This was first class; divine. I want an extra star in the box above with "Outstandingly excellent" in it. "Very good" simply isn't good enough! Emily helped Karen set up the bits she couldn't do and also coordinate the 14 others' travel arrangements, documentation, diving certificates, etc etc etc. Painstaking work - like herding cats - and she did it perfectly. The flight connections, drives to hotels and other details were all very smooth, we all met up as planned and had a seamless, easy time. (And due to panic emails and the great response from the Caz nerve centre in London we also had enough wine on board the boat!) Thank you!! This was quite simply the best holiday I have ever been on. I have travelled far and wide for 50 years and really don't say that at all lightly. Quito was wonderful and our hotel was great fun - hilarious bits of décor and the residents reminded us of the Marigold Hotel. It is brilliantly positioned, with v helpful staff. Quito on a Sunday morning is much recommended - obviously has few shops etc but the atmosphere with markets, music in the square, etc was magical. Worth going up the cable car if the weather is clear. Roof-top evening restaurant with band on Saturday was great. The Napo exceeded expectations by a mile and you should be very happy to send others to the lodge we stayed at. We thought we would emerge from the jungle covered in boils, bites and missing various bits to some creature or another, having spent most of the time huddled under a mozzie net. As it is we have to pause to think which of the forest or the Galapagos was the better. The rooms (they were the best but not many $ more) we were in were excellent, the service on all fronts was brilliant and the food perfectly adequate. But the camp, the lake, the wildlife guides, the trips in canoes in the little rivers, the forest itself, the family feeling of the place (all owned and run beautifully by the 30 families that own the land) and the amazing wildlife - 9 species of monkeys, 60 species of birds, giant river otters seen every day - was all simply incredible. We LOVED it! And there are NO mosquitos; they don't like the black river water, so contrary to all websites, etc there is no risk of malaria at all. Not a single insect bite - it was a very easy, happy experience. We also saw others who had been to the two other Napo lodges and ours got top marks from them too. 4 nights is about perfect, we felt. Happy to have seen almost enough, and happy to move on; but I could easily go back. The Athala was also way beyond expectations. Excellent accommodation (loads of room in the cabins and common areas,) food and staff. I really mean excellent - way beyond comfortable, delicious and nothing-too-much-trouble. There are some other similar catamarans but I cannot believe the others will have as good a crew. A delightful young team led by an obviously very experienced Captain, and as well as good hosts they were also good seamen. A couple of tips: we much preferred eating lunch outside in the bar area to inside, which they happily did for us except when in rough sea, and they could maybe do an extra BBQ (there was just one, which was outstanding.) The only slight quibble with the week in the islands was that our guide was hugely knowledgeable but slightly lacking in humour. Just as much our fault as his I suspect; we were probably a nightmare to deal with. Imagine 16 hooray Henry's versus his normal fare of silent Attenboroughs who've never met each other and have ears only for him. That is not to say we didn't appreciate the wildlife. We were completely stunned by every day and every swim or walk of every day. Amazing. We all know about the Galapagos, and think we know what to expect but we probably had moments every day where we were truly amazed by something extraordinary. I know you can go year round, but I think Feb-March is about perfect, with very good weather and mostly warm water; aside from Mrs Mason who will happily spend all day in a wetsuit and possibly sleep in it, most of us were v happy without one. Here is the only single "but" of a magical two weeks: Guayaquil is a dump - universal opinion from all 16 of us. And the rep there - airport meeter and greeter lady - failed to meet one couple, late for another and failed to tell us when she had picked up the late arrivals as she had promised. I'm not sure what else she had to do, but anyway managed not to do the one thing she was supposed to; ie meet everyone. The hotel is OK if you're looking for Birmingham's best but so out of character to the rest of the trip - utterly soul-less. And the town is really ghastly. As all flights seem to go via Quito, I strongly suggest you bite the bullet on the transfer times from the airport there to town and send everyone to Quito. The Guayaquil bit is just for information / suggestion; it in no way stopped us enjoying every minute of a fab holiday. Do call if you want more background - [Personal Information Removed]. Robert