White Water Rafting in Quito

4 Day Private Tour From Volcanoes route to the Amazon Rainforest

A Wonderful Way to Explore Ecuador

This year, my husband and I were determined to travel to South America, but we didn't have much leave to spend on a large trip. With less than a week, we wanted to pack in as much as possible. After searching several options in the northern portion of the country, Ecuador stood out, both for what it could offer in terms of ecosystems to explore and for the ease of getting there from the States. This trip did not disappoint! We were completely aw-struck by the beauty of Ecuador. The landscapes are like nothing you have ever seen in the States or Europe. Natural beauty and diversity are everywhere you look. The photos do not do it justice. And while it was a lot of driving, the relatively quick trip from the Andes into the complete jungle is both amazing and jarring! These two areas are so completely different from one another, adding so much richness to this trip! While we came for the natural beauty, we loved being immersed in local culture, which has survived the history of Spanish colonialism better than most places in the world. Ecuadorians were so friendly and warm, all so eager to ensure we had a good experience. Our driver, Erik, was sublime, and we felt we had the VIP experience with him the entire way. Live Ecuador did a great job organizing this trip, and Erik did a wonderful job explaining different options to us and keeping us on schedule. We were the only two people on our trip, and Erik took such care to ensure the trip was what we wanted it to be. He was also a conscientious driver. I get motion sick rather easily, and Ecuador has many winding roads and landscapes. Erik navigated these with relative ease, and I was rarely ill from it all. I did feel a bit of trepidation initially after booking with Live Ecuador, only because they did not have many reviews on their website for this particular trip. However, many of the more “polished” experiences didn’t seem to be run by locals at all, and I wanted to ensure we supported Ecuadorians as much as possible. This trip did not disappoint, and I am so glad we took the plunge. The Suchipakari lodge also has a good track record in how they treat their staff, and it also supports local wildlife rehabilitation. I am so glad we went with this company, in the end!

Exclusive 3-Day All-Inclusive Amazon Adventure in Napo Province

Successful trip into the jungle of Ecuador

We had a lovely stay at the Suchipakari Lodge. We had booked 3 days and 2 nights. The facility was very beautiful and the rooms were spacious. Very comfortable bed. We had a room on the upper floor with 2 balconies/terraces where one could sit very nicely. The excursions were very nice and informative. Our guide David had many exciting things to share and spoke good English. The night hike was a bit lacking at just 30 minutes. I had pre-ordered vegetarian food, yet I had meat on my plate at every meal; however, the food was delicious.

Mindo Adventure in Quito Outdoor Experience

Energetic full day in Mindo

If you are thinking of doing a day trip from Quito you absolutely have to book this with Richard. He was such a generous and fun host and honestly made the whole day so good. The entire trip was totally seamless because everything was included, from the smooth transport to and from Quito to a really great lunch that hit the spot after all the activitys. The adventures themselves were amazing, we did canopy ziplining, climbed down a waterfall which was a massive rush, went tubing down the river, and did some biking through the cloud forest. Doing all of that back to back without having to worry about paying separately or arranging rides made it so effortless. If you want a high energy, stress free day in Mindo this is definitely the way to do it.