Ecuador holiday, community based tourism
| country: | Ecuador |
| location: | Amazon rainforest, Cloud forest |
| departures: | 2010: 13 Feb, 11 Sep |
| price: | £2195 (15 days) excluding international flights. |
| more info: | Price includes transport as outlined in itinerary, domestic flights within Ecuador, twin-share accommodation, all meals (except one night in Cuenca), mineral water and entrance fees. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Straddling the equator on the Pacific coast, wedged between Colombia and Peru, the smallest of the Andean nations covers an area no bigger than 284,000 square kilometres. For all its diminutive size, however, the country is packed with the most startling contrasts of scenery, and the diversity of this tiny country is simply dazzling.
Encompassing tropical islands, towering snow capped peaks, cloud forests, sandy beaches, and simmering jungle, visitors are treated to a variety of unique landscapes and activities, and many say that Ecuador manages to capture an entire continent in one country.
From the traditional colourful Indian markets, to the steamy Amazon jungle where the vast variety species of flora and fauna will delight the nature lover, to the stunning mountain views atop a local train, Ecuador has something for everyone. And why not round off your trip with our optional extension to the Galapagos Islands, one of the most fascinating and best-protected wildlife reserves in the world.
Encompassing tropical islands, towering snow capped peaks, cloud forests, sandy beaches, and simmering jungle, visitors are treated to a variety of unique landscapes and activities, and many say that Ecuador manages to capture an entire continent in one country.
From the traditional colourful Indian markets, to the steamy Amazon jungle where the vast variety species of flora and fauna will delight the nature lover, to the stunning mountain views atop a local train, Ecuador has something for everyone. And why not round off your trip with our optional extension to the Galapagos Islands, one of the most fascinating and best-protected wildlife reserves in the world.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | UK - Quito: Arrive early evening. We shall go out for a welcome dinner followed by a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Colonial old town. Lit up at night time the vintage facades, churches and plazas (some of them dating back to the 1500s) offer a great induction to the grandeur of the old town, and a chance to orientate yourself. Overnight at one of the best hotels in the city. |
| Day 2: | Quito – Bellavista Cloud Reserve: We shall drive northwest, leaving the metropolis of Quito behind us. The scenery changes dramatically as we enter the cloud forest, becoming green and sub-tropical. We stop to visit an orchid and butterfly farm, before continuing on to the Bellavista Cloud Reserve. In the afternoon we shall take an introductory walk into the forest with a local guide, to learn about the regions unique ecology. Overnight in the Bellavista eco-lodge. |
| Day 3: | Bellavista: We explore the region further, taking some of the well-marked trails through the forest. The trails span a large area around the lodge and there is plenty of opportunity for bird watching, learning about the medicinal plants of the forest, plus the option of cycling and horse trekking. There are also numerous hideaways around the lodge to relax and watch the hummingbirds in an idyllic setting. |
| Day 4: | Bellavista – Guamote: We shall head south, with a brief stop at the equator monument, along ‘the avenue of the volcanoes’, where the road is flanked by the majestic snow capped peaks of the Andes. Passing Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, two of Ecuador’s most impressive volcanoes, we arrive in the Andean village of Guamote in the afternoon and visit one of the local communities (time permitting). Overnight at Inti Sisa community guesthouse. |
| Day 5: | Guamote: After breakfast we will board the ‘Nariz del Diablo’ (Devil’s Nose) train for a ride along the historic Trans-Andean Railroad. Travelling on the roof of the train from Guamote to Alausi, we pass through the most dramatic section of the railroad that once ran to the coast, where a series of steep switchbacks cut through the rock face and offer amazing views of the surrounding countryside. In the afternoon we shall return to Guamote and visit one of the project sites supported by Inti Sisa. Overnight at community guesthouse. |
| Day 6: | Guamote – Cuenca: On market day people flood in from neighbouring villages to one of the most colourful and memorable markets in Ecuador. Having visited a community project set up to help local women produce handicrafts and the community learn computer skills, we’ll head into the market to get swept up in the crowds, getting a real taste of Andean village life. In the afternoon we’ll visit 15th century Incapirca, Ecuador’s most important set of Inca ruins, before continuing on to the Colonial city of Cuenca. Overnight in colonial hotel. |
