Who are we?

We are a small and highly experienced tour operator.  Heather Blenkiron (pictured right) and Marc Patry (below) moved to Galapagos after getting married, working for the Darwin Research Station / Galapagos National Park Service from 1998-2002.  While there, Heather was asked by the Canadian ambassador to act as the embassy representative in the islands. 

After his time in Galapagos, Marc served as the UN focal point for Galapagos conservation (2003-2014) and as its culture experte for East Africa (2014-15), joining Heather at CNH Tours in 2015. 

Our senior associate, Kelsey Bradley, (below) lived and worked in Galapagos from 2010-18; for the last four years she was the Darwin Station fundraising manager, forging ties with the tourism sector.

We also have our Galapagos-based expedition cruise advisor, Daniela Aguirre (below) helping our guests find an ideal trip - Daniela is a naturalist guide with several years of experience working on a variety of ships.

CNH Tours maintains very close relationships with the Galapagos community – few if any Galapagos agencies know the islands as intimately as we do.

In Quito, CNH Tours counts on the full time support of both Mercedes Mugueytio (pictured below) and Tannya Torres.  Mercedes is our extension expert - able to help our guests consider / plan and book pre or post extensions in Ecuador, while Tannya is our "proposals" colleague. Based our our guests' particular interests, she will scour all ship availabilities and assembled detailed proposals for their consideration. Both have been in the Galapagos / Ecuador travel business for over 25 years. 

10 reasons to book your trip with CNH Tours

1. Few if any agencies know their destinations as intimately as we do.

All of our team members live/have lived and/or worked in the destinations they represent.  We retain our hands on the pulse of those places through our long-term connections with our friends and colleagues engaged in the day to day management and conservation there.   We are familiar with many of the ships and local service providers and know the owners often on a first name basis.   Few travel agencies have access to such a diversity of personal and professional contacts in their destinations. 

2. Your trip is carbon neutral

Starting in 2022, all carbon emissions relating to your trip with CNH Tours (all in-country emissions) will be carbon neutral thanks to the purchase of carbon offsets.  These are certified by the Gold Standard, a United Nations recognized certifying agency.   For more information, please see our detailed explanation here.  


3.  You benefit from a US$200,000 emergency medical evacuation insurance

All of CNH Tours' guests are automatically covered with an emergency medical evacuation insurance for a value of up to US$200,000.  For full details, click here.

4. Your investment will be safeguarded by the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund and Ontario's consumer protection laws

As an Ontario-based travel company registered under the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), anyone (from anywhere) booking through CNH Tours benefits from the TICO Compensation Fund.  The Fund reimburses travelers when travel services are not provided due to our bankruptcy (we certainly don't expect that to happen) or that of an end supplier airline or cruise line - where a reimbursement has not otherwise been provided. Our registrant number is 50022618. 

In addition to the fund, Ontario consumer protection legislation and regulations require that travel companies based here manage their accounts following strict rules, keeping all your payments in a trust account, and disbursing them only in accordance with the services you have provided.  We are required to make our books available to TICO on demand.   Few jurisdictions in the Americas (North or South) are subjected to such stringent regulatory oversight. 

5. We are not distracted by a multitude of destinations. 

We constantly seek to update and improve our knowledge on the latest developments in the destinations we serve, putting it to use in ensuring your visit is the best it can be.  We avoid becoming a "Jack of all destinations, master of none". 

6. We are recognized experts in our destinations

After having answered thousands of questions from Galapagos-bound people on the TripAdvisor Galapagos forum, this very popular travel information website invited Heather to become its first Galapagos "Galapagos Destination Expert" in 2009.  Heather continues to provide advice there to people considering a Galapagos trip.   More recently, CNH Tours was recognized as the Best Boutique Galapagos cruise Operator – Canada by Lux Life Magazine. Co-owner, Heather Blenkiron was recognized as a Trailblazing Woman Leader in her field by Aspioneer Magazine. 

Our Okavango tour leader has been named "the Champion of the Okavango" by the National Geographic magazine while our Antarctica expert has been contracted by several Antarctica cruise ship operators to help them set up excursion programs.  

7. Personalized service is our specialty.

Our unofficial company saying is: "We may not be big, but we're small."   We're very proud of the fact that when you contact CNH Tours, you'll be talking to people who have developed intimate relationship with their destinations over decades.  An important part of our reward in this business is our own personal satisfaction in doing all we can to help you see and feel the destination like we did - and that motivates us to go the extra mile.

Why not email us now to start a conversation?  You may also want to consider asking us to schedule a phone call to help you start exploring cruise options.

             Celebrations on the Samba to mark the crossing of the Equatorial line 

8. We give back to the community.  

Since 2000, CNH Tours has been organizing non-profit fund-raising cruises in support of worthy initiatives. Past cruises have raised funds for United World Colleges (3 cruises), underprivileged urban youth (2 cruises).  We helped raise funds for the Galapagos Public Library and donated berths for fundraising purposes, once for the Boston National Public Radio annual fundraising event and again for the Montana Natural History Center. On occasion, we invite deserving local youths on a cruise when we have a suitable availability.  In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, with the help of past (and future guests), we raised over US$54,000 - all of which was deposited in equal shares directly into the bank accounts of crew, guides and office staff of one the ships we use regularly - helping put food on the table for several months.  Our Okavango trips include financial support to local communities near Victoria Falls.   

9. We contribute to improving the quality of the tourism experience in Galapagos

CNH Tour is a Full Member of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) a non-profit association of travel companies , conservation organizations and other groups that seek to improve the overall visitor experience in Galapagos by supporting guide training, conservation projects and community development initiatives.  We have been elected to its board. 

10.  We can help you organize your own fund-raising trip

We've organized fund-raising trips in support of good causes (Canadian Library Association, United World Colleges). If you'd like to explore opitons for organizing you own fund-raiser, contact us.