A very scenic city with spectacular views from the Angel Gabriel park. A visit to the mouth of the “dormant” volcano was interesting and the vista was awesome. Of course visiting the equator and standing on each side of the line dividing the northern and southern hemispheres was different. An elevator took us to the top of the main tower where we had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding areas.
At each level on the walk down from the top was the history of each of the tribes in Ecuador accompanied by an exhibit of their locations and their clothes, festivals and main foods. An educational experience showing off the unrivaled diversity in the country.
The main church the La Basilica was large and very impressive inside. The city centre was exciting and the Plaza De Armis is surrounded by the Spanish colonial period buildings and architecture. The Jesuit church inside is the most gold leaf covered sanctuary in the world. The San Francisco church although under reconstruction was most impressive.
Our last night after dinner in the La Mariscal area, we strolled to the Mariscal center where it was alive with side walk cafes, dancing and discotheques. We participated in the activities and had a great time.
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
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.