am excited to hear of my minor shortcomings and lack of ability to call often enough to know if she had fallen and was unable to get up. God, don’t tell her that, I couldn’t even…

Now, missing is one thing, but letting that time go to waste is another. So if you’ll excuse me, it’s spicy chilli time, Dance of the Green Dragon Style killer monks, and a really nice scotch to wash it down into the quiet night…

Mom Says

When we talked through the idea of having the kids spent most of the summer with my family, it sounded like a dream. We could get a ton of projects done at the cottage, we could sort out our life here, we could get SH*T done yo.

Great in theory. Not as good in practice.

On one hand, we are crossing our things off our GIANT To-Do list like its going out of style. We are having a ton of fun. The two of us kayaking, talking, going fishing and working together really is lovely. The weekends bringing deep, hilarious and special connections with dearest friends.

But here is the kicker.

After spending SO much time in as close a proximity as we can with each other (280+ days 24/7), I really learned to enjoy our kids. Yes, of course I have and always will love them.

But being together like that allowed us to get to know them. Intrinsically. We became a unit. We could feel each other’s energy before we even spoke. We found compassion to be one of the greatest values on the trip and pushed each other past our comfort zones on dozens of occasions.

Our kids to pushed us to get PADI Scuba certified. They got to try Scuba for the first time in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

I really really LIKE them.

Even if they weren’t our kids, I would still really enjoy hanging around with them.

And I miss the hell out of them.

For us, it is crucial that they build relationships with our family without us around. In order to develop and foster strong bonds between them, we knew we needed to let go to allow them to grow as people.

Our wedding invitation started with “The whole is more than the sum of its parts”.

Who knew we would be say the same years later when talking about our kids?

Travel

Galapagos on a Dime: Family Travel on a Budget

by Jenn & Chris on July 14, 2017

Travelling to your dream destination without breaking the bank.

I want to tell you this but I kind of don’t.

Of the entire list of destinations we travelled to around the world (20+ countries in 8 months), the Galapagos islands reigns as THE top destination for our entire family.

We started off considering it our “special treat” on the trip, believing that it would have a pretty serious impact on our wallet.

It absolutely can be that. There can be some pretty hefty price tags on cruises that navigate the islands but there is also a number of ways to do Galapagos on a budget. In fact, our budget for one of the most beautiful places on earth came in below what it would have cost us to do an all-inclusive for 4 for a week down south. I will base our budget in US considering that is the currency Ecuador deals in.

Here is how we made our dream a reality.

When to go to the Galapagos

If budget is a concern, considering shoulder season is an opportunity to get a bigger bang for your buck. Venturing to the Galapagos in late October/November allowed us to negotiate and find open tours much easier than the full tourist season of December, January & February. The tours were still full but not insanely busy. The sun was beautifully hot, the water cool but refreshing and the wildlife was truly amazing.

Things to do on a budget in Galapagos — Seeing giant tortoises at the Reserva El Chato

Fish market Puerto Ayora — The proximity to wildlife at the fish market was an experience our son will never forget

iguana galapagos food — All the wildlife is interconnected on the islands, and the prickly pear cactus helps them all survive

How to get to the Galapagos

I can’t recommend highly enough the use of a travel agent if you can. Ruth, our amazing agent at Goliger’s Travel was able to find flight for 4 of us from Toronto to Quito for $1300 CDN/$1000 US. Yes that was for all 4 of us.

An alternative option we use often is Skyscanner as a way to see the best prices offered on flights. Searching from a destination to “everywhere” shows you the cheapest flights around the world in those time frames. For us, we kept watch on flights from Toronto to Quito and ended up getting great prices to head there in October.

A great start to your planning is to set up a Fare Compare to get to Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador and from there keep watch on one to the Galapagos. We saw a trend that ultimately showed weekly when and how far out from departure dates airlines were discounting their flights.

Farecompare example — Keeping watch for deals was one of our greatest strengths on the trip.

Where to stay for cheap in the Galapagos

By far choosing a land stay on one of the islands is a more budget-friendly plan than a cruise. It’s up to you in what you are looking for in the Galapagos. For us, it was as much exposure to wildlife and nature as possible. We chose to stay in Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz Island. The entire town is quite easily walked across in less than 30 minutes so really anywhere you stay is an easy jaunt down to the harbour and beaches. Not only that but there are white pick-up trucks constantly roaming around the town that you can pick up and go anywhere for typically $1US/trip.

