Discover Botswana & find out more about our Botswana Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your trip...
Ethiopia: Luxury & Private Safaris Ethiopia is country of unexpected diversity. A country that often flies...
Discover Kenya & find out more about our Kenya Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your trip of a...
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Mauritius: Luxury & Private Safaris Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, sitting over a 1,000 miles...
Discover Mozambique & find out more about our Mozambique Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your...
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Discover Seychelles & find out more about our Seychelles Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your...
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Tanzania: Luxury & Private Safaris Tanzania is a beautiful, untamed country of diverse landscapes ranging from...
Discover Uganda & find out more about our Uganda Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your trip of...
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Antarctica: Luxury & Private Safaris The white continent of Antarctica is one the last remaining untouched and...
Discover India & find out more about our India Luxury Safaris. Let our team of travel experts hand-craft your trip of a...
Nepal: Luxury & Private Safaris As the birthplace of Lord Buddha and home to 8 of the world’s tallest peaks, Nepal...
Discover Egypt & find out more about our Egypt Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your trip of a...
Israel: Luxury & Private Safaris Located geographically and culturally at the intersection of Africa, Europe and of...
Jordan: Luxury & Private Safaris Jordan is a top destination for nature and history enthusiasts. As many people are...
Discover Morocco & find out more about our Morocco Luxury Safaris. Let our team of safari experts hand-craft your trip...
Australia: Luxury & Private Safaris Australia is so much more than just Sydney, Uluru, and the Great Barrier Reef. A...
Discover New Zealand & find out more about our New Zealand Luxury Trips. Let our team of travel experts hand-craft your...
Argentina: Luxury & Private Safaris Argentina draws many obvious comparisons with Europe’s old world charm and...
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The United States: Luxury & Private Journeys The United States is a patchwork of National Parks, national forests,...
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Originally hailing from Portland, Oregon, Amelia has steadily made her way east over the years. A graduate of the...
While living and working in New York, Catherine’s sales and manufacturing position took her frequently to Indonesia,...
Born in Kenya and raised in Paris, Elizabeth explored the world from a young age. After graduating from Stanford, she...
Emily’s thirst for adventure began at a young age while trekking the Himalayas on a family trip to Nepal....
Born and raised in Kenya, Esther is based in Nairobi and designs our itineraries. She holds a diploma in Tourism...
Gena has possessed a love of Africa for many years. She has had the opportunity to visit this amazing continent four...
Jamie’s wanderlust was fostered on weekend getaways during a summer at Oxford while attending the University of...
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A veteran of the travel industry, Jenny has more than 10 years of experience exploring the far corners of the world. She...
Having set foot on all seven continents, Kim knows that while languages, cuisine, landscapes, and wildlife are diverse...
Lara is a Boston-based member of the Extraordinary Journeys sales team and African safaris are her passion. Since her...
Lisa was born in South Africa and raised in one of the most adventurous families. From the age of 8 to 13, Lisa sailed...
Marcia has over 40 years of experience in African travel. After Peace Corps in Uganda, she spent 12 years in Kenya...
Pearl is a Boston native. She attended Union College, where she studied Anthropology and completed field work in...
Rachel is a Massachusetts native with a passion for adventure and spontaneity. She moved to New York to finish her...
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Ecuador is an incredible wildlife destination and is home to spectacularly diverse topography – from the Pacific Coast to the Sierra Highlands, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador certainly has size in its favor; it is a small country packed with incredible landscapes so you can spend as little as one week here and still manage to fit in a diverse range of experiences, all without too many internal flights.
Quito, the capital of Ecuador and another UNESCO world heritage site, is an incredibly lively city. Whether you are a history buff, a sucker for delicious food (and chocolate), an adrenaline junkie, or a geography enthusiast (straddle the equator!), there is something here for you. Resting at 9,200 feet above sea level, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world, so this city can literally take your breath away.
