Ecuador holidays, Andes to Amazon
| country: | Ecuador |
| location: | Mount Cotopaxi |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 7 Aug, 25 Sep, 6 Nov 2011: 9 Apr |
| price: | From £2099 - £2449 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £1229 - £1399 excluding flights. Single supplement £270. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Ecuador holidays, Andes to Amazon
Stunning Andean scenery, colonial architecture, Indian markets and verdant cloud forests are just the start. Along the 'Avenue of the Volcanoes', we hike in Cotapaxi National Park before boarding the 'Devil’s Nose' train for an incredible journey along its numerous switchbacks down the western Andean slopes. In the Amazon Rainforest we explore the jungle and its secrets including petroglyphs and abundant wildlife. Finally to the coast and a ‘mini-Galapagos’, home to sea lions, frigate birds, pelicans and boobies.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Quito. |
| Day 2: | Free morning, afternoon city tour. |
| Day 3: | Visit equator; walk in cloud forest. |
| Day 4: | South along 'Avenue of the Volcanoes'; afternoon walk in Cotopaxi N.P.; drive to Riobamba. |
| Day 5: | Breathtaking train ride from Riobamba to the 'Devil's Nose'; stay in hacienda at the foot of Llanganati. |
| Day 6: | Activities in area around hacienda. |
| Day 7: | Free day to visit Banos. Optional mountain biking, horse-riding. |
| 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. Evening visit shaman, who will show us secret jungle medicines. |
| Day 10: | Morning to relax and swim; afternoon to Quito, cross the Andes via the Papallacta Pass (4000m). |
| Day 11: | Free day in Quito. |
| Day 12: | Short flight to Manta on Pacific Coast; on to Machalilla N.P.(optional). Overnight near beach at Puerto Lopez. |
| Day 13: | Optional boat ride to La Plata Island. |
| Day 14: | Free morning at beach, afternoon to Guayaquil. |
| Day 15: | Depart Guayaquil. |
| Day 16: | Arrive London. |
traveller reviews for Ecuador holidays, Andes to Amazon
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.
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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
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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. |
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