We stayed at the Hostel Azul Verde and can’t recommend it enough for a clean, well-priced hostel on the island. Breakfast was included and it was a fabulous space for down time during the hot afternoons when we got back.

Finches on Puerto Ahora — These guys would join us at breakfast, making Darwin’s theory of evolution up close and personal

Things to do for free or almost free in the Galapagos

Charles Darwin Research Station – Great for teaching kids evolution, invasive species, repatriation of the giant tortoises and our involvement in carrying & nurturing the environment. FREE (Suggested donation)

Mass amount of Marine Iguanas – If you want to delight your kids, take them down the beach path at the Research station. There you will come across dozens and dozens of marine iguanas sunning themselves and ever so cutely sneezing salt water while they relax. FREE

Reserva El Chato – Take a full tour or alternatively negotiate with one of the white pick up truck taxi drivers to take you up to the giant tortoise reserve and wait for you. A fantastic place that allows you to get within metres of giant tortoises and has you exploring the intriguing design of Lava tunnels on the reserve as well. FREE (suggested donation). Cost of taxi $30US return, your driver will wait for you there.

Fish Market – The kids could have hung out here every day. It is sheer joy watching pelicans and sea lions mischievously attempting to steal fish from the stands. FREE

Las Grietas – Take a ferry across the harbour for $0.75 and spend the day adventuring around German beach and Los Grietas (a Grotto to snorkel in). Bring snorkel equipment with you or rent along the main strip for $3/day.

Tortuga Bay – A short 2km walk in to Tortuga Bay and you enter upon one of the most stunning sandy beaches you have ever seen. Hang with marine iguanas, sea turtles and enjoy the opportunity to see a bevy of fish in a perfect clear water environment – FREE

Art Walk- The main strip along Puerto Ayora has a few art galleries and garden that make for a fun afternoon of getting your creative juices flowing.

free stuff galapagos — Snorkeling in the brackish water of Las Grietas, where fresh and saltwater meet.

Lava tunnels Galapagos — The underground lave caves are an added bonus at the Tortoise Conservation area.

Local artists show there work through the streets of Puerto Ayora

Two full day excursions booked:

Isla Isabella – Two hour boat ride over to the island, exploring a turtle hatchery and flamingo lagoon, local lunch, sunning shark islands and snorkelling with (are you ready for this?) manta rays, sea turtles, penguins, sea lions and incredible varieties of the most colourful fish. $350US for 4 of us including transport there and back, lunch and snorkelling gear. In hindsight, we would have enjoyed staying overnight here. Leave your main bags at the check-in of your hotel/hostel and jaunt there for a night in paradise. Something to consider when booking your accommodations.

isabella galapagos — Your standard beach experience on Isabella Island

South Plaza Island – Nicer boat, luxury lunch, snorkelling with sharks, eagle rays, manta rays, sea lions, sea turtles and again fish that defies your expectations. Stop at South Plaza to explore a sea lion and boobies colony. The frigate birds that catch the wind current will make you believe you are in a scene from Jurassic Park. $800US

South plaza galapagos tour — The view from the remote and amazing South Plaza Island adventure

If we were booking a mid-range all-inclusive in the Caribbean, it would easily cost us $1500-2000/person which nets out to $6000-8000 for the week at your standard resort.

Instead we followed our hearts and spent the below *

Getting to Quito $1000 US

Quito to Galapagos $1000 US

Hostel Stay for 8 days $1000 US

Big Excursions $1150 US

Food – Average spend $20-40 for lunches/dinner $700 US

Miscellaneous (Taxi’s, beer, donations, entrance fees) $300

TOTAL $5,150 US

(*Prices based on US exchange price at the time we travelled)

Travelling to the the Galapagos Islands feels like a dream and it most definitely is. To visit a place that is still relatively untouched by the throes of tourism is special. To connect and observe animals and nature in a way that feels so organic feels kind of magical. So yes, I want you to know it’s possible and affordable to go but I also want you to consider how to help preserve this precious eco-system as best as we can.