Ecuador

[Scuba]

DH and I are seriously considering Ecuador & the Galapagos for 2022. We will for sure do a 7 to 10-day liveaboard diving cruise limited to 16 passengers. The dive cruise has some land stops but I'm not sure yet how much time we will spend on land (I'm guessing not much as the focus is diving), so we're considering supplementing the dive cruise with 3-5 land-based days in the Galapagos to make sure we get to see the rare indigenous animals.

Other than that, what do you recommend doing in Ecuador? We aren't mountain climbers or major bikers but we do enjoy sightseeing, experiencing the culture, and nature in general. I know some folks have combined Ecuador with Peru but we prefer "slow travel" rather than trying to fit too many things into one journey.

 

[grasshopper]

We did a small ship Galapagos trip spent about 4 hours a day hiking on 6 different islands and then did afternoons in the water kayaking or snorkeling. Land time is important as the islands are like zoos with no bars, the wildlife is very tame.


Small ships are best because there are only so many people allowed on the islands at one time. So imagine 100 people 10 at a time in a zodiac back and forth to the main vessel. Sort of like 60 on a bus piling in and out at every photo op. Your land time gets very short.

Quito is very nice and walkable we saved ourselves because we did Peru's Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu on the same trip, and found it very doable and liked the people and places we went.

This was a BTD trip.

 

[braumeister]

Small ships are best because there are only so many people allowed on the islands at one time.

This is important. We did a small ship Galapagos trip in 2017 and it was fabulous. But the whole archipelago is a national park and very tightly controlled. You can't just decide to visit a particular island; you can only go where your approved itinerary allows on that day. You also must be accompanied by a licensed Galapagos naturalist, in groups of no more than 15 or 16 ( I forget exactly). Having that naturalist with us was well worth whatever it cost, because he was incredibly knowledgeable and forthcoming with information.

 

[travelover]

Ecuador has an amazing variety of geography in a small foot print. I set up a trip where we stayed in an Eco-lodge on the West side of the Andes, the East side and down in the Amazon. Each experience was totally different and worth a trip by itself. The hummingbirds are totally amazing. In the Amazon, we traveled for hours to a lodge in a huge, long canoe powered by twin 200 HP Yamaha outboards.

 

[Onward]

I spent five weeks in Ecuador in 2010, considering it as a retirement destination.

I didn't go to Galapagos or the Ecuadorian Amazon, but I did see a lot of the country.

The coastal towns were fun. Everything from chilled-out Canoa and Puerto Lopez to crazy Montanita.

Cuenca was my favorite city. Historical and quite charming.

Food everywhere was delicious, and everything was very, very cheap by U.S. standards. But overall Ecuador was too "developing" for me to consider living there.

I went to Peru afterwards and found it more to my taste, both as a tourist and potentially as a retiree.

 

[donheff]

I like diving but the snorkeling in the Galapagos is spectacular. We chased sharks and were taunted by seals. But the land excursions were incredible. We traveled on a small luxury yacht (18 passengers) with a company called Inca. The accommodations and food were superb. The ship has snorkels, fins, and masks but you need to bring your own shorty wetsuit. The guide was well trained and very knowledgeable. If you want to see what the snorkeling is like I have more photos than anyone could want to see organized by the islands we visited here.

 

[anethum]

It's been over 20 years since I was in Ecuador. Since you're interested in nature, there are several cloud forest areas north of Quito, with lodges nearby. There should be some very nice walks possible in the cloud forest. Near Otavalo, also north of Quito, there are some rare páramo landscapes. Páramo is a landscape found at a higher altitude that cloud forests, and is found almost exclusively in northern South America. My recollection is that we took a taxi from Otavalo to reach the trailhead. It's not far from the town. Otavalo itself is pleasant, noted for its market, though even 20 years ago it was geared increasingly toward tourists.

We went down to the Amazon basin for a few days and stayed in a comfortable hut in a nature reserve. We went on a hike with a local guide. To be honest, we were underwhelmed. I believe there are big differences in the Ecuadoran Amazon depending on whether you're there during the rainy season or dry season.

Baños is a small town south of Quito on the eastern side of the Andes, at an altitude which has perfect year-round temperatures. We went on a very nice walk in the tropical forest nearby. There are active volcanoes near the town, which was actually evacuated for a while after we were there, due to the imminent threat of eruptions.

I also was mountain biking around the stunning Cotopaxi, a 19,000+ ft. active volcano south of Quito.

 

[Scuba]

Thank you all for the input. We have booked our SCUBA boat plus a 14-passenger naturalist cruise afterwards. We decided not to add an Amazon experience on as just these two things take almost 3 weeks including the travel time.

