1

I moved here 5 months from the U.S. and I want to assure you that you will be fine. You might want to be careful with the water and drink only bottled water (as I usually do but not always) but I also know people that drink regular tap water without problems. In Quito the water seems fine but in Montanita, definitely don't drink the tap water. The sewage in that town is horrible and you can smell it in the tap water as well. I have not been robbed, pickpocketed or in any kind of danger but it doesn't mean that crime isn't a problem here. I have met people that have been robbed but it just hasn't personally happened to me. I have traveled to a fair number of countries around the world and I don't feel as if Ecuador is anymore dangerous then countries like Peru or Costa Rica.

2

Just to clarify, I'm going to Guayaquil. Thanks for that el_captain :) I'm kinda concerned about the difficulty in connecting flgihts, as I have connecting flights in San Jose and Quito

3

Just let most of that nervous energy go into friendliness and you'll have a great time.

4

I arranged for anti-malarial tablets from my Aussie doctor before I left last February but I can't remember what areas were affected. Certainly the Amazon jungles are - check with your local GP.

You also need a yellow fever vaccination before you go - check the internet for entry requirements. Your local GP can arrange that too.

5

I've been to Ecuador 2 years ago and encountered zero problem. But such testimonies mean nothing, of course. There are risks. From insecurity, not from diseases.

6

I agree with Chris #4. We have always been asked where we went in Ecuador etc. on our return to Australia and if in the tropics have had to produce proof we had a Yellow Fever Vaccination.

7

Australia does indeed require proof of yellow fever vaccination for anyone "entering Australia within 6 days of having stayed overnight in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, excluding Galapagos Islands in Ecuador." (I left off some info pertaining to Africa.) HOwever, according ot he Aus. Dept. of Health

There is almost zero risk of YF in Guayaquil itself.

You must get a YF shot at an official vaccination center. You can scroll to the bottom of this page to find out how to locate a center n Australia. Yellow fever

This map from the UK NHS shows where there is risk of malaria in Ecuador. If you will only be in Guayaquil, you may find that being meticulous about preventing mosquito bites it sufficient. However, this is something that you should discuss with your doctor--you may have a personal medical reason why you'd be more likely to have a very serious case if you came down with malaria.

To answer your more general question, I've done a couple of trips to Ecuador, including the highlands, Amazon area, and Galapagos. The worst thing that happened was that I forgot to pack underwear for one of the trips and had o go buy some. On one trip, I traveled with someone who had never before been outside of the US. He had no problems. Well, he did get ripped off buying a "genuine artifact," which he deliberately purchased because it was such an obvious fake.

8

You can get detailed information on the topics of malaria and yellow fever from the World Health Organization here: http://www.who.int/ith/chapters/ith2012en_countrylist.pdf

9

Cool thanks guys, yeah I've got my yellow fever vaccine (plus a bunch of other things) and I've been given doxycyllin as an antimalarial (which is apparently a broad spectrum anti biotic). I'll be on that for 3 weeks... I guess. First week I'm at a beach house, second week is general Guayaquil area, and third week is Galapgos islands.

I'd consider my chances of contracting malaria at a beach house relatively low, and being in the water that much. I've no idea how to hang the net, or what to hang it off.... may have to improve while I'm there.

Heres another, more specific question. Quito airport. I have 40 mins to catch a connecting flight from Quito to Guayaquil. Thats going to be a international to domestic connection I'd imagine, so I'd have to go through customs..... 40 minutes to go through customs? :( Anyway I'll just have to do my best. I'll paste my flights up, if anyone can give any advice about the airports I'm travelling through it'd be awsome.

10

Flight: Los Angeles to Guayaquil
Fri 14-Dec-12
Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart 01:35
Terminal 2 to San Jose (SJO)
Arrive 09:15
Terminal M
4,381 km
(2,722 mi)
Duration: 5hr 40mn
LACSA
Flight: 605
Operated by: LINEAS AEREAS COSTARRICENSES - LACSA
Economy Class (10E), Breakfast, Airbus A319
San Jose (SJO)
Depart 10:20
Terminal M to Quito (UIO)
Arrive 13:30
1,292 km
(803 mi)
Duration: 2hr 10mn
LACSA
Flight: 661
Operated by: LINEAS AEREAS COSTARRICENSES - LACSA
Economy Class (08B), Lunch, Airbus A320
Quito (UIO)
Depart 14:10 to Guayaquil (GYE)
Arrive 15:00
274 km
(170 mi)
Duration: 0hr 50mn
LACSA
Flight: 660
Operated by: LINEAS AEREAS COSTARRICENSES - LACSA
Economy Class (08B), Airbus A320
Total distance: 5,947 km (3,695 mi)
Total duration: 8hr 40mn (10hr 25mn with connections)
Fri 4-Jan-13
Guayaquil (GYE)
Depart 06:10 to Bogota (BOG)
Arrive 07:55
Terminal 1
995 km
(618 mi)
Duration: 1hr 45mn
Avianca
Flight: 7380
Operated by: AEROLINEAS GALAPAGOS
Economy Class (09B), Meal, Airbus A319
Bogota (BOG)
Depart 11:55
Terminal 1 to San Salvador (SAL)
Arrive 13:56
1,902 km
(1,182 mi)
Duration: 3hr 1mn
Avianca
Flight: 94
Economy Class (12E), Meal, Airbus A320
San Salvador (SAL)
Depart 15:05 to Los Angeles (LAX)
Arrive 18:35
Terminal 2
3,732 km
(2,319 mi)
Duration: 5hr 30mn
Avianca
Flight: 6642
Operated by: TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES - TACA FOR TACA INTE
Economy Class (11E), Lunch, Airbus A321
Total distance: 6,629 km (4,119 mi)
Total duration: 10hr 16mn (15hr 25mn with connections)

11

Wow what a complicated trip. I would have just caught a LAN flight to Chile and a few hours later a Lan Ecuador flight to Quito via Guayaquil and even a Lan flight to Galapagos and returned the same way. In fact we are going to Quito thay way in January but not doing Galapagos this trip.

12

Yeah I have no idea what I'm doing, or rather I had no idea and no really good travel buddies. In hindsight I should have used a travel agent.

My destination is Guayaquil, not Quito though :)

13

Doxycycline must be taken daily while you are in a malaria area, and for 4 weeks after leaving a malaria area.

A side note. It looks like you will be flying form Australia to Los Angeles, then heading off to Ecuador from there. The US has no transit areas in airports. You are going ot have to clear US customs and immigration in LAX, even if you are there for only a few hours.

As an Australian, you are probably eligible to enter the US under the Visa Waiver Program, which weaves the need for a visa. You can use this visa wizard to verify that you can enter under the VWP.

In order to enter under the VWP, you must obtain approval from the ESTA pre-clearance This verifies that you appear to be eligible to enter the US under the VWP and that you are not on some list of undesirables. Without ESTA approval, the airline will not let you board in Australia. If you want more information, post on the US branch.

14

I've gone through the ESTA website and have paid the $15 for this. They didn't send me a confirmation email (apparently they don't have to).

I'll check to see if I have verfication, and if I do I'll print the receipt and take it with me. Just checked then, and yeah I have ESTA approval. I'll print the receipt and take it with me.