Lauren Pilholski

Accommodations Review

The lodges were amazing, great food all around, especially at the Bear Track Inn and Riverside Lodge. The Kenai river lodge and glacier lodge were our favorite because of their beauty and access to outdoor activities. The Bear Track Inn was great, but less to do there. If we hadn't been there for the fourth of July it would not have been as eventful.

Meals Review

The food was incredible. Snacks and appetizers at each lodge were great, even the packed lunches were tasty, and the food was always fresh!

Crew & Guides Review

All guides were very knowledgable, enthusiastic, and kind. They answered all of the questions and offered great insight into all things Alaska. Many had over 10 years experience and held various degrees. They made the experiences so wonderful!

Transportation Review

There was always some one waiting for us and all were timely.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The packing list and detailed itinerary was so good to have. Lauren even continued to email us to remind us of things as we went along our trip which was very helpful. Everything was taken care of. We were singing your praises the whole time on the trip. Thank you, Lauren! We could not have done this without you. We will definitely be using your assistance when we go back to Alaska!

Traveler Advice

Definitely go fishing one day in Kenai, do the rafting trip, and end at the Glacier lodge as it is the perfect way to relax.

Accommodations Review

La Pinta has large and comfortable cabins. The crew keeps the cabins clean and attractive. The service was like having a personal valet. Sometimes I would leave a mess of cloth and Pedro would fold them neatly and place them on the bed. Pedro also delivered the clean towels in the shape of animals, which added a lot of fun to the experience.

Meals Review

The meals were excellent, and the waiter (Sergio) learned very quickly about our allergies and preferences and did everything possible to comply. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner they provided a morning snack (after returning from an activity) and an afternoon snack.

Crew & Guides Review

Cathy and David were superb in every respect and so were the small boat drivers who kept an eye on everyone that was snorkeling.

Itinerary Review

I enjoyed every activity on land and sea. I love snorkeling so this was the highlight of the trip but I also enjoyed walking the various islands and seeing all the fauna. No complaints.

Traveler Advice

The activities require some skills in snorkeling although La Pinta also offers a glass bottom boat for those who don't. The land activities require often walking on uneven volcanic rocks and La Pinta will provide a walking stick to those who want it.

Accommodations Review

Our room on Natural Paradise was much more spacious than I anticipated with a nice balcony for watching sunrise/sunsets. Nice too to have the option of drying wet clothing outside.

Meals Review

Unbelievable options for food every night, and always a meal unlike a previous one. I was surprised that there were always healthy options. The chef was most accommodating to anyone with food restrictions. I had wine with every meal. Our bartender, Jorge, was great. Snacks in between outings were also wonderful.

Itinerary Review

Espańola was my favorite of the islands that we visited, as was my expectation leading up to the cruise. We were there in the wrong season to see the waved albatross, but still, it was a fascinating place. Easy hiking, mostly flat, and abundant wildlife. We saw nesting Nazca boobies with chicks, many sea lions, Christmas marine iguanas, spectacular vistas of bird covered cliffs, tropic birds in flight, amazing schools of fish, sea turtles, and occasional shark when snorkeling in the warm February sea, no wet suit necessary.

Least interesting to me were the two inhabited towns that we visited, Puero Villamil on Isabela, and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal, although, even these were pretty cool island towns. Great group of travelers on our cruise. Friendly bunch, many laughs, and good company on a small boat cruise.

Crew & Guides Review

Wow, our naturalist guide on board (Marcus) was so nice, and he provided great detail on what to expect on our excursions. His knowledge of the animals and plants was amazing. He was easy to talk to and enthusiastically answered any questions from the guests. The crew of the Natural Paradise were so very helpful and extremely friendly. I was so impressed that our cruise director, Jorge, was fluent in Chinese. Fantastic guide and great group of fellow travelers.

Transportation Review

Our internal transport from mainland Ecuador to the Galápagos Islands was smooth and nothing unexpected happened. We had been well informed as to making connections with guides and when to be where and ready.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We felt very reassured that we were going to have a great trip and thanks to Lauren, we were confident that we were adequately prepared for this adventure.

Traveler Advice

Relax, this is a very comfortable cruise and you will be so glad that you did it.

Accommodations Review

M/Y Passion is an older vessel but they take great pride and care in it. I'm glad we chose Stateroom 5 as it was above deck and we avoided engine noise and were able to regulate temperature in the room easily (the AC was COLD). Everything else was in tip-top shape!

Meals Review

I really can't say enough about the chef. No main dishes were repeated. The food was excellent and plentiful. Everything was tasty and presented beautifully. I loved the Ecuadorian dishes. I was very impressed with their creativity and being able to accommodate a passenger who could not have dairy or gluten, without making them feel like they missed out on something. There is nothing that could be improved from my experience with that chef.

