“Galápago,” our driver Luis exclaimed as he brought the van to an abrupt halt. We scrambled toward his seat, jousting with our selfie sticks, desperate to capture a close-up of the humongous tortoise in front of the vehicle. It had blades of bright green grass dangling from its mouth as it lumbered across the road, oblivious to the squeals of excitement emanating from the van. It was our first sighting of the giant tortoises that give these islands their collective name.

Shuyi and her husband, Justin traverse the desolate landscape of North Seymour Island.

“Welcome to Galápagos!” Luis chuckled, bemused by our (over)reaction. Discovered by the Spanish in the 1500s, the Galápagos archipelago was deemed uninhabitable due to its lack of fresh water. For centuries, these volcanic islands that straddle the equator remained deserted, their sole visitors the occasional whaler or pirate, and that isolation has proved a blessing. Today, the Galápagos Islands is one of nature’s last virgin frontiers and to ensure it stays that way, visitor access via air or sea is strictly controlled by the government.

Home Comforts
Justin, my husband, and I flew to the islands’ Baltra Airport from Quito, the capital of Ecuador. From here we took a private transfer for the quick boat ride across the Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island and then hopped into a car to our final destination, Pikaia Lodge. Set in an extinct volcanic crater, the two-year-old Pikaia beautifully incorporates luxury into its natural highland surroundings. Its spare, clean, designer eco-architecture uses locally sourced materials, while guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of ubiquitous greenery. The most picturesque spot, however, is the infinity pool which looks over the rolling savannah of Galápagos National Park, the Pacific Ocean stretching till the horizon beyond.

On these dramatic islands, visitors can get up-close to sea lions frolicking in the water.

Most of the hotel staff are from local communities and all of them recounted fascinating first-hand tatler_tatler_stories about the islands, such as playing catch with land iguanas, or getting held up on a narrow road for hours because it was obstructed by two giant tortoises that refused to move. We similarly enjoyed the fine wines and fresh seasonal, regional produce. The overall experience was truly extraordinary, but what we remembered most were the prolific wildlife and dramatic landscapes that informed Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

Outward Bound
We soon learned that the lack of natural predators on the islands make the animals blase about the presence of tourists. In fact, some creatures were more curious than afraid of us, the interlopers! We snorkelled among grouchy-looking turtles, gliding eagle rays and schools of rainbow-coloured fish. Playful sea lions fearlessly approached us, their noses touching ours, their eyes intently studying our faces before they swooped off to play with their extended family. The abundant marine life was astonishing, but what excited us more was something we witnessed topside, during a yacht excursion.

Watching orcas in the ocean was one highlight of the trip for the couple.

“Orca, orca,” came the cry from the captain’s deck and as we turned toward the water, a pair of jet-black dorsal fins rose before sliding back in. This rhythmic movement continued for a few minutes, the fins like a conductor’s baton leading an imaginary symphony. Our naturalist guide quickly loaded us onto pangas (motorised dinghies) so that we could get a closer look. Justin and I were surprised when the orcas swam beneath and around the pangas, checking us out as we did the same to them. Being so close to a pod of wild orcas — killer whales that can grow to 9m and weigh six tons — was the most breathtaking, and spine-tingling, experience of my life! During our time we also visited Sante Fe Island, with its idyllic, glittering white powder beaches, still, clear waters, and Sally Lightfoot crabs in brilliant shades of red, orange and purple. Close by, we gazed at sea lions and marine iguanas napping side by side while a colony of comical, bumbling blue-footed boobies passed through, careful not to step on their sleeping neighbours. The tranquillity was Edenic.

Urban Jungle
On North Seymour Island, we trekked across desolate volcanic landscapes peppered with lava stones and towering, withered cacti. At one nesting ground, we watched as frigate birds with their massive red gullets and swallow-tailed gulls with their eerie red-rimmed eyes kept vigil over their tiny, fluffy nesting babies. It amazed us that even in such barren lands, nature somehow provides, enabling life to flourish.

The overall experience was truly extraordinary, but what we remembered most were the prolific wildlife and dramatic landscapes that informed Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

Seated on the extinct volcanic island of Bartolomé, as the sun set behind Pinnacle Rock, Justin and I debated Darwinism. Did the marvellous natural beauty we’d encountered on these enchanted islands fit the hypotheses devised by the English naturalist, or were they created by a celestial being, a higher power?

On our last day, we spent a leisurely afternoon in Puerto Ayora, the de facto “city centre” of the Galápagos. The main street was lined with pretty cafes, colourful handicraft shops and cheery mosaic artwork that covered the walls of shops and random roadside walls, alongside artistic graffiti. We headed to one of the waterfront cafes to enjoy an afternoon siesta, but were surprised to see sea lions had beaten us to it — they were napping under the chairs to escape the sun. We wondered how that fit into Darwin’s theory.

Later in the afternoon, a bunch of enterprising sea lions shuffled around the local fish market, like eager shop assistants, waiting for a tasty morsel to be thrown their way. Beady eyed pelicans also looked on, loitering, waiting to steal fish when nobody was paying attention. As dusk fell, local kioskos opened to sell fresh ceviche, grilled fresh catch and local beer, transforming the main street into a lively alley of hawker chatter perfumed by the intoxicating vapour rising from the grills. After a quick bite, it was sadly time to bid adios to the islands. The Galápagos was surreal and life-changing, another world from the modern conveniences, manicured gardens and shiny skyscrapers that I’ve become accustomed to. We hope our time there has helped us evolve, to bring home a renewed commitment to appreciate nature’s amazing biodiversity and the simple treasures in life. 

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Photos Justin and Shuyi Liok; Pikaia Lodge