“Not all those who wander are lost — J.R.R Tolkien”
Visiting Ecuador was one of the best experiences and I have shared five reasons why you must visit Ecuador.
1.Quito and the old city: Quito is a city filled with culture and style. Particularly, the old town is enamored with 16th-century colonial style and flavor. I was blessed to stay in a colonial restored house famously called — “Hotel San Francisco De Quito”. I could walk to Quito’s city centre which is designated by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site.
2.The Equator and the Volcanoes: Latitude 00° 00’ 00’’: The monument site of the equator is called Mitad del Mundo. Well, to be factual this is not the equator and the exact line crosses several hundred feet away. The fun part of visiting this site is doing those experiments on balance, gravity, and body weight. There was this experiment with a water basin where water moves in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. The balance of egg on a nail, and how your balance is affected at the equator. I was lucky to visit Cotopaxi on a clear sky day. Due to my physical condition, I couldn’t hike up to the summit, but it’s a wonderful experience just to see this Volcano from a distance.
3.Quilotoa loop & Devil’s nose Train: Do you like hiking and seeing a beautiful in the middle of nowhere? It was a breathtaking view seeing the lagoon from the top and as you go down you could feel the different textures of water which is so unreal. This was the first time I saw water in emerald color.
Devil’s nose train ride: The train is a feat of engineering as it follows a zigzag path and the train has a peculiar way of moving forward and backward till it reaches the bottom. It’s so-called because many people died building this track connecting Alausi and Sibambe stations.
4.The Countryside and Banos: Countryside: Ecuador’s countryside is so beautiful and mesmerizing. I got a chance to stay at this place: “llumu Llama” and made some good friends (Llamas).Banos is called the adventure capital of Ecuador. For thrill-seekers, this is like heaven, I almost felt like I was in Jurassic Park with the city setting. The city center is right in the middle of the mountains surrounded by trees. You can choose to do Ziplining, bungee jumping, river rafting, and most importantly — Swing at the end of the world. And the city is full of vibe once the night kicks in.
5.The Amazon & Galapagos island: You would be amazed at seeing the fauna and flora of this world’s’ largest rainforest. I would have loved to explore more of this but had to cut short due to personal reasons. Get ready to see some giant turtles, flamingos, Penguins in Galapagos island.
Last but not least, I got a chance to interact with some of the nicest people. I was amazed by their welcoming nature and friendliness. And if you are a foodie and want to try something different, the cuisine is all right there (Ecuadorian Ceviche was yum!). You can also check out a few exotic dishes mentioned at this website, which I have seen here: https://naturegalapagos.com/blog/exotic-ecuadorian-food-cuisine-top-7-delicacies/
Recommendations: I would like to suggest below based on my experience:
- Best time to visit: July to December
- Must carry on items: Hiking Gear, Shorts, swimwear, and Sweater( it can get cold in the night)
“ Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” -Gustave Flaubert”
