| Ecuador is a small country divided into 4 regions: Andes, Jungle, Coast and Galapagos islands making of it the most complete country in the whole South America which is absolutely worth visiting all. Should you want to see all the regions we suggest taking about three weeks, however you can see parts of it in less than one week. |
Quito The capital of Ecuador is located on the Andes at an altitude of about 2800m over sea level. Quito is the perfect base for your trip around Ecuador with all facilities in the central area; we can help you of course with hotel reservations, transfers or whatever you need for your stay in the city. All of the hotels we can offer you are centrally located, close to restaurants, and shopping centers. The old city or “Centro Historico” is a very charming area where you can admire colonial Architecture which gave the city the title of world heritage by UNESCO . |  | Cotopaxi Visiting one of Ecuador’s many snow caped volcanoes is a must, Cotopaxi is one of them, located a little over an hour ride south of Quito offers good trekking to the summit for the adventurous traveller or just an over the day visit will take you to the “Refugio” by the snow, Cotopaxi is one of the several areas in Ecuador declared as National Park worth visiting. |  | Otavalo and the Middle of the World The city of Otavalo is located approximately 90 Km north of Quito and is world famous for its Indian community probably the most organized culturally and commercially in the South America, every Saturday they gather in the central square of the city to sell their handicrafts and hand made products and this Indian market has become one of the most visited “shopping centers” in Ecuador. The Middle of the world or “Mitad del Mundo” is a little town on the outskirts of Quito where by the end of the 18th century very prominent geographers located exactly the location of the Equator line, nowadays there is a monument at the place of 0 latitude and a museum |   | JUNGLE An about 45 minutes flight or 9 hours ride by bus takes us to the Amazonia or Jungle of Ecuador, it's divided in many sections however the most visited sites start in two small cities, Lago Agrio on the North is the entrance to the famous Cuyabeno National Park or Coca city on the South entrance to faunistic Reserves, after arrival to any of this two main areas we will take you by canoe down the river for a couple of hours until we reach the lodge where your jungle adventure is based, we recommend about three to five full days for this package. For the more adventurous visitors, we offer the first alternative which is camping in tents every night and have an early morning start for your hikes or canoe rides, this includes visits to Indian communities, swimming with piranhas, shaman rituals and medical plants use and late Cayman watching. Our second and most comfortable option is staying at one of the many ecolodges, not camping but having your own bungalow or private room with all comfort and facilities including private WC and shower, however still being able to do the same activities and visit the same places as in our first option. | | Good to Know: Language: The official Ecuadorian language is Spanish; in the bigger cities a great deal of the community speaks English mainly due to the increase of the Tourism industry. Currency:
Since March 2000 the official currency is the US dollar. Electricity:
110 V, same as in the US, European visitors need to bring along an adapter for laptops, video cameras, etc. Communications:
It is very cheap to make phone calls to the whole world not by regular phone lines but from the many internet cafes in town, the European mobile phones system is not the same in Ecuador, probably some of the American cell phones might work after buying a prepaid card. Local Time: -5 GMT in the continental Ecuador and -6 GMT in the Galapagos Islands. Visa: At the moment European, US and the rest of North and South America do not need a visa for visiting Ecuador, they will be given a 3 months permit upon arrival, for other nationalities please contact your closest Ecuadorian Embassy or Consulate. Airport taxes:
42,80 USD departure fee for all international flight departures. Bookings and Cancellations: - More than 90 days prior sailing date USD 100 per person
- Between 60 - 89 days prior sailing date 25% of deposit
- Between 31 - 59 days prior sailing date 50% of deposit
- Within 30 days prior sailing date 100 % of deposit
Deposits are not refundable in case of cancellation. |
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