Golden Book Traveler

How to Book Last Minute Vacations4/18/2011

I’m writing this post on my iPad in Quito, Ecuador. Tomorrow I head to The Galapagos Islands.

I arrived two days ago on a trip that took me less than 5 minutes to plan.

One of good friends recently returned from a week long trip to Nicaragua. He explained to me the wonderful people and beautiful scenery of this Central American country. We talked for solid hour about travel, life, and relationships. I explained to him a new job I’m looking forward to taking next week.

My friend asked me what I was doing until the job. “What am I doing?” I thought. The only thing I had planned was a 10k local race the next morning. I’m sitting here doing nothing for the next, week, why not go travel?

The first thought that popped into my mind was The Galapagos Islands. As a kid I had been fascinated by the giant creatures inhabiting the secluded islands. Giant turtles, iguanas, and colorful birds peeked my interest.

I decided that I would do whatever it takes to get to Galapagos. I’ve never been to South America and know very little Spanish, yet that night I booked my round-trip flight to Quito, Ecuador. My plane leaves the next day.

Booking last minute flights

Usually I can find great deals booking one way flights. However, the round-trip prices were the same as one way tickets to just about anywhere in South America. In addition, prices can fluctuate the closer you get to fly day.

I found an awesome deal to Quito for about $600 round-trip through PriceLine. The only problem is I’d need to be at the airport by noon. My 10K race begins at 9am.

Travel Tip: If possible book round-trip airfare when flying to South America to save money. I’m sure deals exist, but in my research one ways are about the same price as round-trip.

The Amazing Race

The next morning my 10k race started at 9AM. My flight to Quito leaves at 1:15PM. I had 4 hours to run 6.1 miles, shower, pack, eat, and book a cab to the airport.

I finished the race in about about 1hr 6min. (Duly note my official time of 54:01.) I was completely exhausted and still needed to walk another mile from the race to my house, the true finish line.

(Updated 4/16)

I complete 4 out of 5 tasks, waiting to get to the airport before enjoying my first real meal of the day. I’m on my way to Quito!

Book Lodging Upon Arrival

Wandering Quito, Ecuador at night is dangerous. I arrived in the city center around 10:30PM. I notice armed guards hovering around the casinos and uniformed police watching other local establishments. I need to find a place to stay soon!

My strategy is to find a low cost hostel or hotel where I can find more information about getting to the Galapagos Islands the next morning. In my 5 minutes of research, I did check the prices at HostelWorld for hostels. I know I should not be paying for than $20 in Quito for lodging.

After an hour of wandering around Quito, I finally find a hostel that offers me my own private room, TV, and WIFI for $8/night. Sold! It took me four tries, but the guy at the front desk spoke well enough English to help me with my questions.

Travel Tip: Do some research on lodging prices before leaving. Formulate the absolute max price per night your willing to pay and visit multiple locations if necessary to find the best fit.

Book a Last Minute Cruise

I fully expected to be on my way to the Galapagos Islands the next day. Little did I know, Galapagos is one of the few places in the world where planning needs to be done weeks in advance.

The best way to view the Galapagos Islands is by cruise ship. The islands are extremely protected and tourism is limited. You cannot explore Galapagos without a certified tour guide. I did not know this useful information until I arrived in Quito.

Most people book cruises to the islands months in advance, I had two days!

That morning, I visited 5 different travel agencies. My options included 4 or 5 day cruises leaving Tuesday (the next day) or Wednesday. (Some Galapagos tours offer longer adventures, but my schedule limited me the 4 or 5 day cruises).

Each travel agency has their own relations with tour operators. A trip to one agency can lend different prices and tours than another. After about four stops, I noticed a trend. Almost all of the tours were booked up. The receptionists began calling every known tour operator (even the ones in which they have no relations with) to help me find a cruise.

A few 4 day cruises emerge, but I really wanted a 5 day cruise leaving either Tuesday or Wednesday. There was only one option. Gap Adventures had a spot open for about $1,600 on the most luxurious boat they offer, the 1st class G6 Queen Beatriz. The price included round-trip airfare from Quito. (A $400 value).

I was extremely frustrated that I could not find a cheaper option. Some options were going as low as $1200 including the price of flight. The tour agencies kept telling me what a great deal the luxury yacht option was. Little did I know how right they were!

Gap Adventures G6 list price (Everyone on cruise paid): $2999
Price I paid: $1200+ a free underwater camera holder!

Final Travel Trip: To really embrace the shoestring lifestyle, book your cruise last minute and as close to port as possible. Luxury cruise ships MUST sell all their cabins and in some instances will cut 50% or more off the price!