Giant tortoise inspires Malaysian to visit Galapagos

A giant Galapagos tortoise feasting on grass. — Photos: DATUK DR TAN CHEE KUAN

Ever since I saw two giant tortoises at the old Penang Reptile Farm (which no longer exists today), the Galapagos Islands have always been on my travel bucket list.

Last year, my wife and I started planning for a 30-day holiday that would include visits to several cities in the United States and Ecuador, where the Galapagos Islands are. Our journey began in early February this year, just before the Covid-19 pandemic started spreading globally. We were lucky that we did not get infected, and that we were not affected by the lockdowns or border closures imposed on many countries around the world.