Partying and pub crawls?! You might not normally associate travel company Contiki with conservation and environmental sustainability, but that’s all about to change. Contiki’s partnership with environmental activist and explorer Celine Cousteau is now two-years strong, and to mark Earth Month 2013 will be running a very special tour with Celine to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador (you may have seen these magical places recently on ABC’s David Attenborough’s Galapagos). In a show of support for sustainable tourism, Contiki are donating 100% of profits raised from the trip to Oceanic initiatives in Galapagos which support biodiversity through environmental protection. To help celebrate this new direction for the travel company, Contiki asked if Peppermint wanted to go with them on this trip of a lifetime… And what did we say? ARE YOU KIDDING?!!

That’s right, from April 20th we will be swapping our office attire for adventure gear and traveling to Ecuador to discover more about the place that inspired Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species. We will be diving, snorkeling, hiking and climbing our way across the archipelago, as well as getting a feel for South American culture in Quito (and brushing up on our Spanish!). Contiki has it all covered – from close encounters with some pretty amazing wildlife, incredible scenery and a little splash of adventure thrown in, plus we’ll be seeking out all the best green, eco and sustainable spots along the way. Whether you’re planning your own trip or just want to live vicariously through us for a little while (come on, we don’t blame you!), you can keep track of our travels every step of the way by following Peppermint on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.