Geodyssey Ecuador and Galapagos Brochure

8/19/2019 Geodyssey Ecuador and Galapagos Brochure

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Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands

GEODYSSEY


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Ecuador

2 GEODYSSEY LTD REGISTERED OFFICE: 116 TOLLINGTON PARK LONDON N4 3RB REGISTERED IN ENGLAND: NO 2782574

Travel notesGetting therePlease see our Booking Information insert forcurrent details of flights to Ecuador and theGalápagos.

AccommodationThe choice of hotels and lodges on Ecuador’smainland depends very much on where you are.In the major cities of Quito, Guayaquil and Cuencathere is good selection of hotels, but elsewhere

one has to choose more carefully–though thereare some very attractive good quality characterfulhotels. We have personally visited, inspected andoften stayed overnight in, almost all the hotelswe offer.

Travel optionsThe choice of travel options is also good. You can join one of our small group escorted tours, travelindependently with or without a guide, or followa pre-booked itinerary with a hire car.

A note of cautionEcuador is becoming popular as a travel destina-tion and a reasonable tourist infrastructure isemerging, but it is still a developing country sub- ject to sporadic inadequacies and inefficiencies. Aflexible positive attitude and a little patience will

help you to maximise your enjoyment of your trip.GuidesOur guides are all Ecuadorians—the best personto introduce you to a country is a local, and ourclients’ reactions support this. A good guide turnsa successful trip into a truly memorable one withfresh insights, which foreign guides struggle tomatch.

They are typically well-educated, fluent Eng-lish speakers and very experienced. They knowhow to make things work locally and to help putthings back on the rails if something needs to bechanged at the last minute.

Drivers and boatmen may have English which atbest is only serviceable—you will have plenty of

opportunity to practise your Spanish or your signlanguage with them!

Your protection You may book with Geodyssey in the knowledge that your

money is completely protected.

Geodyssey holds an ATOLlicence, supervised by the CivilAviation Authority. The CAA makestipulations as to our paid-upshare capital to help make surethat we stay in business, and theyrequire us to lodge a bond as surety so that cli-ents who buy domestic or international flights aspart of the holiday they purchase from us will beprotected should the company fail. The protec-

tion afforded by the ATOL bond extends primarilyto customers who book and pay in the UnitedKingdom.

It is not widely recognised that this systemdoes not protect those who do not buy anyflights. Geodyssey also protects these customersby safeguarding the money paid for their holidayin a trust administered by solicitors, until theirholiday is complete.

The air holidays in this brochure are ATOL pro-tected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOLnumber is 5292.

Contact usGeodyssey Ltd

116 Tollington ParkLondon N4 3RB England

www.geodyssey.co.uk

Tel: 020 7281 7788Fax: 020 7281 7878Email: [email protected]

Welcome

GEODYSSEY IS NOT AN ORDINARY TRAVEL COMPANY. WE STARTED LIFE IN 1993 AS A SPEcialist for holidays to Venezuela, for which we developed a dedicated and personal style thatmany people seem to like. We now offer a similarly in-depth travel service to other countries

in Latin America and the ‘green’ Caribbean including Ecuador and the Galápagos, Costa Rica, Nicara-gua, and Trinidad & Tobago.

We try to offer everything that is best about a country. As each is unique what we offer is tailored towhat works best in that destination.

We try to go beyond the usual tourist experience, to give you a real feel for a country in the contextof a well-organised trip that makes best use of precious time and budgets.

By really getting under the skin of the places we visit we can help you make the most of your timethere, and return with the satisfaction of a real understanding as well as having had a fabulous holi-day.

It seems to work. In questionnaires our customers send us when they return from their holidays themost frequent comment is

“This was the best holiday we have ever had”

Our philosophy is to support local economies and apply a fairly-traded travel ethos, minimise anyharmful impact on the natural environment and local cultures, and to encourage conservation wher-ever we can.

We concentrate on ecotourism, wildlife and outdoor activities, as well as great beaches and char-

acterful lodges. Few of us want to do only one thing with our holiday time, so we provide you with awide choice. We know a great deal about organising specialist pursuits like day walks, adventuroustreks, birdwatching and scuba diving, so you can mix these in as well.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine expressed it well when they included Geodyssey in their SpecialAgent List:

“This list represents those who have impressed me the most with their knowledge of specific

destinations and types of travel. They also possess a certain degree of frankness, friendliness,

taste, the willingness to work with a range of customers and budgets, and an understanding

of the types of experiences that Conde Nast Traveler readers want.”

Welcome to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands – we hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!

Gillian Howe and John Thirtle

GEODYSSEY LTD REGISTERED OFFICE: 116 TOLLINGTON PARK LONDON N4 3RB REGISTERED IN ENGLAND: NO 2782574

When to visit mainland Ecuador

There are large variations in weather around the country, primarily due to differences in altitude.In the Andes, June to September are generally drier and clearer than the rest of the year (6-7hrs of sun-

shine as opposed to 5-6hrs at other times). At other times, a typical sierra day would start with a sunny clearmorning, clouding over later in the afternoon perhaps with some rain. Cloud and rain are created by themountains, so vary widely as you move around them. There is little difference in temperature around theyear. See the weather chart for Quito.

In the Amazon, warm temperatures and high levels of humidity are the norm. It rains too (hence therainforest) , but not as much as you might think. You would be unlucky to lose more than half a day to rainin a 4 day visit—but it doeshappen.

The Pacific Coast is popu-lar with locals from Christ-mas to Easter, when it isvery hot, with mostly clearskies but frequent show-ers. From June to Octoberit is cooler and drier butwith misty mornings. Seethe chart for Guayaquil.

For seasons on theGalápagos see page 27.

Member of the

Latin American Travel Association

Member of

Friends of Galápagos

Geodyssey has b een awarded Greenstop.Net’s

highest rating for environmental and s ocial

awareness

Gillian Howe of Geodyssey

was chosen by Conde Nast Traveler

magazine for its ‘Special Agent List’.

Printed on 100% chlorine free paper produced under ISO14001 and EMAS, using pulp from

certified Well Managed Forests.


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Ecuador

GEODYSSEY | ECUADOR www.geodyssey.co.uk/ecuador reservations: 020 7281 7788 3

A T DAWN, AFTER ONE OF THOSE CHILLYnights that leaves the air as clear as glass,you can see a large part of mainland Ec-

uador from the top of Cotopaxi, the volcano inthe photograph above.

The sun rises over thousands of miles of Ama-zon forest to the east, lighting up the wisps ofvapour breathed by the sleeping trees. There,cooking fires are warming families who live onwhat the forest can provide, as howler monkeysgreet the day with their roars and countlessbirds strike up morning calls.

The deep lowland forest comes right to the

foot of the mountains and flows up them, trans-forming itself to cloud forest as tropical down-pours turn to cool Andean mists. The mountainsflow to the north and south, punctuated byvolcanic peaks some of which, like Cotopaxi, areyoung enough to grumble, steam and threaten,and tall enough to gleam with snow.

