Ecuador vacations, Andes to Amazon
A fifteen day journey through mainland Ecuador, from cloud forest to rainforest, hacienda to hot springs. Fully guided traveling in a small group.
Quito Andes Mountains Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve San Clemente indigenous community Cuicocha Crater Lake Cotacachi village Otavalo Canoe in Amazonian Basin Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron) waterfall Banos Tungurahua volcano Chimborazo National Park Devil’s Nose train journey Ingapirca Inca fortress Cuenca Cajas National Park Manglares Churute Ecological Reserve
US $3748US $3225ToUS $4275excluding flights
Optional single supplement from £638 - £705.
Minimum age 16.
Minimum age 16.
Up to US $520 off selected dates.
Late availability on these dates: 16 Feb, 08 Mar
Late availability on these dates: 16 Feb, 08 Mar
Description of Ecuador vacations, Andes to Amazon
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Travel guides
Wilderness areas are virtually unmodified from their natural state by human interference. They’re where wildlife – including large predators – roams f...
Crammed into an area the size of the UK, Ecuador's habitats range from the steamy Amazon jungle and high Andean páramo, to bird filled cloud forest an...
Vacation information
Small group tour, ideal for solos & couples:
Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modeled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. For those with limited time, a small group tour will save valuable time in planning, and on vacation.
Reviews
3 Reviews of Ecuador vacations, Andes to Amazon
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 25 Sep 2023 by ron sommers
Spending the night in the Amazon during a thunder and lightning storm. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Feb 2023 by Susanne Knowles
Hummingbirds and our time at Bellavista lodge. Boat trip through the mangroves with the birdlife. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Sep 2018 by Wallace Woolfenden
The highlight was hiking the Amazon rain and dry forests. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet
Accommodation and Meals:We spend 11 nights in hotels and haciendas (Spanish colonial estate houses) and 2 nights in a jungle lodge. All accommodation is locally owned and staffed, which is of great advantage to surrounding communities in providing alternative employment opportunities- especially in more off-the-beaten-track areas. This also ensures that income earned is re-invested back into the area. Where meals are provided, locally sourced ingredients are used as much as possible. For lunch and dinner, the tour leader will recommend various options in convenient locations, usually booking restaurants and eating with the group.
Conservation:
We visit the Amazoonico Rescue Centre for animals in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The center is dedicated to providing a safe and natural environment for animals that have been illegally captured or injured. As a result of the cruelty they have experienced, some animals suffer behavioural and physical effects which disallow them to live safely in the wild, whilst others are able to re-enter their original habitat. Here our entrance fees and purchasing of souvenirs go towards this valiant effort to stop animal poaching and trafficking. When we enter Chimborazo National Park and Cajas National Park, we also pay entrance fees which are contributed towards conservation efforts in these areas. Regardless of where we are, we use a ‘leave no trace’ policy.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
People
Local Craft and Culture:There is an included excursion to visit the Otavalo market. The market is always busy and is one of the most well known in the region. We become accustomed with the pristine, traditional costumes of the indigenous people from surrounding villages; women wear embroidered blouses and long wool skirts whilst the men wear felt hats, navy blue ponchos and calf-length trousers. There are plenty of souvenirs to buy such as Panama hats, exquisite weaving and jewellery. Another cultural highlight is visiting San Clemente- a small agricultural community consisting of a number of local families. We take a guided tour here and are introduced to native plants, taught traditional embroidery techniques and are taken through some day to day activities. The visit includes homemade lunch, prepared using produce grown in the village.
A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that local guides are being employed and that in exchange for their expertise they are paid and treated fairly. This way the local area benefits as income stays in the area and goes directly back into community businesses. These tours have been verified by the Rainforest Alliance, which means they have been vetted for ecological, social and economic benefits to the community. 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 people from your visit. Our chefs, sous chefs, camp staff, mule drivers and other transporters are also all locally hired.
Charity:
Our local operators support conservation and social projects such as the Verde Milenio Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation in Ecuador. Verde Milenio run environmental education and research projects which contribute towards reforestation, classification of flora and fauna, veterinary control and rescue of native animals. They also donate regularly to a school in Tumbabiro village and help local Afro-Ecuadorian communities like La Victoria by supporting the pottery works which are the basis for their economy.
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