Next year we are planning to make a lifetime ambition trip to the Galapagos Islands. As it is bicentenary of Charles Darwin¹s birth, I wonder if it is more difficult to find a tour, and if there are any special events planned? - Mark Beaumont, Cambridge

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Next year is a very big one for the islands. If the bicentenary weren¹t enough, it is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Galapagos National Park, and the Bicentennial of Ecuador¹s Independence to boot.

For now, there are still plenty of spaces left on the tours, and yes, UK tour operators have incorporated special lecturers, activities, and commemorations into their 2009 tours.

The Rolls Royce of trips has to be with the Ultimate Travel Company (www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk), which has a special two-week celebration cruise to coincide with the bicentenary February 12. You¹ll depart London on February 1st, and sail in the beautiful little 12-berth sailing boat called, wait for it, The Beagle, with the owner and her husband (who skippers) and Sylvia Harcourt-Carrasco MBE from the Charles Darwin Foundation (www.darwinfoundation.org). Prices start at £4,795pp, with flights from Heathrow (via Madrid), domestic flights from the Ecuadorian mainland, private transfers throughout and two nights in Quito, all meals and activities.

If that is a tad steep, there are cheaper options too, like with Last Frontiers (01296 653000, www.lastfrontiers.com), which has trips to Ecuador and the Galapagos from £2,417pp, with flights from Heathrow to Quito (via Madrid), a night there before a seven-night cruise on the Samba (with full board and daily land excursions) and internal flights from the Ecuadorian mainland.

Other tour operators to try include, Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk), Audley Travel (01993 838 000, www.audleytravel.com), Think Galapagos (www.thinkgalapagos.com), Discovery Initiatives (01285 643333, www.discoveryinitiatives.co.uk), and Tribes (01728 685 971, www.tribes.co.uk)

Whether you are plotting to visit the Galapagos or not, don¹t miss the recently opened Darwin Exhibition at the National History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk; £9 entry to the exhibition), which runs until April 14th.

For information on conservation, see www.galapagos.org

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