Where is the: Best / Cheapest / Safest places to go in Ecuador?

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blitzcrackunders

In my experience, I never felt more threatened or in danger than I did in the US. However, you need to be smart and watch out for yourself when traveling (especially by yourself.) As a white, female, American I did get LOTS of unwanted attention from all sorts of men, but mostly just harmless cat calls (which somehow seems even worse when you're sweaty and everything from traveling and being on a bus.) Even if you NEVER once got such a cat call in your home country and you think they will just ignore you, just know, they won't. But on the other hand, they won't get angry if you just ignore them. Anyways! I suggest getting a hitchhikers guide like the Lonely Planet (either the Ecuador or South America version) which gives lots and lots of information about just about every city in Ecuador.

Quito, the capital, is the typical Spanish colonial city. Lots of big white buildings, plazas, and churches. Lots and lots of awesome architecture. Whether or not you actually you want to go here, you probably will spend a couple of hours here anyways if you're traveling by bus in the North (which you probably will be and I suggest doing) you will be passing through Quito (the same with Guayaquil, but I will go over that in a bit.)

Tena - a small town overlooked by most backpackers has great riverrafting and kayaking out of it at all levels of difficulty. I wish I remembered the name of the hostel that I stayed at, but it's in the Lonely Planet and cost $5 a night and had "jungle trips" and rafting trips out of it. I quote jungle because while it goes into some tropical forests, you have to take the longest 4 day trip to even chance seeing monkeys. It was super nice and had TV, but the layout of the hostel made it so easy to meet people there that I never even watched it. :)

La Mitad del Mundo - Ooo the tourist trap where food and water prices rival those in the US, if you go here bring your own food and water, there's nothing special to eat here that you can't get in Quito. Anyways, if you're one for pictures, you'll want to go here. It's fun to be on the "equator" even if it is a bit off. I don't really know if there's much to do here other than the museum, but the museum itself within the "park" wasn't all that interesting to me (although this was after a month of traveling through Ecuador and Peru) but if you're there, you might as well go! I forget which day, but I think it was Saturdays where it has live traditional music. It's great for those who don't make it all the way to a spot where they can fully view the traditional garb of the area that you see more in Peru than Ecuador.

Otavalo - a small city about an hour north of Quito. On Saturdays it is a craze of stands and tourists selling and buying everything you could imagine being made from locals from alpaca hats and wooden crosses to silver bracelets and rosaries. The streets literally fill with stands, but if you go a different day there are plenty of stalls in the main plaza to buy all of those tourist things to your heart's content. Very, very safe! But, good luck finding a "happening" bar or discotec. :)

Guayaquil - Guayaquil used to be a scary place for tourists, but it is getting better and cleaner and cleaner. I did not actually venture outside of the bus terminal because of my limited time, but I cannot begin to say how impressed I was with it. It really was amazing, it was a shopping mall, a bus terminal, had a food court, and even a grocery store in it. It would be considered "cutting edge" in the US if we happened to use buses so often here... Anyways, for Southern Ecuador you will take buses from here, and you'll be glad it exists because it is so well organized, has internet cafes, and every modern convenience you could hope for (except that one thing... toilet paper, make sure to carry toilet paper and/or tissue with you everywhere. No where has toilet paper in it except for a few restaurants like McDonalds or Bembos.)

Montanita - was a wonderful beach town to visit which supposedly has a great surf (but I went in the wrong season.) A very laid back beach town during the week that knows how to party during the weekend. Lots of backpackers make their way here. Although there wasn't much surf, it was great for swimming because there are no rocks on the beach or in the ocean near the shore, so no cutting your feet (like I did in Mancora, Peru :( )

ambassador_rfa

I answered this question in a list of other South America answers that you had posted. But here it is again in more detail.

La Mitad del Mundo - A city with a "museum" on the equator where you can balance an egg on the tip of a nail and see water flush both ways down a sink depending on which side of the equator you are on. This museum is not the place where they have the red line saying where the equator is and the monument. This museum is where the equator REALLY is. The monument was built and line drawn because for structural reasons it could not be done where the real equator is, less than a mile from the monument.

Misahualli - Cheap city to leave for Amazon jungle trips. Within the town there are tame capuchin monkey that steal your food if you let them and even enter your rooms in the morning where you are sleeping if you don't close your windows. Ask for Pepe the tour guide and try to purchase your trip right in the town instead of in Ica. I think Ica was the name of the closest bigger town. Doing this will assure that the local Misahualli people recevive the money from your tour. Pepe was VERY well educated on everything in the Jungle. He lives right in the center. Small enough town where everyone will know who you're talking about.

Riobamba - Not much more than a little city but VERY fun to ride on the roof of the train!

Guayaquil - Only if you happen to be there otherwise just a city. The public Parque de Las Iguanas is a riot. Hundreds of Iguanas climb up all over you. That's of course if you like that sort of thing.

Manta - Whale watching. Not exactly cheap but a HECK of a lot cheaper than in New England if you were to go in the states. I think I paid 20 dollars (maybe more) to do it and whales were jumping out of the water with their entire bodies literally right next to our little boat!

Hope this helps. Feel free to write me. I'd love to reminisce!

Ishmadamecui

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GO TO GUAYAQUIL !
it's not even safe for ecuadorians, everywher else is ok.
Banos is friendly.

Five Aces

Looks like most of Ecuador has been covered, but Quito is more or less ignored. In my website, www.quito-colonial.com, I cover the colonial area extensively. For me, it is the best, cheapest and fairly safe. There is no absolutely safe place anywhere and you should always travel with caution, that's why I have a link covering safety from my site, but Ecuador is pretty safe as long as you stay away from Esmeraldas and anywhere close to the Columbian border. Last week, a tourist couple from Oregon was attacked in Esmeraldas. Guayaquil is known for being unsafe even by the locals. My insurance agent wants to buy my apartment because according to him, Quito is safer than Guayaquil where he lives. Of course, it's not for sale. I always suggest traveling in a group or with a tour guide when you first go anywhere and ask about safety. There are areas in Quito considered unsafe, yet I have ventured out alone through all these places and been OK, but I dress and look like a local. Even so, I'm cautious.

Anne C

Ecuador is safe, just watch your stuff in the city. Try to visit Banos--it's cool and cheap. There's a rainforest lodge fairly near there named Otro Lado which is beautiful and very cheap. We stay at Cafe Cultura in Quito which is mid-priced. Around the corner is The Magic bean--very cheap. Mindo has some cheap amazing cloud forest lodges, which get you into Nambilla Reserve. You're going to have a great time. If you need more advice, check with the South American Explorer's Club in Quito.

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