Holiday in Ecuador, Andes to Amazon
| country: | Ecuador |
| location: | Mount Cotopaxi |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 30 Aug, 27 Sep, 15 Nov, 20 Dec 2009: 7 Feb |
| price: | From £1993 - £2089 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1049 excluding flights. Single supplement £195. |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
For a small country, Ecuador has some of the best that South America can offer: steamy jungles, active volcanoes, colourful markets and the wildlife of the Galapagos-like Pacific coast
This trip explores all the rich variety of Ecuador's landscapes and wildlife. In and around Quito, its high Andean capital, we find remarkable colonial architecture, bustling Indian markets and nearby cloud forests with an amazing variety of orchids and Andean flora. Southwards, we follow the 'Avenue of the Volcanoes', pausing for a hike in the National Park of Cotopaxi, the second highest active volcano in the world. We then board the small train that chugs from the Andes to the lowlands via the Devil's Nose, a remarkable and spectacular feat of railway engineering.
At the foot of the Llanganati Mountains, where a vast hoard of Inca treasure is believed to be still hidden, we stay in a colonial hacienda. We then descend to the edge of the Amazon rainforest to explore the jungle and its secrets: the Anaconda Valley, mysterious petroglyphs and the rituals of the ancient shamans. The last days are spent on the coast, at Machalilla National Park and La Plata Island - a kind of a mini-Galapagos which is home to frigate birds, pelicans, blue and masked boobies, and a small colony of sea lions.
This trip explores all the rich variety of Ecuador's landscapes and wildlife. In and around Quito, its high Andean capital, we find remarkable colonial architecture, bustling Indian markets and nearby cloud forests with an amazing variety of orchids and Andean flora. Southwards, we follow the 'Avenue of the Volcanoes', pausing for a hike in the National Park of Cotopaxi, the second highest active volcano in the world. We then board the small train that chugs from the Andes to the lowlands via the Devil's Nose, a remarkable and spectacular feat of railway engineering.
At the foot of the Llanganati Mountains, where a vast hoard of Inca treasure is believed to be still hidden, we stay in a colonial hacienda. We then descend to the edge of the Amazon rainforest to explore the jungle and its secrets: the Anaconda Valley, mysterious petroglyphs and the rituals of the ancient shamans. The last days are spent on the coast, at Machalilla National Park and La Plata Island - a kind of a mini-Galapagos which is home to frigate birds, pelicans, blue and masked boobies, and a small colony of sea lions.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Quito, free morning to relax. Afternoon city tour of Quito. |
| Day 3: | Visit equator line and then walk in cloud forest. |
| Day 4: | South along 'Avenue of the Volcanoes'; afternoon walk in Cotopaxi N.P. Drive on to Riobamba. |
| Day 5: | Breath-taking train ride from Riobamba to the 'Devil's Nose'. To hacienda at the foot of Llanganati. |
| Day 6: | Visit town of Banos, famous for baths fed by natural hot springs. |
| Day 7: | Free day to relax in Banos. Optional mountain biking, horse-riding or visit hot springs. |
| Day 8: | Along 'road of the waterfalls' with views of upper Amazon basin; overnight at lodge on Misahualli river. |
| Day 9: | Explore primary rainforest: canoe trip, hike (approx. 3 hours) and visit monkey beach. In the evening there is an opportunity to visit a shaman, who will show us his secret jungle medicines. |
| Day 10: | Morning to relax and swim; afternoon to Quito, cross the Andes on the Papallacta Pass (4,000m). |
| Day 11: | Short flight to Manta on Pacific coast; on to Machalilla N.P. Overnight near beach at Puerto Lopez. |
| Day 12: | Optional boat ride to La Plata Island. |
| Day 13: | Free morning at beach, afternoon to Guayaquil. |
| Day 14: | Depart Guayaquil. |
| Day 15: | Arrive London. |
travellers' tales
A fabulous location, amazing tropical jungle surroundings, wonderful food and the adventure of walking through both primary and secondary jungle, not to mention the 2 hour trip downstream on the Napo River in a motorized canoe.
(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.award winner
This tourism business won an award in our 2004 Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical, Magazine of the Royal Geographical Societyhow this holiday makes a difference
|
This tour has been designed to both operate in a way that minimises our impact on the environment that we visit and to maximise the benefit that our clients can have on the host community.
We use a locally based operator and have established a long-term partnership with them. All our Ecuadorian leaders are committed to Responsible Tourism and receive regular updates and training via our company and our local partners. The leaders will give a briefing on Responsible Tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local communities from your visit. The trip visits a number of fragile ecosystems including the Amazon Rainforest, Machilla National Park & La Plata Island. To reduce our impact on these areas and to enhance the experience of our clients we only take a maximum of 16 in any group. We use predominantly locally owned and run accommodation and this helps contribute directly to the local communities Local staff are employed and locally produced and sourced goods are bought for the accommodation so benefiting the wider community. During visits to the national parks we use local services and guides for our jungle walks and boat trips so helping to ensure that the local community receives economic benefits from our visits. At our offices we have worked to reduce our carbon footprint through a reduction of energy use and energy conservation measures. We also actively try to reduce the waste produced by having active reduction and recycling policies in place. We run annual staff workshops on Responsible Tourism. Global warming is a reality and to help you make a difference by reducing the carbon dioxide that is produced when you travel we offer a chance to carbon balance your flights. We encourage all our clients to do this and do so for all our staff travel. Go on do your bit! |
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. |