KOSHER

INSPECTIONS | PRODUCTS

With more then 10 years of experience & kosher groups from all over the world, we work in the highst standards and have the knowledge and back up from the Jewish Rabbi of Quito community. We make sure all details are accomplished for our clients. We operate cruises in Galapagos, land based tours in Ecuador & in the Galapagos islands.

kosher
We guaranty 100% kosher services!! We are the only one to provide Jewish Traditional Tours in Quito.

Local mashgiah. Variety of products: parve,dairy,fish, chicken & meat. Local diches with fresh & organic products. Luxury tours & hotels. Family reunions. Special events.

Kosher products

REDEFINING LUXURY AND COMFORT

The brand new Ikala Hotel was built with a focus on sustainability and protecting the environment. The hotel is protected from the strong Galapagos sun by the surrounding beautiful trees and gardens giving to the whole ambiance a natural freshness. The hot water for the showers is entirely heated by solar energy and the garden’s lighting is also provided by photovoltaic solar panels. The hotel features a lovely swimming pool, bar area, and a beautiful terrace located on top of the main building, where you can find the restaurant and resting area. The terrace has an incredible view to the Puerto Ayora harbor.

 

EMBARK ON YOUR GALAPAGOS ADVENTURE

Ikala Hotel is located in the small city of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. The hotel is just one block away from the main pier, allowing you to easily reach the pier and the main streets of Puerto Ayora (Avenida Baltra and Avenida Charles Darwin) where you will find plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and other facilities. Learn more about the best activities Galapagos Islands has to offer.

HOTEL IKALA OFFERS

– 18 suites with private bathrooms, air conditioning, silent fans, and balconies.
– 3 rooms with private bathrooms, air conditioning, and silent fans.
– 1 two-story suite with a separate living and kitchen area on the lower level and the bedroom on the upper level.
Book the perfect room for your Galapagos vacation at Ikala Hotel today.

OUR PREMIUM LOCATION

Ikala Hotel is located in the small city of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. The hotel is just one block away from the main pier, allowing you to easily reach the pier and the main streets of Puerto Ayora (Avenida Baltra and Avenida Charles Darwin) where you will find plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and other facilities. A 10 minute walk to the east along the Avenida Charles Darwin, will get you to the famous Charles Darwin Station and to the Galapagos M. Cifuentes Visitor Center where you can now observe the embalmed body of Solitary George, the world famous giant Galapagos Turtle. You can also easily find Las Ninfas Lagoon, a beautiful natural retreat, just a five minute walk from the hotel. Our attentive employees will be ready to help you with detailed information about the different attractions you can visit from our prime location in Puerto Ayora.

HOW TO GET TO IKALA HOTEL

Once your flight arrives in Galapagos Baltra Island airport and after clearing customs and paying your Galapagos Park entrance fee, outside of the airport you will find the airport buses which will take you to the Itabaca channel which you can cross using a local ferry. On the other side of the channel, you will find buses or taxis which will take you to Puerto Ayora. The whole transportation process takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Since Puerto Ayora is located on the south side of the island of Santa Cruz, it is important to point out that the city does not suffer from the marine fog (known locally as “garua”) that punishes the highest elevations of the island. This is why Puerto Ayora and the Ikala Hotel are free of mist and guests can enjoy sunny oceanside weather for much of the year. You can find additional weather information on this website that gives detailed information about the Galapagos Islands.

BAR & RESTAURANT

The restaurant and bar area was designed by our talented architects to provide you with the ultimate luxury experience. This comfortable area has a 60 person capacity. Every morning from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, guests can enjoy our delicious breakfast buffet while taking in the great view of the harbor. This ensures that you will be ready and full of energy to start a great day of exploring Galapagos. In the evening, our local chefs will delight you with delicious, healthy international and Galápagos-inspired dishes. We use only the freshest ingredients from local farms, contributing to the sustainability of Galapagos and generating jobs for the locals as well.

EVENTS & MEETINGS

If you a great celebration in mind, whether it is a wedding, birthday, or any event to make your family or clients happy, arrange an event at Ikala Hotel. You and your guests will have a great time at the Ikala Terrace Bar & Restaurant. The views are fantastic, and the ambiance is always incredible. Our bartender will treat you with delicious cocktails and our chef will prepare the menu of your dreams for you and your guests. Enjoy Galapagos at its finest at the Ikala Terrace Bar & Restaurant.

