Two slightly impaired seniors.

Hello
We are interested in taking this Galapagos trip in 2014 but are a little concerned about the degree of physical fitness required. We are in our sixties and slightly impaired! I have a degree of arthritis and have had a hip replacement but walk regularly (can go for miles on the flat..). My husband has some balance problems but rides his bike daily for exercise. He also has haemolytic anaemia and becomes breathless with strenuous exercise eg climbing lots of steps.
We realise that there are optional excursions but do not want to end up sitting in the boat for the whole week. Getting our feet wet and getting in and out of pangas is not a problem.
What is the average age of guests on these type of trips? I guess there is a wide range .. but I don't want to spoil the enjoyment of your younger more energetic guests by being a slowcoach!
Has anyone had any experiences relevant to our concerns?
Thanks, from Natasha

Comments

  • edited May 2013
    Hi Natasha,

    I did this trip a few years ago and it's truly life changing. Yes, there is a lot of walking, but most of it, bar one afternoon, is over flat, if irregular terrain. One afternoon was a round trip with the return over a very rocky "path". There was one bit of climbing, up Prince Phillip's Steps. They are not long but they are cut into the rock cliff and for someone suffering from duck's disease, like moi, I just needed the next person to hoist my behind up and I was good to go. Getting back down was easy ... I just sat down and went down on my behind .... that way my legs would reach! I had my own walking pole and there were enough for everyone to borrow onboard the Isabella. As for that one rocky bit.... you might be able to return the way you came or perhaps there would be another solution once on the trip.

    Yes, of course you need to be responsible for your own welfare ultimately, but ... all things being equal and providing your own medical people okay it, I really don't see that the trip is beyond you. I know I've included quite a few ifs, but you know what I mean. You wouldn't be even considering this trip if you didn't think you were up to it. As one Aussie to another, we generally call a spade a shovel, don't we? ;)) I'd say the most important thing is that you need to be alert, but not alarmed! You do have to have your wits about you ... anyone can fall on their face, you don't need to be a slightly impaired senior to do that! As long as you can get about independently (without a mobility carer, I mean) I think you should consider the trip. Anecdotally, there was a quite elderly chap on my trip. We all kept our eyes out for him because we all reckoned he was bound to topple over and guess what .... much younger ones did and he just floated over every obstacle ... without the slightest help from his wife, I might add! ;) The pace is slow enough .... no one has a stop watch on you and as I remember, there was usually time for an afternoon nap. And not only seniors took part in that activity!

    As for age group ... on my trip it was all over the place.

    Do your personal due diligence, of course. Oh, but it is a stunning experience. Do consider it.

    Cheers,

    Jan

    PS: I should have added that if you want any information or advice do call Tauck directly. You can phone free from Australia 1 800 122 048. The phones are manned, Mon/Fri 6 am - 8 pm, Sat 9 am - 5 pm, Sun 12 pm - 5 pm. New York time. I don't care what any Australian agent tells you. If you make a reservation in Australia via a travel agent that will then go via Tauck's Sydney agent and believe me, you don't want that. You. Do. Not. Want. That. If you want to be sure, when you come to book, that any benefits/discounts (like transfers, back to back benefits), the correct charging dates and consequent fx amounts are passed on to you, deal directly to Tauck. This dire warning might sound a tad odd, but there is a wealth of accumulated knowledge and experience from many past Australian travellers behind this advice. The people in Tauck reservations are very helpful and they will be able to answer, or get answers, to any particular question you might have. And they have been well trained to understand Aussie accents! You can email Tauck, too. You will generally have the same lovely person at the other end who will deal with your enquiry. No, this is not a paid advertisement. I just don't want you to predicate your Tauck experience on a many filtered thing, via Sydney, particularly since you might have very specific queries.
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