Emma and Vero

Thank you so much for making this amazing trip possible for us! It was not only fun but also so helpful, and it was all because of the hard work and generosity of Original Ecuador. We are so blessed to work with you amazing ladies, and we hope to see you all again soon! 

Dear Emma and Vero,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done "behind the scenes" to make this dream trip a reality for us. We are truly so thankful for all the amazing opportunities you made possible!

Dear All,

Many thanks for the email and apologies for the delay in replying. 

Overall we had a lovely time in Ecuador and the Galapagos and felt the trip was very well organised. The flexibility to our needs was much appreciated. We liked all the places we stayed - especially the Mindo eco-lodge, which we felt was very special. The hotels in the Galapagos were serviceable but unremarkable. The nature guides were all excellent, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Memo and Jorge were both really helpful. I think the only bits we would have changed are booking the flight back from Isabela to Baltra in the first instance, adding timings to the itinerary and making us aware that some of the hotel swimming pools have quite restricted opening hours. We had a brilliant stay overall, though. The Galapagos was just magical. I would definitely recommend Original Ecuador to friends planning a trip.

Many thanks!

Hi, Emma. Yes, everything went well, we were very happy with the assistance we received in Quito. We felt very well cared for. 

Thanks to you and Jorge for making our trip so much easier.

Happy Holidays!

Good morning Emma,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you.  We really enjoyed our birding day with Gonzalo.  Our driver Jorge spoke excellent English and was well versed in the economy and history of Ecuador.  We peppered him with questions and happily, he was willing and eager to share his knowledge.  Wonderful.  And he was a safe driver - always a plus!

We enjoyed our time with Gonzalo.  He took us to 3 different sites at different altitudes with different birds.  He knew where we could find the birds and knew the names.  He managed the pace to our interest.  He obviously had history with all the owners/supervisors of the locations which made it comfortable to be there.  Loved the personal tour with the owner at Punto Ornithological - Mindo.  We found more bird species than we had anticipated.  We very much enjoyed his sketches as well.  He is a great guide and I would certainly recommend him to anyone going there. 

Thanks for organizing this and the flexibility in changing our tour locations at the last minute.

Hi Emma, thanks for getting in touch.  Unfortunately, the trip is no longer quite as fresh in my mind as it was a few weeks ago but…. For the most part, I had a wonderful time.  As you may have heard from Nena, I had some stomach trouble which impacted my fun level a little but that certainly wasn’t any of your doing.

All the guides were very friendly and accommodating for the most part.  I felt a little rushed through the program I set out for myself but I suppose that may only be because there was so much to see and do and so little time (a week), in which to see and do it.

I wish I could have had a little longer in Baños.  Baños seemed like so much fun on so many levels.  I only got to explore a little of the area and I felt like there was more to see.  I wasn’t totally prepared for the zipline experience on my 2nd day I think it was in Baños but I did enjoy it. 

For me perhaps one of the highlights of the tour was in fact Hotel Vieja de Cuba which was really a wonderful little hotel.  Very quiet and welcoming, the rooms were charming, the atmosphere was somehow South American yet international at the same time, and the staff was friendly.  

The Amazon jungle itself was a little challenging for me especially because of the stomach issues I was having while there but seeing monkeys was a lot of fun.  Perhaps my only criticism for the whole tour (which may or may not have had to do with how little time I had) was not being able to spend more time amongst the people who live along the Napo river.  I would have liked to get to know them a little better.

I’m sad I didn’t get to hike in the Andes or visit the Galapagos but perhaps another time. 

Aside from a few difficulties along the way, really, all in all, a wonderful trip.  Thanks so much.

Hi Emma,

In addition to being a wonderfully informative and knowledgeable tour guide, Jorge modified the tour to accommodate Katie's increasing fatigue, rushed us to the local pharmacy and helped us order medicine, and even picked up umbrellas at a nearby vendor to shield us from the rain. We are both so thankful for his help and kindness that day. 

I also greatly appreciate Nena's help last week, and appreciate her fielding so many questions via WhatsApp. I truly don't know what we would've done without you! We are both feeling entirely recovered now.

Our time in Napo was absolutely incredible. I've wanted to see the amazon rainforest since before I could read, so I came with high expectations - all of which were far surpassed by Napo. Our guide, Guido, had an amazing eye for hidden wildlife and encyclopaedic knowledge of the rainforest. Katie and I are still flipping back through our photos in disbelief at the amazing plants and animals we saw with our own eyes! The food and accommodations were top notch, and the staff were all friendly. The experience at Napo could not have been more perfect. 

Even with COVID, cancellations, and a few days' isolation, the trip was wonderful overall thanks to our time at Napo.