Our Blog
Plan Your Trip To Ecuador’s Limoncocha Biological Reserve
When our friend and photographer, Humberto Castillo found out we were headed to the Yasuni National Park, he suggested that we add on a two night trip to the Limoncocha Biological Reserve. Are we ever glad he did! He and his partner, Steffi, introduced us to excellent...
San Francisco de Borja: A Hidden Paradise
A hidden paradise just two and a half hours outside Quito experiences the pandemic in a different way. For a moment, we can relax while walking peaceful trails, observe birds wherever our gaze wanders, learn the local traditions like milking the cows, and even enjoy...
Help Us Hire Ecuadorian Writers
During the current pandemic, tourism providers in Ecuador are basically out of work. This is especially true for tour guides who are often hired on a contract basis by tour agencies. They do not qualify for unemployment. But we can help! Tour Guides As Travel Writers...
Wear A Mask With Ecuador’s Beautiful Places
Looking for a mask that makes a statement? If you live in Ecuador, look no further than these one-of-a-kind face masks designed by former tour guide Jacqueline Granda. Her motivation is clear. She needs to earn a living while tourism in on hold. A Face Mask with a...
Ecuadorian Solstice Festivals Along the Equator
In Ecuador, Inti Raymi (or the Fiesta del Sol), was declared a festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage on June 29, 2016. Throughout the Ecuadorian Sierra, it is one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year. This is due to its importance in the Andean...
Driving to Cerro Puntas
Across the valley from north Quito, looking out over the new airport, it is easy to see a set of jagged mountain tops in the distance. This is Cerro Puntas. When I originally wrote this article, I had lived in Quito for two years and each day that I looked at this...
Locro de Papa, Quiteño Comfort Food
I can't think of a dish that is more emblematic of Quito than Locro de Papa or Potato Soup. What is Locro? In Ecuador, a locro is a thick soup, almost a stew, and its base is potato, specifically the papa chola, a large, starchy, reddish-skinned potato with a pale...
The Essential Ecuador Pre-Trip To-Do List
When our US clients use their personalized itineraries to head to Ecuador, they travel with a list of recommendations for making their trip safe and memorable. Those recommendations begin with a list of things to do BEFORE they ever arrive in Ecuador. Here is the...
Global Big Day Ecuador 2020
Global Big Day is the most important event for the identification and registration of birds in the world. Cornell University in the United States started the initiative in 2015 with the valuable objective of connecting citizen scientists with the biological diversity...
Giant Catfish in the Amazon
The catfish is an example of mother nature’s generosity. Take, for example, the story of Robert Granja. On April 11 of this year, Robert, his brother Kevin and two other friends went fishing as they would normally do. However, instead of going fishing for fun, they...