TYPE OF MEALS

The meat in Galapagos is considered as one of the best quality meat you can get in South America. This is basically due to the healthy climate and pure air where the cattle is raised. Coffee, cacao, bananas, vegetables, fruits and other products are free of contaminants produced on the highlands of Santa Cruz Island.

SPECIAL NEEDS

We can also provide special dishes for vegetarians and guests with other special requirements. It is important to note that you can also find excellent quality restaurants, cafes and bars in town. We will be happy to give recommendations based on your taste.

 

DAY 1 – Trf to Hotel. Hotel Dann Carlton Quito. Dinner
DAY 2 – F/D QUITO CITY TOUR & MITAD DEL MUNDO. LUNCH IN JEWISH COMMUNITY.Hotel Dann Carlton Quito. Dinner
DAY 3 – SHABBAT IN HOTEL. Hotel Dann Carlton Quito. Lunch & Seuda Shlishit.
DAY 4 – Trf to Airport. Flight to Galapagos. HD TOUR IN THE ISLANDS. Hotel Ikala. Dinner
DAY 5 – F/D FLOREANA ISLAND.Hotel Ikala. Dinner
DAY 6 – F/D BAY TOUR & BEACH ACTIVITIES. Hotel Ikala. Dinner
DAY 7 – F/D ISABELA ISLAND. Hotel Ikala. Dinner
DAY 8 – Trf to Airport. Flight to Quito/Guayaquil.

 

DAY BY DAY GALAPAGOS TOUR

The first visit will be to Los Gemelos, there are pair of craters formed by collapse of the soil there is each in one side of the road. Also, you will have the opportunity to see the famous forest of Escalesia, an endemic plant of the Galapagos Islands and one of the favorites of the Finch birds. The next stop will be Las Primicias farm; it is an estate where the famous giant tortoises live in their natural habitat.

These tortoises prefer the high part of the islands since the climate is humid and there is plenty of food and water. Nearby there is the Lava Tunnels, long time ago these tunnels where rivers of lava.

Day tour to Floreana Island starts in the morning at 6:30 a.m. with a short walk to the pier of Puerto Ayora, from where a local aquatic taxi will take us to the Galapagos Element Wind speed Yacht to sail to the small town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra located on the Floreana Island. With little luck and during the navigation, we may be able to observe marine turtles, manta rays, several species of marine birds and perhaps whales . Once we arrive at Pt o. Velasco Ibarra in Floreana, a local aquatic taxi will transport us from the speed boat to the pier of the town. There we will great chances to meet sea lions and marine iguanas enjoying the morning sun! At the pier we board a local transport known as “ C hiva ” which will take us for a 30 minutes ride up to the highlands of Floreana Island. The chiva will ascend following a mood road surrounded by typical dry vegetation of the coastal area and later, as we ascend, will be transformed into a lush, green vege tation. On this area we also find some farms with plantations of bananas, coffee, cacao, and other tropical plantations. Our short drive will end at the “pampada” from where we start a beautiful walk which permit us to observe the typical flora of the area . Here we will also encounter some giant Galapagos turtles, which are very sensible and shy and if we approach them, immediately will hide their head under the shell. It is very important not to touch or feed these amazing animals. Our walk will continue until we reach a rocky area at base of the hill and where we find the place known as “Asilo de la Paz” (Peace Asylum), a historical place where the German Wittmer family established when arrived to Floreana in 1932. During our walk we will observe the cave s used as their home before moving to the place which now is known as Puerto Velasco Ibarra.

The whole ambiance of the Asilo de la Paz is of a complete tranquility, with a landscape of exuberant green and if weather permits, we can enjoy awesome views of the surrounding hills and perhaps of the Pacific Ocean. After this visit, we descend to La Pampada from where our chiva, will transport us back to the town where we will enjoy a lunch prepared in a local small restaurant and then, after a short rest, we make 900 meters walk to the place known as “La Loberia”, a bay of beautiful scenery . The main attraction of this place is the presence of a small colony of sea lions ( Zalophus wollebacki ). There are also great chances to observe marine iguanas ( Am blyrhynchus cristatus ) resting on the rocky areas, and on the waters of the bay we will be able to observe marine turtles ( Chelonia midas agazzisi ). We will have time to spend on this amazing place perhaps snorkeling, or just taking pictures and then we return to the town where you will have a free time before we aboard our Galapagos Element Yacht which will transport us back to the city of Puerto Ayora.