In the still dark west, the Pacific Ocean waitsfor the day beyond a second sierra of the Andes,with its own rich cloud forests and snowy topsculminating in the mighty Chimborazo—sixty

miles away but clear to the eye. Between thetwo sierras the land, though never level, sup-ports generations of the hard working farmersnow rubbing their eyes as the cock crows.

Cradled under Pichincha volcano, across fromyour vantage point, the street lights of Quito tella different story, one assembled from centuriesof change going back to the time of the IncaAtahualpa, and beyond into unrecorded his-tory. Razed by generals, rebuilt by priests, andgoverned from Madrid for nearly three hundredyears, its streets will soon be busy with a life thatlooks as much to New York as it does to the past.

Far into the Pacific, beyond the plantationsthat lead to the coast, lie the Galápagos, Ecua-dor’s distant possession. On islands formed byvolcanoes that came from the sea bed and iso-

lated by 600 miles of ocean, life has adapted innew ways that helped to inspire Darwin’s theoryof evolution. Today there has been so l ittle con-tact with man that animals there have no par-ticular fear of us and allow us the great privilegeof being tolerated in their presence.

Travelling around Ecuador is a lesson on howa great deal can be packed into a small space—not that you could begin to see it all fromCotopaxi. We hope this brochure will help toshow the wonderful landscapes, many differenttraditional cultures, and fabulous biodiversitythat Ecuador offers. With some good hotels tochoose from, reasonably easy travel, and sup-port for activities from climbing to birdwatching,Ecuador also offers a very warm welcome.

Contents

Ecuador 3

Quito and the Northern Andes 4

Central Andes 6

Cuenca and the Southern Andes 8

Amazon 10

Guayaquil and the Pacific 11

Ecuador Odyssey small group holiday 12

Independent touring 14

Self-drive 19

Walking, trekking and riding 20

Birdwatching 22

Galápagos 24Galápagos islands 26

Galápagos cruises 29

Add-ons 31

Peru, Venezuela and Bonaire 31

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Ecuador


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Ecuador

Quito and the northern Andes

QUITO’S LARGE, WELL PRESERVED, HIStoric quarter of cobbled streets and im-pressive colonial buildings, many with

ornate façades and richly decorated interiors, isa UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site.

The city was founded a thousand years ago as thecentre of the Kingdom of Quito, an alliance of regionaltribes that eventually formed the northern part of theIncan empire. Razed in the conquest, Quito was recon-structed under the Spanish who built 40 churches and16 convents and monasteries with cloisters, plazas,courtyards, chapter rooms and refectories. They com-bined European renaissance and baroque styles withindigenous and mestizo influences, often reusing Incanfoundations and recycling fine Incan stone blocks. The

result is a uniquely Andean capital, connecting centu-ries of changing civilisations.

At the centre of the whitewashed walls and pan-tiledroofs of the Old City is the Plaza de la Independencia,a large and attractive square impressively surroundedby the four pillars of colonial society: the Cathedral,Presidential Palace, Archbishop’s Palace and MunicipalPalace (now a modern replacement). With its well keptflower beds this bustling location makes a good placefor the city’s well-to-do to congregate and talk, witha few having their shoes shined while they watch theworld go by.

Entering from the heat of the equatorial sunshinethrough huge carved doors into the cool dark interiorof a colonial church in the Old City you are first met bythe rich scent of incense from palo santo wood. The

interior sparkles with hundreds of twinkling devotionalcandles. On approaching the central aisle a vast altargilded in gold or silver leaf succeeds in its intention ofinstilling awe. The most ornate, the Church of La Com-

pañía de Jesús, constructed by the Jesuits in 1605, hasa lace-work façade of twisted columns, sacred heartsand cherubs carved in volcanic rock, while the insidewas laden with a reputed 7 tonnes of gold leaf. Onecan only imagine the impact such temples made onlocal people whose worship of the sun was to be con-verted to the worship of the Christian deity.

There are about a thousand private homes amidthe fine religious and public buildings of the Old City.The most prestigious 19th century houses have threeinternal courtyards. The first, opening to the street,was used for receiving visitors and typically has afountain in the centre. The second was for householdchores such as drying the laundry, and the third wasfor livestock such as hens, guinea pigs and horses. Fora glimpse inside one of these houses we recommenda visit to the highly decorated María Augusta UrrutiaMuseum.

To meet the need for religious art for the new church-es the Spanish encouraged local painters and sculptorsto adopt the European style, creating a blend of indig-enous and European art that became known as theQuito School. In sculpture the features of Christ andthe saints are European but the proportions of theirbodies are Andean: broad-chested and short-legged.Andean plants and animals were introduced, and sunmotifs were incorporated into church decoration. Thegreat artists in this tradition worked between 1660 and1765, but today a school for street children teaches thehistoric techniques and is open to visitors.

The Virgin of Quito, a painting by Bernardo de Le-

garda, a master of the Quito School, was the inspirationfor the 30m high statue that stands on El Panecillo hilloverlooking the Old City. It depicts the Virgin Marywith silvery wings standing on an orb with a serpentcurled around her feet and chained to her arm.

Beyond the Old City, Quito is developing fast. Con-strained by the steep sides of Pichincha volcano to thewest, the new city extends north and east, with busycommercial streets, trendy shopping areas, modernmuseums and city parks giving way to light industry,poor barrios and comfortable suburbs. The Mariscalarea is conveniently central, and has good shops, res-taurants and hotels.

Quito’s altitude of 10,000 feet tempers the equatorialheat to that of a year round Mediterranean spring. Takeit easy for the first few days while your red blood cellsadjust to the noticeably thinner air.

The middle of the worldThe pre-Hispanic people of the Kingdom of Quitoknew full well that they lived at the equator: they hadsolar observatories and temples to the sun and usedastronomical measurements to govern their agricultur-al calendar. To underline the point, the original mean-ing of ‘Quito’ is said to be ‘centre of the earth’.

In European terms, the location of zero degrees oflatitude was first derived by a mission led by CharlesMarie de la Condamine in 1736, when Ecuador was stillpart of the Viceroyalty of Peru. A sturdy monument setin a small theme park now straddles the French line incelebration of this triumph of geodesy, which by meas-uring the length of a degree of latitude proved that theearth bulges at the equator and thereby that Newton’stheory of gravity was superior to Descartes’.

200m to the north the eclectic Inti-Ñan museum ispositioned at 00°.00’.00’’ latitude according to modernGPS measurements and provides an off-beat take onequatorial phenomena such as spiralling bath waterand eggs balanced on the point of a nail, with an intro-duction to how local people lived in the olden days.

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Modern Ecuadorians take pride in their position inthe middle of the world. Not only did i t name theircountry, the equator brings unexpected benefits suchas the ability to grow long straight-stemmed roses,now exported far and wide.

OtavaloAt Otavalo, a small town two hours north of Quito, thecraft traditions of indigenous Ecuadorians take centrestage. Its Saturday market is widely reckoned to be thebiggest and best in South America for textiles, ethnic jewellery, and traditional crafts. Rows and rows of well-stocked stalls offer countless variations on traditionalthemes, many adapted to visitors’ current tastes. Alarge food market and animal market complete thescene. The craft and food markets continue in smaller

form throughout the week.Otavalo men wear black hats over long black hair

tied in a single plait, with a blue poncho, white trousersand sandals. Women choose colourfully embroideredwhite blouses beneath finely woven shoulder wrapsand as many chunky gold necklaces as they can de-cently afford, with a full black skirt (often finished witha gold braided hem) adorned with an intricately wovencloth belt.

