Ecuador: Amazon, Hot Springs & Volcanoes Adventure Tour

Get in touch with the power of the planet on this nine-day adventure packed with many of Ecuador's natural wonders. Hike through the greener-than-green Amazon jungle with a local naturalist guide at your side, slip into the celebrated (and restorative) hot springs of Papallacta, enjoy lunch with the residents of an Andean community, and spend a night at a historic hacienda. Let this force of nature blow you away.

Highlights

Visit the Otavalo Weaving studio and get a lesson from Miguel Andrango, explore villages and learn about traditional handicrafts and folk art from locals, traverse the Amazon jungle with a local naturalist guide, learn about the relationship between cultures and the plants around them at the Omaere Ethnobotanical Park, be surrounded by towering volcanoes

What's Included

Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Otavalo Weaving Lesson, Otavalo Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Amazon Home Experience, Tena Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Visit the Omaere Ethnobotanical Park, Baños Your Wellness Moment: Papallacta Hot Springs Visit, Papallacta. Arrival transfer. Overnight in an historic hacienda. Explore the Otavalo handicraft market. Cloud forest reserve visit. Two nights at an Amazon lodge with jungle excursions. Excursion to Cotopaxi National Park. Internal flights. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.

Accommodation

Hotels (4 nts), historic hacienda (1 nt), jungle lodge (2 nts), hot springs resort (1 nt).

Meals Included

8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners

Transport

Private van, motorized canoe, walking.

Group Leader Description

All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders, also known as a CEO (Chief Experience Officer). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting
we think it's the best of both worlds.

Emergency Fund

Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD $200 (or equivalent) as an 'emergency' fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control (ex. a natural disaster) require a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence!

Solo Travellers

We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi
share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and single travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.

Spending Money

Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.

What to Take

Most people automatically assume that the weather is hot in South America, but because of the higher altitude in the Andes, the temperature can feel quite cold, especially at night. We recommend the use of a medium sized soft suitcase, duffel bag or backpack, whichever is easiest for you to carry. A good size daypack is also essential. Rubber boots are very good for hiking in the rainforest, they help protect feet from plants and insects close to the ground as well as deep water. The lodge offers use of boots as a courtesy to our guests, available from size 5 to size 12. How to keep things dry: We recommend that passengers bring zip
lock plastic bags or dry sacks for your lenses and camera equipment. A waterproof backpack will also help you to protect your camera gear or anything else you wish to keep completely dry. The humidity is high in the rainforest, however, if you follow the advice about packing appropriate belongings it should not be an issue.