Galapagos & Ecuador tailor made holidays

Ecuador is a small, compact country which offers an excellent introduction to South America as it divides neatly into three tracts of contrasting landscapes; the tropical coastal region, the volcano-lined highlands, and the lush rainforest.

A trip here would begin in the capital Quito, where you can glimpse dazzling views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. A tour of the city will provide a historical background to learn more of this country's colonial and indigenous past. A short plane journey will fly you over the glistening Andean peaks before descending through the lush green treetops to a land of total contrast - the humid Amazon jungle.

Amazon transportation - a motorized canoe - will whisk you along the river to Napo Wildlife Centre. Some fantastic wildlife spotting is to be done on this journey when you glimpse a multitude of wildlife coming to the water to drink.

The Napo Wildlife Centre, deep in the heart of the Ecuadorian jungle, where oil companies have been responsible for much destruction of the area, offers a unique haven of tranquility stretching over 82-sq miles of private reserve. Its uniqueness is thanks to the Quichua Indian community of Anangu's partnership with the non-profits of Tropical Nature and EcoEcuador who were able to construct the lodge and maintain the reserve with funding from charitable contributions. Excursions from the lodge, accompanied by knowledgeable local guides, will afford sightings of giant otters, macaws at clay licks, woolly monkeys and caimans amongst others. It is a beautiful lodge in an unforgettable location and your stay will protect both the community's reserve and the Yasuni National Park.

Travelling back to Quito, you can start your journey down the Andean highlands through the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" and maybe even brave the Devil's Nose train ride. A visit to Cuenca is a must, an easy-going city brimming with Ecuadorian history. From Cuenca you can descend through the El Cajas National Park and feel the temperature changing from the cool of the Highlands to the welcome warmth of tropical Guayaquil. A flight from here will take you to meet your 7 night Galapagos cruise and offer up more wildlife treats.With its notoriously unpredictable climate, it is difficult to site a "best time of year." Year round you can expect plenty of sunshine, but also the occasional shower. Important to note however, are the more distinct seasonal variations in the Galapagos. The Islands have hot and sunny days with brief showers from January to June, and the rest of the year tends to be drier and overcast. The seas can be more choppy around August and September and are at their calmest (and warmest) between January and June.