Yagua Natives You probably already have the idea that the Amazon rainforest is quite large but you may not have realized just how huge it is.  It covers about 2.5 million square miles, representing 54% of all the rainforest on the planet.  Parts of it can be found in nine separate South American countries including Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas which are made up of Guyana,…
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Mitad del Mundo Welcoming thousands of tourists per day in its modest airport, Quito is Ecuador’s major launch point for tours of the country.  Many visitors headed to the Galapagos Islands will spend at least a night in the city, but Quito’s Old and New Towns are great spots for dining and sightseeing which could keep visitors well occupied for at least two or more days. What’s more, Quito is…
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Puerto Madero Like all mega-metropolises, Buenos Aires, Argentina is home to neighborhoods as varied as their names indicate.  There’s Recoleta, Retiro, La Boca, and Puerto Madero.  There’s the microcenter, downtown, and Abasto.  Upon first arrival, I loved the cobblestone streets and graffiti artwork.  Each day, I would visit a new barrio and experience an incredibly different vibe.  After three weeks of living in San Telmo and a week of exploring top sights these are…
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Hiram Bingham In 1911, Yale scholar Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu.  Although he thought, incorrectly, that he had found the last refuge of the Incas (this was actually Vilcabamba), there is no doubt that what he did find has turned out to be much more significant for visitors to Peru. In 1912, Bingham sent a number of artefacts from Machu Picchu back to Yale University with the permission of the…
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The Larco Museum in Lima, Peru should be on your list of Must See attractions when visiting this city.  Founded in 1926, the museum displays gold, silver, and ceramic objects that provide an excellent overview of 3,000 years of pre-Columbian history in Peru.  The museum is housed in a vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid.  The lower level of the museum has an impressive…
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LAN Airlines recently announced that starting April 16, 2012 they will offer daily Miami to Quito nonstop flights.  The existing nonstop Miami to Guayaquil flights will be discontinued.  LAN also updated the connections between Quito and Guayaquil, to make it easier to connect to the existing daily nonstop Guayaquil to JFK flights.  Please Contact Us for information on flight times or help in planning your Ecuador Vacation.

In the Galapagos Islands, the wildlife is the main attraction. Below is an indication of what you can expect to see in January and February during your Galapagos Cruise or Galapagos Land Based Tour. JANUARY Beginning of the rainy season. Land birds start nesting, generally after the first rain. On Hood (Española) Island, adult marine iguanas become brightly colored (green, red, and black). The green sea turtles arrive to beaches in Galapagos to lay their eggs….
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I recently returned from a family and working vacation in Guatemala, where we traveled as guests of INGUAT, the country’s tourism promotion department.  Guatemala vastly exceeded our expectations!  The people were friendly, the Mayan and Spanish colonial histories were fascinating, and the landscapes were breathtaking.  We began our adventure in El Peten, the jungle-covered lowlands in the north of the country, about one hour by plane from Guatemala City.  This…
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Planning a Galapagos Vacation can seem like a daunting task when you are just starting out, but answering the following (basic) questions will make it easier for us to help you plan your trip. What is your budget per person not including international airfare? This is perhaps the most important question to answer.  The minimum cost for Quito and a Four Day Cruise (7 Days/6 Nights) is $2,000 per person…
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Peru’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication has announced that all domestic and international airport taxes, which were previously paid separately at local airports in Peru, are now included in the cost of airfare to Peru.  The fees are included in the airfare in order to improve the quality of airport services nationwide.