The big thing we need to decide on now is how much time to spend in Quito and where to stay. We originally thought we’d stay in Old Town for New Year’s Eve and walk around the city for a couple of days, then hire a driver for 2-3 day trips to nearby sites. However our travel agent said Quito is not that safe right now, with COVID having caused many job losses so there are some aggressive thieves, especially in the tourist areas. While we are reasonably street smart, we have never been in a city where it’s not that unusual to be marched to an ATM at knifepoint and forced to withdraw cash for the robber, or be attacked on the street for possessions.

Perhaps the information I’m hearing and reading is a bit exaggerated. I am not sure but it certainly makes us think hard about spending much time in Quito. And New Year’s Eve seems out of the question.

 

[cathy63]

I'm also hoping for a 2022 trip after our 2020 plans got cancelled by Covid. We're not divers, so we are looking at a cruise with daily landings and then some time afterwards at an eco-lodge in the Amazon.

I've found the Tripadvisor forum on the Galapagos to have good info, though you have to follow it for a little while to get oriented and figure out who's who. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g294310-i6637-Galapagos_Islands.html

We also have a California based travel agency we've used in the past. Prior to the pandemic, they were really helpful with info about the process of getting from the mainland to the islands, paying the special tourist tax, and the potential new requirements for proof of health insurance (I haven't checked to see if those actually went into effect).

 

[OldShooter]

... we are looking at a cruise with daily landings and then some time afterwards at an eco-lodge in the Amazon ...

We did that trip in 2010; you'll enjoy it. The lodge we stayed at was Sacha: https://www.sachalodge.com/ We also spent part of a week in Ecuador proper with a private guide/driver; mountains, caldera, people, markets, etc. All interesting but not particularly unique.

Quito is at 10,000 feet and other parts are higher. This means warmer clothes and at least a little huffing and puffing. If you're sensitive you might want to carry altitude sickness meds just in case.

We also have a California based travel agency we've used in the past. Prior to the pandemic, they were really helpful with info about the process of getting from the mainland to the islands, paying the special tourist tax, and the potential new requirements for proof of health insurance (I haven't checked to see if those actually went into effect).

IMO using a US agency is an expensive luxury. First on the general principle that they can do almost nothing to help if you get in trouble on the actual trip. That's why we use in-country arrangers. Also, in the case of the Galapagos there is a hard limit on the number of boats permitted to operate. Like 60 IIRC. So hundreds of agencies worldwide are all selling the same things and marking up the prices. I expended some energy to find the actual boat owners/operators to negotiate with them, and was rewarded with a good discount vs travel agency prices. IIRC 40%. The boat operators will take care of the logistics of flights to/from Guayaquil, taxes, etc. Be careful getting quotations, however. Insist that all quotes include air fare from Guayaquil and all taxes and fees. Some quote this way and some do not, so a low price you see may not be apples/apples to someone else's higher price.

 

[flyingaway]

We did that trip in 2010; you'll enjoy it. The lodge we stayed at was Sacha: https://www.sachalodge.com/ We also spent part of a week in Ecuador proper with a private guide/driver; mountains, caldera, people, markets, etc. All interesting but not particularly unique.

Quito is at 10,000 feet and other parts are higher. This means warmer clothes and at least a little huffing and puffing. If you're sensitive you might want to carry altitude sickness meds just in case.

IMO using a US agency is an expensive luxury. First on the general principle that they can do almost nothing to help if you get in trouble on the actual trip. That's why we use in-country arrangers. Also, in the case of the Galapagos there is a hard limit on the number of boats permitted to operate. Like 60 IIRC. So hundreds of agencies worldwide are all selling the same things and marking up the prices. I expended some energy to find the actual boat owners/operators to negotiate with them, and was rewarded with a good discount vs travel agency prices. IIRC 40%. The boat operators will take care of the logistics of flights to/from Guayaquil, taxes, etc. Be careful getting quotations, however. Insist that all quotes include air fare from Guayaquil and all taxes and fees. Some quote this way and some do not, so a low price you see may not be apples/apples to someone else's higher price.

Did you find the local operators or boat owners on the streets when you were already in Guayaquil or Quito?

 

[OldShooter]

Did you find the local operators or boat owners on the streets when you were already in Guayaquil or Quito?

No. Those boats and trips are much bigger deals. We were told that boat schedules for island stops are planned a year in advance to keep pressure on the islands down and to avoid conflicts with other boat groups. Most boats are limited to 16 or 17 customers IIRC, though there are a couple of much larger ones. For customers prone to seasickness, I guess. For us, the small boats are much more to our taste, but several operators have more than one boat.

