Ecuador - Info & Facts

Suggested length of stay

On mainland Ecuador, the key highlights from Quito and Cotopaxi National Park down to Cuenca in the south sit at altitude, straddling the snow-capped Andes. It is important to allow time to acclimatise. For a whistle-stop tour of the highlands, you will need a minimum of a week, while an additional 4 days will open up a side trip into the steamy Amazon basin. For the Galapagos, the highlight of any trip to Ecuador if not South America, you will need a further 4 nights minimum, preferably 7 nights, to make the most of the islands.

Quito 2 nights, Cotopaxi National Park 2-3 nights, the Amazon 3-4 nights, Cuenca 2-3 nights, the Galapagos 4-7 nights. Mindo Cloudforest 2-3 nights

 

Modes of transport

Road
Ecuador is small, accessible and boasts a good network of roads that link the regional centres. The most famous, the Pan-American highway, traces the Andes south from Colombia to the border with Peru and is the countryā€™s main artery, paved in its majority. Yet veer off the highway to visit the Andes, cloud-forest, Amazon or Pacific coast and the roads are interspersed with sections of well-maintained, gravel tracks. Fortunately, Ecuadorā€™s size limits travel time and what little discomfort visitors may experience on the road will soon be offset by glorious mountain scenery.

Air
Ecuador has a small, comprehensive network that links the regional capitals and is dominated by the Latin American giant Latam (result of the recent merger between Lan and Tam Airlines). However, most itineraries (excluding the Galapagos and Amazon) will focus on the highlands and be purely land based. For travel which also takes in Ecuadorā€™s South American neighbours, flights can be organised as part of a South American Airpass. Please contact Oasis Travel for more information.

Rail
Ecuadorā€™s great Southern Railway was the envy of the Americas, an engineering masterpiece that linked the port of Guayaquil in the south to the capital Quito. Started in 1872, the track took close to a hundred years to build and was dubbed the ā€œmost difficult train in the worldā€. On completion, the railway cut a dizzying trail high into the Andes through canyons, mountains and gorges to open up the country. Sadly, 10 years after its inauguration, the funds ran dry and the tracks closed, destroyed by subsequent mudslides and flooding. Today, several sections have been restored and the government has invested close to US$ 280 million to rehabilitate the entire network. Tourist trains and ā€œrail-busesā€ travel 2 hours from Quito into the Cotopaxi National Park while further south is Ecuadorā€™s most famous section, the Devilā€™s Nose Train. From Riobamba, the train cuts through a lush patchwork of fields to reach the pretty colonial town of AlausĆ­. There, it drops hundreds of metres down the dramatic canyon walls via a spectacular series of switchbacks (the so-called Devilā€™s Nose) to reach Sibambe before returning along the same route.

Bicycle
Ecuador offers excellent mountain biking in and around the adventure capital of BaƱos and caters to both beginners and experts alike.

Boat
No visit to Ecuador is complete without a visit to the legendary Galapagos Islands, the inspiration behind Darwinā€™s theory of evolution and a paradise for nature lovers. Surrounded by the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean, a 3 hour flight from mainland Ecuador, the islands are simply breathtaking and offer a dizzying array of wildlife! Although there are hotels on the main islands, the only real way to experience the rich biodiversity is by water. Tightly controlled by park authorities, the Galapagos offers a wide range of 3-14 night cruises on boats from large ships to small, wooden motor sailors. Daily excursions are led by expert, naturalist guides to explore each island and guests have regular opportunities to swim, snorkel or kayak. At Oasis Travel, we recommend smaller 8-16 cabin boats for a more intimate experience and a minimum 4 night cruise. The Galapagos involve a good deal of travel (and cost!) and shorter cruises dramatically limit the islands you can visit. For more information on dates, departures and cost, please contact an Oasis Travel specialist.

 

Geography

Ecuador is perched on the shoulder of South America, a small country of 283,000kmĀ² that straddles the equator. Bound by the regional giants Peru and Colombia, Ecuador encompasses every landscape from mountains, jungles and coast to Pacific Islands. In central Ecuador, the breathtaking highlands of the snow-capped Andes (ā€œLa Sierraā€) reigns supreme and runs along the spine of the county. Lush, subtropical cloudforest of the Andean Choco corridor cloaks the eastern flanks of the range, one of the worldā€™s richest biodiversity hotspots. Approaching the border with Peru, the dense vegetation plunges into the steamy Amazon wilderness that covers some 30% of the country. On the Pacific side, the verdant coastal plain is shrouded in the remnants of equatorial forest and rises into the foothills of the mountains to reach the heights of the glacier-topped Andes of central Ecuador. 1000km off the coast ringed the sparkling waters of the Pacific, the Galapagos are a group of 21 young volcanic islands. Perched on the Nazca plate, the islands are moving towards mainland South America at a rate of 6cm a year and are dominated by smoking volcanoes, scrubby vegetation and lava flows.