In colonial times the indigenous people of Otavalowere put to work in obrajes, or weaving workshops,to produce textiles, wool and cotton for their Spanishmasters. Though the skills of the craft were instilled byforce, today they are cherished and passed from eachgeneration to the next. Otavaleños now stand out asproud examples of prosperity and cultural confidence

that other highland communities are becoming keento emulate.

There are many craft workshops in villages aroundOtavalo where you can see a range of crafts in action

tween the feeders that lodge owners provide, display-ing a staggering variety of plumage in metallic greens,blues, rusts and oranges, some with exuberantly longbills, others with impressive tails, wacky little crests oreven little ‘boots’ of white feathers.

For travel ideas see: ‘Ecuador Odyssey’ (small group, p12),

‘Independent Ecuador Odyssey’ (p14), ‘Haciendas of Dis-

tinction’ (p16), ‘Day walks in the Andes’ (p20), ‘Cotopaxi

Ascent’ (p21) and ‘Birds of Northern Ecuador’ (p23).

from traditional weaving on shuttle and backstraplooms, to pan pipes being made (and played).

The caldera of several of Ecuador’s extinct volcanoesare now filled by crater lakes. The most accessible ofthese is the beautiful Laguna Cuicocha (‘Guinea PigLake’ in Quichua), situated just north of Otavalo onthe southern slopes of Cotacachi volcano. Islands inthe lake resemble a pair of guinea pigs, and are saidto have been used as a prison by the Incas. A pleasantday’s walking takes you around the rim of the crater,with llamas carrying your lunch.

Antisana and PapallactaTo the east of Quito, the only road rises to a high

pass between the four snow-capped peaks of Antisanavolcano (5,758m) to the south and the mountains ofCordillero El Diviso to the north, both of which areprotected ecological reserves.

There are excellent short walks in the hills near theroad in landscapes of open páramo (high moorlands),forested ravines, rocky outcrops and glaciated lakes. Itis often possible to see condors cruising the sky.

Back at ground level this area is rich in thermal wa-ters and a stop in the hot springs and spa at Papallactais a must.

Mindo cloud forestsThe western mountains shield Quito from the moistair of the Pacific, which saturates their seaward slopes.Here dense cloud forests provide some of the mostbiodiverse environments on the planet as birdwatch-ers, orchid specialists and butterfly enthusiasts will

testify. The pleasant small town of Mindo has come tobe the focus for ecotourism visitors to the area, withsmall lodges in the town and its surroundings.

Hummingbirds are a particular favourite, zipping be-

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Ecuador

Central Andesthe western chain, while seen to the east are Pasochoa(4,199m), Rumiñahui (4,712m), Cotopaxi (5,897m),Quilindaña (4,877m), Tungurahua (5,029m), El Altar(5,319m), and Sangay (5,230m). The snow-line is usu-ally around 5,000m.

The most impressive of these are Cotopaxi and Chim-borazo.

Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in theworld. Its perfectly symmetrical cone covered in a thickblanket of snow and ice rises gracefully from a beauti-ful high plain of grasslands grazed by herds of wildhorses who gather to drink at the lovely Limpiopungolagoon–a good spot for waterfowl and other birds,with the jagged white peaks of nearby Rumiñahuivolcano reflected in its surface.

Walking in Cotopaxi National Park you will noticevolcanic debris of pumice and ash amid the tinypáramos plants. On a day trip it is possible to drive ashigh as 4,600m (15,092ft) on the slopes of the volcanothen hike up a scree to reach the snout of its glacier at4,800m (15,748ft). The thinness of the air means thisshort distance can take well over an hour.

Chimborazo, long extinct, is the tallest mountain inEcuador. Due to the bulge in the Earth at the equatorits summit is the furthest point from the centre of theplanet, surpassing even Everest. It was first climbed byEnglish climber Edward Whymper in 1880. Day walkerswho have acclimatised well to the altitude can trek tothe edge of the glacier with ‘los hieleros’ (the ice men)who collect blocks of ice every week to supply stall-holders in Riobamba market.

Quilotoa ‘loop’ Laguna Quilotoa is a breathtaking emer-ald green lake lying hidden until the very last momentbehind the steep walls of a 3km wide volcanic caldera.It is well worth walking from the crater’s rim down to

the lake shore 300m below, returning by mule. A smallcountry road passes near the crater and links a numberof local villages in a circular route, each with its owncharacter. The larger villages hold markets on differentdays of the week: at Saquisilí, the Thursday market fillsseven small plazas and connecting streets. Naïve paint-ings are a speciality of Tigua.

Springs and spas Because of the geothermal activity inthe Andes sulphur baths and hot springs are a wel-come diversion. Whatever their therapeutic claims,the experience of bathing outside in steaming bubblywater after a day in the highlands is not to be missed.Some, such as those in Baños are aimed at the localfamily market, while others, notably Termas Papallactain the north, make foreign visitors and sophisticatedspa enthusiasts from Quito their priority.

HaciendasSeveral of Ecuador’s haciendas—large private estatesscattered throughout the highlands—make character-ful and comfortable places to stay in a variety of stylesand sizes, from sprawling mansions to ancient farm-houses much adapted over generations.

The best land in the highlands was parcelled out tothe conquistadors and the settlers that followed in theform of encomiendas—entitlements to tributes in cash,produce and labour from the ‘indians’ (a hated name,‘indígenas’—indigenous people—is much preferred).In return the settlers were entrusted to convert theircharges to Christianity. Initially a practical encourage-ment to colonisation with altruistic overtones, thesystem became subverted to the simple accumulation

of wealth, reducing indigenous people to extremepoverty and serfdom.

By the late 1690s the encomiendas were in decline asthe indigenous population was reduced by epidemics,

W ONDERFUL SCENERY IS COMMONplace almost everywhere you travel inthe Andes, but the central highlands

south of Quito offer some of the loveliest moun-tain scenery in the country. The fertile valleybetween the main eastern and western sierrashas been heavily populated since pre-Incantimes. Large haciendas control the best land onthe valley floor, while higher slopes are farmedby Quichua-speaking families who wring smallcrops of potatoes and maize from precipitousfields and terraces. Their winding lanes andpeaceful hamlets, coupled with immense views,volcanic peaks, beautiful crater lakes, and ‘per-

petual spring’ weather, make many parts of thesierras especially good for walking and trekking.

The Incan Royal Road between Quito and Cusco inPeru followed the valley’s contours, as does the mod-ern Pan-American Highway and the old railway line,whose westward branch plunges down the Devil’sNose towards the Pacific.

The Avenue of the VolcanoesIn this part of Ecuador, the Andes are at their mostvolcanic, with over fifty peaks (a good number of themactive) pushing upwards from the colliding tectonicplates below. Alexander von Humboldt described theroute south from Quito to Riobamba as the ‘Avenue ofthe Volcanoes’, with the peaks of the twin sierras ar-rayed on either side.

