2009-11-12 20:16:38 - Countless cruise ships have sailed the Galapagos Islands over the years, which until recently, was the only avenue to explore these famous islands. With the arrival of a few select luxury properties, guests now have the option to enjoy a land-based vacation while exploring the Galapagos Islands.

Big Five Tours & Expeditions offers new itineraries that feature Galapagos Safari Camp, which features eight luxury safari tents perched on a hill in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Nestled on a farm, the site is rich in birdlife with finches, warblers, mockingbirds, Galapagos doves, egrets and owls as well as tortoises. All tents have a balcony with views of the area and the ocean. Spacious and attractively decorated, each has a private bathroom, with hot shower. The main room offers a fireplace, dining room, and an infinity pool with fabulous ocean scenery.

The eight-day Galapagos Safari Camp Discovery program offers an in-depth exploration of Santa Cruz Island that includes local villages such as Bellavista and takes in some of

the biggest hills of the island: Media Luna, Puntudo and Cerro Crocker. Garrapatero, one of the most exotic beaches in the islands, has a landscape of black lava, pioneer cacti, white sand and a turquoise sea. Blue-footed boobies are found there, pelicans fish in the bay, crabs scuttle into their burrows and marine iguanas stroll along the beach. Tortuga Bay boasts a pristine white sandy beach. A nearby mangrove lagoon is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. In the town of Puerto Ayora, Chi Spa offers relaxing spa treatments. The island is home to the renowned Charles Darwin Foundation, with its tortoise breeding center.

Big Five also offers a new eight-day Galapagos Safari Camp Diving program with an emphasis on scuba diving at various island sites such as North Seymour is an uplifted island of lava flow about 90 minutes north of the dive base, home to a large colony of garden eels as well as sea turtles, sea lions, fur seals, eagle rays, yellow-tailed grunts, big-eyed jack, and frequently white tip reef sharks and hammerheads. Beagle Island south of Santiago Island is ideal for beginner and intermediate divers, and includes a wall covered with black coral and sea fans that drops to more than 60 meters. The waters off Gordon Islands have a tuff cone formation that is a world famous dive site about one hour from the base. This site is for intermediates and expert divers because there can be strong currents and surge.

The Galapagos Safari Camp price begins at $2750 per person, land only, double occupancy, and includes accommodation, all meals, sightseeing tours, and guides. The scuba package, which starts at $2790 per person, land only, double occupancy, also includes six dives, complete dive gear, bilingual guides (1 guide for every 4 or 5 divers), transport to/from dive site and towel service. For more information, contact Big Five at (800) 244 3483, or visit www.galapagos.com.

About Big Five:
For more than 36 years experience, Big Five Tours & Expeditions is a premier luxury travel company specializing in individualized vacations worldwide; from custom-designed, private vacations to fully-escorted, special-interest groups to destinations that span Africa, South and Central America (including the Galapagos Islands), Asia and The Orient, South Pacific, Antarctica and The Arctic.