March 2020 - Andean Trails

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Kathy Jarvis

Trekking, Peru, Climbing, Bolivia, Patagonia, Ecuador

Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. …

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Kat Dougal

Ecuador, Bolivia, Galapagos, Families, Peru

Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. …

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Gill Christie

Ecuador, Galapagos, Peru

Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. …

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Tom Shearman

Galapagos, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Patagonia, Colombia

Puerto Lopez is a vibrant fishing community on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. It lies at the heart of Machalilla National park. …

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What was the highlight of your holiday? Was there a low point?

Both Napo and Galapagos were incredible nature experiences, but driving through the Andean highlands was also spectacular.
The Coral II is an older ship and after the Anakonda, it was a bit underwhelming.
The staff and the excursions made the Galapagos a highlight and the food was very good (we actually had a company "hotel manager" on board with us, who inspected everything (like a quality control person), so the staff was on full alert. The staff helped to create a special birthday evening for me with cake and song.

How would you rate accommodation/ food/ guides/ overall organisation?

All accommodations were top rate, we asked for unique historical boutique hotels and you delivered.
The Hacienda San Augustin de Callo was amazing, and we are so glad you booked three nights!!!!!. Please never book them for only one night, people we met who only had one night were all very disappointed. We also really enjoyed the Hacienda Cusin, be sure to tell guests to also check out their next door property, the Monastery.
Food was good everywhere, great Ecuadorian cuisine
Guides were all very good and spoke English well.

What would you like to do differently next time?

Stay longer and add Cuenca. I also would buy an underwater camera.

Out of interest why did you choose the places you visited and why Andean Trails to organise your trip?

Kat really helped me to put this together. We shared our interests and she really listened to our input. I looked at different companies online and you were very responsive.

Miscellaneous comments

At both Cusin and San Augustin, there were nights were we were the only guests or there was perhaps one other couple or family.
Weather was much better then we expected. We had some rain, but it never got in the way of our trips and if it rained, it was never for long. This must be their low season, but it was great to not have the crowds.
Altitude was not a big deal, but hiking uphill was not an easy feat
As gay men travelling, we felt very welcome everywhere, even though we were offered separate beds in multiple places. In all cases, the situation was quickly resolved once we explained that we were a married couple. In Ecuador there is still a bit of a macho culture but certainly in the tourism world, being a gay couple did not present any issues. The owner of San Augustin actually hosted a gay wedding at her hacienda (perhaps something you can add to your trips.....)

H Winters, USA, May 2019
» Coral I & II Galapagos Cruise Yachts

The highlight was natural beauty, animals, boat trips, snorkelling etc. Really great organisation. 100% smooth. Tom very responsive to initial enquiry and Andean Trails great online reviews. Not sure if there’s anywhere posher to go after Galapagos? Black Sheep definitely an experience!

Rachel S, UK, Dec 2018
» Galapagos Land Tour: Santa Cruz & Isabela

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