Driving south on the Pan American Highway on afine day gives dramatic views of Pichincha (4,675m),Atacazo (4,463m), Corazón (4,788m), Ilinizas (5,248m),Carihuayrazo (5,028m) and Chimborazo (6,310m) in

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drought and earthquakes. They were replaced by thehacienda estates and a new system of serfdom called huasipungo. The workers’ obligations continued butthey were allowed tiny allotments in which they wereexpected to grow their families’ food in their sparetime. Typically these plots were on the steepest, leastfertile parts of the estate. This system was not replaceduntil a 1964 land reform which entitled the indígenas to own land their families had farmed for centuries.

The haciendas’ land has been significantly reducedby further reforms, and their owners have diversified.Many now receive paying guests. Origins aside, theyare fascinating places to stay, often set in beautifulgardens, furnished with family heirlooms, and with logfires lit against the evening air of the mountains. Horseriding is commonly available but note that few cansupply hard hats, so bring your own if you wish to ride.

Indigenous peoplesOn any visit to the Andes you will certainly see a greatmany people wearing traditional dress of many kinds.The strength and vibrancy of indigenous cultures,which have persisted since pre-Incan times, gives thehighlands a special flavour.

A quarter of Ecuador’s population are indigenous.The largest of the indigenous ‘nations’ is the Quichua,who are spread in various groupings throughout thehighlands and in Peru (where the spelling is ‘Quechua’).Quichua is their language of choice, though most arebilingual in Quichua and Spanish.

Traditional costume is used in the highlands to showone’s standing as a true runa (Quichua for ‘person’) andto denote the local community to which you belong.

Different styles, designs, and colours of ponchosand blouses, skirts and trousers, belts and hair bands

are worn by the men and women of each highlandcommunity. Hats too show where you are from. Felttrilbies trimmed with peacock feathers are favoured bymen and women around Quilotoa. Around Riobamba,Cañaris wear straw bonnets of the type our grand-mothers wore to school, while their neighbours, thePuruwas, choose white straw bowlers. The Salasaca, inthe south, wear broad brimmed white hats with pon-chos and shawls dyed the darkest blue-black in mourn-ing for the Inca Atahualpa.

How you wear your clothes is important too: a shawltied with a knot indicates an unmarried woman,whereas a clasp or ornate pin shows she is married.

Keeping up appearances nourishes a craft industrythat extends through every village and almost every

household. You will see ladies spinning yarn by hand,even while carrying a load of fire-wood along a moun-tain trail. Skeins of dyed wool dry on washing lines,sheaves of toquilla straw for hats hang to dry by theroad, and home weavers work looms of uniquely Ecua-dorian design.

All this creativity can be seen, and bought, in mar-kets throughout the highlands, in different villagesaccording to the day of the week. It’s a time for localsto socialise and catch up on news, as well as browsecolourful displays of textiles, clothes and hats, bulgingsacks of maize, quinoa, lima beans and potatoes, pilesof fruit, chilli peppers and spices, and useful assort-ments of buckets, rope and utensils.

It is more than likely that at some stage your visit willcoincide with a village fiesta, may be to celebrate a day

in the traditional calendar—perhaps a solstice or equi-nox, a Catholic holy day or saint’s day, or a local wed-ding. Each is celebrated at length and with fervour.

Devil’s Nose train‘The most difficult railway in the world’ was built be-tween 1899 and 1908 to link Guayaquil on the Pacificcoast and Quito in the highlands. The greatest of manyobstacles along the route was a forbidding rock faceknown as the Devil’s Nose, half a mile high. To climbthis near vertical wall of rock engineers carved zigzagcuttings allowing trains to make the ascent in forwardand backward stages.

The new railway was hailed as a triumph of railwayengineering and was one of the great railway journeysof the world. Travelling on the roof of the train onsurviving sections of track through the Andean coun-tryside and down the formidable Devil’s Nose section isan experience not to be missed.

For travel ideas please see: ‘Ecuador Odyssey’ (p12) andIndependent Ecuador Odyssey’ (p14), ‘Haciendas of Dis-

tinction’ (p16), and ‘Day Walks in the Andes’ (p20).

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Cuenca and the southern Andes18th century, was ‘modernized’ in the economic pros-perity of the 19th century.

The streets of present-day Cuenca are filled with thelife of a provincial capital, with a host of small shopsand colourful markets. Fronting the central plaza isthe rather splendid ‘New’ Cathedral, started in 1885. Itslarge blue-tiled domes, towers, arches and buttressespresent an impressive sight, and contain below them alarge nave that addresses one of the most ornate gild-ed altars one could wish to see, spangled by the lightfrom windows lavishly furnished with stained glass.At the other end of the square is the Old Cathedral (ElSagrario), a much more humble building with white-washed walls (incorporating some Incan stonework)and a single bell tower.

Many of Cuenca’s more important buildings aremade in the colonial baroque style using locally quar-ried marble. The houses of the well-to-do, mostlydating from Cuenca’s heyday, reserve the best of theircharms to graceful inner courtyards. The wealth ofthose times is evident not only from the size of thehouses but also their interior décor: one private man-sion boasts wall-coverings of stamped enamelled tinplate specially imported from Europe to resemble theembossed leather that was fashionable at the time.

The boom times of the late nineteenth and earlytwentieth century came partly from the export ofquinine, harvested from the bark of the local cascarillatree for the treatment for malaria, and partly from thePanama hat industry. Small workshops in the townapply the final stages of production to semi-finished

hats drawn from the ‘craft villages’ (see below), andexport the results all over the world. The trade routefirst passed through Panama from which the hatstook their name in Europe, a sleight that still rankles.

If Panamas are your style then spend the extra to buya superfino that can be rolled up in your luggage butwill spring back into perfect shape for the MembersPavilion at Lord’s.

IngapircaThe Incan empire began to expand in Peru in 1438and spread into Ecuador through a series of conquestsand alliances dating from 1516. Less than twentyyears later it had been extinguished by the Incan civilwar and the Spanish conquest. In this short spaceof time it had a remarkable effect, both culturallyin the organisation of society and the introductionof the Quichua language, and physically in terms ofroads and buildings. The most important Incan sitein Ecuador is at Ingapirca, north of Cuenca. Here a

temple complex incorporating classic Inca stoneworkwith precisely fitted ‘pillow’ blocks is built upon earlierCañari structures.

Ingapirca lies in a graceful setting on a low hill. At itscentre is a substantially intact temple of the sun, withinwardly tapering walls of supremely well-fitted stoneblocks and a trapezoidal doorway, hallmarks of thefinest Incan construction. Laid out around the templeare the low remains of a great plaza, and of a goodnumber of buildings that must have included officialresidences, stores, houses, barracks and a tambo orinn for travellers on the Royal Road between Quitoand Cusco in Peru.

The nearby town of Cañar is notable for fine weav-ing and its busy Sunday market.

Cajas National Park The road from Cuenca to Guayaquil and the Pacificcoast winds through a high pass in Cajas NationalPark. At the top of the pass, the Andean watershed

CUENCA IS A VERY ATTRACTIVE AND HIStoric city with strong echoes of its coloni-al and prosperous early republican past.