| Day 7: | Cuenca: In the morning we shall take a half day city tour of the ‘jewel of the south’: Cuenca, (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site), visiting some of the parks, churches, plazas and local landmarks. Despite being the country’s third largest city, Cuenca retains the feel and pace of a much smaller town and is a pleasure to wander around. Free afternoon to explore the museums, shops and markets or visit one of the centres that produces panama hats and other haberdashery. Overnight at colonial hotel (free night). |
| Day 8: | Cuenca – Quilotoa: Heading north again we leave sophisticated Cuenca behind us and travel towards one of Ecuador’s best kept secrets – Quilatoa. Nestled in the heart of the Andes, this region showcases the sheer beauty of Ecuador’s mountains. We shall proceed to the tiny town of Tigua, an important centre for local arts and crafts in the region. After visiting one of the local galleries we shall catch our first glimpse of Quilotoa Laguna, before heading on to our cosy eco-lodge. Overnight at Black Sheep Inn. |
| Day 9: | Quilotoa: We will spend a full day exploring the spectacular Quilotoa Crater Lake area. Rated as one of the gems of the Andes the region it is riddled with splendid hikes, traditional highland villages and indigenous people. From the rim of the crater, which offers tremendous views of Cotopaxi and Iliniza Sur, and the green, mirror-like lake below, there are three different options – a 4-5 km hike circumnavigating the lake, climbing down into the crater itself or a beautiful trek from the crater back to the inn. It is also possible to hire mules to ride in and out of the crater or arrange horse rides. Overnight at Black Sheep Inn. |
| Day 10: | Quilatoa - Quito: We head back along the Avenue of the Volcanoes (approx 5 hour drive). Free afternoon in Quito to explore the old town and the new town, offering a chance to load up on supplies before heading out into the jungle. Hotel in New Town. |
| Days 11-13: | Amazon jungle: Leaving the altitude behind us we take a domestic flight into the heart of the Amazon, flying into the town of Coca – the base used to access the mighty Napo River which is the main tributary of the Amazon. We travel by motorised canoe up river to the Yachana Lodge where we will spend the next 3 nights. This award winning eco-lodge offers a myriad of activities from naturalist-guided walks in the primary and secondary rain forest, visits the local medicine man and communities, panning for gold, night time safaris, star gazing and river cruises. There is also the opportunity to try your hand at local crafts and skills such as pottery and basket weaving, bee keeping and using traditional blow guns! |
| Day 14: | Jungle – Quito: Flight back to Quito and free time to visit museums, historical sites and shops. |
| Day 15: | Quito – UK: All morning free before checking in for afternoon flight to London. |
travellers' tales
From the moment we stepped on to the canoe it all became a bit of an adventure. Our excellent local guide Delfin brought the forest to life with his tales of the living in the forest (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
 During our stay in Guamote we are proud to support the Inti Sita community project, an enterprise set up to help the indigenous communities improve their living conditions through education and co-operative ventures. Profits from the guesthouse are used to run several educational workshops including computer classes, textile designs and music classes as well as providing a kindergarten for local children whose parents cannot afford pre-schooling. This trip supports and stays at three award winning eco-loges all with strong community ties that allow the profits from tourism to go directly into local communities: The Black Sheep Inn in Chugchilan, Bellavista Cloud forest reserve and the Yachana Jungle lodge on the Rio Napa. In South America we use local ground handlers - this means that all the operational costs go directly into the local economy and helps to improve employment opportunities in remote regions. By incorporating home-stays, locally owned hotels, restaurants and the services of guides and drivers into our itineraries, we ensure that money you spend on your trip goes directly into the local economy and local communities benefit from tourism. When you take one of our trips, we automatically make a contribution to “Carbon Clear” – an organisation who work with hundreds of organisations to measure their carbon footprint and reduce their carbon emissions. We also support emergency relief efforts in the areas we travel to, such as the Pakistan Earthquake Fund set up in 2005 and a variety of other community benefiting NGOs around the world. We also support several other NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, Tibetan schools trust and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |