Avenue of the Volcanoes Tour

On May 14-17 TerraDiversa is co-sponsoring with GringoTree, a local online bulletin board, an exciting multi-day trip called the Avenue of the Volcanoes. This is an opportunity to experience some of Ecuador´s most incredible natural wonders: Waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, crater lakes and breath-taking scenery. It will be a trip you will never forget.

Here's the itinerary:


Day 1: Cuenca - Devil's Nose Train, Chimborazo, Baños de Ambato
Our journey begins by driving from Cuenca to Alausi, where we will ride atop the famous Devil's Nose train. After lunch in town we proceed up into the Andes to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Ecuador. The highlight, at almost 21,000 feet, is El Chimborazo Mountain and its breathtaking glaciers. We then travel on for overnight accommodation in Baños de Ambato. (Lunch included)

Day 2: Baños - The Route of the Waterfalls
During the morning ride we enjoy beautiful tropical forests and visit Ecopark Monte Selva. We continue on to the village of Rio Verde and take a moderate hike down to the well-known Pailon Del Diablo waterfall. (Optional free morning to explore Banos on your own if you choose). After lunch in Baños we stop at the Salasaca Indian community (a mini-Otavalo) before arriving in Lasso where we stay overnight in a beautiful colonial hacienda. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 3: Quilotoa, Quito
On the way from Lasso to Quilotoa, we will witness some large fertile areas cultivated by locals. We pass Zumbahua, an Indian community famous for the colorful Tigua paintings, located along the border of Quilotoa crater. We go into the crater to witness the color changing of the crater sulfur lake, from deep blue, to light blue, green and turquoise. Afterwards we have the option of ascending to the top on mules. After lunch we continue to Quito for overnight, enjoying some of the most amazing views of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 4: AM: City tour of Quito
Quito's colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will take a walking tour to the main attractions such as: Independence Plaza, Metropolitan Cathedral, Presidential Palace, Municipal Building, Archbishop's Palace, Temple of La Compañia de Jesus and its gilded interior, Monastery of San Francisco, one of the great religious buildings of the New World. This will conclude our excursion. Afterwards, travelers will have the options of : 1) returning to Cuenca in the van, arriving around 8 p.m.; 2) flying back to Cuenca (additional charge), or 3) extending their journey with excursions to Otavalo, Mindo, the Amazon, horseback riding, rafting, and other adventures (to be arranged by TerraDiversa). (Breakfast included)


Price per person: $429 (including return to Cuenca in the van)

For additional tour information and for reservations and payment instructions, go by the TerraDiversa office at Calle Larga 8-41 y Cordero, call Flavia at 09 920 4832 or email sales1

@terradiversa.com.

How to Get to Cuenca

More and more people are interested in visiting beautiful Cuenca but are unsure of the best way to get here. Cuenca does not have an international airport, so you must enter Ecuador either in Quito or Guayaquil and then continue on to reach our city. There are optional ways from each place to arrive in Cuenca—read on and decide which is best for you.



Flights most often land in Quito too late to make connections that same day. Therefore it is necessary to stay overnight before resuming travel. TerraDiversa recommends planning your journey so that you remain in the area to enjoy this UNESCO World Heritage city and the many nearby attractions such as bird watching, adventure travel, and world famous indigenous markets. Check out our website for all your options.



From Quito you will usually get to Cuenca either by plane or direct van service. For those on a tight schedule and/or a reasonable amount of luggage and no pets flying is the best choice. If you’ve shown up with an abundance of luggage or you have a pet you don’t want to cage for another flight a private van will fill your needs.



A great alternative is to take our Avenue of the Volcanoes tour from Quito to Cuenca (or wait and reverse the itinerary on your way home). On this 3 day/2 night journey you explore the best of the Andean highlands—majestic Cotopaxi, the adventure town Banos, the famous Devil’s Nose train, and Ingapirca, our best preserved Inca ruins.

Flight arrivals in Guayaquil are sometimes early enough to continue on to Cuenca the same day. If this can be done with minimal layover another flight is optimal. But when there is a long wait between flights it is sometimes quicker (and always less expensive) to take the 3 hour ride over the Cajas mountains in a shared van the rest of the way. This scenic drive is best enjoyed during daylight hours, and proper medication should be taken by those prone to motion sickness.