To its north, Ingapirca is the most importantIncan site in Ecuador, and Cajas National Park of-fers wonderful highland landscapes for walkers.A string of villages, each with its own heritageof traditional crafts, lies among the warm valleyssouth-east of the city.

Further south, a jumble of much older mountains re-places the volcanic peaks and high plains of the centralAndes and makes life hard and travel slow. Well off thebeaten track, Podocarpus National Park attracts dedi-cated birdwatchers and the small town of Vilcabamba

on a back road to Peru was once reputed to hold thesecret of eternal youth.

CuencaCapital of the south, Cuenca is a comfortable rather re-served city with a well-preserved and restored colonialcentre that has earned it UNESCO World Heritage Sitestatus. Its cobbled streets, colonial churches and white-washed buildings echo those of Quito, on a smallerscale, with a quieter provincial air, and at a lower alti-tude. Situated in a fertile valley at the confluence offour rivers, it enjoys the perpetual spring climate of thehighlands.

Cuenca dates back to AD 500, and was a notableCañari settlement when the Incas expanded northfrom Peru to establish their city of ‘Tomebamba’ as oneof the very finest of its day. But all was soon laid low in

the Incan civil war between rival brothers Atahualpaand Huascar. The Spanish rebuilt the city in a finerenaissance style, with well-laid out streets and plazas.Cuenca’s architecture, much of which dates from the

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is closest to the Pacific: a raindrop falling here couldtravel just 200 miles westward to the coast, or morethan 4,000 miles east to the Atlantic.

The park’s walking trails follow truly remarkablescenery, making for some really lovely day walks andlonger treks. In contrast to the sharp young peaks ofthe central highlands, the older mountains of Cajashave been glaciated to leave a landscape of craggyhills, gentle valleys, rocky outcrops and more than 300lakes–a unique environment that has been accordedRAMSAR protection. Elfin forests of polylepis ‘paperbark’ trees are very characteristic. The peeling reddishbark of these twisted trees protects them from beingoverwhelmed by the weight of epiphytes, bromeliadsand arboreal ferns which cling to their branches. Theforest floor is carpeted in deep velvety mosses. Thewhole effect is of a mythical forest in which Bilbo Bag-gins might appear at any moment. In remote areasdense cloudforests are home to a few remaining spec-tacled bear and possibly mountain tapir, while wildllamas and alpacas graze the open grasslands in goodnumbers. The park holds special attractions for bird-watchers (see page 24).

Craft villagesGualaceo, Chordeleg and Sigsig are not names thattrip easily off an English tongue, but these three smalltowns are famous in Ecuador for their markets and thehandicrafts produced here and in surrounding villages.In this region the rich culture of the cholos cuencanos,whose ancestry mixes Inca, Cañari and Spanish blood,sits confidently between the indígenas and the whites.

Traditional cholo dress includes Panama hats for bothmen and women, and richly coloured ponchos, usuallyburgundy or red—upgraded to beautifully woven ikatponchos for fiestas.

The region is home to artisans of all kinds: embroi-derers, weavers of ikat and other textiles, Panama hatsand baskets, gold and silversmiths producing finefiligree and other jewellery, wood carvers and potters.

Near Chordeleg, San Bartolomé specialises in guitarmaking, and San Juan is a centre for Panama hat weav-ing. Back strap looms are favoured by weavers of ikatdyed shawls, belts and other traditional items.

Fruit and flowers are grown in these warm valleys.An orchid farm is open to visitors, and here and theresmall family farms offer decent guest accommodationwith the opportunity to help milk the cows and walk orride country trails in a rural idyll far from any road.

The deep south

A maze of older, lower, mountain ranges whose valleyshave long lost their fertility, give southernmost Ecua-dor a quiet remoteness. In Saragura, the local Salasacadress in black or dark blue out of mourning, it is said,for the Inca Atahualpa who, as every schoolboy knows,was captured by Pizarro’s small band of men at thestart of the conquest and shamefully executed despitethe delivery of a huge ransom in gold.

Beyond Loja, a quiet county town, lies PodocarpusNational Park, whose forests over a great range ofaltitudes make it an important destinations for seriousbirders. Nearby Vilcabamba enjoyed a period of famein the 1970s when the Readers Digest claimed it washome to many centenarians, including an ancient of128. The claims were discredited but the idea has stuckand the town has become home to ex-pats fosteringan alternative lifestyle in the ‘Valley of Eternal Youth’.

For travel ideas see ‘Ecuador Odyssey’ (p12), ‘Haciendas of

Distinction’ (p16), ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes and the Devil’s

Nose Train’ (p18), ‘Horse Riding and life on the farm’ (p21),

and ‘Birds of Southern Ecuador’ (p23).

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Ecuador

Amazonwith unusual survival mechanisms or folk uses. There ismuch to learn from the smaller things—flashing bluemorpho butterflies, tiny colourful frogs, leaf cutter andarmy ants. And then there are birds. In this part of theamazon the number of different bird species is stag-gering—each Napo river lodge has recorded well over500. Clay licks provide macaws, parrots and parrakeetswith a digestif against the toxins that forest trees use toprotect their fruit.

Most large animals, such as tapir and jaguar, are veryhard to find. They can easily slip away in a jungle wheresight-lines are short, and where local people are hunt-ers they have every reason to do so. Monkeys are quiteeasy to see, including howlers with their compellingeerie roar, lively spider monkeys that crash overheadin family troupes, and little capuchin monkeys thatdelicately clamber on lower branches, unsure whetherto be curious or fearful. You may also see one or twoof the smaller squirrel monkeys, marmosets and tama-rinds, capybara and perhaps an armadillo or an anteat-er. Agoutis are common, but as lunch on legs for manypredators including man, they are understandablynervy. Rivers and lakes generally produce caiman andpiranhas, with giant otters and anacondas a possibility.

Throughout Ecuador’s rainforests there are peoplefollowing a life of hunting, gathering, and subsistencefarming. It is a privilege to meet them, to hear abouttheir communities, their use of the forest, the skills oftheir shamans, and the proper use of a blow-pipe orbow and arrow. Such contact brings its own responsi-bilities so that local people control the impact on theircommunities and earn a just reward. Yachana Lodge(see page 15) in particular is working with this in mind.

For travel ideas see ‘Ecuador Odyssey’ (p12), ‘Andes,

Amazon and Galápagos’ (p15), and ‘Birds of the Amazon’

(p25). Details of lodges are provided on page 14.

EASTWARDS, THE ANDES DESCENDquickly from the sierras, losing 10,000ft inaltitude in less than 30 miles. By this point

the Amazon basin has already started althoughit is will be another 2,000 miles before the landdescends the final 1,000ft to meet the sea.

The little town of Coca lies where the Río Coca joinsthe Río Napa, which eventually joins the Amazon.Though Coca is only 40 miles from the sierras, it is atthe edge of the rainforest (and would be well withinthe forest but for man’s activities—farms are expand-ing and oil has been found nearby). Coca is also calledPuerto Francisco de Orellana, after the Spanish cap-tain who set off downriver in 1541 to find food for astranded party of soldiers. Orellana claimed the weight

of water flowing from the Andes was so strong his boatcould not return; instead he carried on—reaching themouth of the Amazon over a year later.

