Chilly in Quito, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls

Quito, Ecuador I was surprised by what I was reading on my Kindle. “Set in a picturesque valley some 2,800 meters above sea level, Ecuador’s lofty capital sits just 25km south of the equator. Its historic Old Town is a splendid maze of cobbled streets, colonial architecture and churches, dazzling attributes which helped it become UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site (along with Krakow) in 1978.”, marveled the author in the Independent article about Ecuador I was reading while enjoying my very first cup of scrumptious Ecuadorian hot cocoa. The article made Quito seem like a gem of a city, a town so beautiful that it would sweep me off my feet. The problem was, I just didn’t feel it. I had spent three days in Ecuador’s capital, my first stop on my trip through the country, which is usually enough time to make me fall for a place. But Quito and I, we just didn’t connect. I was a bit wary of visiting Quito, after hearing stories of robberies, people throwing feces from church towers to distract you so that they can take your belongings, and Quito being a bit sketchy all around.]]>

The Swing at the End of the World

Baños Ecuador - Dani Baños is known as Ecuador’s adventure capital, and I knew there were a bunch of activities I could do here that would give me a nice adrenaline rush – rafting, paragliding, mountain biking, zip lining and canyoning, to name just a few. The one attraction that gave me sweaty palms though? The infamous ‘swing at the end of the world;, where you dangle from a tree house over a cliff, high up in the mountains over Baños. It’s one of those places that you see a picture of and know you have to go there. Or is that just me? For years, this was one of the only places I knew about in Ecuador. I knew about the Galápagos Islands, I knew about Quito, and the Swing At The End Of The World. Since this was the thing I was most excited about doing in Baños, it was where I was headed to first. Initially I attempted hiking up the mountain, but when, after walking for an hour, I still hadn’t even made it to the bottom of the mountain on top of which the swing sits, I changed my mind and took a Chiva instead, a truck that’s converted into a tourist shuttle with benches in the back.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Cuenca, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls

Cuenca - Dani When my mosquito bite count reached one hundred and my laptop’s cooling fan started making noises as if it was trying to tell me ‘I can’t deal with this heat anymore’, I decided that it was time to get away from the beaches for a while and give both my laptop and my itching limbs a break. The beach had been nice, but I needed to get somewhere high enough for the mosquitoes to not get there. And so I headed to Cuenca, at 8,370 ft (2,550 meters) too high for mosquitoes to continue to feast on me and cool enough for my laptop not to overheat. Cuenca is a popular expat destination, with 5,000 mainly North American expats living there, and it is easy to see why. Life in Cuenca is pleasant, cheap and tranquil. Mountains surround the city, and you can walk everywhere in the center. Cuenca has 52 churches and the best preserved colonial architecture in Ecuador, so much so that UNESCO declared the city center a World Heritage site. It was a city that I liked immediately – the first time I had this feeling during my time in Ecuador! ]]>

Beach Sunset In Montañita, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls

Montañita, Ecuador After my week in hot and sticky Guayaquil I couldn’t wait to get to the beach for a fresh ocean breeze. I had heard great things about Montañita, a small village on the Santa Elena Peninsula on Ecuador’s Pacific Coast. Montañita is the country’s number one surf spot, and, as I learned when I arrived there, a prime party destination for people from all over South America. Think South America’s answer to Ibiza, only with less mega clubs, but with loud music right on the beach instead, blasting from several discos right along the shore. The problem with that? I was just not in the mood for a mega party, and I had also been warned about walking around town at night by myself. A couple of backpacking girls from Argentina were brutally murdered in Montañita less than a year ago, and I didn’t get a good vibe from the village. The beach was okay, but nothing special, and the waves were so insanely high that there was a red flag on the beach every day, warning people that the surf was intense and the current was strong.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Guayaquil, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls

Guayaquil, Ecuador After cruising around the Galapagos Islands, I was in urgent need of a break to catch up on work projects and to deal with the hundreds of emails that had piled up in my inbox while I was on the boat (I get so many emails these days, I can barely handle the volume anymore!). I decided to stay in Guayaquil, the city where I’d flown to the Galapagos from, which happens to be Ecuador’s largest city, and one of the largest sea ports in all of South America. Beyond that, there’s not all that much to do and see for tourists though. A newly revamped river walk, the Malecon 2000, made for a great running track in the mornings, and for some good entertainment in the evenings (people watching, and an IMAX cinema that showed LaLa Land). Just north of the Malecon sits Las Peñas, the city’s oldest neighborhood, where colorful little houses are built into the side of a hill, Cerro Santa Ana. The neighborhood used to be a slum, but a regeneration project transformed it into the tourist attraction that it is today. 432 stairs lead up to the top of the hill, each one numbered, so that with each step, you are painfully reminded you how many more stairs you still have to climb.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Cruising the Galapagos Islands – Globetrotter Girls

Galapagos Islands - Dani This week I went on a trip of a lifetime: a 4-day cruise around the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago of 20 islands, 42 islets, and over 250 rocks in the ocean, a 2-hour flight of the coast off mainland Ecuador, is a nature and wildlife lover’s paradise! For four days, we cruised around some of the islands, with frequent snorkeling stops and island explorations. The boat would anchor in the ocean, and our dinghies would bring us to the shore. With the exception of one island, Santa Cruz, we never encountered any other people, it always felt like we were the only ones out there. Even when the boat was cruising in between islands, we often didn’t see another boat for hours. The snorkeling stops were my favorite part – we swam with penguins, sharks, rays, seals and turtles. Something I never tire of! On land, we watched Giant Tortoises mating, eating and just being, we watched sea lions take over the ports of the two towns we stopped in, and we watched hundreds of colorful Sally Lightfoot Crabs crawling around the rocks near the shore. I photographed iguanas, blue-footed boobies and other birds, I got up for a sunrise snorkeling session near a rock in the middle of the ocean which was a popular spot with hammerhead sharks, and I sunbathed on a dreamy, secluded, tropical beach.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Join the Nomadic Boys on a Galapagos Cruise

Galapagos Fancy visiting the Galapagos Islands aboard the Passion: one of the most exclusive luxury yachts in the world with an awesome group of gay guys? You’re in the right place! Our first gay cruise to the Galapagos which took place in October 2016 was such a resounding success that we’re dead excited to announce we will be doing it again in October 2017. We’ve teamed up with the highly rated and gay owned Ishpingo Tours in Ecuador to host our second luxury gay cruise to the Galapagos Islands on: 12-21 October 2017. Spaces aboard the highly rated Passion are limited to 12 people and we expect another sell out in 2017. And because we love you so much, we’re offering our readers an exclusive 5% discount for this one in a lifetime experience with the promo code NOMADIC5 Galapagos

THE WILDLIFE OF THE GALAPAGOS

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, around 1,000km (600 miles) from Ecuador’s coast. The variety of unique wildlife here not only inspired Darwin back in 1835, it completely captivated our group when we visited in October 2016. This is one of the few places in the world where you get so close to the wildlife because they are blazé to humans. You’ll be so spoilt, no other safari will be the same again. It’s not just above ground you get close with wildlife. There are many opportunities to go snorkelling and discover the rich underwater world surrounding the Galapagos Islands where reef sharks, manta rays, tropical fish and of course the many playful sea lions await you.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE CRUISE

Our gay cruise to the Galapagos Islands aboard the Passion luxury yacht will take place on 12-21 October 2017. Included in the cruise:
  • 2 nights in a luxurious 5 star boutique hotel near Quito’s UNESCO listed Old Town exclusively for our group
  • 8 days / 7 nights all-inclusive cruise exploring the Eastern Islands Galapagos itinerary
  • all meals on board the Passion
  • open bar, all alcoholic drinks are included
  • fully accredited English-speaking guides
  • all activities and excursions described in the itinerary, including all equipment
  • roundtrip domestic airfare to/from the Galapagos, with exclusive access to the VIP lounge on arrival in Baltra
  • Galapagos National Park entrance fee
  • Galapagos Transit control card
  • all airport transfers both in Quito and in the Galapagos
  • Quito city tour and Middle of the World tour visiting the equator line including lunch

Early bookings:

If you book your cabin before 15th May 2017, we will offer a free upgrade to business class for the domestic roundtrip flight to/from Quito/Galapagos islands and an exclusive night tour of the historic centre with Quito Eterno.

The costs are set out as follows:

  • Stateroom: $7,275 (per person based on double occupancy)
  • Master or VIP Suite: $8,235 (per person based on double occupancy)
For more information, click here.]]>

Quito’s Stunning Basilica del Voto Nacional – Globetrotter Girls

Basilica del Voto Nacional I’m back in South America! And it strangely feels like I’ve never left, even though it’s been nearly eleven months since I said goodbye to Colombia. But considering I was in Mexico until mid-April and then again a whole month in November, it shouldn’t be too surprising that everything feels strangely familiar. The Latin America traffic craze, the bustling markets and town squares, the noise (horns, speakers, megaphones), the street food vendors everywhere. There were a few things though that made Quito, my first stop in Ecuador, feel different: 1) there are many women in traditional native dress, with long skirts and braids, hats and colorful shawls, which remind me a lot of the native dress in Bolivia. And 2) The altitude! Quito is the second highest city in the world (only La Paz sits higher), and with an altitude of just over 9,200 feet I definitely felt the affects of it. I don’t think I’ve been to a place that high since traveling around Bolivia three years ago.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetroter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Six Great Things to Do in Ecuador – Nomadic Boys

Ecuador - Nomadic Boys The guys let go of Stefan’s swing and out he went, flying into the Andes SHOUTING at the top of his lungs, half terrified, half blown away by the adrenaline… Throughout our 8 years relationship, Sebastien had NEVER heard Stefan screaming out loud so much (it was actually hard not to laugh!) The El Vuelo del Cóndor swing in Baños was one of our 6 awesome things to do in Ecuador, which we think you’ll also love. #1 SWING OUT INTO AN ACTIVE VOLCANO Located at the foot of an active volcano, Baños is one of our favourite places in Ecuador with plenty of activities ranging from zip lining, white water rafting, trekking, canyoning and of course, the swings! Casa del Arbol (which literally means tree house) is the most famous place people come to get the money shot of them on a swing with the backdrop of the Andes. It is in fact not as scary as it sounds: you’re safely tucked in and you never go beyond the cliff edge.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Amazon Cruise vs Jungle Lodge? – The Nomadic Boys

Nomadic Boys Seby took one look at the dark green colour of the Amazon River, turned to Stefan and declared: “I am NOT swimming in there Stefan. I will NOT become piranha fish food!” Stefan got his way in the end and managed to persuade Seb to jump in, to the joy of the staff on board the Anakonda cruise who found our bickering (and Seb’s irrational fears) highly amusing. Irrational fears? Contrary to popular belief, swimming in the Amazon River can be quite safe. Our guides knew the spots where tourists like us could swim safely and conquer their Piranha-phobia. Piranhas are not aggressive or territorial, but more like scavengers. They will not go anywhere near you. Despite this, Sebastien lasted a whole 7 seconds in the Amazon River before he jumped straight back into our boat. There are many ways to explore the Amazon jungle in South America, the two most popular are taking a cruise on the Amazon river or staying in a jungle lodge. Both offer a unique and memorable way to see the Amazon, each one with its pros and cons. Ultimately, there is not one answer, it depends on your travel style and how you want to discover the Amazon.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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