Category: Ecuador

Ecuador, Travel Stories

 Everything you need to know about Laboratorio, Quito´s coolest restaurant

Last week I started working at awesome pop up restaurant Laboratorio. It is called a pop up restaurant because every few months the menu and the chefs change. Laboratorio recently opened its doors with its latest concept: La Hueca. A hueca is an informal Ecuadorian restaurant serving traditional food, and the idea behind Laboratorio´s Hueca is to give well-known typical dishes a new lease of life; delicious food made from … Continue reading  Everything you need to know about Laboratorio, Quito´s coolest restaurant

TravellerHannah9 Comments
Bolivar Ecuador
Ecuador, Travel Stories

Ecuador’s secret paradise

The only way to get to the town of Bolivar, Ecuador is by boat or by swimming. I make it my mission to get off the beaten path while travelling, and this remote little beach town certainly met that criteria. The journey  Off the main road from Atacames to Esmeraladas in northern Ecuador, leads a narrow lane. Pick up trucks await the passing buses at this junction, … Continue reading Ecuador’s secret paradise

TravellerHannah12 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories, Uncategorized

At one with nature in Mindo Ecuador

Mindo, just a two hour bus ride from Ecuador’s capital, is situated on the tropical western side of the Andes and makes a popular weekend destination for Quiteños. I went because we had been invited to the fantastic El Monte Ecolodge and I had a brilliant weekend. Rafting, kayaking and all sorts of activities are on offer in the town, but being on a budget we chose … Continue reading At one with nature in Mindo Ecuador

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Ecuador, Travel Stories

Peaceful Mompiche

‘Where the hell am I!?’ I said to myself as I clambered down off the bus onto the pitch black street of Atacames, ignoring the typical South American bus station chorus of ‘Taxi? Hotel? Taxi?’ that greeted us from the crowd of local men awaiting the arriving visitors. The Journey. To get to Mompiche from Quito (where I live), you have to go via Atacames, and our overnight … Continue reading Peaceful Mompiche

TravellerHannah3 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories

Alternative Quito Guide

After journeying to Laguna Quilotoa, I returned to Quito and stayed at Community Hostel. Having already checked out the well-known attractions, which you can read about in Quito Guide part 1, I began hunting for hidden gems. You probably don’t know about these places but you definitely should: 1) Plaza Borja Yerovi What? A square with brightly-coloured murals painted on all sides pretty lampshades in the … Continue reading Alternative Quito Guide

TravellerHannah12 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories

To Laguna Quilotoa without a tour

Laguna Quilotoa, a lake of emerald green water in the crater of an extinct volcano, is absolutely beautiful. It isn’t far from Quito and everyone raves about it, so I decided to go. Everything I could find online said it that the lake is tricky to get to, unless you have your own vehicle, and taking a tour was strongly recommended. However, I am not one … Continue reading To Laguna Quilotoa without a tour

TravellerHannah25 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories

Volunteering in a hostel

As you may have gathered from my previous post, I really liked Montañita and wanted to stay for a while. To save on accommodation costs, I volunteered in a hostel, and I lived and worked at Kiwi Hostel for three weeks. Volunteering generally consists of working a few hours a day in exchange for accommodation and food. The deal of course varies from place to place, … Continue reading Volunteering in a hostel

TravellerHannah7 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories

Montañita, Ecuador’s most popular beach town

Montañita is a town on the south west corner of Ecuador’s coast. It consists of half-built concrete buildings and bamboo structures each either a hostel, a restaurant, a bar or a shop selling sun hats and not a whole lot else. I really liked Montañita and stayed there for about a month. (Read here about how I saved on 3 weeks of accommodation here.) Many people from … Continue reading Montañita, Ecuador’s most popular beach town

TravellerHannah3 Comments
Ecuador, Travel Stories

Baños, Ecuador’s Adventure Playground on the Cheap

After a long and tiring journey crossing Ecuador, during which I panicked and believed icing sugar to be cocaine, I arrived in Baños late in the evening. I finally found a taxi and got in the back, but at the same time a random woman appeared out of nowhere and got in the front seat. The driver said she was his wife, but I was not in the … Continue reading Baños, Ecuador’s Adventure Playground on the Cheap

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Ecuador, Travel Stories

Cuenca, City of Churches. My introduction to Ecuador.

A Unesco World Heritage Site, Cuenca is situated in the Ecuadorian highlands at 2500m and the climate is cool. I arrived at Cuenca early in the morning on an overnight bus from Mancora, Peru. The Peru to Ecuador border crossing was straight forward. We got off the bus at the border and went into the large immigration office. We queued up at the Peru booth … Continue reading Cuenca, City of Churches. My introduction to Ecuador.

TravellerHannah3 Comments