Boat Transportation
Boat travel
is quite a common means of transportation on the both Ecuador's
Coast and Amazonian regions as well as in the Galapagos Islands.
In parts of the oriente,
dugout canoes navigate the tributaries of the Amazon and function
as a bus system, stopping at villages along the way. These canoes
can be quite large, carrying up to 36 passengers in one boat.
Slather on the sunscreen and wear insect repellent. Also bring
a daypack with a jacket and whatever else you will need (stored
in plastic bags, of course). The boats have extra-hard wooden
benches so that bringing something padded to sit on is a good
idea. Prices vary so make sure to ask the price before getting
on.
The coastal region often
necessitates boat travel as well. Of course, jumping from fishing
village to fishing village and exploring the mangroves are easiest
by boat, and wide meandering rivers inland lead to numerous eco-travel
destinations.
Most people decide to
explore the Galapagos Islands by boat. If you fly in from the
mainland and have paid for a tour of the Galapagos Islands, you
will be traveling the islands on anything from an eight-person
boat to a luxury cruise ship. Boats are usually categorized as
Economy, Tourist, or Luxury. Make sure you know what you are paying
for ahead of time.
To sail in the Galapagos
a permit is necessary and these are only given to boats with a
licensed guide onboard and after a National Park fee of several
hundred dollars per person per day. Therefore, if you have sailed
there on your own it's more economical and much less of a hassle
to moor your own boat and hire a local tour boat to take you from
island to island.
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