Galapagos is April! Any and all advice welcome!

[stinkyfeet]

Just put a deposit on a trip for this coming April.  I'm so excited!!! Do i need to get a go-pro or other under water camera?  Binoculars? Should I bring my own snorkel gear?  It's the wet season, is rain gear needed or is it so warm you dry right off?

Lots to research but I thought I'd start by asking here. 

[fernweh]

We went in October so I can’t speak for what you need clothing wise, but you definitely want to take a go-pro. If you are planning to snorkel and have heat take it. We went pre-covid and used the heat that was provided for us, it was cleaned/sanitized between use but some of the cleaners they used made me gag, safer to have your own if possible.

You have to pay to enter the park - if I remember correctly it was payable in cash only (this was 2016 so it may have changed but definitely worth looking into).

Are you staying on land or boat? We stayed on land and then traveled between islands on a speed boat. If you plan to do something similar take Dramamine with you. The speed boats we took were so choppy they were handing out bags as people boarding. I was on anti-nausea meds for another reason and I think I was literally the only person onboard who didn’t get sick.

[steamboat185]

Definitely take some motion sickness meds! We went on a 7 day liveaboard dive trip in the Galapagos a few years ago and the waves were crazy. I ended up in bed most evenings due to seasickness. If the boat suggests a wetsuit for snorkeling use one! We had 7mil wetsuits, booties, hats, liners and were still cold. Viewing the iguanas was absolutely frigid (and very cool). I’d also bring a winter hat, you might not need one since you won’t be in the water as much, but I wore mine most nights (we were there in August). Make sure you have good shoes. Some of the landings are slippery and have to be timed with the waves. We brought soft sided luggage. Our luggage had to fit into our tiny cabin- this is probably boat dependent, but check. Take the briefings seriously- our guide yelled at several tourists who weren’t with our group for not respecting the rules and animals.

Enjoy it! We loved the Galapagos and want to go back again! I have so many cool pictures of hammerhead sharks with dolphins and turtles swimming in the same frame. It was amazing.

Edit make sure you bring cash for tips (unless they started taking Venmo). While there were ATMs on the developed islands at least one was out of cash when we were looking.

[lightbulbsun]

Definitely take a gopro! I also definitely recommend taking motion sickness meds. We did a 4-night boat tour and the last night people who had never gotten seasick before were sick. We also did 5 nights on land, and took a speed boat from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz, and I think about half of the people on the boat ended up puking.

We also took our own wetsuits and snorkeling gear. It was nice for the on-land portion because we were able to just go to the water and snorkel without having to rent them, plus it's more sanitary. I had a wetsuit with short sleeves and short legs, and it was mostly fine. I bought one on craigslist, and I've never used it since, haha.

We went in July so I'm not sure about the rainy season. It was supposed to be the cool/dry season when we went, but it was pretty warm most days.

Enjoy your trip! I loved the Galapagos and really want to go back some day!

[stinkyfeet]

Thank you all for the advice!! Definitely getting some motion sickness meds!! lightbulbsun,fernweh, steamboat185,

[woowoo]

stinkyfeet, I was just there in July but we were on the Celebrity Flora so a lot of our needs (binoculars, snorkel gear, etc) were covered. How are you traveling?