Ecuador Tours

Accommodations Review

Hotels were very good or excellent. 

Meals Review

The hotel food and the meals in the haciendas were too delicious!

Crew & Guides Review

Quito guide Xavier was quite outstanding. Very pleasant easy going and interesting. He was very organized and managed our itinerary very well indeed. He made the markets interesting introducing us to all sorts of exotic produce.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Very good indeed. The Quito and Otavalo section was very well planned and organized

Accommodations Review

5 star accommodations for a remote jungle site. NO air conditioned areas in entire resort.

Meals Review

Very good with dietary restrictions.

Crew & Guides Review

Paul was excellent. Very friendly and enthusiastic. Great English skills. Would love to have him on a re-visit.

Transportation Review

All worked well. Useful to have all fees, etc. paid in advance.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Loved dealing with Arielle.

Traveler Advice

Consult with agent as to what you really are looking for as to type of trip and accommodation.

Accommodations Review

Mountain Lodges of Peru -- lovely lodges; unique, carefully cared for by "locals"; wonderful concept.

El Mercado, Cusco -- good location; very accommodating with us being in and out (stored our luggage 3 different times); nice music in the evenings; street/neighborhood noise could often be heard; tea, coffee and water always available.

Libertador, Puno -- lovely hotel; on a "peninsula" so no options for meals (unless taking a taxi into Puno) except there; water bottles should always be available at no cost.

Napo Wildlife Center, Amazon -- fascinating experience; wonderful concept of the local tribe running the center.

Meals Review

The food in Peru was amazing; even "simple things" had wonderful taste. Each place was accommodating about me being vegetarian (even though I did not list it...I always find something to eat and I don't like to make a "deal" about it).

It was interesting to experience a Pachamanca meal during the Lares Trek; the 3rd lodge had truly amazing food and good thing we didn't stay there long or we would have gained weight. Nice variety at every one (minimal variety at the Lares Trek lodges, but understandable; they would make eggs any way a person wanted).

Thank you for having breakfast provided at every hotel, including the Libertador! Libertador -- main dining room was "fancy" (and expensive) and we ended up walking out of there and just going to the bar for dinner both nights.

Amazon -- not "memorable" but there was variety at every meal.

Crew & Guides Review

Lares Trek -- we felt we got very lucky with Miguel. Miguel was a fountain of knowledge, personable, "ready for any event", and we could just tell he enjoys what he does and is very very good at it.

Lake Titicaca/Puno -- it was enjoyable to have a personal guide on the boat when we went to the reed islands and to Taquile Island; we got a more "up close and personal" tour of the peoples; and the trout lunch was delicious.

Napo Wildlife Center -- Delphin - he grew up in the jungle; very interesting to listen to him tell stories and history, point out flora and fauna along with the boat paddlers; he made that adventure "come alive."

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

AdventureSmith was with us every single step of the way; countless emails were answered; serious and goofy questions were always thoughtfully answered; suggestions were provided as being "suggestions" and not "must do"; I had the greatest confidence and trust in AdventureSmith. We were provided documentation, packing lists, vaccine suggestions and info, reading material. I felt thoroughly prepared due to AdventureSmith.

Absolutely recommend! Looking back over the trip and over the last year of planning, I was very smart in choosing AdventureSmith. If we ever take an "adventure trip" again, AdventureSmith will be my first contact to make. Thank you for....everything!!

Traveler Advice

Use AdventureSmith! It takes an incredible amount of planning (and $$), but it is totally worth the planning. Think about what YOU want to do and see. It may be different from "the beaten path", but that's ok. It's about YOUR trip and what you want to do.

Accommodations Review

Our hotels were so wonderful! Sol y Luna, Casa Gangotena and Mashpi Lodge were our favorites!

Crew & Guides Review

Honestly, our guides made the trip what it was. They were incredibly knowledgeable. I could ask about anything - a shrub I saw on the side of the road, a factory in the distance, questions about the current geopolitical climate - and they were always able to supply an answer. Incredible!! It was so cool to have someone pick us up and drop us off at the airport!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

An incredible trip. Thank you so much!! The planning guides were super helpful! Thank you for your professionalism, quick responses, and seamless itinerary.

Accommodations Review

How they were able to provide the style and comfort in a jungle lodge was absolutely amazing! The beds were comfortable, the accommodations were beautiful and the wildlife was everywhere!

Meals Review

5 star meals on every occasion. They even made a birthday cake for my wife's birthday! It was hard to believe the quality of food made in the middle of the Amazon rain forest!

Crew & Guides Review

Our bird guide, Rodrigo, was FANTASTIC! He was highly knowledgeable of all the wildlife in the area and could find birds by habitat, sight and sound. He was knowledgeable about every species and was very enthusiastic in providing the best experience for us! We have birded in Central America, Indonesia, Africa and all over the US and we think he was the best bird guide we have ever had! He was so well spoken and a pleasure to be around!

Itinerary Review

The birding was fantastic, made better by the extremely helpful bird guide. His knowledge was fantastic and he spoke English very well! The number of species of birds was quite amazing and the lodge itself was beautiful with the best staff!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

The information provided by AdventureSmith was perfect! Everything was organized well, and there were no issues on anything arranged through them. All the information provided was spot on! The surprise gift the week before leaving was also a pleasant surprise. There were absolutely NO hiccups on any of the trip parts! We were very happy with the service and plan top use them again soon! We just wanted to thank you for the great adventure. Taylor, our Adventure Specialist, was always available for any questions and very responsive to our requests. Even while the trip was in progress and we had travel issues from the airlines that were not part of the AdventureSmith package, she made contact and kept us informed! Thank you so much! We have already started forming a group trip to the Galapagos with family and friends!

Traveler Advice

Follow all of the advice given by AdventureSmith. The insects are not a big issue and although there are a few bugs at the lodge, it is extremely clean and the food is awesome. They will also cater to dietary needs.

Accommodations Review

My room was very spacious and quite nice. The only comment I made on the lodge evaluation was to allow more time after breakfast and before the first activity of the day. We basically had 1/2 hour to eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc. and be ready to leave on our morning activity. 

Crew & Guides Review

Naturalist Guide - Pablo - excellent guide, very knowledgeable. Native Guide - Shanshui - fantastic guide, could spot birds and animals from great distances, explained medicinal plants, helped take pictures for me, and he spoke good English even though he was a little shy. The representatives for Sacha Lodge met me at the airport ticket counters and guided me through check-in. Everything went very smoothly.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Leslie was terrific in helping me plan my trip. Her advice was perfect, and she responded to my questions in a timely manner. The written itinerary was thorough with all the emergency contact names and numbers. Leslie helped me throughout the planning process. I made my own international flight and hotel arrangements, but all of the internal flights and itinerary were provided by AdventureSmith.

Traveler Advice

Don’t overpack. Biodegradable shampoo, conditioner, and soap are provided so you do not need to bring your own.