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On My Galapagos Cruise We All Made These 8 Mistakes
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Jan 28, 2025
I came back from Galapagos Silver Origin Cruise with piles of unused clothes and other things I had packed that I did not need. But packing wasn't the only, or the most important thing I, and many of my fellow passengers got wrong about cruising the Galapagos. In this video I explore 8 key mistakes that I found Galapagos cruisers were making, and from talking to others, it seems are made week after week by people heading on cruises there. GET EXCLUSIVE PERKS LIKE MEMBER-ONLY BONUS VIDEOS BY BECOMING A CHANNEL MEMBER: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join Links mentioned in the videos: BUY MY CRUISE-THEMED T-SHIRTS ———————————————— * Check out my T-Shirt range at https://tipsfortravellers.myspreadshop.com , http://bit.ly/TFTStore or https://tips-for-travellers.creator-spring.com SUPPORT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS ————————————————————— * Become a Channel Member and get perks: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/Join * Become a Patron on Patreon and get perks: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * Make a donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=V9STJGYSEMGLJ * Buy my book “Cruise Traveler’s Handbook: USA Amazon https://amzn.to/2YVFmG4 and https://amzn.to/3tzIxBn UK Amazon https://amzn.to/3oXbzYc and https://amzn.to/3qawqIQ
View Video Transcript
0:00
I came back from my recent Galapagos
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silver origin cruise with this pile of
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unused clothes and these accessories
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that I'd lugged thousands of miles all
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the way there and back while at the same
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time wishing that I'd taken some other
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things but as you will see packing
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wasn't the only or the most important
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thing I and many of my fellow passengers
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got wrong welcome aboard I'm Gary
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bembridge join me as I take you
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Galapagos cruising and tell you what I
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found most people got wrong first I
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found too many people go expecting the
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wrong thing I talk about this in more
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detail in this video so I won't dwell on
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it here but don't go expecting
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magnificent Grand Landscapes and hordes
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of bucket list animals it's more about
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smaller animals reptiles birds and
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marine life on land I got to see the
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famous giant tortoises unique to this
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island various iguanas Galapagos
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penguins and Galapagos sea lions birds
1:01
are a big factor with rigged footed
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boobies blue footed boobies NASCAR
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boobies great frigate Birds finches and
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brown Pelicans in the water hundreds of
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species of fish various Rays sharks and
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turtles
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and it's important to understand that
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the scenery is great but it's not
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magnificent
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but it's rough and rugged and at times
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from its volcanic Origins you can get to
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see some really interesting things like
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walking on lava Fields the second big
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mistake I found is to go at the wrong
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time of the year I'd assumed because
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it's on the equator or the year would
1:40
basically be the same and so I went when
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it suited me which was November
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as my trip Drew closer and closer I
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realized I was going when the weather
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was mixed and not when the experts
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recommend going
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there are two seasons in the Galapagos
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the dry season from June to November and
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the wet season between December to May
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the temperatures are lower in the dry
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season they average 22 to 24 degrees
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Celsius that's kind of 73 to 76
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Fahrenheit it's cloudier the water's
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colder and a little bit less clear in
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the wet season although there's sporadic
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downpours it's 25 to 26 degrees Celsius
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at 76 to 79 Fahrenheit this is a Karma
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the water's clearer and it's warmer for
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snorkeling now while there's definitely
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no wrong time of the year bear in mind
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experts recommend going from December to
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May the third mistake I saw was people
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seeing it as a vacation to go and relax
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and unwind it was the busiest trip I
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think I have ever been on my first
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expedition set off at either 7 AM or 8
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A.M and after two Expeditions we had an
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hour or two for lunch and after an
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expedition an hour or two before an
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evening talk and the next day's briefing
3:01
and then dinner it was busy
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the Expeditions themselves were mostly
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active hikes or snorkeling by the fifth
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day I was really tired and I actually
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nodded off after lunch missing an
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Expedition which you do not want to do
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you don't choose Galapagos to relax you
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come ready to be busy which brings me to
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the next mistake don't go to the
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Galapagos if you have limiter Mobility
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you're not active
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or you dislike snorkeling more than any
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other Expedition trip that I've been on
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I found this even more active and it
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needs to be even more mobile the ships
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don't ever dock so even embarking and
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disembarking is by zodiac all
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Expeditions use Zodiacs most Expeditions
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are adventurous like walking over lava
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Fields Rocky outcrops or up steep Stone
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steps if you have limited ability you
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will miss out on so much furthermore an
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important part of the collab because
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experience is in the water daily
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snorkeling to see the fish Turtles raise
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sharks and even sea lions swimming
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around if you don't go into the water
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you miss out probably a third of the
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best part of going to the Galapagos
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another mistake is thinking this is a
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cruise to party be entertained or to
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have lots of choice the ships are small
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the largest ships only take 100
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passengers but mostly 40 or 50. I was on
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the 100 guest silver origin which did
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have more but still limited facilities
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there was the Explorers Lounge for the
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briefings and drinks the restaurant
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which could seat everyone the grill a
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casual lunch dining and silver sea
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signature Hot Rocks outdoor restaurant a
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small fitness center a hardly used
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observation lounge and base camp which
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has guest services and an interactive
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information screen and then the marina
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which is for getting on and off the
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Zodiac so some choice but not a lot the
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only entertainment was talks a Pianist
5:00
who played during drinks and out at
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lunch on deck one cooking glass and one
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trivia on the last night so you're not
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going to be entertained we will have
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lots of choice as the focus is on
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learning about the Galapagos and heading
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out on Expeditions which leads me to the
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next mistake don't go on the wrong line