Food

Ecuador boasts a glorious bounty of ingredients owing to its spectacularly diverse geography – wonderful seafood from the Pacific; highland stapes such as papas (potatoes), quinoa and choclo (corn) as well as tropical fruits and juices from the Amazon. On the coast, ceviche (fish marinated in lime juice) and encocado (served in a coconut source) are enjoyed throughout the villages. In the sierra, dishes take on a typically Andean feel with roast pork, beef and guinea pig (cuy) on the menu accompanied by locro (potato and cheese soup), empanada pasties and thick caldo broths. Yuca cassava root, bananas and plantain are abundant throughout the Amazon while European settlers have introduced strong international influences from pizza and pasta to barbecues.

 

Drinking water

It is not advisable to drink tap water in Ecuador. Bottled water is very cheap and widely available in all areas of the country.

 

Visas

Visas are currently not required for travel to Ecuador for Australian citizens.

 

Money

The local currency is the US dollar. ATMā€™s are common throughout the towns and credit cards are also widely accepted though often discounts will be offered for payments made in cash. However, once you leave the main hubs and head into the local villages and markets, it is important to have small denominations to hand. Travellerā€™s Cheques are still accepted though commissions vary between one agency to another and are often more of a burden.

Tipping is common throughout Ecuador and as a guideline, you should allow US10 for a half day guided tour (US20 for the full day) while for the driver US5 (US8 full day). Of course, only pay for good service. For general transfers, there is no need to tip unless of course they have gone out of their way to help you (ie stopped at a local pharmacy en route). For information regarding tipping in the Galapagos, always a contentious issue, please contact an Oasis Travel consultant.

Inoculations & health precautions

Please consult with your doctor at least 6 week before travel to Ecuador. For visits to the Amazon, both ant-malarials and a yellow fever jab are required.

The standard of medical facilities and care in Ecuador is generally good in the key towns and cities. There are foreign private medical clinics and hospitals throughout the country with facilities and services comparable to Australian standards. Medical facilities and care at most public hospitals, however, are questionable and medical evacuation to a major centre may be required for even relatively minor operations. Most hotels work with a private doctor who will visit you at your room. However, both doctors and hospitals will expect cash payment prior to providing medical services, including for emergency care.

It is vital to have good medical insurance before you travel.

 

Australian Embassy and Consulate-General contacts in Ecuador

Australian Consulate
Fundacion Leonidas Ortega Building
Rocafuerte 520, Second Floor
Guayaquil
Ecuador

Tel : (+5934) 601 7529
Fax : (+5934) 501 4111

Email : ausconsulate@unidas.com.ec

By agreement between the Canadian and Australian governments, the local Canadian Embassy in Quito also provides limited consular assistance to Australians in Ecuador. The address is:

Canadian Embassy
Av. Amazonas 4153y Union Nacional de Periodistas
Eurocenter Building 3rd floor (one block north of the Supreme Court Building)
Quito
Ecuador

Telephone (+593 2) 245 5499
Facsimile (+593 2) 227 7672

Email: quito@international.gc.ca

Website: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ecuador-equateur/index.aspx

 

Electricity

Ecuador electrical current is 110 volts at 60 cycles. Plugs are either 2 flat pins sometimes earthed. In the Amazon rainforest, many of the lodges run off generators and it is recommended you bring along a small torch.

 

Getting there

Ecuador is best accessed via Santiago, capital of Chile. Qantas offers a direct service from Sydney to Santiago three times a week while Latam (Lan) offers daily flights which touch down in Auckland en route. There are other routes available via the US or even on Emirates via Dubai but only one-world partners Qantas and Lan entitle you to discounted fares for the Lan dominated internal flights within South America.

Non-stop flight time Sydney – Santiago approximately 14 hours
Flight time Santiago – Quito approximately 6Ā½ hours (via Guayaquil)
Non-stop flight time Santiago – Guayaquil approximately 5 hours

 

Time difference

GMT – 5 hours / The Galapagos GMT ā€“ 6 hours

 

Tipping

Keep some local currency on departure for airport tax

smiling white male wearing a backpack

Ready to discuss your trip to Ecuador?

Speak to one of our travel specialists and weā€™ll create your personalised itinerary just for you.

Start Planning