Comments on: Ecuador’s Diverse Distinct Regions

By: Ecuador's Andean Highlands - Cotacachi, Papallacta, AtahualpaAdventurous Retirement

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:45:01 +0000

[…] Ecuador’s Diverse Distinct Regions […]

By: Ecuador's Andean Highlands - Part 1 - Otavalo, IbarraAdventurous Retirement

Ecuador's Andean Highlands - Part 1 - Otavalo, IbarraAdventurous Retirement — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:55:22 +0000

[…] Ecuador’s Diverse Distinct Regions […]

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 11 May 2016 19:22:19 +0000

In reply to Anita @ No Particular Place To Go. Hi Anita, Thank you for sharing your comments, as we did not get to Manta. The earthquake that you refer to - did you mean April 2016? The devastation of last month's earthquake is horrible. We were planning to go to Manta in January of this year when we were in Ecuador, but the El Nino threats kept us off the coast. There is still so much to see and do in the Andes. We loved our 2 month visit!

By: Anita @ No Particular Place To Go

Anita @ No Particular Place To Go — Wed, 11 May 2016 10:03:29 +0000

We spent three months in the coastal city of Manta in Manabi Province in the fall of 2014 and traveled up and down the coast as well as to the Galapagos Islands. The people of Ecuador are so welcoming and we also enjoyed feeling a part of Manta’s very friendly expat community and making some good friends. Unfortunately, the April 2014 earthquake has decimated much of the area and my last reading included a death toll of 500 plus. So much tragedy in a little country that is amazingly beautiful and diverse!

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 10 May 2016 14:43:20 +0000

Hi Kristin, Thanks for your comment. There is an earlier post on this blog entitled, ‘Traveling Ecuador’ from March 26, 2016 that answers this question. I have also posted 3 other articles on Ecuador, and plan on several more, each focusing on a different part of Ecuador that we visited. Last week I posted on Galapagos. The next post will be on choosing a boat versus land accommodations, and how to make that choice.
To answer your question about where we spent time, on this trip to Ecuador, our second time there, our base was Quito and we traveled from Quito – 9 trips. I chose it because of the ease of travel to various parts of the country from Quito. I loved the city and all of the cultural sites, as well as meeting and traveling with a mixed group of locals and expats that I was able to link up with. We truly enjoyed the city; the group we were befriended by made it a great time!

By: Kristin Henning

Kristin Henning — Tue, 10 May 2016 04:53:28 +0000

It would be fun to learn more why/where you spent time in Ecuador. We lived in Quito for about nine months in 2010. It’s great to recall all the great hikes and towns and cultures.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 12:13:49 +0000

In reply to Robert J. Broesler. Thank you Bob! Tom and I loved it there too -- especially the sea and snorkeling with the turtles every day!

By: Robert J. Broesler

Robert J. Broesler — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 02:29:16 +0000

Our family was planning a vacation to the caribbean and decided on Cancun. We turned to Wendy for advice. She listened, heard our interest (quiet; relaxed; all inclusive;snorkeling with turtles; visiting Mayan sites) and she recommended Akumal Beach resort and Spa. WOW! Less expensive than “cancun central” (by the airport) and closer to what we wanted (we droe 3 hours round trip to the resort and SAVED 9 hours in travel to our sites) and the service!!! Quick, gracious, friendly. Perfect beach. amazing spa – Yoga, massage etc. Even the invitation to consider buying a “lo term package” (pseudo time share) was a soft sell with no pressure.

So here is the punch line. We go to airport and our plane is cancelled! AA gives us two free nights at a typical top 25% all-inclusive resort. Cool – two free days of extended vacation…for a space more expensive than Akumal. Excerpt…food not nearly as good; no service with a smile…hard sell on “time shares”…cheap low end liquor. So American Airlines inadvertently proved that Wendy is the queen of vacations and Akumal Beach is the only smart location for Cancun travelers!