Ecuador Eco Volunteer

Quito Ecuador Airport

jake — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:12:41 +0000

If you are flying to Ecuador there is a good chance you will be arriving in Quito Airport, also known as Quiport, and Mariscal Sucre International Airport.

Quito Airport is one of the highest airports in the world and those flying in at night are in for a treat when they see the valley of lights of Quito stretched between the Andes mountains. The airport services 6.2 million people every year and is one of two departure points to the Galapagos Islands (along with Guayaquil)

Taxis to and From Quito Airport

After leaving the airport you can save money on a taxi if you walk to the main road on the other side of lanes and parking places reserved for the airport.

From Quito Airport to the Mariscal, one of the most popular lodging places for tourists in the city, a taxi costs $4 and takes about 20 minutes without traffic.

To the Terminal Quitumbe, or South Terminal Bus Station (where many buses leave for Riobamba, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Coca and most other places in Ecuador) expect to pay around $15 for an hour ride without traffic. Quitos Northern Bus Terminal costs about $2 in taxi but services only a select few places like Mindo.

Safety in Quito

Quito can be a dangerous city especially in the night. Use your common sense and stick to highly populated places and don’t wander down dark deserted alleyways. It is recommended you book accommodation before you fly in instead of searching for a place when you get here. In the next blog post I will expand on places to stay in Quito especially its famous “gringolandia” or Mariscal.

Ecuador Video

jake — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:47:10 +0000

If you want to see what its like to spend time with Ecuador Eco Volunteer then check out this video by one of our repeat volunteers. Finn from England who volunteered in the Animal Rescue Center last year has come back again this year with two friends and his video offers a real funny inside look about travel in Ecuador.

In the video you will have seen snaps of all the wildlife (including an Anaconda!) they saw on their Yasuni Amazon Tour as well as their time ziplining while volunteering in Mindo along with other shots from the Galapagos Islands and Ecuadors pyramid above the sky.

How to Get a Tourist Visa in Ecuador

jake — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:01:47 +0000

Ive applied for and renewed my tourist visa a number of times over the years in Ecuador and I can tell you passing through the bowels of Ecuadorian bureaucracy is about as fun as passing a kidney stone.

The majority of countries can enter Ecuador without a visa for up to 90 days. If you wish to extend your trip for another 180 days the best visa to get is the 12-IX / 12-9 tourist Visa.

The process of applying for a 12-IX Visa is much faster now than in previous years and if you follow these tips ive learned from trial and error you will save yourself hours.

Follow this link for advice if you have overstayed your visa in Ecuador.

Complete the Paperwork the Day Before

– This article was written in April of 2012 and the steps to apply for a tourist visa may have changed since then. Check this page on the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores website for the most up to date requisites for the tourist visa.

- There is no way you will be able to complete the paperwork the same day as you apply for the visa. Save yourself a tonne of time and hassle by printing out the following papers the day before.

– Check that your passport is valid for at least six months in the future and make two photocopies of it.

- Have a photocopy of a flight ticket or bus ticket leaving the country. My return flight to Australia was from Argentina a year into the future which was accepted as a legitimate “proof of onward travel”

- Print out your bank account balance to prove you have solvency to stay in the country. This can be as easy as doing a print screen on your netbank account on the internet. Im not sure what the minimum amount of money in the bank is required but if you are worried you may not have enough its easy to fudge the numbers in photoshop.

- Download and print out a couple of copies of the Solicitud de Visa. Trust me its better to have a few of these forms spare than to make a mistake then have to run to the nearest cyber cafe and have to print it out again.

- Get some passport sized photos with a white background and remember not to smile. They do not like smiles in the Ministry of Exterior Relations. Bring some glue to stick the passport photo onto your Solicitud de Visa.

- The final thing that you can do on the day that you get the visa is the “Petición escrita” or Written Petition. You can get this printed out in about 5 minutes for 25 cents at the Cyber Cafe called COMPUWORLD down some stairs to the left of the front door of the ministry of Exterior Relations. Id recommend that you do not do this until you already have a Turno or Ticket with a number on it securing your place. The letter looks like this “Yo, John Smith, con passaporte numero M1234567, quiero aplicar para la visa 12-IX para realizar turismo en Ecuador.” with your name and signiture underneath.

How to Apply for a Tourist Visa in Ecuador

You can apply for a Tourist Visa in Ecuador in Quito and Guayaquil. The following will be a step by step process on how to apply for the visa Quito because ive only ever been to the Ministry of Exterior Relations there.

Step 1: Save yourself a few hours by waking up early and going to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores between 7 and 7:30am. Even by 7:30 there will be a long line outside the ministry but if you arrive any later you will have to wait a few hours longer or even have to come back the next day because they may not have time to attend you.

Step 2: You will be given a ticket with a number on it when you arrive inside. If you get in early the guards will tell you to go upstairs at around 8:30 where you wait on the second floor for your number to be read out. If you arrive after 8 you will have to wait downstairs for a few hours until the first group upstairs have been processed.

Step 3: When upstairs wait for your number to be read out then go to the immigration officer and give them the completed forms and papers. Be nice and courteous because these guys have to deal with frustrated foreigners all day and they also have the power to reject your visa application and make life hell for you.

Step 4: If you have completed the form correctly and have all of the documents mentioned above the immigration officer should give you a ticket to pay $30 for the Visa Application. Go down to the bottom floor and there should be a place up end of the room that says “Caja” which means cash register. Pay the $30 there and he will give you a receipt which you need to take upstairs.

Step 5: Once you have the receipt for the $30 you will be able to skip the queue in the upstairs room and take it straight back to the immigration officer who served you. He or she will then take a photo of you which will be printed out onto a sheet which you have to carry around for the week that the Ministry retains your passport. The officer will then give you a date for when you have to come back to the Ministry.

Step 6: After a week or so go back to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores at around 3pm in the afternoon and pick up your passport and shiny new visa!

Volunteer Expectations for Animal Rescue Center

jake — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:54:53 +0000

After speaking with the Animal Rescue Center program coordinators, Medardo and his wife Lucero, we have decided to create more detailed information about the volunteer program to ensure you have the most accurate expectations for your time there.

Here are a few points that may not have been clear after reading the profile for the volunteer program:

Spanish and the Animal Rescue Center

Medardo and Lucero the program coordinators do not speak English. The reason we wrote that volunteers who speak little or no Spanish can still stay at the Animal Rescue Center is because after dealing with tourists for years they are adept at communicating with them irrespective of the language barrier.

Also most of the time there will be other volunteers that speak Spanish who will help facilitate communication between the group and Lucero and Medardo. To make your trip more rewarding consider learning Spanish before you come via great free resources like Live Mocha or take some Spanish lessons in Ecuador.

Contact With Animals at Center

Some volunteers come to the Animal Rescue Center with expectations that they will be handling animals all day every day. This is counter-productive to the rehabilitation of the animals. If you are at an “Animal Rescue Center” where this happens and is encouraged it could be possible that the Rescue Center is a Scam (Follow this link for more information on animal rescue scams and scroll down to “Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centres (ARRCs) – Are you being conned?”)

The Volunteer Work at Animal Rescue Center

There is always work to do at the Animal Rescue Center but its not always taking care of the animals. As mentioned above Animal Rescue Centers where you coddle the animals all day long are normally scams and more like Zoos than centers for rehabilitation.

An element of the volunteer work requires manual labour like lifting stones and building pathways to help make trails in the jungle. This volunteer work is very important for the maintenance of the Animal Rescue Center and while Lucero and Medardo will never obligate you to do something against your will we hope you tackle these important tasks with a great attitude.

Teaching Environmental Awareness

Starting this year Lucero has started a initiative in a local school near the Animal Rescue Center where the volunteers help teach environmental awareness. Unfortunately in Ecuador the majority of locals lack even the most basic education on environmental issues which is one of the reasons the country has one of the poorest environmental records in South America. Inspiring just a few kids to look after the jungle they grow up in creates a priceless impact on this regions future.

Clean Up After Yourself!

Clean Up After Yourself! For the very small percentage of volunteers who are guilty of neglecting this please remember you are not 13 years old and the Animal Rescue Center is not your mothers basement. Part of your duties as a volunteer is to keep the kitchen, your room, and the centers facilities. If you are not prepared to clean up after yourself then you should consider not volunteering with us.

Accommodation at the Animal Rescue Center

You may have to share a room with other volunteers. There are at the very most four beds per room and at times you may get a room for yourself but other times you will be assigned a room with other volunteers. This is a great way to make friendships with fellow travellers.

