Most Inspirational Moment
watching the giant otters in the Anangu creek, and snorkelling in the 'turtle garden' at Fernandina Island.
Thoughts on Group Leader
All good. The leader in Napo (the Amazon basin) was outstanding. The leader in Quito was a mine of interesting local chat on political and social subjects.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The schedule is focussed on the Amazon basin and the Galapagos, but Quito itself is also a treat. It has a charming colonial old town, some wonderfully over-decorated baroque churches, as well as some good museums (the Museo Casa del Alabado is not the most famous, but should not be overlooked). The local guide organised a morning tour of Quito, which was good, but is very brief. Bear in mind that Quito is high (>2,800 m, and >4,000 m at the top of the cable car), so take it easy and allow a day or two extra. Get up early to visit; the best weather seems to last no more than the morning. Rain and thunderstorms punctuated every afternoon. It is also worth considering the optional excursion to the cloud forest, if only for the variety of humming birds, although there is much more to be seen - provided it is not too cloudy. This is normally a day tour, and slightly unsatisfactory as it is a 2.5 h drive each way, and one arrives too late for the best of the weather and the bird-spotting. One couple solved this by arranging to spend the night there in the interval between the Napo valley and the Galapagos. A number of us thought that Exodus is missing a trick by not offering this as an extra.