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I chose silver C partly for the
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pampering but because based on my other
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Expeditions with them I knew that have
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an incredible Expedition team the
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Expedition team makes or breaks these
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trips I was reminded of this on Santa Fe
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Island when we were there there was we
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were alongside one of the smaller ship
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lines and I was sort of listening in to
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their expedition team versus what we
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were being told it was like night and
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day if you're really into Wildlife think
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about the company you go with you might
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like for example lindblatt National
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Geographic ships because the passengers
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there tend to be much more passionate
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nature lovers than perhaps I felt were
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on my ship silver C decide if one of the
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bigger ships like silver origin
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celebrity Flora some of those National
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Geographic ships if they suit you
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because you do want more facilities a
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little bit more choice or whether a
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small intimate yacht with a really
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intimate experience is a better suit
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match for you in the Galapagos whatever
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you decide it's not going to be cheap
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I recommend you ask yourself if you're
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going to love the experience before for
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splashing out with flights and pre and
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post a hotels it can easily cost you
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around one thousand dollar per person
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per day as a Solo Traveler it cost me
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almost close to double that even with
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the silver sea lower supplement on
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selected sailings like mine for solo
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Travelers so when budgeting make sure
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every cost door to door is included on
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Silver C the price included flights to
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and from Ecuador and onto the Galapagos
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premium post Day hotel transfers all my
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drinks basic Wi-Fi and gratuities entry
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fee to the Galapagos national park or
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the Expeditions the only cost I had was
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some meals in the hotels and I upgraded
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to the better wi-fi so really understand
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what it's going to cost you now as much
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as I enjoyed the trip which I did I
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realized I'm a more casual nature lover
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and I love the more bucket list animals
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and if you're like me you may prefer the
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Arctic with polar bears or Antarctica
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with penguin colonies and Wales maybe
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better so really think about is this the
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trip for you I got stressed when I was
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packing for this trip because I felt a
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lack of good information on other
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Expedition trips to the Arctic and
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Antarctica I had specialist gear sites
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that I could visit I could order a pack
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of everything I needed that partnered
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with the line and they even delivered it
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to the ship for me so I knew that I had
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everything right this trip was much more
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trial and error and here's what I found
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I should have taken good water shoes or
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sandals that can get wet and you can
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even hike in for the wet Landing good
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walking shoes while many had proper
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hiking shoes I used my worn in track
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shoes because I found them comfortable
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and it gave me good support the next
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thing is Expedition trousers ones that
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repel the water I took just regular
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shorts with me but they did get a bit
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soggy sometimes on the zodiacs and while
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they dried quickly I noticed all the
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Expedition team and many of the
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passengers that had done this before
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wore these kind of expedition and
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trousers which are sort of almost
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waterproof trousers but look like
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regular trousers they also can be
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unzipped at the need to turn into shorts
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I really wish that I had brought those
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you do by the way need long trousers as
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on some of the excursions particularly
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when headed up into the highlands there
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are fire ants and bugs so you need long
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trousers I took jeans with me which I
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couldn't wear of course on any of the
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wet Landings so those Expedition
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trousers would have helped there too
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make sure you take swimming gear because
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you must go snorkeling the Lions provide
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a wetsuit and goggles but you need gear
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to wear underneath you will need a
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raincoat outer layer I took this great
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coat which has a hood on it
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a cap or hat is essential to avoid
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getting burnt check on the dress code on
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board too so on Silver C they didn't
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allow jeans and I had to wear a collared
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shirt in the evening while on other
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lines like say the National Geographic
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lines they're much less fussed I also
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recommend taking a long sleeve top for
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the Expeditions not short sleeved to
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avoid bugs and getting burnt many people
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took long sleeve tops that are made of
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that kind of gym shirt material I really
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wish I'd taken those
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do take layers though I took far too
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many warm clothes with me but do have a
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warm sippy top or thin jumper for the
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evenings I also recommend a first aid
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kit in it to have insect repellent
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Imodium headache pills seasick pills and
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all your usual stuff take sunscreen but
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make sure that it's bio-friendly
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eco-friendly the other thing to think
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about is camera equipment as the animals
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and Wildlife are comfortable with humans
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and you can get close most people in my
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trip only use their iPhone and the zoom
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on that was more than enough I did not
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use my big zoom lens but I found that my
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compact Sony RX100 was perfect as it was
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easy to carry and also has a great Zoom
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so I could film great Zoom shots like
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this of the Iguana this is without the
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zoom and this is just with the zoom on
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my Sony RX100 check if the line gives
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you a rucksack which silver C did if not
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take one as you need your hands free
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when you step on and off the Zodiac if
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you want to know know much more about
10:46
cruising the collab because watch this
10:48
video starting with the biggest surprise
10:50
about going there see you over there
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