The Galapagos Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is often found at the top of travelers’ bucket lists. Galapagos is such an incredibly immense and important marine reserve that it’s labelled a ‘unique living museum and showcase of evolution.’
Then there is the infamous Amazon, an incredibly diverse tropical rainforest region spanning much of the western side of the country. Whether on a luxury boat or a homey eco-lodge, your time here will be spent exploring the depths of the jungles. Exotic animals such as jaguars, anacondas, iguanas, monkeys, and pink dolphins reside in these forests, and birdwatchers will be in heaven. Cultural experiences here can also be very interesting; many tribes in the Amazon have little to no contact with the outside world.
The Andes Mountains run through the middle of Ecuador, like its spine, and in this region there is an array of activities on offer. Shop the local markets in Otavalo, horseback riding through the ranches and hillsides near our favorite haciendas, or hiking the snow-capped volcanoes of Cotopaxi. On descent from the heights of the Andes, you will encounter varying stages of ecosystems. Plan a stop in the Cloud Forest, a lush, misty forest at a very high altitude. The low-hanging fog sets a magical scene, and the birdlife, butterflies, and greenery are plentiful. For the adventurous, this is an excellent location with white-water rafting and tubing.
Ecuador beautifully incorporates interesting and unique activities with their diverse landscapes and ecosystems. The adventurous and outdoorsy person will find him or herself at home here.
Marketplace, Hacienda Zuleta
View from Mashpi Lodge
Quito city views
Ecuador’s weather varies drastically within each region. The altitude directly affects the climate, so each region has an optimal time of year to visit. Generally speaking, Ecuador has two main seasons – the wet and dry seasons (which differ somewhat from place to place) – and when combining that with varying altitudes, the weather can be very diverse and hard to predict. One thing you can be sure of is that a peak season exists, and takes place from June through September (July and August being the busiest) and over our holiday season from mid-December to early January. If you wish to avoid crowds, we recommend you go during the shoulder seasons of May, October/November, and January/February.
Ecuador should be thought of as a year-round destination, but if there are certain activities you wish to do, you should check with us first as to when the best time to go will be.
Ecuador has a wide range of accommodation at different price points throughout the different seasons. Budget will depend on what type of experience you are looking for. The most you will be spending will likely be at a high-end Galapagos accommodation, at around $1000 per person per night. But in general, in most areas you can expect to spend between $300-$500 per person per night, unless a lower budget has been previously requested.
For first-timers who want an incredible wildlife experience, prioritizing the Galapagos or the Amazon (or a combination) is the way to go. Silently paddle through the mangroves of the Galapagos Islands, as quiet as you can so as not to scare the giant tortoises you can spot in the bush. Hike over lava islands, stepping around iguanas or sea lions basking in the sun. The Galapagos Archipelago is truly a magical location, and not to be missed by wildlife enthusiasts. The Amazon, equally wondrous, is a very different experience. The humid, dense rainforest is home to animals which seem almost unnatural; birds which are every color of the rainbow, pink dolphins which swim beside your boat, and slithering snakes as long as your eye can see. These areas are nothing short of iconic.
Spending time in the Andes is always a remarkable addition, from the cultural experiences on offer, to the array of activities, and of course, for the spectacular vistas. Quito in itself is not to be missed, as it’s a lively city with plenty to see and do.
Walk among the abundant wildlife
Encounter the Giant Tortoise in the Galapagos
Canopy walkway, Sacha Lodge
Canoeing, Sacha Lodge
Boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and scenic train rides are just some of the activities and transportation methods you may encounter during a trip to Ecuador. Diverse landscapes, wildlife, and cultures make for an incredibly wide range of experiences, and that’s what we love so much about this country.
Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth. Although it’s about the same size as the state of Colorado, more than 1,500 bird species have been recorded within its borders along with an incredible number of plants, reptiles, amphibians, and countless varieties of insects. For wildlife enthusiasts, the type who are drawn to an African safari, Ecuador will absolutely deliver.
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