Trip leader, BBC TV Presenter, Writer and Naturalist, Mike Dilger, completed his thesis whilst working for Rainforest Concern in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest

This trip visits two of the natural world’s highlights: the Galapagos Islands and the Tropical Andes.  The Galapagos are famous for close encounters with endemic creatures such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas, Darwin’s finches and more; whilst the Tropical Andes is simply the most biodiverse part of our planet.

What better way to appreciate these environments than to be led by led by TV presenter, writer and naturalist Mike Dilger, who is not only a walking encyclopaedia on natural history, but a highly inspiring and enjoyable person to spend time with.  Mike is particularly qualified to lead a trip to Ecuador because this is where he learnt to speak Spanish fluently and conducted his thesis on moths.

Mike spent a year and a half in the cloud forests of Ecuador, completing his thesis, guiding visitors and working for the charity Rainforest Concern as part of their ongoing efforts to purchase and protect rainforest in the area.  After landing in the Andean capital of Quito, it is here that your journey will begin.  It is a surprisingly short drive out of Quito before a vista of dry alto plano changes to the intense greens of Andean mountains cloaked in forest swirling with mist.  The birdlife here is particularly impressive, of which the many species of hummingbird are readily seen.  We will also visit one of Ecuador's best sites to see the spectacular Cock-of-the-Rock bird, whose noisy mating displays and bright red plumage make this South America's answer to New Guinea's Bird of Paradise.

Our base in the cloud forests is an ecolodge established at the birth place of Rainforest Concern's Choco-Andean Rainforest Corridor.   This project is one of Ecuador's greatest conservation successes and you will see for yourself some of the reserves, reforestation and community projects such as shade grown coffee and agroforestry.  Stark challenges and threats to Ecuador's forests remain and Mike will be expertly qualified to explain to you both the good news and the bad.

From the high Andes we will then fly you down the Avenue of Volcanoes, over the top of the highest point from the centre of the Earth (Volcan Chimborazo) and 600 miles out across the Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands.  Here we will join our motor sail yacht, fully equipped with landing craft and a second expert guide trained by the Galapagos National Park.

Our itinerary through the islands is superb, incorporating the entire wilderness coast of western Isabela and touching the coast of Fernandina.  This island is dominated by one of the most active volcanoes in the World.  This is the north west area where new land masses are in constant formation, emerging as lava thousands of metres from the ocean floor.   Tectonic movement slowly carries these land masses in a south easterly direction where their volcanic activity stops and they slowly fall back beneath the ocean surface.  Espanola lies at the far south east edge of the chain and it is here that we can see the dramatic sea cliff landings of marine iguanas.

In between, you can hope to see land iguanas, giant tortoises, red footed and blue footed boobies from above the water; see sharks, rays and whales on its surface; and snorkel with turtles, Galapagos Penguins and the ubiquitous sea lions.

Click here for a draft itinerary.

Whilst Mike will focus on guiding you to the Tropical Andes and Galapagos, Aqua-Firma is a specialist at tailor made travel in Ecuador, the Galapagos and Peru.  Some ideas to consider include:

• The Ecuadorian Amazon
• The Peruvian Amazon
• Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes
• Machu Picchu and Cusco
• Diving in the Galapagos
• Land based exploration of Isabela Island including a horseback trek to the top of Volcan Sierra Negra – the World’s second largest volcanic caldera

Dates 21st Nov - 3rd Dec Quito - Quito Price £2,695 per person sharing exl. int'l flights Single supplement £125 if sharing cabin in Galapagos £1695 for single rooms and cabin throughout Price includes Return flights Quito-Galapagos All accommodation Meals as indicated in itinerary Breakfasts in Quito All transfers Galapagos yacht safari as indicated Cloud forest trip Expert guides Shore excursions and zodiac activities in Galapagos Coffee, tea and water All boats are accompanied by English speaking naturalist guides who have been trained by the Charles Darwin Station and are licensed by the National Park. A year's free membership of the Galapagos Conservation Trust and Rainforest Concern. Our prices exclude International flights to Quito Galapagos National Park entrance fee - $100** per person to be paid in cash at the airport in Galápagos). $10** immigration tax payable before you arrive in Galapagos. International departure tax - $40.80** Drinks, tips, snorkeling equipment and wet suits (depending on the ship). Travel insurance. (**correct at time of writing) Accommodation First class yacht in the Galapagos with twin upper and lower berths in en-suite cabins. Comfortable ecolodge in cloud forest reserve. Boutique Cafe Cultura hotel in Quito (or similar standard). Flights We can arrange these or you can arrange these yourself.  We can arrange flights for any timing which allows you to extend your travelling if you wish. Activity level Moderate.  Trekking in the cloud forest can be personally adjusted to your level of fitness at this moderate altitude of between 1,000 - 1,800 metres.

Photographs kindly provided by Galapagos Conservation Trust, Rainforest Concern, Ralph Pannell, Alexis Mackleworth, Marcelo Meneses