Banos is considered the gateway to the Amazon. It is located in the cloud forest and the surrounding lush, densely forested, steep mountains immediately reminded me of Aguas Calientes, also known as the town of Machu Picchu. I couldn’t believe how different it looked than where we had woken up that morning in Cotopaxi! Banos means "bath" in spanish, the town is appropriately named for all of the hot springs nearby. We went for a very specific purpose... Casa del Arbol aka the swing at the end of the world! When we first started planning our trip this had been the first thing Kate mentioned. We each paid $1 to access the park where the swing was located and stood in a very unorganized line. As soon as Kate got her chance at the swing (90 seconds after I did) the sky cleared up and the volcano was perfectly visible in the background, and we got her pinterest worthy photo :)
Kate and Giovanni near the Swing at the End of the World. (Molly Stanko)
Our Banos visit came at the very tail end of our trip, exhausted as we were, we were so happy to have Giovanni with us to make recommendations and help us get the most out of our time. Banos is a great little tourist town, and that includes local tourist as well. Ecuadorians enjoy visiting Banos on their long weekends and summer vacations for the adventure activities, but also the ability to relax in one of the hot springs or spas. Restaurants and shops line the main plaza and the surrounding streets. During our short time in Banos we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant (actually twice because it was so good), a brewery owned by an American expat that welcomed its namesakes, ‘stray dog brewery’, and spent a few hours waiting out a rainstorm in a coffee shop that served monstershakes (a new trend in the foodie world).
A cable car crossing Rio Pastaza. (Molly Stanko)
Since we were in the ‘adventure capital’ of Ecuador we entertained the idea of bungee jumping, but once we learned how cheap it was ($20-$50, I think I’d prefer to overpay for my safety) and we had crossed the raging Banos river on a cable car, about 700 feet up, which slightly terrified both of us, we reconsidered. In Banos there were a number of local homes with small ponds full of trout, they offered the “you catch it, we cook it” lunch option. Neither of us took them up on the offer, but we were happy to play with the two wiggling puppies that greeted us at one of the houses. Banos is also known for their incredible waterfalls. We were able to visit Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron), the most famous of the surrounding waterfalls. Our last afternoon, we relaxed in one of the hotsprings and reflected on our absolutely incredible trip.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
