Here's another in our (very occasional) series on candid notes we receive from guests recently having disembarked from their Galapagos cruise.   Cheryl McNerney, her husband and their 2 adult sons were on the 14 passenger Samba last week.   She wrote us this note:

Heather,

Mark and I just wanted to thank you again for all of your help setting up our Galapagos and Amazon Vacation.  I cc’d Jimmy [editor: Jimmy was the naturalist guide on the Samba] on this, because he was a large part of why our family had such an amazing time.

From the moment we landed in Guayaquil, everything went perfectly.  The folks in Guayaquil were so accommodating and we had so much fun exploring the area along the river.  We had several amazing dinners at local restaurants and were happy to feel so safe there.

Quito was also a great place to see.  We climbed the towers of the Basilica and walked many many miles exploring the city and several nearby little towns.  I would not worry at at all about tourists going there.  There was a large police presence and they were so friendly and helpful to us with directions.  The food there was also extraordinary and it was the cleanest big city we have visited.  We especially had fun exploring some of the small handicraft markets.

The Galapagos portion exceeded our expectations in every way.  The Samba family was wonderful and we felt like part of the team from the minute we walked on board.  Our guide Jimmy was the best guide we have ever had.  His energy, enthusiasm and knowledge about the Galapagos made him an exceptional guide.  We were up before dawn every day and were able to photograph the amazing wildlife in the best light of the day.  The snorkeling can only be described as the most fantastic we have ever seen.  We felt like we were swimming in the middle of a fish ball with turtles, rays, sharks and sea lions on the perimeter.  Everyday we would see something unique and Jimmy’s adventurous spirit kept us following him to find more and more beautiful creatures.    Our kids have also snorkeled in many places and both remarked that it was the most amazing snorkeling and free diving they had ever done.  Did I mention we saw Hammerhead sharks four times!  

Jeffrey is going to be sending you the videos Jimmy took of our trip, as well as some footage from the trip before us.  He will be putting them on a Google drive.  Once I have some time if you like I can send you a few of my still pictures.  Mark and I took around twenty one thousand pictures, so it will take me a bit to get through them.

Thank you also for switching us to the Napo Wildlife Center.  What a great location with an amazing group of people.  We had a fantastic time there and absolutely loved the room, food, scenery and of course the people.  We were fortunate to see numerous birds, monkeys, caimans, bugs, etc....  such an interesting place to visit and we are so thankful that you recommended it.

With many many thanks for all of your hard work and love for the Galapagos!  Thank you for making our trip so special.  If there is anything we can do for you and CNH tours, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best wishes to you and your staff,

Cheryl and Mark McNerney

Washington, USA