Beyond Coca, the habitat is little touched and you arerapidly in the world of the rainforest and its peoples.Today, Coca, which has a small airport and can also bereached by road from the mountains, is a setting offpoint for a small number of wildlife lodges a few hoursfurther down the river that are accessible only by boat.

Rainforest tourism is a growth activity for Ecuador,with a scattering of small lodges close to the moun-tains. The principal three lodges down the Napo river:Napo Wildlife Centre, La Selva, and Sacha Lodge, arethe best situated and best fulfil their role. Each pro-vides a good level of comfort, knowledgable guides,and excellent opportunities to experience the forestfrom trails, by boat, and from canopy towers.

What will you see in the Amazon? First, there is anastonishing variety of trees and forest plants, many

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Guayaquil and the Pacific coastinto a pleasant mix of housing, gift shops, art galleriesand cafés.

Other sights around the city include a modern ca-thedral fronted by a plaza whose trees are home to aprofusion of iguanas, who come to the ground to befed like ducks in the park. There are good BotanicalGardens too.

Ruta del SolFrom Chile to Peru, the Pacific coast of South Americais chilled by the cold waters of the Humboldt current.Fortunately, its influence stops well south of Guayaquilso Ecuador’s Pacific coast enjoys the warm waters ofthe tropics and many days of clear skies.

Resorts close to the city can be crowded, but the

‘Ruta del Sol’, the coast road north of Salinas to Manta,is a delight. Broadly speaking, the further north you gothe quieter and nicer the beaches and coastal villagesbecome, with a scattering of small hotels. Salinas itselfhas high rise blocks that attract the local well-to-doin la temporada—Ecuadorians’ holiday season fromDecember to April.

Machalilla NPTowards the northern end of the Ruta del Sol, Mach-alilla national park is a real jewel. The main section ofthe park protects a full transect of vegetation fromarid scrub and tropical dry forest near the sea, throughmoist forest, up to true cloud forest: great for hiking,birdwatching and just being out and about.

Within the park, the indigenous Manteño communityof Agua Blanca welcomes visitors. Volunteers show you

their village and the smallholdings where they growgrenadines, papaya, mango, oranges, limes, maize,chilli and much more. At the river the village laundry iswashed by hand using the fruit of the barbasco tree as

a soap. You may be invited to bathe in a sacred sulphurlake, where the whole community gathers for ceremo-nial bathing at solstices and equinoxes. A viewpointlooks from this dry lightly forested area towards thelush hills of San Sebastián.

An archaeological site near the village has beenexcavated to reveal the remains of three solar centresfor measuring the sun’s motion and a large ceremonialhall where stone jaguar thrones were positioned every5 paces. A small museum contains relics and artifactsincluding thrones, funerary urns, tattoo stamps andspondylus shells which were used as currency. It is afascinating glimpse of pre-Incan society, made pos-sible by its direct descendants.

Also within the park is the beautiful bay of Los Frailes:

a paradisiacal long sweep of fine sand, with little shade.Isla de la Plata9km offshore, Isla de la Plata is a small uninhabitedisland skirted by cliffs. It is home to colonies of Nazca,blue-footed and red-footed boobies, magnificent frig-atebirds and, seasonally, waved albatross. Sea lion andfur seals are occasional visitors.

Isla de la Plata is well worth a visit at any time of year.Between June and October, Humpback Whales areregularly seen in the surrounding waters, along withlarge schools of dolphin and pods of Sperm, Pilot, FalseKiller and Killer Whales.

It is quite a stretch to compare Isla de la Plata with theGalápagos Islands, but the very pleasant day trip tothe island goes some way to indicate what is on offer

600km further into the Pacific.For travel ideas see ‘Pacific coast’ and ‘Pacific beach’ on

page 19.

THE ANDES FALL AWAY RAPIDLY TO THEwest, leaving a broad swathe of lowlandsbetween cloud forested hills and the

Pacific coast. The western lowlands are home tohalf the country ’s population, with a differentracial mix that includes an African heritage fromthe slave trade that brings an easy-going stylein contrast to the more conservative life of thehighlands. Banana growing and shrimp farmingare prime activities here.

GuayaquilLife in the country’s largest city is one of everydaycommercial bustle. As the local saying goes, ‘Guayaquilearns the money, Quito spends it’.

A cruise along the river frontage overlooking themuddy waters of the wide Guayas river, presents adiorama of the city’s history. The wealth brought bythe cacao trade, when Ecuador was the world’s largestexporter, is exemplified by the Mercado Sur, a palace ofiron and glass designed and prefabricated in France byEiffel himself; it is now an exhibition space. Docksidewharfs and warehouses convey the importance of themaritime trade, while the new Yacht Club expressesthe city’s international cool—a theme extended by thenew ‘Malecon 2000’, an attractive broad promenadeof gardens, fountains, shops and restaurants that hashelped the city to redefine itself with new confidence.Many of the fine buildings behind the Malecon havebeen impeccably restored.

At the end of the walkway, steps lead up to thelighthouse and church on Santa Ana Hi ll. This area wasformerly a slum but with great vision and the supportof local residents its large wooden houses have beenrenovated and colourfully painted, and the area turned

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Ecuador Odyssey gilded altars and aromas of candles and wood incense.

We drive to El Panecillo where the statue of the Virginof Quito stands above the Old City. There are greatviews across the city to the surrounding volcanoes,given clear skies.

After lunch we visit the Equator, passing the monu-ment to the 1736 French expedition’s line, to the trueline 200m away. We visit the small Inti-Ñan museum(rickety but fun) which straddles the true line andpresents an eclectic mix of folk exhibits and ‘scientific’demonstrations.

Amazon

Day 3-5 BLD This morning we fly to Coca in the Amazonto board a covered river boat for the 2 hour trip to the

Napo Wildlife Centre’s 82 square mile reserve (see page14). To minimise disturbance to wildlife, and maximiseour chances of seeing it, we switch to dugouts seating4-6 people. We are paddled along a blackwater creek,stopping to watch wildlife on our way to the lodge, ourbase for three nights.

Resident naturalist guides take us on safari each day,introducing us to the life of the rainforest. We visit twoparrot clay licks, have good chances of seeing giantotters in the lake and streams, several of the elevenspecies of monkey found here, and much else besides.There is a small chance of finding more elusive animalssuch as jaguar, puma, tapir, giant anteater and giantarmadillo. The bird life is remarkable with over 550species recorded.

All rooms have private bathrooms, hot water, 24hr

electricity, ceiling fans, insect screens and balconiesfacing the lake.

Otavalo

Day 6 BLD Today we fly back to Quito and drive north toOtavalo (see page 5), where we stay for two nights ineither Hacienda Cusín or Hacienda Pinsaqui (see page17). We may be able to visit a rose nursery en route.

