Why Ecuador: For her rich colonial heritage and superb examples of well preserved colonial archeicteure, her unique avenue of volcanoes and the world famous Galapagos Islands.
Capital: Quito
Getting there: There are no direct flights to Quito from the UK, but there are regular flights with major airlines via several European cities including Amsterdam and Madrid. Flying time from Madrid to Quito is approximately 11 hours.
Time: GMT minus 6 hours.
Try not to miss: The fertile valleys and lush green vistas surrounding Otavalo to the north of Quito, including the lovely Zuleta valley, famous for hand embroidery. This region is home to stunning colonial haciendas, the oldest ones dating from the 17th century where herds of dairy cows and fighting bulls are raised on rich pastures. Most of the haciendas used by Wild and Exotic have courtyards festooned in colourful flowers, beautiful gardens, antique décor and open fireplaces in the bedrooms. Many of these prestigious and historically important haciendas are still home to the noblest of Ecuadorian families. The bird watching here is spectacular, with a huge variety of birds from the mighty Andean Condor to tiny hummingbirds and bright scarlet flycatchers. Whilst in Otavalo don’t miss out on a visit to the market, where locals dressed in traditional costumes sell crafts and home grown produce.
Head south across the Equator and into Cotopaxi National Park and the avenue of the volcanoes, overlooked by the spherical white cone of 5897 metre high Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. Using high altitude haciendas as your base explore the high paramo, not dissimilar to Exmoor, where herds of wild horses and fighting bulls roam a landscape of rolling hill and rocky outcrops studded with glittering lakes. Ride or walk along the ancient Inca highway that linked Quito with Cusco in Peru, and spend a night at the most important Inca site in Ecuador, Hacienda San Augustin, where the rooms are arranged around a perfectly preserved Inca square.
The Amazon jungle on the eastern side of the Andes. We recommend a stunning eco-lodge overlooking a lagoon on the Napo River (a tributary of the Amazon) where you can swim with giant otters, watch flocks of gaudy parrots flight into clay licks each morning, see snail kites at work and go spotlighting caimans at night. Other Amazon wildlife surrounding the lodge includes wild pigs and monkeys.
The Galapagos Islands are a series of volcanic outcrops on the Equator some 600 miles from mainland Ecuador, world famous for being stuck in an evolutionary time warp and home to many unique indigenous species of wildlife. The best way to experience these islands is to join on a cruise lasting from 4 – 8 days, or better still ask Wild and Exotic about chartering a cruise boat (the smallest are for just 10 passengers) for the exclusive benefit of your party. During your tour there will be visits to many of the islands on foot, talks by qualified naturalist guides and opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling,
Visas: No visa is required for visits of up to 90 days for UK citizens.
Please contact us to discuss your own unique, tailor-made itinerary
