Accommodations and food:
The hotel was nice enough. It's a little bit far away from everything we did, but...
Dear Rachel
Thank you for contacting us. We appreciate your sincere and objective comments, as they are the best way to improve the experience for future travelers. Casa Natura is characterized for being a cozy and family-own lodge that disconnects guests from the world, a place where they can relax in the pool or read a book surrounded by nature. I am happy that you loved seeing the giant tortoises, lava tunnels, Tortuga Bay Beach and the tour to Isabela. It is great that you found the tours and activities wonderful, although it is a pity that they were shorter than expected. Unfortunately, all activities in the Galapagos are regulated by the Galapagos National Park, and they have to finish around 4 PM. You probably noticed this, and there is not much we or any other hotel or operator can do about it. Expedition cruises in the Galapagos are a better alternative for active travelers, as they offer two excursions per day. However, they are more expensive than land-based options.
Previous guests have always asked Johnny to drive them to town in their free time in order to enjoy local gastronomy, souvenirs, and bars. They also like to share time with locals. However, we understand that not everyone likes the same. We wish you had told Johnny or me about this situation. We could have called you and looked for a solution for you. Johnny was right that the other option was to go back to the hotel and enjoy its swimming pool, play pool, or relax and recover for the following day. As per internet, Casa Natura does its best to offer a reliable internet connection at the hotel, but internet is not stable anywhere in the Galapagos, not even in town. I am sorry about this.
Johnny does his best to assist guests with his limited English and tries to make up for it with his desire to assist guests with everything that is possible for him. The program is designed and offered on a shared basis, so Johnny is supposed to drive you to the different locations where you meet a guide. The other option would be to pay for a private tour, but this would be way more expensive, as you probably saw on other tours. Everyone in Galapagos knows each other, and this is why Johnny greeted with the guides that escorted you and the rest of the group to the visitors’ sites.
Casa Natura Lodge is a family run hotel, and Johnny’s children enjoy working with customers. One of them likes to sing and has serenaded guests in the past. We are sorry if you felt uncomfortable about them serving you. We will take these comments into consideration for future guests. We will ask them if they feel OK with this.
We talked to the operations department, and they confirmed that they purchase bread every morning and the cheese is fresh. However, we already asked them to look for a different supplier. We also told Johnny that they must be more careful with the eggs and any other food served to guests, as they can definitely not be cold.
Summarizing, we really appreciate your feedback, and we will use it to improve our guests’ experience. We are also going to be more explicit on Tour Radar that all tours and services are shared and the fact that Casa Natura is a family-run hotel. We are very sorry that the hotel did not match your expectations and hope you were still able to enjoy the Galapagos Islands.
Best regards,
Ariana Ayala
Via Natura’s Experience Designer
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