TerraDiversa is ready to help make your journey to Cuenca as fun and easy as possible. We can arrange airport pickup; book hotels, flights, and vans; and of course create memorable excursions along the way. Contact our Travel Specialists (sales1@terradiversa.com) for assistance and we’ll see you here soon!

Ecuador at your Service

TerraDiversa went global yesterday when our own Edd Staton was a guest on Ecuador at your Service, an online radio show broadcast on the Overseas Radio Network (www.overseasradio.com). Hosted by Ashley Rogers & Michel Blanchard, the weekly show features topics of interest about all things Ecuador. These two fine folks also have a travel consultancy and concierge service in Cuenca called Ecuador at your Service(www.ecuadoratyourservice.com), that offers a wide range of customized assistance for visitors and new arrivals.



We were talking about travel, of course, and what's new at TerraDiversa. If you want to listen to the whole broadcast click on Show Archive at the ORN website and choose the second listing for 4/10. But understanding busy schedules, here are some highlights of our chat:



What makes Ecuador a great travel destination?

Most people's knowledge of Ecuador involves the Galapagos but, my gosh, this country has SO much to offer. We have about 1200 miles of unspoiled beaches on the Pacific where you can enjoy amazing sport fishing and from June through October, humpback whale watching. The highlands of the Andes, where Cuenca is located, has birdwatching, active volcanoes, adventure travel, and outstanding cultural experiences. And visitors are often surprised to learn they can visit the Amazon in eastern Ecuador on river cruises or staying in ecolodges. It turns out that little Ecuador, which is only the size of Colorado, is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world!

Tell us about what's new at TerraDiversa.

What's NOT new? We moved to an excellent new location downtown on Calle Larga several months ago. We attended the NY Times travel show in March. A totally new website should be launched by the end of April. We will soon have an exclusive line of logo'd apparel and nutritional snacks for sale, and we are creating some exciting new tours in both Ecuador and Peru. There's a LOT going on!

So why should people use a tour operator instead of doing it on their own?

That's a great question. People who choose to use a tour operator are looking for a different travel experience than do-it-yourself travelers. They want to have comfortable transportation instead of public buses, they appreciate the expertise of trained guides, and they genuinely enjoy the camaraderie of sharing their excursions with others. We consider ourselves travel specialists and work hard to listen to our customers and always exceed their expectations.

What kinds of tours does TerraDiversa offer, and what are the most popular trips?

We have both day trips and multi-day tours throughout Ecuador and Peru, generally grouped into Cultural Journeys and Adventure Travel. And since TerraDiversa's founder, Juan Heredia, started his career as a tour guide in the Galapagos we specialize in that awesome destination. Our most popular tours are to the beautiful Cajas mountains, horseback riding at our hacienda, and for sure Galapagos.


Thanks, Ashley & Michel, for the opportunity to appear on your program. Hopefully listeners picked up some helpful information, and we definitely had a lot of fun!

New Van Reservation Service

Expats enjoy the low cost and convenience of traveling from city to city in hired vans but for many, limited Spanish and the chore of having to try to communicate over the phone or go to the location in advance to make reservations is less than ideal.

TerraDiversa is happy to announce a new van reservation service from Cuenca to Guayaquil and Loja. Visit our convenient downtown office at Calle Larga 8-41 y Luis Cordero, where our English-speaking travel specialists will handle all the arrangements for you. Pre-pay your ride while you're there and you're ready to go! On the day of your journey we can also arrange taxi pickup at your home if needed to take you straight to the van company.

Total cost for this service is $15 one way and $30 round trip. For more information contact Flavia at sales1@terradiversa.com or call 07 282 3782.

To Cuy or not to Cuy

That is the question for many foreign travelers to Ecuador. For the uninitiated, cuy (pronounced coo-eee) is the South American guinea pig. This is an interesting name because the animal is neither a member of the pig family nor did it originate in Guinea.

Cuy come from right here in the Andean highlands, and the little fellows are revered in the Ecuadorian culture, used in spiritual practices and healing ceremonies performed by a shaman. They are also a local delicacy.

