2 weeks in mainland Ecuador and Galapagos islands
Ecuador | Jul 2 - Jul 15, 2022

V
Valentí G.
Spain | Reviewed on Jul 17, 2022

Matthias was our travel specialist for our 2-week trip to mainland Ecuador and Galapagos Islands. He planned an itinerary including the capital Quito, the Amazon jungle at the Cuyabeno Reserve, the highlands with the city of Banos and Cotopaxi and Quilotoa volcanoes and finally Galapagos Islands. It was a fantastic trip and everything worked out very smoothly. As the time of our trip approached, Matthias provided us with plenty of exciting alternatives as it looked liked the protests by the indigenous communities will severely affect our initial plan (we were very lucky and it did not affect us in the end) but it was very reassuring to have him backing us up. He also showed up on the night of our bus to Cuyabeno to make sure there were no issues and was always available and making sure everything was right for us.
The guides provided for the activities also made sure we were having the best of the experiences. We'd like to give an special mention to Jimmy in Cuyabeno and Ulf Torsten in Sta Cruz (Galapagos). Overall it's been a great experience and we're happily recommending it!

Hotel Reviews
Vieja Cuba
Quito

Good overall hotel, good location, good breakfast, staff was attentive. As to improve, rooms felt slightly cold sometimes.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Jamu Lodge
Quito

Great place in the middle of the Amazon jungle. Staff made sure we had all the commodities. Shower water pressure and temperature had some problems but it was fixed considering the circumstances of the location

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Isla de Baños
Baños
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Lava House Hostal
Puerto Ayora

Great place in Sta Cruz. It's a 10-15 minutes walk from the pier so it's quiet and the atmosphere is very nice.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Excursion to an uninhabited island
Excursion to an uninhabited island
Ecuador

Unbelievable experience. We went to North Seymour and spotted lots of animals both in land and sea (turtles, rays, sea lions, iguanas, countless bird species...) The boat was very comfortable, food was good and all the staff were very helpful and kind. Our guide was very informative too.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jungle Hike, Dolphin & Caiman Spotting
Jungle Hike, Dolphin & Caiman Spotting
Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

The pink dolphins were probably our favourite experience of the whole trip, a truly magic moment. Our guide was really good at looking for the animals (big and small) and tried restlessly for us to have the best spotting experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Mathias Onisseit
Mathias
Mathias Onisseit
Local specialist in Quito, Ecuador | Replied on Jul 19, 2022

Valentí,

I hope you and Itziar arrived home safely after your long journey! I‘m very happy that the strikes ended just in time before your trip, so you could see all of the places you wanted to see.
I‘m glad to hear that you enjoyed your time here, and of course I will forward your thanks to Jimmy, Ulf, and all the others that made your trip possible.

Always safe travels,
Mathias