Hello Daniel, this trip was quite an adventur...
Ecuador | Aug 20 - Sep 3, 2022

J
Janis Z.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Sep 06, 2022

Hello Daniel, this trip was quite an adventure. My favorite place was the Napo Cultural Center. I loved traveling the river in boats, the clay lick, the tower, our guide, Marcelo, and the wonderful staff.
The travel in the Andes to volcanos, caldera, etc. was beautiful and interesting. I don’t like moving hotels every night and some of the drives were too long. Our guide, Jorge, was very knowledgeable and helpful. I enjoyed having him with us. Two hotels stand out for me...in Quito the cultural Manor and CotopaxiPungo were both beautiful and interesting. The drive to the Cotopaxi Pungo was too rugged and long.
In the Galapagos, Bibi was excellent and then we had a mixture of guides. I would have appreciated more advance knowledge about the experiences, especially the trip to Bartolom, which I wisely skipped and would have been too much for me. Some of us went to Tortuga Bay which was very nice and should have been offered as an alternative. The hotel Deja Vu was nice, friendly and very well located. We all enjoyed it. (Ps...I was the oldest person in this group of 7)

Hotel Reviews
Boutique Hotel Cultura Manor
Quito

As a person who loves historical hotels and restoration, this was just right for me. Our room was charming and the common areas were pleasant and comfortable. We enjoyed dinner there one evening and 3 breakfasts in a lovely, sunny breakfast room. The staff were kind, attentive and helpful. I can’t speak about the location since we only used planned transportation.

Authenticity & Character
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Cotopaxi Pungo
Cotopaxi Area

I enjoyed this hotel. The location was stunning. I loved fires in the fireplaces and the beautiful restaurant/breakfast space. My dinner was excellent and the activities manager took us for an exploration of the grounds with great enthusiasm.

Location
Views in all directions.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms were chilly
Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos
Pto. Ayora

Very nice for the Galapagos

Location
Walking distance to village, shops and restaurants.
Staff
Friendly and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument
Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument
Quito

Guide, Marco, was great. It was Sunday so we experienced the bustle of the city. We also all enjoyed the cooking class and the tasty lunch we created.

Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Excellent guides and drivers. So appreciated.
Yet Another Day on an Uninhabited Island!
Yet Another Day on an Uninhabited Island!
Ecuador

Needed more advance knowledge of long, rough boat trip. I wisely skipped this. Alternative could have been offered.

Free Morning - Afternoon Boat Tour
Free Morning - Afternoon Boat Tour
Ecuador

Walked this island and met the local wildlife. Beach. Lunch. Snack were amazing.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Napo Cultural Center experience
Napo Cultural Center experience
Yasuni National Park

I loved this experience, guide, staff, indigenous presentation, tower, clay lick ., etc.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cotopaxi National Park - Quilotoa Lagoon - Baños
Cotopaxi National Park - Quilotoa Lagoon - Baños
Ecuador

I didn’t hike down. Took lots of time.

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island:  Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station
Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station
Puerto Ayora

Great guide, lunch, introduction to tortoises, Darwin Center. Fun!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Daniel Larrea
Daniel
Daniel Larrea
Local specialist in Quito, Ecuador | Replied on Sep 16, 2022

Hola Janis!
Thank you so much for your message and kind words! I truly enjoyed working with you and the group all this time! I am glad everything was able to come true in the end!
Your feedback is so important for us, thank you for sharing all of your thoughts, this will definitely help us improve even more in the future!
All of the guides send you and the group their best regards, it was an awesome experience!
Ecuador will always be here for you if you ever wish to come back!

Best regards from the middle of the world,
Daniel :)