Top Ten Reasons Why Enchanted Expeditions is One of the Best Travel Companies in South America

Enchanted Expeditions is a unique, boutique travel company. We seek to inspire and fulfill your every curiosity. We are passionate about Ecuador and Galapagos. It’s where we work, live, and travel. As a boutique travel company, we have the ability to create custom tours — food, to adventure, to culture, to wild life, we have an experience that will honour your passions, interests and curiousity.

Enchanted Expeditions’ Founder, Judy Carvalhal, is a Passionate Entrepreneur and Traveler. Judy’s dream of turning her passion into a profession inspired her to create Enchanted Expeditions and that passion is the driving force behind her success. In fact, Judy and her three partners have over 125 years of collective field experience as tour guides, conservationists and community tourism advocates in Ecuador.

Safe Travels – Enchanted Expeditions doesn’t just want you to have an amazing experience they want to ensure you are safe. We own our boats, lodge and company. With ownership comes pride. We take exceptional care of our boats, facilities, and our team. Our Yachts are not only safe, but we go above and beyond to ensure that all of our boats, facilities and vehicles are maintained to the highest standards. We also ensure our team is well trained, both in safety procedures and in maintenance skills.

Good Things do Come in Small Packages – At Enchanted Expeditions we know that Ecuador’s size is a huge advantage for travelers because it makes going from one place to another easy. Every region is rich in both biodiversity and cultural diversity. Our team knows how to make the most out of every moment you are there –you may be touring a Cocoa Plantation in the morning, trekking the Andean Alps in the afternoon, and ending your day at a beautiful historical hacienda.

Ecuador and Galapagos’ Plants & Wildlife is Next Level. Did you know that Ecuador and Galapagos is home to the largest populations of Mother Nature’s most unique plants, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals per square kilometer in the world?(Galapagos.org). We do! That is why Enchanted Expeditions ensure their guides are educated, current and passionate. Our guides not only teach guests about this unique biodiversity, but we will bring it to life through storytelling, fun facts, and one on one conversations.

Four Worlds in One Place – We know travelers want to have unique diverse experiences when they come to Ecuador and Galapagos which is why we have spent the time on the ground discovering the absolute best things to do, see, and explore in each of our unique regions. Whether we are helping you choose the perfect itinerary for you boat cruise in Galapagos, curating an epic hike in the Andean Highlands, creating the perfect walking tour in a charming colonial city, helping you with your adventure to the Amazon, or booking your whale watching experience on the Coast, we create a ready-made tour that will celebrate Ecuador’s natural beauty and culture while honouring your interests.

The Ecuadorian Culinary Scene is the Next Big Thing –We have always known it, in fact, Ecuadorians have had a love affair with food that dates back as far as the Incas. With Ecuador quickly becoming the place to experience some of the best food in South America, we have gone above and beyond to create epic culinary experiences for our guests. We have worked with local farmers to help boost ago-tourism, offering travelers farm table dinners, tastings and tours. We are proud to be one of the first companies to offer intimate tours to local cocoa plantations (something that was nearly impossible in the past). We make it our job to be in the know when it comes to the Ecuadorian Culinary scene and we ensure our guests experience the best markets, restaurants, and food experiences our country has to offer.

Galapagos Islands Culinary Scene is also epic – If experiencing delicious, local cuisine is on your travel menu when you come to the Galapagos Islands we can make that happen too. From touring a local organic coffee farm, to enjoying home cooked local meals aboard one of our yachts, to having fresh fish at one of local restaurants. In fact, Enchanted Expeditions owner, Judy Carvalhal even has an organic farm on Santa Cruz Island. The food they grow is served on board their boats and in their new lodge on Santa Cruz Island, The Enchanted Galapagos Lodge.

We Own an Enchanting Lodge in the Highlands of Santa Cruz – After years of offering boat tours in the Galapagos Islands, we discovered people want a few days after their cruise to explore Santa Cruz, Galapagos’ most populated island. And we also learned that some guests prefer island hopping over a week-long cruise. That is why we decided to have the new Enchanted Galapagos Lodge join our family. This beautiful lodge is located in the highlands of Santa Cruz and offers guests a variety of activities such as biking, hiking, kayaking, and swimming. Our restaurant serves farm fresh food and we work closely with a variety of partners to offer guests farm experiences, tours, and information on special places to visit like the Charles Darwin Research Station. Whether you relax in one of our hammocks and listen to the birds, hop on a bike and tour the island on two wheels, or enjoy dinner in our seaside town, the Lodge is an enchanting place to spend time in Galapagos.

Sustainability – Enchanted Expeditions is deeply committed to sustainability. We have a strong focus on social and environmental responsibility. We go to great lengths to minimize our impact on the environment. We live, work and raise our families in Galapagos and Mainland Ecuador, so we know first-hand how sensitive our eco-system is. We also have a great respect for the culture and traditions of the people of Ecuador. We are proud to support local communities, buy local products and offer funding and donations to local programs and organizations. Our Galapagos Expeditions cruises, lodge and tours meet the highest environmental and social standards. We also educate visitors on how delicate and precious our eco-systems are in both the Galapagos Islands and Mainland Ecuador. Educating travellers about our delicate ecosystem is one of our passions. We believe that spending time in one of the most biodiverse places in the world will inspire people to help us keep it sustainable. In the words of Veronica Stoddart, beyond exploration, travelling enhances our understanding of the world, other cultures and ways of life and helps us become better global citizens.