Ecuador & Galapagos tailor made tour

Planet

Using a slow travel approach, we encourage our guests to spend longer discovering their destination and avoiding flights where travel by land is possible. On this trip for example we travel by vehicle into the Amazon rather than flying in, and the only flights across the entire 23 days are between the Galapagos and the mainland, where there is no realistic alternative.

We also handpick accommodation with a focus on environmental responsibility, such as the charming jungle lodge in Mindo built specifically to protect the flora and fauna of the local cloud forest habitat. Similar stories can be found in the Amazon, Cotopaxi, and Galapagos properties we prioritise when arranging the itinerary.

Simply by visiting the Galapagos, as well as other national parks on the mainland, you are also helping to support important conservation efforts. Indeed, the Galapagos provides a great example in how responsible tourism can thrive, providing both the opportunity for people to experience its wonders, but also limiting the human impact on the archipelago through strict national park regulations.

People

Community-based tourism is a key element of our trips to Ecuador, and in fact our ground partners are multi-award winners in this field. Throughout the trip we aim to involve local communities in our activities, from full day experiences like the Quichua Napo Runa cultural initiative in the Amazon, to optional visits to authentic artisan workshops, and close bonds with experts like Miguel Andrango the ‘master weaver’ near Otavalo. The aim throughout is to provide non-touristy, authentic cultural experiences, that benefit the people from those communities directly.

We also avoid any international chain hotels or large cruise ships, prioritising independent local owner-run properties where possible. This keeps more money in the immediate area, and helps provides business and employment opportunities to local people, whilst providing us and our guests with a more genuine and enriching stay as part of our trips. All of our guides and drivers are also based out of partners local offices in Quito and the Galapagos.