Descubre Ecuador Tour 17 Días

The short review version of the 17-day Ecuador adventure is “One of the most exciting, awe-inspiring, and amazing adventures we have ever experienced”. Our rating of the tour was 6 out of 5 stars. If you are in any way considering taking a tour like this, then Guide Ecuador Travel is your “go to” travel service. Now for the longer version… We selected this tour because we wanted to get as much exposure to Ecuador as possible. Neither myself (62 y.o.) nor my wife (?? y.o.) are Latin or come from Ecuador. We wanted to see it based on the videos we watched online. We started planning the trip almost a year before actually boarding the plane. We found Guide Ecuador to be extremely easy to work with. We were a little worried about making arrangements with a company based in Ecuador while living in the United States. But Alejandro and his team proved to be extremely honest, helpful, and patient with us. They answered all of our questions and helped us over a few bumps, but everything worked out better than expected. The first big “Thank You” goes out to our guide, Ricky Espinosa. He was an amazing guide, committed to helping us have the best time! He spoke excellent English and was even familiar with slang and jargon. He watched out for our safety (mostly telling me to watch my step) and set a comfortable pace. He handled all interfacing with bus terminals, taxis, restaurants, and ticket offices (you name it). He asked us what was important to us and ensured we experienced it. He is also a wealth of information on the country and the culture. If you decide to go, you couldn’t ask for a better guide than Ricky. The destinations that we experienced were wonderful. The one that we liked the best was the Amazon. We stayed at the Liana Lodge. This lodge was the best location for us to simply “reset” in life. You won’t be any closer to nature or the river. No electricity in your cabin, but they had hot water. This level of simplicity helped us connect with nature. The food was the best we ate in the country; the chef (I’m sure he’d call himself a cook) produced 5-star local cuisine. The local guide was also top-notch, leading us through the jungle to experience the wonders of nature. All of the hotels and hostels that we stayed in were excellent. The Ibis in Quito, the Hotel Villa Santa Clara in Banos, The Santa Fe Inn in Otavalo, The Gran Hotel in Guayquil, and the Nantu in Puerto Lopez were all excellent accommodations. They were not luxury accommodations, but that was the point. Each offered a unique experience of the city or region. One of the most enjoyable activities was the food. Ricky always managed to find a great restaurant/café or made suggestions for ‘taste-tests’. Canelazo and Colada Morada were two of his drink selections that will be added to our ‘must make’ at home. We also experienced Ceviche from a street vendor in Montanita that was by far the best that we’ve ever had. These types of experiences wouldn’t have been possible without our guide. It is impossible to list all the amazing experiences that we had. We were simply blown away by all the places we went and things we saw. If you want to tour and experience Ecuador, you can’t find a better!

It was a last moments trip, booking a few days ahead of deparure day. Thought i was going to join a group but turned out to be a private trip... Much better, and due to good luck and my hunter for perfection guide, Esteban, everything went perfect! Giving me the opportunity, with the extra 3 days extension, and new guide Renato, to enjoy almost all the beauties of Ecuador. Many places to see, lots of different activities, some of them very demanding, meeting different people, knowing more about the country. A trip that has it all.... Very well organized, and since i was alone i had the opportunity to make adjustments according to my wish. The only dissapointment was the bad weather at the day of visiting Cotopaxi volcano. Snowing on August, climbing Cotopaxi, a unique experience ...