Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The rainforest was brilliant. A) I was expecting to be bitten a lot- I wasn't bitten at all and the eco lodge was mosquito free. B) I thought I'd be constantly scared of the creepy crawlies- it was absolutely fine, even seeing the tarantula in the wild! If you're like me and don't like insects, don't let this put you off! We saw some amazing things. C) The journey to the rainforest is long but the lodges are comfortable, the setting beautiful and the food is good. It's topped off by a short boat ride to get to the lodge. D) the same day contrast of the hot sticky climate to the high altitude cold was fun E) the stars are the BEST The cable car was an unexpected treat- really good fun and a very memorable moment. A few of us were lucky enough to do this twice. I could have done it three times and not been bored! It's not like the cable cars we have in the UK.... Swimming in the Pacific Ocean.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Good and pleasant. I had no problem overall with him but a couple of others had clashes in character. He was attentive and very organised. I would have been happy leaving earlier on a few occasions in the morning to get the day started and to allow for more time at the next hotel etc. His version of early is not really early... He was super fluent in English and his descriptions were generally strong about places we visited. Sometimes his descriptions of the next day plans or for food were vague which was a little frustrating but not a major point at all. Overall 7.5/10

Advice for Potential Travellers

No need for malaria tablets. There is some high altitude walking so be prepared. It isn't a problem but worth knowing about- this is what the fleeces etc. are for. Take plenty of DEET for bird island- it is worth going to but no joke, there are millions of mosquitoes that literally swarm around you in the mangroves. Long sleeves don't necessarily help as my group mates found out. DEET all over before you land on the island. Overall spend in Ecuador- approximately £300 including food, drink, tips and a little shopping.

Suggestions

The beach should be made part of the itinerary. Some people missed the opportunity to swim because they didn't realise they could. It would have been great if we could have had more time at Haciencda Liente up from Banos. It was a flying visit which was such a shame given the stunning location and place, we arrived late in time for dinner straigtaway and left first thing. It would have been better to have the option to walk around the full lake crater at Cuicocha instead of going half way round and the same way back.... We were made to feel like it was compulsory to eat together all the time. It wasn't until mid holiday where people started to feel like they could branch off. Although Fabien chose some good restaurants, being given the option to go off in smaller groups would have been appreciated. My group was excellent. A fun and diverse group of people who made the trip what it was.

Most Inspirational Moment

Ambling through the food markets in Otavalo, Quito and Cuenca. Walking mid stretches of Chimoraza. Agriculture and field patterns of the volcanic slopes and elsewhere Experimental day with local villagers at St Clemente community - and the finest fresh picnic lunch they provided. Fun on the zig zag train trip Proper bananas ! Roast pork in the markets Panama hat factory in Cuenca

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jolly good. Bit ruthless with the timekeeping - but I understand imperative on a fast paced trip. Give us a coffee break, Fabien ! Excellent driver, considerate and safe - Maurice, throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect some rain. Don't take too much clothing as a couple of well spaced options to get laundry done. Look forward to a great trip. Reasonable to good wifi, generally.

Suggestions

Least favourite places - Riobamba, where a better location and or hotel would be preferable; and while the food was good, last 2 nights meals in the Guayacil hotel were a bit of an anticlimax for group meals and I'm sure that a better more authentic, Ecuadorian restaurant venue for one of the nights would be worth sourcing. Would have loved a second night in Banos Hacienda to enjoy the gardens and grounds, and a mid trip bit of rest and relaxation.

Most Inspirational Moment

The rainforest - it would have been great to have had another day there and Chimborazo.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Awesome! Very personable and witty and really helped make the holiday come alive! Our driver Mauricio was also great - some of the driving must have been quite challenging and he just managed everything with ease.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take fleeces, waterproof, warm base layers, warm hat and gloves for Chimborazo - it was pretty cold! Take clothes that wick away sweat and keep you cool in the rainforest and on the coast. You need layers for all seasons and I would recommend taking hiking boots and/or trainers/ walking shoes in addition to sandals or regular trainers. I stuck mainly to long sleeved cool base layers and walking trousers and a couple of pairs of jeans - less skin to put deet on, and sometimes a t-shirt came out! Also swimming cossie useful for hot springs ( which are also great) and a swim in the sea.