Day 7 BLD The people of Otavalo and surrounding vil-lages are masters of artisanal crafts. During the day wevisit weaving workshops in the village of Peguche, andmay stop to visit a family of pan-pipe players and work-shops where the pipes are made—with enthusiasticdemonstrations.

We visit the beautiful crater lake of Cotacachi volcano(see page 5), and continue to Cotacachi itself, an entiretown dedicated to leather goods. Dozens of smallshops and smart boutiques offer everything from skil-fully made handbags, wallets and jackets to equestrianitems for local farmers.

Day 8 BLD Today being Saturday three distinct marketstake place in different parts of Otavalo.

You can join an optional pre-breakfast trip to watchfarmers trade cows, pigs, sheep and hens at the live-stock market. It’s an evocative scene, but is not foreveryone (there are terrible squeals from young pigshaving their teeth examined by sturdy ladies in billow-ing skirts, and worse).

We re-group for breakfast, then visit the other twomarkets.

At the Mercado de Ponchos you will find every kind ofhandicraft including wall hangings, naïve art, ceram-ics, costume jewellery, woven agave knot-less bags,

Panama hats, hand-knitted sweaters, woollen scarvesand gloves, rag dolls, masks, wood carvings, and musi-cal instruments—and, of course, ponchos.

The domestic market sells fruit, flowers, vegetables,

OUR SMALL GROUP ‘GRAND’ TOUR OFmainland Ecuador visits many of itsclassic highlights in a trip combining

Andean highland scenery, impressive Spanishcolonial architecture, dramatic volcanoes, spec-tacular wildlife and birds, plus insights into therich cultures and crafts of Ecuador’s indigenouspeoples.

We stay in well-located comfortable tourist class ho-tels and lodges throughout and spend a good amountof time in each region, with lots to see and do eachday. We are escorted by an experienced knowledge-able local guide with excellent English. The tour endsin Guayaquil—ideal for flights home or optional exten-

sions to the Galápagos Islands.Quito

Day 1 We meet in Quito in the early evening at our pre-ferred hotel, usually Hotel Patio Andaluz in the Old City(see page 17), where we stay two nights. You will bemet on arrival at the international airport and driven tothe hotel (30min approx).

Day 2 BL After breakfast we explore the Old City on foot.Today is Sunday and traffic is banned. Church bells ringout as we stroll around impressive plazas, conventsand monasteries contained within a few streets. Onsunny days the whitewashed buildings sparkle likesugar in the clear mountain air. A religious processionmay pass while onlookers throw rose petals in its path.Street vendors ply colourful wares—watermelon slices,ice creams, sticky meringues, bunches of roses, partyballoons and piñatas (brightly painted containers fullof sweets). Shopkeepers display sacks of corn, quinoa,beans, cinnamon, annatto and cumin. Between serv-ices we visit ornate churches with rich oil paintings,

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groceries and meat, and expands on Saturdays to sellthe traditional Otavaleño clothes that are worn withgreat pride. Watch the interplay between traders andtheir clients: by custom they haggle in silence.

We lunch at a restaurant on the shore of Lake San Pa-blo at the foot of Imbabura volcano, then drive to Anti-sana (see page 5) for two nights at Termas Papallacta, acomfortable mountain lodge around thermal springs.

Antisana and Papallacta

Day 9 BLD Today is a free day to relax and enjoy themountain setting and the hot springs. There are shorttrails for those who just want to stretch their legs, andlonger ones for more dedicated walkers. Birdwatcherswill particularly enjoy the abundance of humming-birds. The hotel’s many thermal pools, steaming andbubbling in the open air, are free for hotel guests andthere are optional steam rooms, massages, mud wrapsand other spa treatments at reasonable extra charges.

Cotopaxi

Day 10 BLD We drive south along part of Humboldt’s‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’ to Cotopaxi National Park. Ona clear day the views of volcanoes are spectacular.

Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world,and one of the most beautiful. Its perfectly symmetri-cal cone is topped by a gleaming snow cap. We driveup to 4,500m, with wonderful views when the weatheris clear. If you are responding well to the altitude youmight walk (slowly) the short distance to the mountainrefuge at 4,800m, and maybe a little further to touchthe lowest tongues of the glacier’s blue-white ice.

Many prefer to stay behind enjoying stunning views.We visit the beautiful Limpiopungo Lagoon whereherds of wild horses and llamas come to drink. Thereare vestiges of Incan stone walls and the ruins of the In-can fortress of Pucara. We descend by road to spend anight at the delightful Hacienda La Ciénega (page 17).

The Avenue of the Volcanoes

Day 11 B There will be time this morning to appreciatethe hacienda’s gardens, 19th century furnishings andchapel, before we continue south along the Avenueof the Volcanoes to Riobamba. Pausing in the villageof Salasaca we visit a simple workshop where mamachumbi (belts) and wawa chumbi (hair braids) arewoven in intricate patterns on back-strap looms usingwools stained with dye from the agave cactus. Each

belt can take 15 days to make.We make a short tour of Riobamba and its marketwhere local Purhuá women wear white bowler hatsand red ponchos. We stay for one night in a good qual-ity hotel in a converted hacienda just out of town.

Devil’s Nose Train and Ingapirca

Day 12 BLD An early start this morning for an excitingride on this single track (1.067m gauge) autoferro (seepage 7 and 16). Dress warmly in layers to sit on the roofin the chilly morning air. As well as spectacular viewsof five volcanoes—mighty Chimborazo, Carihuayrazo,Altar, Tungurahua and Sangay (weather permitting, ofcourse)—this unusual perch gives a fresh perspectiveon Andean life. You look down into back yards as the‘train’ (more a coach on rails) rumbles through villages,and passes through fields of corn, potatoes, carrotsand lima beans, across grassland and alongside lakesto the small town of Alausí, by which time the morningwill have become noticeably warmer. From here, trainand engineering buffs get their excitement, as the line

crosses deep gorges spanned by narrow iron bridgesand zigzags in sharp switchbacks down the ‘Devil’sNose’. The journey is then reversed, with those who saton the roof changing places with those inside. Alight-ing at Alausí we drive 2 hours south to Ingapirca.

Ingapirca (see page 8) is an important classic Inca siteon the Royal Highway from Cusco to Quito. We visit theruins and stay nearby at a small hotel in pretty gardens.

Cuenca

Day 13 BL If you are up early today, there is the option ofa dawn walk above Ingapirca. After breakfast we driveto the craft villages of Chordeleg, Gualaceo and Sigsig(see page 8), where a strong tradition of skilled handi-crafts can be traced back to pre-Incan cultures. Wearrive in the historic city of Cuenca with its flower-filledplazas, cobbled streets and ornate colonial buildingswith ancient wooden doors and ironwork balconies.

The period of prosperity brought by the export ofquinine and ‘Panama’ hats is reflected in the French

and neoclassical style influences in the architecture.Several mansions of that period are now characterfulwell-appointed hotels, such as the one we will stay infor the next two nights.

Day 14 BL We tour the city of Cuenca today, including theprincipal sights such as the new and the old cathedrals,but also taking the time to explore some of the charac-terful lesser buildings.

There will be an opportunity for some shopping, in-cluding a visit to one of the best Panama hat stores.

