Ecuador & Galapagos active adventure vacation

Planet

Our tailormade Ecuador trips aim for a 'Slow Travel' approach, where we encourage our guests to fly on vacation less often, and where flying is unavoidable (such as reaching the Galapagos) to make sure the trip is a fully immersive and meaningful adventure, that is both enjoyable for the traveler but also benefits the places we visit.

We 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, and successfully preserving an area roughly 40 times the size of the lodge itself.

Similarly 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 based in Quito are multi-award winners in this field. Throughout the trip we aim to involve local communities in our activities, such as across the Otavalo trekking days with where we eat and stay, and visiting artisans like Miguel Andrango the ‘master weaver’. 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.