Andes & Amazon, the Triangle Route 5 Days / 4 Nights (PRIVATE Trip from Quito)

Before departing on this tour we also did a full day tour including the "Middle of the World" to learn more about effects of the equator line - amazing also a visit to the Intinan Museum after which we did a walking tour of the old town including visits to the magnificent Basilica del Voto Nacional, a gothic cathedral, Plaza de la Independcia, a couple of other beautiful churches, the old Bank of Ecuador, and a local chocolate tasting. The day finished with a visit to the most famous hill in Quito, Panecillo viewpoint and their incredible statue of the Madonna - 41 m high - - great views over the city. The 5 day tour was great visiting Cotopaxi National Park, a natural museum to learn about geology, history and eruptions of Cotopaxi Volcano which 5897m, Limpiopungo Lake at 3800m to observe birdlife, even saw a condor flying overhead, finished up in the attractive town of Banos situated in a beautiful valley for a night at a cute boutique hotel Postada de Arte. Next day travelled along Ruta de las Cascades (Waterfall Way) many waterfalls but most spectacular was Cascada el Pailon del Diablo. Travelled via a town called Puyo then on to the Ecuadorian Amazon Basin for 3 nights at the Casa del Suizo- lovely accommodation with lush gardens overlooking the Napo River. Whilst there we did various excursions up and down the river including a visit to AmaZOOnico, an animal rescue centre where we observed various species of monkeys, tapir, caiman, variety of parrots including toucans and macaws, an anaconda but no capybara or coatis today ( apparently asleep). There was also a visit to Caiman Island where a guide calls them in, sighting of the prehistoric "Hoatzin" bird, squirrel monkeys and interesting plants and vegetation. Also (as an optional) visited a local Shaman (Yakcha)where we learnt about medicinal plants, early hunting methods and how to use a blow gun. A visit to a local home where a Kichwa woman gave us demonstration on ceramics - all done by hand - no wheel and just fired on embers of an open fire (no kiln). We were also shown how to make the local typical beverage chicha (reminded me of kava). Last day we left and visited Sacha Rosa a rose farm in the highlands where they can grow roses year round in hothouses as there is 12 hours of sunlight, very volcanic soil and cold nights - the plants grow up to 1.5m tall and considered the largest blooms in the world and it is a main export industry for Ecuador. Had a lovely home cooked lunch at Colibri Garden where the hosts grow their own food. Eventually arrived back in Quito late afternoon after a wonderful 5days. The owner Cristian always kept in touch prior to and after the tour and Xavier (his brother which we didn't know till after the tour) was our guide who was extremely courteous and helpful and nothing was too much trouble and the itinerary was very flexible to suit our needs. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Ecuador to use this small family company, we had a wonderful time

The trip was amazing, all of the stops were interesting and unique. Christian is engaging and informative in terms of language, culture and history. The hotels were beautiful and the food was delicious. The kids loved the extra stops to experience the local delicacies.

With travel advisories in place for Ecuador I was a bit skeptical to travel with my family of 5 for a week. There were not a lot of reviews to go off of either which is why I am making a point to leave a longer review with images. I know it would have eased my mind. Ultimately we chose to travel instead of postpone because Ecuador Local Guide Company tailored our trip to meet our families needs. Christian was in contact with us each day confirming hotels and adventures and hit every mark! We have traveled all over the world but this trip is definitely one of my top 3 destinations and none of us will ever forget the amazing guides and the company that set up everything! Leo was our guide for the week, Elias was our driver, and Cristian was the planner and they all became close friends near and dear to our Day 1. Did a 1/2 day into Quito to see some of the city sites and then traveled to Baños which is an awesome town filled with adventure. Day 2. Did I mention Banos had adventure? We zip lined over a massive river, visited the swing at the edge of the world and hiked into an amazing waterfall with a suspension bridge. In the afternoon we went with a tour company and did canyoning down waterfalls. It was a lot of adventure for 11 yr olds but they loved every second. Day 3. We drove from Banos to small town on the Napo river, hopped on water canoes with our luggage and stayed at a beautiful resort right on the river. We took canoes into the jungle and spent time with local indigenous people from the Kichwa tribes where they showed us the process of making chocolate, showed us traps they make to hunt and were fantastic with the kids. Days 4. tubing down the Napo river and visited an animal sanctuary where we got to see lots of monkeys, birds,snakes etc. Day 5 drove some more to a remote area on another river and went white water rafting (class III) for the day with a lunch stop. We ended our day at another amazing hotel at the base of 2 volcanoes which also had more than 10 hot springs to sit and relax. Day 6 was spent on a wonderful hike in the highlands and a private cooking class of Ecuadorean food of soups, salad, empanadas and. dessert. Honestly we couldn’t have asked for anything more than what we got out of this company, they spoke great English and exactly what activities we would love having active boys with us. As far as the crime and travel advisories we experienced nothing of the sort and never once felt unsafe. Dont hesitate to book with Ecuador Local Guide company

This trip was amazing! Christian was fantastic to coordinate with before we left Canada. We really appreciated that the guides helped us get our PCR tests back before going back to Canada. Diego was amazing; it felt like traveling with a friend. He was delightful to spend time with an cannot recommend him/ this tour enough. He was incredibly knowledgable about local history, culture, and animals/ plants. He was enthusiastic about the activities and the things we say. He had an amazing sense of humour and went above and beyond to ensure our trip was perfect. He was reliable, professional and a pleasure to spend time with. The Andes were beautiful and we really enjoyed hiking there and the Amazon was an amazing environment. We saw lots of cool animals/ birds, including an Andean fox. I encourage anyone wanting an experience both in the Andes and Amazon to book this tour. Thanks for an amazing time!