Suggestions

I loved it and have great memories of a wonderful holiday!

Most Inspirational Moment

Experiencing the altitude at Chimborazo

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was great. His English was very good, he was fun, informative, inclusive, personable, interesting, and always willing to find an answer if there was something he didn't know (which didn't happen often).

Advice for Potential Travellers

You really do need clothes for four seasons.

Suggestions

Without fail we always had very impressive breakfasts - lots of fruit, eggs any way, pancakes, toast and more!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many highlights, some unexpected local scenes! My personal highlight was the rain forest lodge - I'd done the Friendly Spider Course at London Zoo in preparation, but the most challenging part for me was the noise of the rain forest at dusk when i first went in my cabin. Looking back I wouldn't have minded another night there! The visual arts in Ecuador were interesting, from graffiti to art work in the hotels and haciendas. Wildlife is fascinating, and the geography too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabian the leader and Mauricio the driver were exemplary throughout. Timings were clear, lots of info and translation when needed

Advice for Potential Travellers

Like other two week long haul trips with Exodus, its not a relaxing holiday. Only a couple of early starts but plenty late finishes, meaning little down time. The bus was comfortable enough to have a mid morning and a mid afternoon nap. Food was good, say starting $15 for one course and a drink at dinner time. Because of the location of the hotels/lack of restaurants near the hotels/times of arrival, a few of the meals are taken in hotels. Check how the price of laundry is worked out - weight or item. What the trip notes didn't say (or maybe it was me not reading properly) is that it is advisable to wear long sleeved light coloured clothes in the rain forest and at the coast, also long socks are needed for the wellingtons in the rain forest. Plenty of insect spray needed. Water, snacks and cash points available. The hot springs are worth a visit in Chimbarazo, cost $5.

Suggestions

Plenty of memory cards capacity, eyes wide open, and good suitcase packing skills needed. Avoid Iberia, seats too hard for such a long flight, choose KLM if possible. Like Fabian said, similar to Peru but different!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking up Chimborazo - an almost lunar landscape crowned by the snow capped peak. Buffeted by the wind, passing by huge rocks thrown from the volcano, time to reflect on all the experiences so far.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabian's knowledge of the land, people, history and wildlife is very good as is his ability to communicate interesting and important facts. His dry sense of humour kept the mood light-hearted. He's very well organised but also flexible and finds opportunities to do additional activities. He takes time to understand what the group is interested in and is very keen to make sure you get the most from your holiday pictures! Always tell him if there's something you can see from the bus that you want to stop and photograph, or if there's something specific you want to buy and he'll do his best to accommodate.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A mosquito net wasn't needed in the Jungle Lodge as they don't suffer from mossies there, and the huts don't have hanging points for that reason. Insect repellent still needed for other types of fly though. Take a head torch for the night walk to keep hands free for taking photos. To reiterate other reviews, take one or two rucksacks to decant a couple of days' worth of stuff into as cases aren't taken to the Jungle Lodge. Hat and gloves advisable for the high altitude walk at Chimborazo. Careful with light coloured swimwear when you go to the thermal spring baths - the water's coloured with natural minerals which can stain. Try and use some of the language, especially for ordering meals as it makes life easier and quicker and is part of the whole experience.

Suggestions

A fabulous trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching a volcano explode at night (from a safe distance)! The trip to meet a family high in the Andes, hear about their way of life and enjoy a delicious meal they cooked for us. The diversity of the country from scenery to people. The most amazing clouds!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Fabian was simply the best I have ever been with, he clearly loved his job and his country and that reflected in the way he ran the trip. Fabian worked hard to make sure everything went smoothly and to ensure the safety of the group, he took the time to find out what everyone wanted from the trip and was very inclusive catering to all levels of fitness and competence. Fabian put up with some merciless teasing which he took in good humour. Praise also to Mauricio our fearless driver who safely delivered us to all our destinations without mishap and some of the roads were pretty scary!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't bother with a mosquito net for the rainforest as the rooms are fumigated before arrival and there is nowhere to hang one anyway. Be open in your outlook and enjoy the diversity of this wonderful country.

