Galapagos Islands Travel – Dream Trip

Galapagos Islands travel – my dream itinerary. This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Lottoland.

What is your lotto win holiday? Your dream vacation? Your trip of a lifetime?

Basically, if money was no object, where would you travel?

If you’ve read the ‘About Me’ page of this blog, you’ll know that my top three wish list destinations are Alaska, Cuba and Chernobyl. However, when I was asked to collaborate with Lottoland for this post, I wanted to put together my ultimate, no expense spared dream lotto-win trip. And whilst you’ll know by now that I am a thrifty traveller and a penny pinching pro when it comes to seeing the world on a budget, and I certainly don’t believe that you need a lotto win to travel, having an unlimited budget does afford you to travel in a bit more luxury and comfort.

With that in mind, when I win the lottery, here’s the first trip, of many, that I’m going to take…

Travelling the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands travel itinerary dream holiday destinations

Charles Darwin is a hero of mine. Ever since I read about his expedition to the Galapagos Islands I have wanted to explore them for myself. I want to see the great creatures that inspired On the Origin of Species. I want to see the species that inspired the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

The Galapagos Islands are a chain of small volcanic isles in the eastern Pacific Ocean 973km (605 miles) off the coast of Ecuador in South America. The islands rank among the world’s most distinctive and abundant wildlife destinations. There’s over 9,000 species living here and in the surrounding waters. Just three per cent of the land is inhabited. A massive 97 per cent is protected as a national park, including 27,000 square miles of marine reserves.

The Galapagos Islands, to me, are magical, mythical and mysterious and I don’t personally know anyone who has been. Travelling around the Galapagos Islands would be my dream adventure and what follows would be my ideal itinerary.

Galapagos Islands travel – my dream itinerary

Galapagos Islands travel itinerary dream holiday destinations giant tortoise

Firstly, I am going to splash out on some fancy new luggage. Something like this 4-Wheel Falabella Travel Suitcase and matching bag by Stella McCartney.

Then I am going to book a Rolls-Royce to bring me to the airport.

I will settle down into my roomy and comfortable first-class seat on-board a flight to JFK airport. I know I could rent a private plane but to be honest I really love the whole airport experience and flying commercial, plus, I’d want everybody to see me in my first-class seat! It has always been my dream to fly first class but I am yet to do it.

From JFK, I’ll take a helicopter ride into Manhattan then a Maybach to The Mark Hotel where I will stay in the Penthouse Suite for a few nights.

Back to JFK, I’ll charter a private jet to fly me to Baltra Airport in the Galapagos Islands and then I’ll transfer to Santa Cruz Island and spend a few nights in the Pikaia Lodge eco-resort.

Diving the Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands travel itinerary dream destinations

From here, I will join a luxury diving live-aboard yacht and spend at least 14 days at sea diving, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing around the Galapagos archipelago. I will swim with, sea lions, sea snakes, and 21 different species of shark. I’ll look out for Darwin’s finches, frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants and the waved albatross. I’ll try to spot the colourful Sally lightfoot crabs and the Galápagos land iguana, marine iguana and Galápagos giant tortoise. Did you know that these nine animals are endemic species of the Galapagos Islands?

Another thrill for divers, is that at least 58 species of elasmobranch have been recorded in Galapagos waters, including 33 species of shark, 19 species of ray, four skates and two chimeras. In fact, hammerhead sharks are your constant dive buddies! How magical is that?

Galapagos Islands travel itinerary dream holiday destinations

After two weeks at sea, I’ll head back to Santa Cruz Island and spend a few days relaxing in the Finch Bay Hotel. I’ll then fly back to New York on another private jet. This time, I’d spend a few nights in the Plaza Hotel, hopefully in the same room that Robert Redford and Jane Fonda stayed in from my all-time favourite New York movie, Barefoot in the Park.

I’d then take another Rolls-Royce followed by a helicopter ride back to JFK to fly first class back to Dublin. Oh who am I kidding? I wouldn’t fly home if I won the lottery. I’d just book another plane ticket and head off on another adventure.

Galapagos Islands travel itinerary

If you won the lottery, where would you go? Do you have any Galapagos Islands travel goals like mine?

If you liked this travel post, you may also like my Cologne city guide.

You might also like my Madrid food and drink guide to eat like a local in the Spanish capital.

If you are going to Barcelona, check out my favourite thing to do in the city – La Boqueria food market Barcelona.

For travel inspiration around Ireland, have a look at my Munster Vales Ireland travel guide.

“Happy travels”

If you like this Galapagos Islands travel post, please share with others.

All images sourced from Pixabay.

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40 thoughts on “Galapagos Islands Travel – Dream Trip”

  1. What a beautiful nature and wild animals to see at Galapagos Island! I heard lot about the island now it’s definitely on my travel bucketlist!

    Reply
  2. The Galapogos Islands are on my Dream trip list too – the sheer beauty and the flora and fauna there would be wonderful to see!

    Reply
  3. I wouldn’t mind going here! It looks fabulous and relaxing. One day I’d love to make it to the Galapagos Islands. In first class 😉

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  4. Galapagos would be an amazing trip! Would be so cool to see all of the different animals there – really like the picture of that blue-footed boobie. Hopefully one day. If we won the lottery, we would travel indefinitely to every country, but still do so humbly and slowly without anything fancy!

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    • Oh that would be my dream too! I travelled for five years and did so very slowly as I really wanted to get to know the places. I slept in a hammock and camped most places too. I spent very little time in hotels.

      Reply
  5. The Galapagos Islands truly look like a dream! We love wildlife and seeing these beauties up close would be amazing. My travel goals are Paris and New Zealand…but I’m open to anywhere beautiful!

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    • Oh I have only been to Paris once and I loved it and have to go back to explore more soon. I live in New Zealand for nine months and travelled around both Islands extensively. It is a marvellous country. You’d love it.

      Reply

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