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been to Ecuador?

Started 1 year ago by JoB
Latest reply from JoB

JoB
Member Profile

hubby and i are thinking of going to
Ecuador to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

i find that my usual keyboard tapping isn't turning up the kind of info i am looking for.
so i am looking for people who have been there done that and didn't bring home a t-shirt.

What is Ecuador's off season for tourism?
Do the airfares drop significantly?
is it better to fly out of Houston or Miami and why?
would a connection through mexico be cheaper and or shorter actual flying time?

Did you stay in an Americanized hotel or one of the smaller local hotels or a home stay?
Did you visit the coast?
what time of year?
How bad is the humidity there?
how did you get around?

we are not normally tour travelers
should i be talking to a travel agent for this one?
if so.. why? and... who?

Posted 1 year ago #
Franci
Member Profile

Jo,

One of my fav online resources for travelling is TripAdvisor.com - have you tried that.. I was just looking out there to see what they have and found a quirk.. when searching the forums - which is where I like to do my research... anyway once you get to South America -> select the sub topic of Quito and puts you in the ecuador forum listing.. for some reason when to try to go directly there it doesn't work.. My 2 cents worth.. :) Sounds exciting!

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

how did you know i would want to head to quito?
:) everyone else assume the galapagos.

Posted 1 year ago #
guidosmom
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Job - My good friend spent some time in Ecuador. She works for a company in West Seattle that specializes in ecotours. I went on one a few years ago, but to Brazil, not Ecuador. It was a great price and an amazing experience. I can put you in touch with her if you like. She might have some good advice about the area as well.

Posted 1 year ago #
dufus
Member Profile

The equator is a terrible place to visit, very hot.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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maybe they like hot. There are some very beautiful places in South America...the world should be explored.

Posted 1 year ago #
Wethead
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Do some research at lonelyplanet.com. It's a good starting point for independent travelers. Look at its Destinations section for basic background information, then at the Thorn Tree forum for recent comments by travelers. And if you live near Westwood Village, you might want to browse the travel section at Barnes and Noble. They have a good selection of travel books, including those from Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Moon, etc. I'd offer specific advice about Ecuador, but it's been 15 years since I was there.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

Wethead...

i have been to lonely planet but didn't find the thorn tree forum. i will look for it.

unfortunately.. as of a couple of weeks ago... Barnes and Noble at Westwood Village didn't have a single travel book on Ecuador but we were able to get one from the library.

it's good to begin to know what questions to ask.

dufus...

Ecuador is only hot at low elevations. most of the country is very very high... 8000 ft at Quito.

genhillone...

yes.. i would like it if you could put us together.
to say that i have questions is an understatement.
I am still assessing my health risks there.

Posted 1 year ago #
EdoSensei
Member Profile

I went to Ecuador June 2007. It has become one of my favorite places. I think I flew out of Dallas. It doesnt matter. I landed in Quito and took a 2 hr bus to Otavalo the next day. I wanted to spend most of my time in Otavalo. The place is great once the daytrippers leave and you have the place to yourself. Even though it is on the Equator, Otavalo in high in the Andes, the temps were very mild. I had heard it has one of the best native markets in the western hemisphere and I was not disappointed. I happen to be there during the summer solstice. Serendipity has always been my guide. The mix of pagan and christian pagentry was spectacular to see. The locals were dressed in their finest dress. There were religious processions, music festivals and native dancing. Very friendly place and easy to walk around the small town. I stayed at the Hotel Otavalo and at Acoma Hotel which is a B&B. Both were around $20. On my return to Quito I stayed at the Hotel Real Audiencia with a view of the plaza. Since I was arriving late into Quito the first night, I reserved a room at Eugencia Hotel. I found them on TripAdvisor. You dont need a travel agent. Go to the Lonely Planet website and order the chapters you need. Have a great trip!

Posted 1 year ago #
pigeonmom
Member Profile

Do NOT eat the cuy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuy

Posted 1 year ago #
Wethead
Member Profile

Too bad about the recent selection at Barnes & Noble. I suspect the holidays reduced their supply. Normally they have pretty much anything.

The Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com can be difficult to wade through, but it does have lots of useful posts from people with very recent experience. You can try posting your questions there, but be sure you've researched the forum first. Many of their posters are not very tolerant of those who ask questions that have been answered repeatedly. And they're not nearly as polite as people at the WSB forum.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

Wethead...

LOL... thanks for the warning...
And yes, you are right.
those who post here are for the most part remarkably polite.

Posted 1 year ago #
lazybeard
Member Profile

If you want to read first hand accounts of places to stay, places to eat, etc, similar to TripAdvisor, look on FlyerTalk.com. I've used their forums for various places (Rome, Florence, Denver, even Seattle) to find places to stay, and places to visit.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

lazybeard

i linked to flyertalk.com.
they want the month date and year of my birth.

i don't think so.

thanks anyway.

