Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands

We are planning to book a last minute cruise in Puerto Ayora. I have the following questions:
1. as most likely we will be paying by cash. how to ensure that the travel agent is legit. (that is we won't be scammed) ?
2. the only travel agent that I can find in my research is Moonrise. They have not been responsive to my email. I am sure that there are others in Puerto Ayora and are they relatively easy to find?
3. we will be arriving in Puerto Ayora on a Sunday morning in May. Will there…

For anyone looking to spend a few days in the unspoilt nature in the north of Ecuador, here is our experience at finca San Antonio in the Intag valley.

Found it by chance and immediately decided to visit, as we were in Otavalo and looking for more than what we got from the Cuicocha hike. We returned so fulfilled that I would like to share this place with others.

Looking for accommodation in Intag we found several fincas that have great reviews on Tripadvisor and elsewhere, but are too…

Any suggestions about how to fill in the gaps with our itinerary? Trying to balance out activities with wanting to not spend excessive time travelling. We have not yet bought tickets for anything except home-->quito-->home.
Day 1: Arrive in quito, sleep
Day 2: Quito (teleferico/mitad del mundo)
Day 3-9: Galapagos
Day 10: Fly to Quito

This is the part that is under development
Day 11: ? Get ready for Quilatoa? Unsure
Day 12-13Latacunga / Quilatoa Loop
Day 14-15: Baños (downhill bike to Puyo…

Hi there,

I'm looking for some input about a Galapagos islands itinerary for this July. I'm not too familiar with the various islands and the flora/fauna on each one, so I'd like to get insightfrom people with some knowledge of the area.

I received the proposed itinerary below for a cruise from "Imagine Ecuador", but the agent wasn't very specific about what is good/bad about the options he gave me. He basically said "all the itineraries are good, just depends on what you want to see"…

Hi!
At the end of my Ecuador journey I will have a very limited time to go to Banos and Cotopaxi (after Galapagos and Cuyabeno) but I wouldn't want to miss those places.

So my question is, whether it's feasible to travel from Quito to Banos and then go back via Cotopaxi within four full days. I would like to relax in Banos, if time allows and it's possible on a short notice maybe do white water rafting, and then hike a bit at Cotopaxi (not climbing it).
Is there an option to take a late…

"How do you get the most bang for your buck" or "How do you get a great cruise experience in the Galapagos Islands without a big price tag" is a question I come across often in these forums.

Of course there is some truth to the adage ‘you get what you pay for’ when it comes to Galapagos cruises, but there is also quite a bit of space between getting the absolute most for your money and not. Whether you’re in your golden years and prefer the finer things, or a young backpacker trying to find a…

Hi

Me and my boyfriend are looking to travel around the Galapagos and Ecuador, we want to take a cruise for 5 days in the Galapagos and a round trip from Quito to Cuenca. Can you help us with some recommendations about good places to stay, nice restaurants and good service? we are looking for a private tour. Any travel agency in ecuador you can recommend?

thanks

Hi!
I will be in Ecuador for three weeks soon (beginning of May) and would like to go to the Galapagos Islands, too. I understand there's the option to take a cruise ship and liveaboards. As I would like to experience the islands themselves as well as go diving (Wolf & Darwin) - is it possible to combine both? Can anyone recommend a tour operator?
I have read a lot of posts but have to admit that I didn't get the picture how it works yet...

Regards, Gaston

I am trying to book a Galapagos cruise and having trouble finding a travel company based in the US.....which is necessary because I can't seem to find an agency in Ecuador that will accept credit cards unless they charge an outrageous 8% surcharge (which of course, not one even mentioned on their web pages)I know people keep saying on the forums that its say to wire $ to the Ecuadoran agencies but I am not comfortable in wiring thousands of dollars...I just feel that it leaves me completely…

Hello To All,
I have a special family that I have kind of adopted in ( Illuman ) Otavalo. There are 13 living in one room but very happy. The son Julio is teaching himself English. He is a wonderful, nice young guy that wants to learn. Anyways, he would like some books in English. He loves to read and any level would be fine. He would like some of the classics. I cannot ship because it is to expensive. If you can take or have some books to give him he could meet you in Otavalo. He does go to…