Otavalo-avontuur: ontdek Kichwa-cultuur, meren en ambachten

We had a great day with our knowledgeable guide!

Jorge is great! Wonderful travels and adventures in Mindo area and transfer back to Quito airport.

Jorge was a gentleman and a scholar. We really enjoyed learning about history, politics, and culture with him. The weaving demonstration was very memorable--I especially loved all the natural dies and family dynamic. And the Plaza de los Ponchos was full of great shopping. The waterfall was also quite beautiful, as well as the Fertility Tree.

We had a nice time with Santiago on our day excursion. We first stopped at a biscocho tasting (a local savory pastry. delicious but unfortunately none being made at the time so it was just a snack not a bakery tour). Then a view of the Otavalo valley from a restaurant. Next was a stop at Lago San Pablo- this was described in the tour overview as a walk but we just took photos. Next was a visit to the Museo Otavalango- a small private museum that shows some elements of the local culture- interesting but I could have skipped it. Finally we made it to Otavalo for lunch and shopping. Unfortunately because it was a Monday, there was only a smaller market, which still had some good shopping options but wasn't the larger colorful market. By this time it was already 3 o'clock so although we were offered a tour of a weaving factory, we were pretty tired and so chose to go back at this point. Knowing what I know now, I would have probably just done the lake and then the town for shopping. Maybe the factories too if we hadn't made the other stops. It would have been nice if our guide had parked the car quickly in Otavalo and picked a lunch spot ahead of time. As it was, we were stuck in a lot of traffic and sat in the car for quite a while and then we kind of wandered around looking for restaurants. Also I wasn't aware ahead of time that I would be paying for the guide's lunch so including that in the tour description would have been helpful. I think the guide would have been totally open to suggestions but as I didn't realize all of the stops we were going to make, I didn't know what to ask for.

An amazing day out with a superb guide, Santiago. Having a private tour meant we could stop whenever we wanted and I was able to take in amazing lake views, learn about the fascinating history of an indigenous farm and then see the sights of the Otavalo market. Santiago kindly assisted me with linguistic bartering and I was able to find everything I wanted. We stopped at the Biscucho San Pedro biscuit factory where Santiago was able to tell me some of the history of how these biscuits came about. He then kindly bought me some to take home. This was a superb day and Santiago was very knowledgeable and passionate. I feel like I have learnt a lot about the culture of Ecuador today and I can only thank Santiago for that. 10/10 highly recommend

Meeting place: cultures, religiosity, nature. Craftsmanship for all tastes and within reach of all pockets. If you are a walker, you can take different directions, we visited the civic square, the church San Luis and the church El Jordan, following the route we climbed to the viewpoint El Colibrí, then we took a walk through the Grotto del Socavón and we went to the Cascada de Peguche and back we had time to visit the Museo Viviente Otavalango... very beautiful views, which can only be had in Otavalo. It was a very comforting experience, we wanted more.

We really appreciated what a safe driver Jorge was- no one felt car sick! We visited some cool places that had great guides and expansions in English; like a bizcochos maker, sun dial and alternative map maker at the equator, and an indigenous weaver. Sadly the rain was coming down hard by the time we made it to the poncho market in Otovalo, so we didn't stay long

I had a fabulous tour with Jorge, who easily answered all my questions and gave many details about the area's geography, culture, and history, as well as at the designated stops. Punctual pickup and return, great conversation in English, and a fun day to learn about all that area of Ecuador.

Jorge is fantastic. He is a teacher and from Otavalo, making the experience all the more insightful, engaging, and immersive. I wanted to see the landscapes, learn about culture, and taste local food. Jorge made sure we exceeded all these goals for the one free day I had, and tailored the itinerary to my interests. I am so glad I spent my one free day on this guided tour. I felt that I developed a great understanding of the country just from the little part I saw and am eager to see more of it.

We booked the tour to the Otavalo market with Jorge and can only report the positives. Jorge picked us up from the hotel in Quito on time, and the whole tour was guided according to our wishes. His friendliness, his safe and correct driving, his knowledge of the culture and customs - everything fit. We can only recommend booking with him tour. The best value for money ever!