The Ecuador Eco Volunteer Price Rise

Ecuador Eco Volunteer implemented a price rise on January 1st 2012. Volunteers that booked and paid the admin fee in advance in 2011 are still paying the old price of $225. If you booked and paid the admin fee in 2012 and are paying $300 per month rest assured that the rise in price means the volunteer programs like the Animal Rescue Center are receiving more money to pay for their running costs.

There is a Transparency graph that we update every 3 months that breaks down where the money goes on this page here

Leisure Time at Animal Rescue Center

When the volunteer work duties for the day have been completed you and the other volunteers will have leisure time to chill out. During this leisure time you can do everything from reading a book, to playing cards with other volunteers or going for a swim in the river.

I hope that clears a few things up! :)

Ecuador Eco Adventure Volunteer Discounts

jake — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:55:00 +0000

As a reward to our Volunteers we offer discounts on our Trekking and Mountain Climbing expeditions with Ecuador Eco Adventure. Here is a breakdown of the price of the expeditions with the discounts:

Trekking Volunteer Discounts

Punay Pyramid Trek:
$100 each (2 People)
*$20 Volunteer Discount
$85 each (3 – 4 People)
$75 each (5 or more people)
*$10 Volunteer Discount (3 – 8 People)

Lagoons of El Altar Trek:
$175 each (2 or More People)
*$30 Volunteer Discount

Condor Trek:
$450 each (3 People Minimum) 4 day trek
$520 each (4 or More People) 5 day trek
*$25 Volunteer Discount

Inga Pirca Trek:
$150 each (3 People Minimum)
$110 each (4 or More People)
*$25 Volunteer Discount

Chimborazo Communities Trek:
$175 each (2 – 5 People)
*$20 Volunteer Discount

Mountain Climbing Volunteer Discounts

Chimborazo Mountain Climb
$180 each (2 People)
*$10 Volunteer Discount

Cotopaxi Mountain Climb
$220 each (2 People)
Volunteer Discount $10

Map of Ecuador

jake — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:06:19 +0000

Click for Higher Resolution Map

Here is a map of Ecuador and the times between major cities and tourist sites to help you plan your trip in this beautiful country.

Quito – Riobamba: 3.5 Hours
Quito – Mindo: 2 Hours
Quito – Muisne: 5 Hours
Quito – Canoa: 5-6 Hours

Riobamba – Guayaquil: 5 Hours
Riobamba – Banos: 2 Hours
Riobamba – Puyo: 3.5 Hours
Riobamba – Cuenca: 6 Hours

Puyo – Animal Rescue Center: 45 Minutes
Puyo – Paraiso Eco Lodge: 30 Minutes
Puyo – Banos: 1.5 Hours
Puyo – Tena: 1.5 Hours
Puyo – Coca: 5 Hours

Guayaquli – Montanita: 4 Hours
Guayaquil – Canoa: 6 Hours
Guayaquli – Mancora Peru: 12 Hours

Amazon Rainforest Video “Ikiam”

jake — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:01:44 +0000

Today I want to share with you a very powerful documentary that will give you a behind the scenes look at the destruction of Ecuadors Amazon and the human rights abuses inflicted on its indigenous communities by Oil Companies.

The documentary film is called Ikiam and was shot by Simone Francis, an Australian social entrepreneur that runs Nomadic Hands. I met at the Sydney Latin Film Festival for the world premier for Ikiam and since then we have collaborated on a number of projects aimed at raising awareness of the massive destruction taking place in the Amazon.

If you believe like us that these grave injustices towards the environment and people of the Amazon should stop then please consider sharing this documentary and helping us get the word out. If you have any questions after watching it then leave a message in the comments and im sure we can get Simone to answer you personally.

Ecuadorian Chocolate

jake — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:54:49 +0000

Ecuador is one of the biggest exporters of the Cocao bean to make Coco and Chocolate in the world. The plant which comes from South America was even used as a common currency throughout this region before the Spanish invasion.

What might surprise you when you get to Ecuador is why its so hard to find good chocolate in a country that produces 130,000 tonnes of Cocao a year. Its because all the Cocao is for export and monstrous corporations like Nestle control the local market.

But chocolate lovers dont despair just yet, there is an oasis in the desert.

