Sometimes the experiences we remember from our travels are the ones that take us a little off the beaten path, the ones where we feel we are getting a more local experience. Suddenly we see a place with fresh eyes and go beyond the postcard shots that may have drawn us there. That’s why Audley Travel, who specialise in holidays that give you an authentic travel experience, are asking us to share our photos of special travel moments or lesser known places we’ve visited, with the tag #MyLittleKnown. Now let me tell you a bit more about Ecuador, which is one of the destinations that Audley Travel cover.
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Why I love Ecuador
If you were ever to go back through nearly 10 years of articles on Heather on her travels, you’d find that the trip that started me off on this blogging journey was to Ecuador. I journeyed with a couple of friends from Quito through areas with picturesque names like “The Avenue of the Volcanos” and the “Route of the Waterfalls” that were guaranteed to make the adventurous traveller’s heart beat a little faster.
In a dug-out canoe we travelled down one of the Amazon tributaries, camping on sandbanks and staying in rainforest communities, until we reached the border with Peru and flew back to our startpoint in a tiny aircraft, looking down over the rainforest canopy.
This journey really was life changing for me, since it lit the spark of this blog to share my travel experiences with a wider audience.
A few things I loved that are #MyLittleKnown
To get you in the spirit of #MyLittleKnown I thought I’d share a few of my own travel experiences that felt very special and took me to places away from my everyday life, either mentally or physically.
When I was in the rainforest community of Sarayaku in Ecuador, I noticed children decorating themselves with black dye, just as we might have fun with face paints. The dye, called Wika is made by roasting a local fruit over the fire, then grinding it up to make a black ink that is painted on with a palm stalk. In the past it was used as war paint but these days both adults and children use it to decorate their faces and bodies for fun. The children painted a snake curving up my arm which lasted for a couple of weeks and I felt rather sad when my Wika snake tattoo faded away since it represented the happy memories of my time in Ecuador.
Read about the time I had a Wika Tattoo in Ecuador | Check out the holidays in Ecuador that Audley Travel offer.
Last summer I took a road trip through Canada with my husband and visited Mont Tremblant park in Quebec province. It was a fabulous outdoor playground where we spent a day canoeing down the Meandre de Diable, a winding stretch of river with sandbanks and beaches to stop for a picnic. It felt so peaceful as we drifted downstream, with dragonflies dipping in among the lily pads and the odd river turtle sunning itself on a log. While it’s a popular activity for visitors to the park, we only saw a few other people all day and really felt we were getting away from it all and reconnecting with nature.
Read about some of #MyLittleKnown moments in Canada | Check out some of the holidays in Canada that you can book through Audley Travel
In the South Tyrol region of northern Italy, it’s popular to go climbing on the Via Ferrata, literally “iron roads” built with ladders and cables to enable soldiers in the First World War to move around the Dolomites safely. But while this might have been a piece of cake for someone brought up in the mountains, for me it was a big physical challenge, even though I was with an expert guide. Once I’d climbed high above the valley, clipped on to the rock with a cable, I reached the peak and was able to look around at amazing 360 degree views of the Dolomites, feeling on top of the world. Read about the time I climbed a Via Ferrata in South Tyrol, Italy
About Audley Travel
I’ve worked with Audley Travel before and love their ethos of sending travellers off the beaten track and giving them unique, authentic experiences. You can find plenty of ideas for trips on their site, but most of their holidays are tailor made for each traveller and they have specialists who really know each destination inside out and can put together a unique trip that’s right for you.
Read some more articles from this site about the exciting destinations that Audley Travel cover;
Safari and sustainability – making a change in Kenya
A guide to gorilla treking in Rwanda
Now about that trip to Ecuador…
Here’s an example of what Audley Travel can offer for a ten-day tour of Ecuador. You’ll start in the capital city of Quito which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best-preserved and least altered historic centre in Latin America. You might stay at La Casona de la Ronda in Quito and also visit the nearby city of Otavalo to see local handicraft villages and surrounding mountain scenery.
Your journey will then continue south along the volcano route where you’ll visit a local market in the town of Latacunga. Your next two nights are at Hosteria Abraspungo, Riobamba, which is the third largest city in Ecuador, known locally as the ‘Sultan of the Andes’. Afterwards, you’ll explore the remote mountain village of San Rafael and learn about the Paqocha Alpaca project which re-introduced the native alpaca to provide a sustainable source of income for the community.
You will then ride on the Devil’s Nose train which is widely considered one of the most impressive feats of rail engineering and one of South America’s most desired experiences. After this you’ll spend three nights at Mansion Alcazar, Cuenca and enjoy a tour of the historic city and the nearby Saraguro where the people are renowned for their distinctive indigenous dress and handicrafts.
Your final stop is a two-night stay at Hacienda La Danesa, a working farmhouse set in the countryside outside of Guayaquil. There are many activities to choose from including horseback riding, tubing, cycling and relaxing before heading to Guayaquil for your flight home.
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This article is in collaboration* with Audley Travel
* More info on my policies page
This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com
Same Day Agra Tour By Train
Saturday 5th of August 2017
This is a very fabulous post. Ecuador is very interesting and wonderful Country. Thanks for your informative post. http://www.pacificindiatour.com/tours/same-day-agra-tour-by-shatabdi-express/
Macs
Monday 31st of July 2017
Hi Heather! These are pretty interesting facts about Ecuador. I've been to some parts of the world but never been to Ecuador. I would love to travel there some time. I also love how you presented it. It makes the readers want to go to Ecuador. Continue making lists like this. It's really awesome!
Same Day Taj Mahal tour by car
Tuesday 18th of July 2017
Thanks for the information and foremost for the post, Ecuador is really an amazing country.