Authentic Ecuador

Ariel was great to work with, and he made it very easy to plan this somewhat complex three-week trip, spanning almost the entire length of the country, including a week in the Galapagos Islands. His attention to detail was much appreciated as well as his perfect English language skills. We did all of the planning quite easily through email communications and the kimkim ap. We eventually were able to meet him in person in Quito on our first day. Authentic Ecuador was the in-country tour company that contracted with our personal guide on the mainland, Sebastian, who also turned out to be a fantastic host. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, friendly and fun, and a very skilled and safe driver. He really helped us to better understand and truly appreciate our Andean adventure. The week in Galapagos was more self-exploration and joining up with other tourist groups for snorkeling and boating activities to view wildlife. Park sanctioned guides were also very well trained and knowledgeable.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Laguna

Puerto Villamil

Great to be on the lagoon and so close to the beach. Staff was very accomodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Estalien was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very noisy on the street side so would suggest requesting a more interior room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Pretty standard fare for a big city airport hotel. We didn't spend much time here, but breakfast was good and we were able to walk to the airport for our Galapagos flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostería Paraíso Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba

Very nice garden and vibe. Staff were excellent, especially Franklin.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostal Posada Del Angel

Cuenca

Good location to walk around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mansion Santa Isabella

Riobamba

Would have preferred to be more on the outskirts of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Floresta

Baños

Good location to walk around town and even had a view of the waterfall.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge

Isinliví

This is a great place to stay and probably our favorite of the entire trip. Not super fancy but overall perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vieja Cuba

Quito

Clean. comfortable and quiet!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Crater Lake

Quito

Actually preferred visiting the market in Zumbuhua as it was more authentic and less commercialized. The hike at the Cuicocha Crater Lake and stop in Cotachi for leather shopping were good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Guayaquil Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Viviana was our sanctioned guide who met us at the airport and David was our driver on Santa Cruz. Lunch was great and the tortoises were amazing. Lava tubes were interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Saw lots of wildlife on this activity. Micheal was a good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

A nice adventure even in the rain. Darwin was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide and boat crew was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Mandango Mountain

Vilcabamba

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cajas National Park, Transfer to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Cajas hike was very nice and a good leg stretcher.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bay tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Chimborazo Volcano

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Pailón del Diablo Waterfall, Explore Baños

Baños

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Quilotoa Crater Lake, Transfer to Baños

Ecuador

Do not bypass Quilotoa, a absolutely gorgeous spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking around Isinliví

Isinliví

We adjusted this hike to better fit in with a visit to the Zumbuhua market. Did a hike in Isinlivi the following day which worked out well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Very touristy and not as interesting as the historic Quito City tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ariel Chasi did a fantastic job helping us plan the trip according to our interests, and Sebastian Carrera was an excellent guide who made our trip very relaxing and enjoyable. He taught us so much about Ecuador that we never would have discovered on our own. We really enjoyed the hikes we took at Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa Crater Lake, Chimborazo Volcano, and Mandango Mountain in Vilcabamba. Our favorite cities were Quito, Banos and Cuenca. Galápagos Islands were really special for the snorkeling and wildlife that we saw there. The trip was an experience we’ll never forget!

We had an incredible family trip to Ecuador. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned and showcased the country's stunning landscapes, culture, and wildlife. Some of the highlights included hand-feeding hummingbirds in Mindo, horseback riding in Cotopaxi, canyoneering in Banos and snorkeling in Galapagos. Our local mainland guide Cristobal was outstanding, bringing each destination to life with his knowledge, professionalism, and warmth. What a beautiful country, highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a memorable and worry-free adventure in Ecuador.

Hotel Reviews

La Isla Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakuna Matata Lodge

Archidona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sangay

Baños de Agua Santa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chilcabamba Lodge

Machachi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Having an amazing guide helped make this a great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alejandro stands out for his ability to manage so many different groups at one time. Without him we had been hard pressed to make it to the Galapagos. His crew (especially his son Sabastion was so entertaining the trip to the airport (45 minutes) passed in no time. Everyone was so prompt.
Paola went above and beyond, joining us for a dinner after hours and sharing wonderful information.

Tours on the island took us to places I wanted to see: blue footed boobies, and wonderful snorkeling opportunities.

We were to have a private driver and private transfer upon our arrival at Lima to our "airport" hotel. We waited over 1/2 hour for a bus to show up. If we weren't pushed to the front of the bus boarding area by our 'driver', we may not have had seats. Almost a half hour of driving later we arrived at the hotel which was in an apparently abandoned area of the old airport; the hotel itself was behind very tall, locked gates. They could not find our reservation but luckily had available rooms.,,,,not a good start to our vacation.

Our return trip from Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu to Cusco was to be via train. Instead, halfway back to Cusco, we had to transfer to a van for which we waited about 1/2 hour and rode another few hours without any restroom stop.

Our Cusco to Quito flight was to include only a stopover in Lima. Rather than the flights being booked as one reservation, we were booked on two separate reservations which meant we had to collect our bags from the carousel, recheck our bags and go through all security again.

All of the above could be chalked up to simple mistakes along the way.....we've traveled to 40 plus countries and are well aware not everything goes according to plan.

However, the trip to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain was awful and dangerous. First, the driver showed up 1/2 hour late.
Approaching the van in the early morning darkness it was clear it was a beat up, poorly maintained van.
After searching for my seatbelt for many minutes, I asked the driver "Sexy Puma" where it was....he said 'oh it is missing, find another seat' which I did. From where I sat I could see the van's poor condition. There were knobs missing from the interior of sliding door. The sliding door could not be opened from the outside without opening the right side rider's door and reaching behind the rider's seat. All windows were filthy, including the windshield which was difficult to see through.... for the driver as well!
Rather than filling up with gas before picking up passengers, we stopped to get gas. Rather than getting out of the van to clean the windshield Sexy Puma sat in the driver's seat while an attendant filled the tank.
All along the radio is blasting from 4:30AM on, yet the heater was not....if it was even turned on....it was about 40-45 degrees fahrenheit. There was little if any suspension left to absorb the very rough ride. Kathie would have been in abject pain if she had come along on this trip.....I'm so glad she didn't.
I took a walk around the van at one of the stops and took pictures of missing body parts but most alarmingly bald and gouged tires! I also have pictures of the windows, windshield, missing parts etc.
Worse, the driver was passing every vehicle we came upon including passing a semi-truck on a blind, double lined S curve. If the semi driver hadn't slammed his brakes and partially pulled of the road, we would have been head on with oncoming traffic!!!
The van and the driver should be taken off the road!!!