Ecuador & Galapagos View Basket

To order this holiday brochure for FREE delivery to your home or computer, click the GET THIS FREE button.

Forward Travel

This brochure is no longer available on this website.

Quito and Equator ∙ 5 Day Rail Journey ∙ 8 Day Galapagos Islands

Escorted Group | Just 15 places available | 21 October-4 November 2017

forward-ecuador-best

Ecuador really is the Middle of the World, and over 15 days you'll discover how wonderfully diverse it is as well. From the soaring peaks of The Andes, ancient cities and warm smiles of the locals, you’ll discover the heart of this compact and incredibly diverse country.

Meet your Tour leader, Dave Best

Dave is a renegade town planner. Originally from London, he’s been based in Australia since 1993. He has trodden paths in 5 continents, from France, Italy and Spain to various parts of Asia, the Americas and Africa. Each year he offers a variety of one-off tours, each with walking and cultural components. If you are unfamiliar with the Dave Best travel style, think of it as adding the ‘extra’ to the ‘ordinary’, providing good value tours filled with ‘must do’ attractions but enhanced with insights into the culture, history, cuisine and people of the destination .

What's Included

  • Fully Escorted
  • 4 Day luxury Rail journey
  • 7 Day private Journey in the Galapagos staying on 3 different Islands
  • Ride The Devil’s Nose train, one of the world’s great railways
  • Be guided through a mist filled Cloud Forest
  • Meet and mingle with the local communities
  • Stay in delightful Haciendas
  • Stand on the actual Equator
  • Meet descendants of the original Galapagos families
  • Snorkel at Tuneles on Isabela
  • Visit places not accessible to cruise boats
  • 28 meals
  • Limited to just 15 travellers

TREN CRUCERO - AN AWARD-WINNING TRAIN

Experience the wonders of Ecuador on board Tren Crucero, recognised as the Leading Luxury Train in South America in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Modern, electric-diesel, and lovingly restored, antique steam locomotives pull two luxury, Colonial and Republican-style themed passenger cars carrying just fifty passengers, to ensure personalized service for all. A bar and gift-shop car with two comfortable observation lounges and an open air terrace complete the setup of this comfortable, select boutique train.

THE GALAPAGOS TRIFECTA

This private journey to three of the archipelago’s most diverse islands accesses a complete range of experiences and activities available exclusively on this journey.

SANTA CRUZ
The main starting point in The Galapagos and most developed for tourism with quality hotels, restaurants, bars,and shops. The highlands has excellent viewing of the famous Giant Tortoises. Many of its most beautiful sites can be easily reached without guides. Tortuga Bay and Laguna Las Ninfas offer safe swimming and wildlife viewing.

ISABELA
A favourite of locals, and the largest island, with active volcanoes and excursions only available to those staying on the island. It’s a birder’s paradise with the elusive flightless cormorant, amongst others. At Los Tuneles we can snorkel along hundreds of collapsed lava tunnels seeing sharks, lobsters, penguins, sea lions, boobies, marine turtles among other endemic species. It’s only available if staying on the island, not to cruise passengers.

FLOREANA
The first island permanently inhabited, its history is rich with prisoners and pirates. Some of the best locations for snorkelling in the entire archipelago is Devil’s Crown, a half submerged volcanic cone.

Who is Forward Travel

Forward Travel is the brainchild of seasoned travellers David Smyth and Rose Toohey, who have combined their knowledge and experience to help forward thinking travellers travel better, travel further and travel more.

David and Rose have journeyed far and wide enjoying the road less travelled in preference to the busy highway. They own and run Forward Travel, so have the freedom, flexibility, and enthusiasm to tailor your trip exactly how you want it to be. They work directly with trusted tour operators in each country to offer you the largest range of choices in each destination.

Travelling Forward

All Forward Travel journeys are customised for each person, so its style of travel is really your style. Forward Travel will discuss how you like to travel, the type of hotels and touring you prefer as well as how energetic you want to be. Forward Travel will then make suggestions to suit your preferences.

Forward Travel doesn't pigeon hole you by star ratings, instead it discusses your preferences and match properties to suit. The hotels used here are mainly good quality 3.5-4 star, well located with local style. Forward Travel has fantastic indulgent places to mix it up when suitable.

Forward Pricing

Most people convince a partner or friend to travel with them so prices shown are per person, based on two people travelling together and sharing a room. If you are looking for some solitude, Forward Travel can plan a trip just for you. Most of these trips are suggestions and can be tailored as you wish. Forward Travel welcomes larger groups and can often secure discounts for them. To keep things simple all the itineraries in this brochure have the signature Forward inclusions.

This brochure covers the regions and holiday types listed below. Click on the links to see more free travel brochures covering the regions and holiday types you are interested in.