The Galápagos by Small Ship

The journey.

Nowhere else does the wildlife simply not care that you're there. Boobies dance a metre away, sea lions ambush your snorkel for fun, and iguanas sneeze salt at your feet. The Galápagos rewires what 'wild' means.

The ship A small yacht — sixteen guests, a naturalist per eight — threading the islands on a route chosen for animals, not ports.

The water Two snorkels a day: penguins at the equator, turtles in the shallows, hammerheads for the brave at Kicker Rock. The line between land itinerary and marine safari dissolves by day two.

Darwin needed five weeks. You'll be rethinking things by Thursday.