‘ Travel Bugs?!’ we hear you cry. Nope, we’re not talking about that nasty parasite you picked up in Pnhom Penh (although if you really want to…) In fact, STA Travel Bugs is a smashing new feature where we pluck an interesting travel question form the internet ether and get a bright-eyed , fresh-brained, bushy-tailed member of the STA Travel team to send in their answer. Whatever your opinion about STA Travel, they’re renowned for having friendly and well-informed staff members who know the professional details of the travel industry but also have experience from their own adventures. This is also a chance for you to agree, disagree and generally chip in with tips and stories, so jump over to the forum and add your own replies.

This week, Tim from Lonely Planet Forum wants to know more about Ecuador:

I have been booked onto a liveaboard from the 18-25 of August on the Galapogas. I will fly into quito early August. My flights to the Islands are book with the tour. What are the chances of me changing my flight ticket to get out to the islands earlier by say two weeks.
Is there a budget airline in Ecuador?
Is it worth trying to make it down to Machu Pichu in August?
Ideally I would arrive in Ecuador very early August and get out to the Islands on an earlier flight, Is this likely and more likely to happen from quito or Gyacuil?
is there lots of other great things to do in Ecuador?

Click here to read what Chris from STA Sheffield has to say…

Hey Tim

Great to hear you are going to the Galapagos! I actually went there myself and it is definitely one of the best trips I have ever done.

The likelihood of changing your flights to get out to the islands depends on a couple of things: the availability of the tour on your requested dates and the date change/amendment conditions of the tour company. The best thing to do is to get in touch with the tour company (or us if we booked it) and we can ask them for you if it is possible.

There isn’t really a “budget” airline for Ecuador but you will find that the national airline TAME is fairly cheap anyway. There will be some minor airlines that serve the coastal areas as well as flights into the more remote parts of the country in the East. These are likely to be little 10 seater aircrafts so should be fun!

Machu Picchu: This really depends how much time you got to spare. If you are wanting to do the Inca trail there are still permits available but only for the 29th, 30th and 31st August. If not, you can still see Machu Picchu by going on the train, but you might not get the same experience. Are you thinking this is how you would like to spend your remaining two weeks?

There are bags of things to do in Ecuador…

It’s a great place to get onto a Spanish course, a lot of hostels in Quito offer them very cheaply. STA Travel can also arrange one week courses.

Get yourself to “Mitel del Mundo” (middle of the world) This is about an hour outside of Quito and it’s well worth a visit. It is basically the Equator. It is a pretty popular tourist attraction but don’t be put off by that. The official museum is apparently about 100m wrong! It has the main monument that is good for having photos taken and one decent museum but the “unofficial” one down the road is better. The “unofficial” (but correct) Equator has a load of experiments that prove that you are at the centre of the world. They also issue you with a free tour guide that shows you (amongst other things) how to shrink heads, why Ecuadorians keep guinea pigs, and why water goes round the toilet one way in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere!

In between the two museums is a really interesting “multimedia” presentation. All free of charge. This will tell you all about the significance not only of the equator, but this particular point on the equator and the Incas.

There are also white water rafting trips about 3 hours out of Quito which is well worth it. Green horse Ranch arrange horse trekking around a collapsed volcanic crater which is awesome. (do the rafting before the horses or you’ll really suffer sitting on a bumpy raft the day after!)

You can also head up into the rainforest, go piranha fishing and sleep in a jungle lodge, or head to the beaches in the east and experience the more laid back side of Ecuador and try your hand at some surfing.

Volunteering opportunities are also amongst the easiest to come by in Latin America.

All in all there is enough to keep you entertained for two weeks in Ecuador.
If you fancy a chat about your plans give me a ring on 0871 468 0644.

Last little piece of advice; You’ll have an opportunity to rent a wetsuit in the Galapagos for snorkelling. DO IT!!! The water is a lot colder than you might think!

Chris

Chris Hall
City Manager
STA Travel Sheffield
University Of Sheffield Students Union