Suggestions

The trip could have been a bit longer to give more time in Quito as half a day was not enough, also that would allow some more free time for individual exploring as the only time we had was in Cuenca, more free time would have given guests, leader and driver a chance to refresh themselves.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably staying in the jungle lodge, surrounded by monkeys in the day, going out on the night walk and at night listening to the sounds of the jungle in our candle lit room.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabian is an excellent organiser, is very knowledgable about all sorts of things and kept us entertained with his stories. I appreciated his concern for our welfare and safety which was one thing that worried me slightly before we went but we had no problems at all whilst we were there.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a woolly hat, gloves and maybe a scarf. It was very cold walking at high altitude (which we did twice) for a couple of hours each time. If that was on the list of equipment I missed it. Don't rely on the temperature charts for Quito or Guayaquil and think that the whole country is the like either of these places. It can be quite chilly at 4800 metres on Chimborazo. We managed to buy hats and gloves locally but you might want to take your own.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many... After a 2 hour hike in the jungle we came to a clearing that overlooked the rainforest from a high view point - that was brilliant!Visiting the equator line and standing in two hemispheres at once was a priceless bucket list moment!Walking in the flanks of Chimborazo at over 4000m was a fantastic first time - lunar-like landscape - wonderful!As the clouds disappeared as a big reveal to show us the crater lake - it was a great 'WOW' moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was lovely, very knowledgeable about his country and very kind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a small rucksack for the jungle, as you won't be able to take your main luggage with you on the boat to the rainforest lodge.

Suggestions

The accommodation on this trip is brilliant, especially the haciendas!  I'd never experienced such lovely accommodation on any of my trips so I thoroughly recommend this trip not only based on your adventure but the quality of the accommodation and staff.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a number: firelight cleansing by the shaman at the jungle lodge, hummingbirds at Guango, crater-lake walk, monkeys outside my jungle cabin, Chimborazo, dolphins in the mangroves, Cuenca old-town, selecting my unique panama hat, the descent into the rainforest... I could go on.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had Fabian and he is the best guide I've had - he is laid back, easy-going, funny, a great story-teller, flexible, unflappable, patient, kind, and also well-informed with excellent planning skills. It matters to him that we had a good experience, and he went out of his way to add highlights into the trip which were unique and special. Mauricio was our driver - he was constantly smiling, polite, and helpful - and very safe and dependable. Recommend both unreservedly!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring layers of clothing -  both a fleece and rain-jacket to layer since you get all sorts of climates on this trip. The altitude makes the sun more potent - opt for a stronger sunscreen than you normally use. You will take a boat to the jungle lodge, so if you can have just what you need in a lightweight duffel bag for those 3 days you'd likely be happier (pack some plastic bags, a lighter, bug spray, your flashlight). There is not much time to wash clothes on this trip - bring what you'd need for the duration. Bring US cash in $20's - higher bills are harder to change in some places, and there are few bank machines outside the major cities. Prices are in USD. I carried an altitude sickness prescription in case we needed it (it was not expensive). 'Undulating walks' means 'always up' ... more than I imagined, but well worth it! Check that your insurance covers you for altitude - no insurance would cover travellers for El Angel since it's red-flagged by the foreign office.

Suggestions

This trip was busier than I imagined with little personal time. However, we packed in so much that it was worth it. I would have liked to have lingered at some incredible spots we visited. I didn't find I had enough time to really enjoy some of the locales (i.e. Guango hummingbirds, jungle lodge, Pantavi, Banos - baths?) You will likely dine as a group for most meals as there is just not much time/ choices in some areas to do your own thing. There are some long drives, but usually with stunning scenery. The vehicle was very comfortable. We unfortunately didn't stay in Banos (safety) and we missed Ingapirca due to a road closure. If I were designing the trip, I'd ditch El Angel (a full day of travel/ insurance issues) in favour of some of the cloud forests with ample birds (like Bellavista) and Papallacta thermal baths in the shadow of the Andes peaks..