When to travel?

We (4 active seniors)are thinking of traveling to Galapogas & Peru in 2012. Are there "better" or "worse" times to travel? I tried looking at temperature & rainfall info which has given me some ideas but it wasn't terribly helpful. Thanks.

Comments

  • My wife and I went to the Galapagos Islands in mid-April and then on to Peru (Machu Picchu). We are in our early 60s/late 50s and had no problems. There were older passengers on our cruise ship and they did fine, but certainly being active people is helpful.

    As far as when to go...the rainy season ends in early May, and by mid to late May we were told that most of the vegetation turns brown. During each day, as we looked over the horizon, it was always raining somewhere. And sometimes, while we were on shore excursions, it rained on us. If you go during rainy season, just be sure to bring plastic ponchos. In April, the water and air temps where at their highest, and mid-day was hot and humid on sunny days. We did go snorkeling several times and did not need a wetsuit, although my wife preferred to wear one.

    As far as wildlife, there was plenty to see and the albatross were just arriving to begin mating. There were sea lion and their pups everywhere, as well as the iguanas and birds. Galapagos penguins were a bit scarce, but our naturalist knew where to find them.

    This was also a good time to visit Peru. Our day at Machu Picchu was pleasant with temps in the upper 60s/low 70s. We also spent a day touring Cusco and a seperate day visiting Lima (with pre-arranged tour guides). We heard Lake Titicaca was just okay so we chose not to go there. We did hear that the Bolivian side of the Lake was very beautiful. Since returning, we were looking at perhaps a trip to the Amazones area of Peru for a future visit, but not sure it is for us. See Manu National Park on the internet.

    Prior to all this, we spent a couple days at Iguazu Falls in both Argentina and Brazil, which we highly recommend.

    If you are interested in more info, send e-mail to bkrogh022@charter.net.
  • Hey folks,

    I saw these posts in the Galápagos: Wildlife Wonderland forum, when they fit better here, so I moved them. Please double check which forum you're in when making new topics!

    Best,
    Tim
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