Where to go after the Galapagos Islands?

May 22, 2012 11:42 AM

Help me find a place to travel that is remotely as amazing as The Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos was the greatest trip of my life - amazing wildlife (up close), diverse physical activity, natural beauty. It's hard to explain how amazing it is to someone who hasn't been there. What other places might be good in similar ways?

posted by malhouse to travel & transportation (15 answers total)

Madagascar?
posted by Bohemia Mountain at 11:48 AM on May 22, 2012

An adventure tour in the Americas again - Costa Rica?
posted by tilde at 11:50 AM on May 22, 2012

New Zealand?
posted by brainmouse at 11:51 AM on May 22, 2012

Komodo Island boat tour. It's the shit. There are many operators to choose from there, that's just a representative package.
posted by Burhanistan at 11:56 AM on May 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and other sites in Queensland.
posted by Melismata at 11:57 AM on May 22, 2012

+1 to Costa Rica, especially Tortuguero.
posted by maxim0512 at 11:58 AM on May 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Botswana. Camp Shindi in the delta and Jack's Camp in the Kalahari are both unbelievable. At Shindi, we weren't even able to drop off our luggage before stopping to watch a wild leopard hunting. Jack's camp has made me want to see the deserts of the world, and my memories there are more amazing to me than the Galapagos. Difficulty: not cheap (but neither was Galapagos).
posted by bessel functions seem unnecessarily complicated at 12:04 PM on May 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'll give this a stab because ...the Galapagos was also a high for me and very unique, for the reasons that you list. The particular unique high point for me in Ecuador was getting so close to the wild life (i.e. having sea lion pups swim around you).

So I'm going to suggest the following, but please check web sites for travel warnings, etc., as the safety in these places changes/has changed from yr to yr.

Rwanda. Go on a trek to see gorillas. You can actually hear them in the bushes around you as they make cupping noises, growl, and even charge at you (i.e. silverback). Our guide actually had a female gorilla groom him and the gorillas were no more than a few feet away.

There was also hiking into a bamboo forest of a former volcano site (also Rwanda) so the landscape was unique, too.

If you want to go somewhere and see more unique/diverse landscape, beauty, I'd recommend coral reefs in Kenya.
posted by Wolfster at 12:05 PM on May 22, 2012

Tibet (or Nepal if it's tough getting into Tibet).
posted by txmon at 12:07 PM on May 22, 2012

Iceland.
posted by Gev at 12:26 PM on May 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

Socotra, often called the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean." Now gaining more mainstream popularity, but it's still early enough to go and enjoy it relatively unspoiled. Good practical thoughts at Thorn Tree. And don't believe people who tell you that, just because it's technically a territory of Yemen, you're putting yourself in grave danger. No harm has yet come to anyone visiting Socotra.
posted by mykescipark at 12:42 PM on May 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

hawaii? it might help if you told us some other places you had already been.
posted by katieanne at 2:31 PM on May 22, 2012

Likewise I loved the Galapagos. Look, if you are looking to replicate that exact same experience... well I've not had it. But other places I also loved:

Colombia - especially getting away from Bogota/Cartagena and getting to the mountain areas like Manizales. I am from Australia where we don't have vast mountains so was duly impressed.

Norway - its seriously naturally beautiful. You want fjords? Done. Huge mountains? Boom, no problems. Want to climb a glacier? Of course you can! Plus the history and culture... I loved it and would love to go back. Downside - its very expensive.

Australia (my home country) - lots of natural beauty as well, and unique wildlife. The problem is most of getting to see that wildlife isn't "in the wild", though its certainly possible to go out into the bush and see wild kangaroos, koalas, wombats etc. Also, its a huge country, and getting to see everything - Uluru, Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains etc means a lot of travelling.
posted by Admira at 5:56 PM on May 22, 2012

Antarctica. Not exactly easy or cheap to get to, but it's the experience of a lifetime, for sure. Up close encounters with penguins, seals, whales, etc. and a strange, beautiful landscape. It feels like being on another planet.
posted by naoko at 6:22 PM on May 22, 2012

-Bali, Indonesia
-Panama
-Komodo Island, Indonesia
posted by emilynoa at 5:12 AM on May 23, 2012