Frequently Asked Questions about Ecuador

Being one of few (active) members of the HospitalityClub.org and CouchSurfing.com living in Cuenca, Ecuador, I have the really nice opportunity to be contacted by lots of people traveling through ecuador. On my profiles, I advertise my willingness to help people with any questions they have. I’ve been receiving travel questions for quite a few months now and always try to be as detailed as possible in my responses, and so decided to start logging them here on my blog for posterity and to be able to refer people to view my views on my website, given that providing a link, albeit not heartwarming as a personal response, is 1000 times more useful and efficient that responding with the same answer twice.

• my HospitalityClub profile
• my CouchSurfing profile

So here comes a series of answers to frequently asked questions about South America, Ecuador and the Galapagos islands. Topics being covered:

• Money Issues tips on traveling with cash, traveler cheques, ATM/Debit & Credit Cards in South America and Ecuador.

• Ecuador by Bus tips on how to make the most of Ecuador’s transportation system; logistics and tips for avoiding the infamous lechero.

• Galapagos Islands how to experience evolution and pure nature on a budget.

• Host Families some people come to South America (and Quito or Cuenca Ecuador, in particular) to study Spanish or Portuguese (in Brazil). Its a good idea to bring a token of hospitality to their host families. Here is an outline of tips for choosing a gift.

• Guided Excursions* Helps you choose whether or not you need a I need a guide to summit a volcano, do a National Park trek, visit the Amazon, et cetera.

• South America Geography an outline of the typical Ecuador travel route, a.k.a the Ecuadorian stretch of “The Gringo Trail”, as well as some lesser-known out-of-the-way travel gems.

• Statistics How about some Ecuadorian superlatives? The highest volcano, the farthest point on earth you can stand away from the nucleus of this planet, etc.