Posted 1 year ago #
charlabob
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Call Rick Steeves radio show and/or participate in his forums. I've used his info both for places I know and places I don't know and he's the best!

Posted 1 year ago #
guidosmom
Member Profile

Job - My friend's name is Amelia. You can get in touch with her or her boss at: info@expeditiontrips.com
I believe they still do trips to Ecuador and Amelia spent some time traveling in Ecuador.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

thanks

Posted 1 year ago #
lazybeard
Member Profile

JoB,

Like any other site, they don't validate with you, just put in anything for said information. You don't need an account to browse a forums, only to search.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

lazybeard...

i am laughing because i told my husband at lunch today that i had declined to register at a site because they asked for my birthdate and he laughed at me.

it simply didn't occur to me to lie...

it's not that i think giving false info to access a site is a bad thing
it just didn't occur to me.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucky chick
Member Profile

Depends on your goals - Lonely Planet is fine for the tourist path, but I find them to be terribly lacking for any kind of nature/science type trip. I spend quite a bit of time in Ecuador because of a project I work on, but I'm almost entirely in the forest except for the regular Quito-Otovalo-Galapagos little tourist trips (also fun, just not my thing - except Galapagos!). I love the traveler-type guest houses, cheap and everywhere.

Check the rainy season where you want to go (winter, generally). Roads wash out and the can make it absolutely impossible to get around by car, and really strenuous on foot!!

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

lucky chick..

I too prefer the nature/science type of trip but unfortunately my feet are as sketchy as the roads in rainy season these days.. so i won't be doing the tromping i once did.

is it possible to get off the beaten path without a car and is renting a car a reasonable idea there?

we don't plan to go to Galapagos this trip.. tho we will likely visit Cuenca.

We are generally B&B or small hotel travelers so the guest houses have looked intriguing... but i also have "issues" that make modern plumbing necessary.

I know visiting Ecuador is possible for me if i stick to the beaten tourist path. What i want to know is it possible for me if i don't..

and that kind of info is difficult to find in most tourist guides.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucky chick
Member Profile

Ah, I have issues about plumbing, mainly that I really really like plumbing that works :). The cities in Ecuador are pretty good, except don't expect to find public toilets. Some of the day trips out of the cities can involve long bus/taxi rides. I wouldn't consider renting a car, so I don't know if I can advise on that. But if you need to avoid the buses, your guest house can help you get a car and driver to go about anywhere. The long-distance buses have bathrooms but they are not exactly luxurious - for desperate situations only!

You can definitely get into the jungle with some mobility challenges, just because there are so many rainforest lodges geared toward less-adventurous travelers (not implying you are one of these, just saying that they make for more easy-type travel opportunities than were available pre-tourist-development). They can be quite expensive, as I'm sure you're finding out, but they can get you to a rainforest lodge via boat.

Sorry I can't be of much help outside of forest opportunities. Except to say there are lovely towns that you can get to easily and stay comfortably and see nice markets and farms and such (Mindo comes to mind, and the east slopes of the Andes).

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

lucky chick...

i have chronic fatigue syndrome and have been advised that the rainforest is probably not a good health risk for me .. i don't tolerate anti-malarial's well:(

and probably not the eastern coastal areas for the same reasons...

but i will follow up on guest houses in the more western areas we are interested in...

my heart is incredibly adventurous
but my body requires planning these days:(

thank you.
this is exactly the kind of info i needed.

Posted 1 year ago #
Vanessa
Member Profile

Hi JoB, my dearest friend has a travel adventure company. http://www.AdventureAssociates.net (20 plus years in West Seattle) I know she has trips to Ecuador and you could check out her site and get some information. She is traveling some this week FYI. Her name is Sandy Braun 206-932-8352 Travel Mercies.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

Vanessa...

you have seen to the heart of the kind of travel that interests me..
Unfortunately .. the more physical aspects of adventure travel are out of my reach now.

The good news is that i took advantage of that kind of adventure when i was able
the bad news is that as tempting as those trips look they are no longer one of my possibilities :(

Posted 1 year ago #
lucky chick
Member Profile

Good luck to you. The good news is, there's lots to see in Ecuador that doesn't require a lot physically. Heck, even the taxi rides are an adventure! And some of the guest houses have such comfortable and attractive patios and decks, it's a pleasure to sit and people-watch. The climate at the higher elevations is wonderful!

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

thanks..
i am looking forward to the possibilities...
i am not chair bound
but have to take my adventure is small manageable doses...

as baby boomers age it gets easier to find info
one day i will find a travel site that marks modern restrooms and park benches:)

right now google maps doesn't even mark lodging and dining outside the major cities:(

Posted 1 year ago #

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