The Galapagos Islands

A journey to the remote archipelago is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It can cost upwards of £5,000pp for

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one of the more upmarket cruises around the islands but it is possible to get up close to the endemic wildlife that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution for less than that. Journey Latin America has a 12-day Ecuador and Galapagos programme that includes five days on Isabela Island, staying in a local guesthouse in the only settlement on the island, Puerto Vilamil. By day you can bike or hike to various parts of the island to view the fearless wildlife, visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre and snorkel; by night you can discuss the day's sightseeing at the local bar or mingle with islanders in the main square. The holiday costs £2,526pp including domestic flights, most meals, transfers in Ecuador, guesthouse/mid-range accommodation and most excursions but not international flights, which are roughly £850 from London to Quito return. The Galapagos Islands are a bucket-list destination for good reason: Thanks to a lack of natural predators, friendly wildlife such as playful sea lions and gigantic sea tortoises let visitors get up close and personal. This archipelago of about 19 islands and many smaller islets sprinkled 620 miles off Ecuador’s coast in the Pacific Ocean is a double World Heritage site (both land and sea are protected) and served as the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Each island boasts its own unique landscape, ranging from barren black, volcanic rocks to swaths of white sand beaches melting into gemstone-blue waters.