This beautiful 4 - hour tour starts at 8 a.m. from your hotel with a private transport up to the place known as Salasacas from where we enter the national park until a point where we start a short walk (20 minutes) to the heavenly place. This is o ne of Santa Cruz’s most peaceful and tranquil settings, the 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of sand that compose El Garrapatero Beach is a tropical paradise. It is about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Puerto Ayora and is well worth the trip. Surrounded by beautiful mangrove trees, the beach is home to an inc redible array of birds, most notably, flamingos and mockingbirds. You can also find marine iguanas, oystercatchers, patillos , Galapagos pelicans amongst the white sands and clear blue water. Return to Pto. Ayora. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon at 2 p.m. we will start our bay tour with a relaxed naviga tion in Academy bay and going towards M osquera , an islet located in front of the island Santa Cruz . Depending of the water conditions , you will have the opportunity for swim ming and snorkel ing with sea lions , colorful fishes, marine iguanas . L ater , we will disembark for a soft hike to explore the shark’s channel . Walking further to Playa de Los Perros, we will meet colonies of marine iguanas while enjoying beautiful and colorful scenery. Back t o Puerto Ayora.

The tour to Isabela Island starts in the morning at about 6:30 a.m. when our guide will pick up you from your hotel and after a short walk you are at the pier of Puerto Ayora, from where a local aquatic taxi will take us to the Galapagos Element Yacht to sail to the city of Pto. Villamil on Isabela Island. During our navigation of 2½ hours, there are great chances to observe marine turtles, manta rays, several species of marine birds and perhaps whales. Once in Isabela, a local aquatic taxi will tak e us to the pier from where a private transport leads us to the center of the town where we will have a short time for a coffee and rest. Afterwards we start our walk to the place known as “Humedales” (wet areas) where we find a well - maintained trail which we will follow while observing this beautiful place composed by lagoons and rocks surrounded by 4 species of exuberant mangroves and typical trees of the area. In the lagoons we can observe flamingoes and migratory birds such as the charran or Gaviota de Galapagos ( Creagrus furcatus) , la Cerceta aliazul , etc. The walk with end at the Isabela Interpretation Center where our guide will explain us about the different activities developed by the National Park to protect the fragile environment. Here we will al so find Giant Galapagos Tortoises of different species and sizes. Our transport will take us back to the town where we will enjoy lunch in one of the local restaurants. A short rest will be followed with a visit to the place known as “Las Tintoreras”, a v ery scenic area where we find colonies of marine iguanas, sea lions, and as one of the main attractions, we will be able to observe the sharks known as Tintoreras ( White - tipped shark ) resting in the channels formed by lava flows. Later, we can do some snor keling activities perhaps with the company of sea lions, penguins and marine turtles. In the area close to the pier, we will have time for rest and enjoy the beach before we embark our speed boat for the sailing back to the city of Puerto Ayora. Note: The small city of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island has one of the most beautiful beaches of the inhabited islands of Galapagos.

Morning transfer to the airport where our guide will help you with the airline check in. End of our services.

OUR ITINERARIES INCLUDE | THEY DO NOT INCLUDE | IMPORTANT NOTES

Shore excursions
Accommodation
All meals
Bilingual naturalist guides
Conferences and lectures
Visits to the islands mentioned in the itinerary
Transportation to / from the airport in Galapagos
Snorkelling equipment
Internet and WiFi (intermittent and low-bandwidth).

PHOTO GALLERY

TESTIMONY

My husband and I wanted to celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary with a trip to the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon rainforest yet were unsure how to manage kosher food and Shabbat. We were lucky enough to find Offir through an internet search, and from the moment we made contact with him, we saw that we would be taken care of. His services extended way beyond finding us a beautiful cruise ship and arranging to send kosher food there and to the lodge in the Amazon. He personally arranged our Shabbat accommodations, set up all hotel/airport transfers and found us a tour guide for the free time between. Offir met us at our hotel the evening we arrived and brought with him additional food and patiently answered all of our questions. He checked up on us during our stay to insure that each detail went smoothly and we felt that he would be there for us if any issues came up. It is hard to imagine how we could have managed this trip without his help. We are so grateful to Offir for all his help in making our vacation the trip of a lifetime!

Kenny and Rachel Cohen


"Ecuador Nature took care of every detail of our trip. We booked the trip at the last minute and thanks to Offir’s expertise, everything went smoothly. Every accommodation was fantastic and no detail was left to chance. He gave us a lot of personal attention and even arranged for special dietary accommodations for our family. We had the trip of a lifetime!”

Nancy and David (Harrison, NY)

CONTACT

Phone: 593 222 2341
Whatsapp: 593 9 9964 7021
Quito-Ecuador