Crew & Guides Review

If I could give something higher that excellent I would. We had Rafael, who grew up on islands and is an ornithologist (studies bird, specifically sea birds). His knowledge and experience about everything Galapagos is unmatched. His passion and enthusiasm is infectious. He was genuinely excited when spotting things for us and teaching about everything. His goal was to make us feel like we had the islands to ourselves for a trip of a lifetime and he delivered. Even though you can't avoid other tours, he worked the schedule to time visits to get the most personal experience possible. This sometimes meant our morning snorkel was before breakfast but totally worth it!

Transportation Review

The only arrangement made were our Galapagos flights to and from mainland Ecuador and it was all easy.

Itinerary Review

[We most enjoyed] The variety of snorkeling because we were able to see everything on the list! I loved to see specific species both on land and under the water. For example: snorkeling with marine iguanas feeding on algae and swimming, then visiting a place where there are hundreds of them sunning themselves in an island. [We least enjoyed] If I had to pick one it would probably be the visit to Floreana Island to see the tortoises in the highlands. After seeing the giant on Santa Cruz the day before it was a little underwhelming. The hike and learning about the original settlers was fascinating though. I'm glad we did the stop but it is not one I would need to repeat if I went again.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Lauren was amazing. Everything was so well prepared, I didn't worry about anything and whenever I had a specific question, she would contact the tour company and get it answered to me better prepare for the trip. For example, I knew things not included (alcohol, tips) were cash only on the boat. She was able to get me exact pricing for those things so we knew how much to bring. Were were way more prepared than some of fellow passengers! I also especially appreciate all of the ongoing communication, travel tips, and updates.

I normally make all of my travel arrangements and bookings because I enjoy researching and figuring it all out. Visiting the Galapagos is expensive and I wanted to do it right. Having Lauren do the work for this part of our trip was amazing and she is top notch! When the time comes to go to Antarctica, I will call on AdventureSmith Explorations again!

Traveler Advice

Spend the extra money and book a small vessel (no more than 16 people). You will get more time to see the sights. I also suggest an 8-day itinerary because it gets you to the outermost islands. Must have items: good sunscreen, sun hat, sun shirt, sea sickness medication, sense of adventure, and flexibility.

Accommodations Review

The Isabella II boat was awesome! It was a good size for us and not too small. The rooms were very clean and cleaned promptly every day. We were also able to request a queen bed (originally were put in separate twin beds) and the ship accommodated us very easily. The dining room and other areas of the boat were great as well!

Meals Review

Meals were fantastic! The menus were well thought out and had many options. The food itself was delicious, especially as I love seafood and fish. I liked the efficiency of ordering the next meal at the prior meal. Our waiter Eduardo was also really great!

Crew & Guides Review

Dennis, Nancy, and Adriana were all great! They were extremely knowledgeable, spoke fantastic english and were patient when we tried to practice our spanish :-) They answered any questions and were very informational and explanatory. They were just lovely people.

Itinerary Review

We loved all of the experiences! High points were definitely the seal colonies at Santiago and Sante Fe Islands! and Snorkeling/swimming at those islands as well with sea turtles, sea lions, sharks! Genovesa Island was great! but we probably were least interested in the bird populations.

Transportation Review

Very well! Transportation arranged was smooth and there were people in each step of the way to help us.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Our trip to the Galapagos Islands planned by AdventureSmith Exploration was great! Lauren was very communicative leading up to the day of the trip and provided all the necessary information (itineraries, agendas, packing/travel info). And answered any questions we had promptly.

Accommodations Review

The accommodations on the ship were wonderful, we really enjoyed the Wyndham in Quito. Because of their location they could be mediocre and get by but instead it was one of the better non-luxury hotels i have stayed in. The gym is fabulous, the room is clean and spacious, the restaurant is good, the shuttle very helpful and timely, AND they have an afternoon “tea” (actually a local drink) service complete with local treats. We hope to stay there again.

Meals Review

Wonderful food. My only suggestion would be more options for salads but…I am aware that fresh foods on the Amazon might be tricky. Honestly, the food was great and as I mentioned they accommodated my dietary issues very nicely.

Crew & Guides Review

Abel was truly the best tour guide i have ever had. He is my gold standard for new adventures. He showed us everything, while making sure we were all safe and comfortable. My husband is older and our travelling companions had some agility issues - no problem, Abel took that in stride, helping people and making sure that everyone was well taken care of.

Transportation Review

The flights (timing on return is an agony but obviously beyond your control), the airport hotel, the guide at the airport, the pickup/transport in CoCa - ENTIRELY seamless and so easy. We have absolutely never had foreign travel that was this easy. We would do this again and again and we are hoping you have other similar trips to other locations.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

We called Lauren so many times with questions and clarifications. We were actually a bit anxious about this trip and she was kind enough to respond to us each time. We were properly dressed for each adventure and understood the travel plans. In other words it couldn’t have been better. Lauren was so helpful and this was a great trip. Nothing but positive things to say!

Traveler Advice

Travel during the dry season. It did rain one day and that was fairly miserable. MUCH better to go on outings not covered in rain gear and slogging through the mud. 

Bring lots of cash for visits to the village and for tips - we truly thought every member of the crew was wonderful and hard working and really took time to take good care of us. We would have left A LOT more gratuity but we didn’t have enough cash to do so.