LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
We want you to experience the country from a native perspective, not a tourist perspective; we want to show you places you won’t see on regular tours.
Cristina’s love for her country made her go to college to become a tour guide and tour operator. From 1987 to 1999 she organized trips in Ecuador for groups of German and Swiss tourists, and she guided them through the country and the Galapagos Islands where she’s been for 15 times. Later, she became a spa consultant, and she helped create and develop the spas in different resorts around the country. You’ll get to stay at some of these properties.
When she moved to United States she created Aromandina, a line of aromatherapy, using some sustainable essential oils from her Ecuador.
We started with a group of 10 friends in May 2018, then the word spread and we brought two more groups in 2019. Now more and more friends are signing up to join in our adventures.
We take care of every detail during the trip, from giving you ahead of time a list of what to wear every day, to watching for your health by giving you recommendations of what is safe to eat and what is not.
Ecuador
Straddling the equator and bordered by Colombia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador is South America’s tiny country and is easily one of the most diverse on the planet with 25,000 plant species, 1,600 bird species, the mighty Andes, the lush Amazon, and nine national parks – including the unique Galápagos Islands. Packed with heritage, colonial architecture, rainforest, mountains, historic cities, and palm-fringed beaches, it is little wonder that Ecuador is known as ‘the microcosm of South America.’
Ecuador is divided into three continental regions: Coast, Andes Mountains (Sierra), Amazon Rainforest – The Galapagos Islands are also part of Ecuador.
Lago San Pablo, Otavalo
One of the most incredible things to see in the lower Napo river today.
Parrots in the Amazon are high maintenance when it comes to diet.
Their nourishment consists mostly of seeds and nuts found throughout the rainforest, but at one potentially ill-cost: parrots need to keep the toxins inside their system – resulting from the ingestion of a variety of different nuts and seeds – at manageable levels. This is where the clay lick comes into play.
A clay lick, otherwise known as Collpa (the Quechua word for salt lick), are patches of earth that are abundant in minerals – particularly sodium – that help neutralize the toxins that develop as a result of a Parrot’s diet.
Consequently, clay licks are frequented by a number of parrots nearly every morning. The Yasuni National Park is home to some of the most accessible clay licks in all of the Amazon, with two of the most popular clay licks located along the banks of the Napo River.
Exploring Garzacocha Lagoon. We saw cappuccino monkeys. Beautiful creatures.
Our native guide finds the most interesting creatures. Here’s a poisonous frog
After a 20 minute flight, 2 hour ride on a small motor boat and a short rowboat trip on a calm lake we arrived to this beautiful facility.
Breakfast at 5:30 am
We’re going to spend the next five days here. As travel agents we are always looking for new luxurious and exciting destinations for our guests. Yasuní National Park, in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, was named one of 25 most exciting destinations for 2022 by National Geogrpahic`s travel magazine. "Yasuní—considered one of the most biodiverse places on Earth—shelters an astonishing assortment of creatures, such as anteaters, capybaras, sloths, spider monkeys, and about 600 species of colorful birds. In the Napo and Curaray rivers flanking the park, visitors can watch for the Amazon river dolphin, an endangered and enigmatic species,"
Majestic Cotopaxi
Horseback riding on the slopes of the volcano #Cotopaxi #quindetravel #horsebackriding #couplestravel #ecuador🇪🇨
The páramos, the highland moors, are vital to Ecuador. Those desolate-looking wilderness areas are where the country gets much of its drinking water. The plants in the páramo are like sponges and absorb moisture, releasing the water later to streams and rivers. The páramos are also home to many creatures.
One of our favorite destinations in the Ecuadorian Andes.
These jumps describe total happiness #cotopaxivolcano #couplestravel #quindetravel
Hummingbirds feeding at 12,000’ the Cotopaxi volcano in the background #hummingbird #volcanoes #ecuador #cotopaxi #quindetravel
Sunset with a view #Cotopaxi #ecuador #quindetravel #volcanoes #couplestravel
Now that’s a workout! @gabriel_carrion_b in action, improving this incredible birdwatching paradise every day #ecuador #quindetravel #chocoandino
Life in the cloud forest #ecuador #chocoandino @tambocoffee @quindetravel @tamboquinde
Sunset in the jungle. #ecuador #chocoandino @quindetravel @tambocoffee @tamboquinde
Drawing its nutrients from the air, water and surrounding organic debris during this initial stage in its development, the strangler fig is one of the rainforest’s fastest growing trees. The strangler fig sapling grows to form leaves and branches that reach upward towards the light, while simultaneously producing aerial roots that travel downward, enveloping the host tree as they stretch inexorably to the ground, where they will finally be able to take nutrients from the soil.
The roots of the strangler fig wrap themselves around the host tree, gradually forming a kind of lattice frame that completely surrounds the host’s trunk. Once the roots of the strangler fig reach the ground, its growth accelerates as it plunders the nutrients and moisture that the host tree depended upon for its survival. And as the strangler fig’s own foliage spreads upward, it begins to overshadow the host’s crown, cutting it off from life-giving sunlight.
Eventually, the host tree will die. But by this time the strangler fig is large and strong enough to flourish independently. And so, the strangler fig is left standing, with its hollow trunk the only surviving evidence of the host tree’s passing. In areas of Amazon forest that have been exploited intensively by loggers, often strangler figs are the only trees left untouched, because their gnarled and knotted trunks make them unsuitable for exploitation.
While strangler fig trees can prove deadly to their hosts, they also play an important role within tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems. Many strangler figs function as what is known as a “keystone” species, by providing a habitat for many hundreds of species of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, rodents and bats. And of course, particularly at those times of the year when other food sources may be scarce, forest species including primates and birds are attracted by the tasty fruit of strangler figs, which the trees produce in large quantities, with each fruit packed with seeds that will be dispersed by the animal that consumes it.
When my favorite volcano, Antisana, is “naked”, I know it will be a great day! This was today’s view from the rooftop. Antisana Volcano (18,700’ a.s.l) is located on the eastern range of the Ecuadorean Andes, 50km from Quito, and it is the fourth highest volcano in Ecuador. Usually it’s covered with clouds, but today it decided to show us all of its splendor #quindetravel #Quito #ecuador #andemountains #volcanoes #couplestravel #exotictravel
Hiking in the cloud forest is so rewarding. There’s so much life around.
Modeling our new masks with native designs. #diablohuma #ayahuma #cuy #ecuador #quindetravel
Full moon in Quito
Feeding the hummingbirds directly from our hands Part 2
Feeding the hummingbirds directly from our hands Part 1
Ecuador is just the size of Nevada state. Look at how many volcanoes we have. How many can you count? #quindetravel #ecuador
Cotopaxi from the air #ecuador #quindetravel #ecuador ##ecuadorvolcanos #volcanos #volcanosecuador #couplestravel
Our beautiful Quito #quindetravel
Quito and the moon #Quito #quindetravel #ecuador
Butterfly convention #cloudforest #ecuador
Fuego de esperanza
Lunch time #cloudforest #ecuador #quito #hummingbird