Salinas de Guaranda

Salinas de Guaranda is a famous little town in the Ecuadorian Andes that is about two and an half hours by bus from Riobamba. What makes the town so popular amongst both Ecuadorian and foreign tourists alike is its cheese and chocolate factories as well as the great variety in hand-knitted llama and alapca wool clothing.

A Swiss man called Father Antonio Polo used his knowledge in how to produce Swiss Chocolate and Cheese to set up a cooperative run by the people of Salinas that has literary pulled the entire community out of poverty.

The delicious swiss Chocolate they make in Salinas melts in your mouth and include the famous Blue Bird “Pajaro Azul” Chocolate named after the local moonshine alcohol and my favorite hot chocolate laced with chile powder.

Now with regards to the Cheese if you have been in Ecuador and South America for a while you will know that the omnipresent fresh, white, and tasteless stuff they have over here leaves a lot to be desired compared to our aged cheeses back home.

But the cheese in Salinas de Guaranda is every bit as good as the chocolate – so good that they are both sold on the international market along with all of the handwoven alpaca wool clothing.

How To Get There

The Conventional Way:
From Riobamba take the “Arenal Guaranda” bus that leaves in the morning from the main bus terminal. (The G in Guaranda sounds more like a W) It will cost about $2.50

The Adventurous Way:
Check out the Horseback Riding Trips and Chimborazo Remote Communities Trek we run that let take you around the beautiful scenery between the Chimborazo Highlands and Salinas.

Machalilla National Park

jake — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:15:23 +0000

Machalilla National Park is home to some of the most pristine and preserved tropical dry forest in Ecuador. The National Park also has an abundance of different species of birds and if you are lucky you may even catch a glimpse of large fauna like the Tapir, Coati, and Jaguar that populate the park.

Between the months of July and September it is also possible to see large pods of humpback whales migrating past the national parks’ coastline in search of warmer waters where they mate and give birth to cubs.

Unfortuantely every year humpback whales are trapped in fishermens nets and we have criticised the Machalilla National Park for their lack of action on here before. Nonetheless this National Park is a very beautiful place.

How To Get There

To get to Machalilla National Park you need to catch a bus from Guayaquil to Puerto Lopez the nearest town. From Puerto Lopez you can make your own way to the park or take advantage of the tour agencies there.

The Poor Mans Galapagos

The Islas de la plata are commonly referred to as the “Poor Mans Galapagos” because they have a similar ecosystem to the Galapagos Islands but are much cheaper and more accessible.

The group of islands are home ot sea birds such as Fragrats, Rabihuncos, Albatros’ and Blue and Red footed Boobies that nest in the cliffs that surround the islands sea shores.

How To Get There

The only way to get to the Islas de la Plata is via an hours boat ride. Islas de la Plata tours are offered in tour agencies in Puerto Lopez and do not have the prohibitive costs of the Galapagos.

Ecuadors Most Beautiful Beach

Frailes Beach is often called the most beautiful beach in Ecuador. From the sandy shores there are clearly marked trails that lead up to the craggy cliffs and a panoramic lookout on the summit of the island. Also snorkeling around the islands is a must!

The coral reefs flourish with coloured fish of all kinds with the incredible diversity of species of a true sea forest. Other activities here include the Sombrerito Trail, and the ancestral culture of Puerto López fishermans’ village.

How To Get There

To get the Frailes Beach take a taxi from Puerto Lopez into Machalilla National Park which costs about $8 depending on your negotiating skills.

Ecuador Pictures

jake — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:36:20 +0000

Here are some pictures of Ecuador from our archives that were taken about 5 years ago back when our volunteer programs shared the same site as Ecuador Eco Adventure. If you like the pictures below please consider sharing this page.

The photos above were taken at a pyramid in the Ecuadorian Andes which was once used as a astrological observatory.

The photos above were taken when climbing mountains in Ecuador on the countries three largest volcanos – Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, and Cayambe.

The photos above were taken on one of our popular Andes Horseback Riding trips around the remote communities of Ecuadors highest mountain Chimborazo.

The above photos were taken at one of our most popular treks around the Lagoons of El Altar in Sangay National Park. If you like trekking then this is one of the most beautiful treks in the entire Andes mountain range.

We have collected thousands of other photos of Ecuador over the years so if you want to see more check out the google plus page for Ecuador Eco Adventure