| |
|
||
|
|
|||||||||||
| © BigTravelWeb.com Ecuador Tours Advice and travel tips - All rights reserved. |
Equador has a huge range of travel possibilities. Horseback riding tours are possible in the Andes and mountains as one rides through small villages down the avenue of the volcanoes. Horseriding is popular and tours should be booked in advance. Riding possibilites are almost endless - you might even want to tailor make tour tour to include a seven day horse riding trip. Nature lovers will enjoy the country. The Amazon rainforest region has lots of wildlife viewing possibilities - you can go cayman spotting for example or look for the elusive pink dolphins. Stay at a jungle ecolodge on your amazon tour. Famous lodges include Yacana Lodge, Sacha Lodge, La Selva Lodge and the Piedra Blanca Ecolodge. Try to book responsible travel to these delicate ecostystems if possible. By booking an ecotourism trip you can help preserve the environment on your vacation. Birdwatching is another popular type of activity.
As one of the most biodiverse countries in South America, birdwatching here can be undertaken in either the Amazon area, or around Pappallacta (well known for it's hot springs along with Banos), but by far the best place for your birding vacation is Mindo, which is in the cloudforest just two hours from Quito. Mindo has various birdwatching lodges, most of which are rather basic. Some such birding lodges in Mindo include Sachatamia, Bellavista Lodge and Mindo Gardens. Also in the Mindo area is Arasha lodge.
Otavalo has a popular saturday market. A vacation to Ecuador normally includes a day tour to Otavalo, or you might even want to stay overnight in a nearby Hacienda such as Hacienda Pinsaqui (best option) or Haceinda Cusin (rather overpriced and run down). Otavalo market is were various indigenous people travel to every Saturday to sell their crafts -it used to be a genuinely local affair, but now it is rather touristy. The area nearby offers good trekking and hiking possibilites for your holiday to Equador.
Quito is the capital city - what time is it in Quito, Equador? It's about 7 hours different from Europe, but it's high time you visited! This colonial city has a vibrant nightlife scene - No Bar is particularly popular with travellers. There are numerous hotels to stay at, ranging from cheap budget options to first class luxury hotels. Some such hotels in Quito include Plaza Grande, Swissotel, and the hilton Colon. Try to book a hotel in Quito's old town if possible.
Ecuador's avenue of the volcanoes offers excellent holiday potential. A vacation wouldn't be the same if you didn't see at least one volcano in Ecuador! There's lots of volcanoes to see such as Cotopaxi volcano and Chimborazo volcano. Volano climbing can be done for those interested in adventure travel and trekking - you'll need crampons etc for such extreme adventure sports. Visiting the avenue of the volcanoes is often done by the Chiva Express, which is operated by Metropolitan Touring, the largest tour operator in Ecuador. Metropolitan Touring have rather a monopoly over the travel industry in Ecquador, and they also own many of the large Galapogos cruise ships such as the Isabella 2. In the Avenue of the Volcanoes one finds interesting towns such as Riobamba and Cuenca. Cuenca is a pretty colonial town worthy of a couple of nights stay. Hiking in the nearby Cajas National Park is beautiful - if you like adventure travel you could even go camping there.
The coast has many beaches, some of which are very good for surfing. Those who are backpacking should definately check out Montanita, which is a great place to chill out on the beach. The beaches here are very pretty, and the Sunshine Route takes one up the coast along various pretty little fishing villages with great beaches. The best beach in Ecquador is Los Frailes beach which is near Puerto Ayora. This is a good area to organise whale watching tours, if the season is right. Whales often come right up very close to the beaches. Machalilla National Park is nearby, as is the cheap mans Galapogos - Isla de la Plata which is, in all honesty, rather disappointing. You can see lots of wildlife, but a cruise to the Galapogas islands would be far more interesting. Manta is also a beach destination - it also has some good nightlife. Overall the beaches are good for a relaxing break after your Galapagos cruise.
The Galapogas islands are a real highlight of any trip. Most cruises are 7 night cruises, but it's also possible to book a 3 or 4 night Galapogas cruise. Some cruise ships include the Isabella 2, Santa Cruz, Legend and the Coral cruise boats. The main decision potential travellers need to make is wheterh the want a large Galapogas Cruise boat or a smaller cruise boat. Galapogas cruises range in price from last minute deals to first class luxury cruises. Whatever your book for your holiday, the islands will be a real highlight. It's the best thing to do in Ecuador for your vacation.
The culture of Equador is a major reason why people visit. Indigenous people add to the local culture which is a blend of indigenous and Spanish influences. Culture tours will involve a lot of interest in the music and food of Equador, both of which are good for your holiday. The culture says music is important and the local food is delicious. Try a ceviche. Culturally, the country is a blend of Mestizo and Indian, introducing a real mix of interesting and beautiful people. The music of the highlands shows this ancient Inca influence and as such cultural tour form an imprtant part of your travels around Ecuador. Many restaurants serve local food dishes which have this interesting cultural mix of new and old. Music often involves pipes and guitars and is great to relax to of your holiday. The local restaurants cook up fantastic local foods, but remember that the currency of Equador is now the dollar. The currency was changed to the dollar a few years ago, meaning that the economy has stabilised along with inflation rates, but is does mean that a trip can be rather expensive now. Remember that the currency is the dollar and bring travellers cheques with you.
Equador's weather can be hard to predict. Safe to say that the climate varies year round according to where one is in the country. The weather patterns are therefore completely different in Otavalo at one time of the year compared to how they are in Cuenca for example. Equally, the climate of the Amazon will probably be at the opposite end of the spectrum to that of the Galapogas islands when you are on vacation. Quito has a year round spring like climate - the weather is almost always good in Quito. But in the rest of the country is varies so much, it's really not worth worrying about the weather and if it is the right or best season to be visiting. In terms of the weather, the country is a year round destination to visit.