I found operators basically by noting the names of boats that I was interested in, then searching by the name of the boat, and slogging through the hits. I found about half of the actual operators I think. It took a bit of time but I learned a lot about options in addition to, in the end, saving money. We ended up on Grace, which has a great backstory but is older and embark/debark from the pangas is a little inconvenient. https://www.quasarex.com/galapagos/my-grace

From just clicking a few sites, it looks to me like the boat owners are hungry. A good time to ask for discounts IMO. The publicly offered discounts are just a starting point.

 

[fosterscik]

I like diving but the snorkeling in the Galapagos is spectacular. We chased sharks and were taunted by seals. But the land excursions were incredible. We traveled on a small luxury yacht (18 passengers) with a company called Inca. The accommodations and food were superb. The ship has snorkels, fins, and masks but you need to bring your own shorty wetsuit. The guide was well trained and very knowledgeable. If you want to see what the snorkeling is like I have more photos than anyone could want to see organized by the islands we visited here.

Just looked up the Galapagos Inca tour. Looks really interesting. I'm curious whether you booked the eastern route or the western tour. I suspect both are great choices but if you have any insight into the "better" choice I'd love to hear it.

 

[donheff]

Just looked up the Galapagos Inca tour. Looks really interesting. I'm curious whether you booked the eastern route or the western tour. I suspect both are great choices but if you have any insight into the "better" choice I'd love to hear it.

I don’t know which route we took. I imagine they are all good.

 

[braumeister]

We did a small ship Galapagos 7-day tour in 2017 and it was one of the two greatest trips of our lives. Crazy expensive, but worth every cent.

Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal islands.

The Ecuadorian naturalists we had were incredibly knowledgeable and provided such a wealth of information about what we were seeing every day that we were utterly captivated by it all.

If anything should be on your bucket list, this is it.

 

[Texas Proud]

Anybody who has done it, which company did you book through?


DW and I are starting to look into this trip and it looks like a 19 day trip is the one that does it all...

 

[OldShooter]

Anybody who has done it, which company did you book through? ...

I just checked and the company in Quito that we used in 2010 is apparently no longer/no web site. Too bad, as they did a good job.

I strongly recommend hiring someone local to the country. A US tour company has very little value-added and their choice of a local agent is opaque to the customer. A carefully-selected local company will be there for you if there are any unexpected situations, like illness or failed transport connections and can be much more flexible if changes are wanted or needed (example below).

We almost always go with custom aka private travel with private guides for most of the intinerary. If you want the details on how we pick arrangers PM me. I don't want to clog up the thread if that is not your interest. I can also send you a copy of our "travelers' resume" that gives the arranger guidance on what we like and what we want to avoid (like shopping).

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(Recently read: https://www.intltravelnews.com/2019/dream-realized-southern-africa)
I had wanted to go to Namibia for almost as long as I can remember. The desert, dunes and Skeleton Coast have sparked my imagination for decades. This is the part of the trip I was most looking forward to.

While having drinks in the lounge at AfricaSky, I received a telephone call from Karen Duval. Her downcast voice told me something was wrong.

SA Express, the airline on which we were to fly to Namibia, had all of its planes grounded by the South African Civil Aviation Authority that day due to serious safety risks! Karen explained that there was no way to get us to Namibia, since the flights from other airlines were already booked. And even if she could get us a flight to Walvis Bay, she was afraid she couldn’t find a return flight.

Situations like this make me glad I use a reputable travel agent in the country I am visiting. Karen was right on top of the situation and had, I’m certain, spent all afternoon on the phone rearranging our trip. She had already booked us at a private game camp in Kruger National Park and gave us the option of going there or flying to Cape Town early and spending extra time there. We opted for Kruger and are glad we did.
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[braumeister]

We used Lindblad/NatGeo and they get our highest recommendation. We've done a couple of other trips with them in other places as well.
We didn't do the Peru extension, just the Galapagos.

 

[grasshopper]

In May 2016 we did 11 days with Metropolitan Tours On the eastern side north and south.

The islands we visited were Isla San Cristóbal. Isla Española, Isla Santa Cruz, Sombrero Chino Island, Isla Bartolomé, Isla Santiago, Isla Genovesa, Isla Baltra, I believe we only flew out of Isla Baltra no tour there.

Lots of active hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, great food and open bar.

 

[audreyh1]

We did a small ship Galapagos 7-day tour in 2017 and it was one of the two greatest trips of our lives. Crazy expensive, but worth every cent.

Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal islands.

The Ecuadorian naturalists we had were incredibly knowledgeable and provided such a wealth of information about what we were seeing every day that we were utterly captivated by it all.

If anything should be on your bucket list, this is it.

Lindblad?

 

[braumeister]

Lindblad?

Yes, look back two posts.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, look back two posts.

Thanks! Missed that.