Cajas National Park

Day 15 BL This morning we visit Cajas National Park, withits beautiful mountain landscapes of dramatic rockoutcrops, glacial lakes, moorland and forest (see page

8). We take a nature walk, perhaps around a small tarn,and explore unusual elfin forests of paperbark trees.

After a picnic lunch in the national park we drive toGuayaquil, on the Pacific coast, where we stay onenight at a 4* city centre hotel near the ‘iguana square’by the Cathedral.

Guayaquil

Day 16 BL Ecuador’s largest city and main port is under-going quite a transformation. We take a morning walkalong the revived Malecon—a smartly decked prom-enade fronting the river, then explore the steppedstreets of Santa Ana Hill (see page 11). In the mid after-noon we drive to the airport for flights home, or on-wards to the Galápagos Islands for optional extensions.

16 days / 15 nights

For departure dates and prices please see our Booking Information insert.

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Independent touring

Ecuador is a great country for travelling independently, on a tailor-made tour designed espe-cially for you on the dates that suit you best. There is lots to see, distances are reasonable, itis relatively easy to get around and there is usually a good choice of places to stay. Our inde-

pendent travel service builds on our knowledge of Ecuador’s regions, hotels and lodges to offer acompletely flexible service to suit a wide range of preferences and budgets. Even self-drive is a prac-tical possibility on some routes.

Planning your trip

These sample touring itineraries show what’s possible. Use them unchanged if they suit you, or takethem as a basis for your own ideal trip. They can be shortened or lengthened, or modified in manyways.

When we are tailor-making a tour we talk through your ideas with you and design an initial propos-al in the form of one or more full written itineraries. These can be further adapted and refined. Whenyou have settled on an itinerary and sent us your booking form, we will make the hotel reservationsrequired, book flights, arrange airport transfers, hire cars, etc, and, if you would like a guide, we willselect a trained and experienced English-speaking guide appropriate to your interests. We work withsome excellent general guides who will help to make your trip really memorable, and can call onspecialist guides as needed. All our guides are locals.

Meals can be included or left for you to decide during your holiday. For each day of the followingsample itineraries, BLD (breakfast, lunch, dinner) indicates the meals that are included in the prices

provided in the Booking Information leaflet inserted into this brochure. When touring, light or picniclunches are the norm.

While in Ecuador you have access to a local 24 hour helpline, with our support from the UK if need-ed. You are also financially protected (see page 2).

Galápagos cruises

Many people visiting mainland Ecuador also choose to visit the Galápagos. See page 26 for a de-scription of the islands, and page 30 for an outline of the boats we offer. At busy times it can be aproblem finding availability but we are adept at fitting tours of the mainland around the availablecruise dates.

Amazon lodgesThe best access to the wildlife of Ecuador’s western Amazon is provided by three excellent junglelodges: Sacha Lodge, Napo Wildlife Centre, and La Selva, located within an hour of each otheralong the Napo river. Each is beautifully situated, operated to a similar pattern, and offers a broadlysimilar experience of the rainforest, its wildlife and birds. Visitors fly to the small town of Coca, tobe met by each lodge’s boat. The journey downriver is taken at speed. June and July are often veryrainy with serious flooding. All three lodges provide excursions to the same parrot licks on thesouth bank of the Río Napo.

Award-winning Yachana Lodge directly supports local communities and is a good choice for anexperience of their way of life. A traditional-style Amazon riverboat, the Manatee, provides the op-tion of a relaxing cruise, and Cotococha is a good all-round rainforest lodge accessible by road.

with 24hr electric lighting and gas heated hot watershowers. There are two en suite rooms per cabin: noisetransmission can be an issue if adjacent guests keepdifferent hours. A lounge bar and communal diningarea are housed in a large thatched rotunda, with asmaller bar/dining area overlooking the lake.

Sacha Lodge’s bird list claims 586 species. Otherwildlife includes an impressive list of monkeys, many ofwhich are readily seen, plus sloths, ant-eaters, armadil-los, racoons, small cats, tapir and reports of Puma.

Napo Wildlife Centre

A little further downriver on the south side, NapoWildlife Centre is located within its own 82 square milereserve area within the Yasuni National Park–a UNESCOBiosphere Reserve with the highest documented treediversity in the world. The Centre was created and builtby the Añangu community in partnership with charita-ble foundations.

The fast boat fromCoca drops you by abeautiful creek thatmeanders into theforest. Here you aremet by the lodgestaff in small dug-out

Sacha Lodge

Two and a half hours down the Napo River from

Coca, Sacha Lodge is situated on the north side in aprivate reserve. It stands by an oxbow lake reachedon a boardwalk that runs through seasonally floodedforest.

Efficiently run, Sacha receives a larger number ofvisitors and offerssubstantial well-maintained accom-modation, indeedits success can be aslight drawback ifanything. Facilitiesinclude two oppor-tunities to experi-ence the forest at canopy level or above: a canopyplatform in a kapok tree, and three high metal tow-

ers with observation platforms below, at, and abovethe canopy, between which a 275m metal walkwayruns at around tree top height.

There is a good variety of excellent excursions, anda team of experienced guides supported by assist-ants drawn from local communities.

Cabins are sturdily built in timber, fully screened,

boats who slowly paddle you along, introducing youto the plants and wildlife of the forest as you travel(the journey can last 1½—2½ hours) . You emerge intoa very beautiful oxbow lake with the lodge buildingsnestling together on the opposite shore.

The Napo Wildlife Centre lodge offers individualadobe style cabins, spacious and well-screened, with24hr electricity, fans and gas-heated hot water in ensuite bathrooms. There are comfortable bar and diningareas in an large and airy main lodge building, whichalso offers a roof level viewing platform. Facilities in-clude a canopy platform set in a 120ft ceiba tree. Thereis a good network of trails and a selection of excellentriver excursions. The lodge is well run by experiencedmanagers who are training local people to assist in(and eventually take over) its operation.

The terrain around the lodge (terra firma and varzeaforest) is similar to the others on the north side of theNapo but accompanied by small hills which provide avariation of habitat that adds to the range of speciesthat can be seen. An excellent range of wildlife, birds,plants, trees is almost guaranteed and the lodge’s re-corded lists of birds, mammals, etc are top rate.

La Selva Lodge

La Selva is the oldest of these three lodges and thefurthest downriver from Coca—a 3hr trip by fast riverboat.

It lies on the northside of the river on theedge of a peaceful ox-bow lagoon reachedfrom the lodge’s land-ing stage on the mainriver by a 15min strollalong boardwalksthrough some excellent varzea forest. You then cross

Independent‘Ecuador Odyssey’16 days / 15 nights. Starts Quito, ends Guayaquil.

Our classic Ecuador Odyssey small group holiday(see page 12) can be adapted to suit a privatetrip travelling at any date. It is best to start thetour on a Saturday to coincide with Sunday inQuito’s Old City, Saturday in Otavalo, and the

Devil’s Nose Train (which runs on Wednesdays,Fridays and Saturdays).

W o m a n w i n d i n g w o o l . J T

M a n y

Documents

Geodyssey Ecuador and Galapagos Brochure