Begin your trip in Quito, the capital city, lset in a valley between snow-capped Andean peaks. Quito is divided into an old and new quarter, and we work with a variety of hotel styles in the city. It’s worth a stay of two nights so you have a chance to explore the monuments and visit the Equator Monument.

Then, take a short flight to the Amazon jungle, where you can spend four or five days exploring trails through the forest with your naturalist guide, fishing for piranhas (or swimming with them!), visiting local communities, visiting parrot clay licks, and watching for wildlife from observation towers and canopy walks. Lodges are comfortable, and have amenities like private terraces with hammocks, electricity, fans, and running water, and work with sustainable principles to preserve the environment.

After the Amazon, continue to the Galapagos Islands for an exciting cruise of four, five or eight days. Each day you’ll have an early start, and then two island visits with your naturalist guide. You’ll often have the chance to snorkel after the land visit, where you’ll see the colorful marine life of the Enchanted Isles, and have the chance to swim with white-tipped reef sharks and playful sea lions. Because there are few natural predators in the Galapagos, animals are startlingly unafraid of humans, and you can get up close and personal with a blue-footed booby doing a mating dance, huge colonies of marine iguanas, or to ancient giant tortoises.

We work with a wide variety of Galapagos yachts, all visited by our Travel Consultants, and all adhering to the highest levels of safety and environmental standards, as well as working with top guides.

Ask us about customizing this trip with a Galapagos yacht to match your travel preferences, and the best Amazon program.

For the special November 7-14 departure all Galapagos extras are free of charge – these include roundtrip flights to the Galapagos Islands from mainland Ecuador, park fees, and fuel surcharge! Contact us for more details on this amazing opportunity to cruise the Galapagos Islands with one of the most adventurous nature travelers around – Paul Rose.

Fly into Cuenca to explore the Saraguro Indian territory en route to the city of Loja. This region is home to an ancient culture, whose people scholars believe were brought by the Incas from Peru during the Inca conquest, and later stayed in the valley. A visit to Saraguro Market is a peek into tradition and local culture, and is famed for fined textiles. This area is off the tourist paths, and an authentic destination for Latin Excursions travelers.

Other sites in the region include Podocarpus National Park, one of the most pristine natural areas and home to an endangered conifer forest. Birdwatchers and outdoor lovers will enjoy hiking and discovering endemic flora and fauna here. The Vilcabamba Valley has beautiful landscapes and interesting people and villages to explore, and Zamora Village is another destination in the Loja Province. Zamora is home to Ecuador’s best coffee and is a beautiful colonial town in its own right.

For a stay in the area, we suggest making Loja city your base for more adventure in the area, and the Grand Victoria boutique hotel has a high level of service in a renovated 19th republican home. For an authentic journey in Ecuador, the Province of Loja is a fantastic destination for travelers interested in experiencing more of the myriad cultures in mainland Ecuador.