The trip into the Amazonia was really an eye-opener and very enjoyable a great place at the Napo nature Center.
Hotel Reviews
Hotel Galapagos Suites
Puerto Ayora
The owner of the hotel was super accommodating worried about us making all of the connections and whatnot call people just super helpful
Authenticity & Character
A nice courtyard very well camped Hotel
Location
Just off the main street close to the restaurants but not loud
Staff
Can't say enough about how helpful the order was the woman was super duper
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean very comfortable
Courtyard by Marriott Quito Airport
Quito
Authenticity & Character
He'll tell us at the airport so arrivals and departures are made super simple highly recommended if you got wait times involved
Staff
Staff are very helpful courteous and very businesslike
Cleanliness & Comfort
Super clean Hotel easy to use
Casa Playa Mann
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
The service is great the hotel is a lovely location and the owners are super friendly they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable
Authenticity & Character
It's authentic clearly built with some thought
Location
Close enough to the downtown area but without the crowds really close to a beach that's beautiful and a very comfortable location very comfortable Hotel
Staff
The owners were tremendous in service
Cleanliness & Comfort
Just excellent
Napo Cultural Center
Quito
I guess it's a hotel The cottages are really very nice when we were there was not a high concentration of people so it was very quiet also something I really appreciate they're very authentic they're in the rainforest but easy enough to walk to the pads are well done the food is great the service was very good and it was just a fun place to be
Authenticity & Character
The cabins are clean easy to get to up off the ground and it is the rainforest
Location
In the rainforest what more is to be said
Staff
Super service at the meals everything was very well done
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean comfortable cabins
Hotels right in the center of keto and the Old Town so it's very convenient that way it's an old building much like Old Town you would expect the only downside that I had was there's a lot to gate to get out in caseville fire could have been problematic
Authenticity & Character
Very real old building
Location
Right in the center of Old Town quito
Staff
Staff was always super accommodating ready to help always open the door when you ring the bell breakfast was good and well served generally very nice
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean very comfortable no questions in that area
Hotel La Laguna
Puerto Villamil
Puerto vida meal is comparatively small and not a lot going on so this is probably one of the premier hotels there it was clean comfortable the staff was accommodating
Authenticity & Character
It's near the ocean near the port and not too far from the few restaurants that exist there
Activity Reviews
Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike
Ecuador
Two and a half hours up the river a clay Bank to unload on and a muddy trail to get to the lodge it was an adventure the little electric carts that they use have no suspension but it was all just really worthwhile
Quality of Experience
Second time in the Amazonian rainforest and it just an amazing place to be
Guides, Drivers and Staff
They were all really good at what they did
Transport
Long boat rides long paddles the paddles up the Blackwater River a lot of animals out there monkeys jumping across the waterway Caymans birds huge blue butterflies that are so iconic
Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Flight to Quito
Ecuador
Another two and a half hour boat ride back up the river it had rain so there was quite a bit of log and debris floating in the river luckily the captain of the boat was able to avoid at all
Quality of Experience
Another long boat ride
Guided Hike to Tortuga Bay
Ecuador
A great Beach although some of the locals did refer to it as torture Beach the water was very nice at the equator hot hot hot sun very little shade on the trail but still very nice trail as a person who passed us commented Camino del Diablo
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed standing in the water after the hike
Food
Stopped at a local restaurant $7 lunches very good
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was good got taxis and introduced us to a local restaurant when we got back that was $7 lunch very good something I would not have tried on my own
Transport
A typical taxi ride in a pickup truck
Parrot clay lick - Intercultural interpretation center - Observation tower - Ancestral catamaran ride (NCC)
Yasuni National Park
The clay elixir something everybody should probably experience at least once the parrots are truly showing their their own behaviors
Quality of Experience
It's a very popular place so they're typically will be several boats in the river at the same time
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was excellent pointed out things that we might not have seen on our own
Transport
A boat ride like all the others on the river
Community projects - Paddling excursion - Traditional dinner - Night walk (NCC)
Yasuni National Park
I enjoyed the women's Center and the experience that we had there the way that the fires were built the cooking the food bits it was all very interesting the night walk was dark and wet the day we were there but that's kind of what the rainforest is about
Quality of Experience
Definitely something you need to experience
Food
Excellent food including the jungle bacon
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
It's a long ways up there for a couple of hours so comfortable seats help
Given the altitude changes in keto and the steepness of the hills we were somewhat concerned about the bike trip it turned out to be kind of a highlight actually we went to the serpent house in the park and an open air fruit market that was truly great the guides were both very good and it turns out they had the pretty flat route
Quality of Experience
Really enjoyed the Open Air market and the fruit
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very good guiding experience they didn't push us too hard to and traffic was not that bad
Visit the "Middle of the World"
Ecuador
So much more at the equator than you could ever even consider second time I've been there and they have added the actual equator center not just the monument that was apparently a bit off .
Quality of Experience
When you're right down the equator things really happen differently balances completely different water does not have a Coriolis effect who knew
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Thought they were all very good
Snorkel at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)
Ecuador
Water clarity was not particularly good the day we were there so it was kind of disappointing I'm not a huge fan of snorkeling but you didn't really get to see very much because of the water clarity issues
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The staff and the drivers did what they could but you only can work with what you got
Bike Ride & Visit La Lobería
Ecuador
A lot of sea lions everywhere but they had decent restaurants and certainly an experience of different types of people's and whatever bingo game on a Friday night sea lion in the middle of the plaza experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Staff was truly amazing our guide and driver was it really interesting guy
Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station
Puerto Ayora
A strangely compelling place it's very out of the ordinary not what I expected at all and I really enjoyed it
Quality of Experience
It was hot as it is at the equator but there's quite a bit of shade which I found to be useful and the museum Center part is air conditioned so it gave you a little bit of relief
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Good guide
Snorkel at Los Túneles
Ecuador
I'd pretty much give it up snorkeling by the time we got here my partner was much into it but I did talk to a nice young German guy who had eardrum problems and couldn't snorkel so that part was really worthwhile. You get a whole different perspective no
Quality of Experience
Walking on the lava was impossible for me I have no balance so that was torture
Guides, Drivers and Staff
I thought the guys did a great job and the boat driver was very good an old fisherman knew how to get amongst the rocks
Transport
He retired fisherman who knew the rocks in the passages and went places that I thought were pretty darn narrow
Highlands of Santa Cruz Island
Ecuador
Lots of huge tortoises the one right at the entrance at likes the bananas that are hanging up will follow you around if you're wearing bright yellow shoes he's pretty sure that those are bananas so that was a good time lots of tortoises they're just doing tortoise like things
Food
Ate at the restaurant as part of this event and it was very good food your typical chicken or fish well done tasty
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano
Ecuador
Probably could have avoided this activity a Long Walk 3% up to the top end when you get there there's civista but not much in the Vista but it is hot
Quality of Experience
Long walk up a a ton of stairs with not a huge amount of scenery at the top
Transport
A long slow boat ride however the yucca puffs were good
Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras
Ecuador
I would have to characterize this is a low quality adventure essentially a paddle around the narrow Bay or a small Bay there are things to be seen lots of turtles some penguins but all in all you're out in the hot sun and open Kayak it wasn't my favorite
Quality of Experience
Less than an hour paddle and an open Kayak not my favorite
Local specialist: Ariel Chasi