While driving through villages throughout the Andes you will see, especially on the weekends, proprietors roasting cuy on spits over charcoal fire. For some restaurants in Cuenca cuy is the specialty of the house. Many locals especially enjoy eating the head, feet, and skin because of their special crunch.

Now this whole notion of devouring “pet-on-a stick” is quite repellent to certain visitors. For some, memories of Fluffy from childhood do not exactly stimulate the old taste buds. Others are grossed out by the sight of what appears to be a whole tailless rodent (actually, that’s what it is---) being grilled.

But almost everyone, even those who won’t eat it, wants to know, “So what does cuy taste like?” A group of adventurous TerraDiversa travelers got to find out yesterday on a tour co-sponsored with GringoTree called A Day in the Country at Hacienda Totorillas.

We journeyed to a beautiful family hacienda in Tarqui to experience daily life in a rural environment. Less than 15 miles from Cuenca, the breathtaking Andean landscape felt worlds away from the city.



Guests saw cows being milked and later enjoyed eating the freshest cheese made that very morning. They observed a sheep being shorn, thread being created, and garments woven from local wool.



Fava beans were picked for lunch and visits were paid to the areas where free range chickens and cuy are raised. Highlights of the day trip were horseback riding and hiking.





All that activity works up an appetite, and our guests were treated to a special surprise. We served what we jokingly called “cutting edge Andean/American fusion cuisine”—hamburgers, hot dogs, and---cuy!



“Squeamish” wasn’t part of this group’s vocabulary as everyone went for it and at least tasted the exotic meat. One young lady was even overheard telling her mom, “I’ll eat yours if you don’t want it.”

So what’s the verdict? What does cuy taste like?

Well, the consensus was: it tastes like---cuy. A little gamey, a little greasy, a little like dark meat chicken maybe, but certainly unique and tasty.

For adventurous souls like our group we recommend hunkering down to a plate of cuy while you’re here. If nothing else, you’ll have a unique story to tell family and friends when you return home!

New York Times Travel Show Part 2

TerraDiversa was honored to attend the NY Times Travel Show this month. Partners Edd (Director of Marketing) and Cynthia (Director of Sales) Staton represented our company and country at the event.



Ecuador was a major sponsor of the show



and had a massive and prominently featured display area.









The first day was for "trade only." We attended extremely informative morning workshops focused on market specialization and social networks. After a keynote address the show floor was opened for all travel professionals to mingle before opening the following morning to the general public. A lovely cocktail reception was a pleasant way to end the day.

Saturday and Sunday the joint was jumpin'.



Attendance exceeded all expectations as a festive vibe enveloped the huge convention hall. Lavish displays from around the globe dazzled the eye,



while non-stop dance performances, music, and international cooking demonstrations occupied 10 different pavilion stages.





Outside the main hall in two seminar rooms travel presentations were presented to packed crowds. Experts covered topics from cruising to luxury train travel to African safaris. Celebrities like the Frommer's, Samantha Brown, and Adam Richman gave entertaining talks and signed autographs.

Looks like folks are ready to get out and have some fun again! Travel is fun, and TerraDiversa is your Ecuador travel specialist.

New York Times Travel Show

TerraDiversa was thrilled to attend the NY Times Travel Show March 2-4. The first day was "trade only," with special seminars, a chance to explore the exhibit area and meet other travel professionals, and a lavish cocktail reception. Our representatives attended seminars on "Transforming from Travel Agent to Travel Specialist" and "Harnessing the Power of Social and Interactive Media to Reach Travelers" because both topics are important areas of focus in our 2012 planning.

These information-packed sessions featured panels of renowned experts in their respective fields who shared timely tips on providing enhanced travel experiences for our clients. A keynote address followed with other industry leaders discussing the bright future for travel professionals as well as the latest trends and developments.

Ecuador was a major sponsor of this year's event and had a fabulous exhibit space at the show. Attendance was overwhelming, a strong indicator that people are fed up with all this negativity about the economy and ready to have some fun!

We enjoyed entertaining talks by the Travel Channel's Samantha Brown and Adam Richman; Arthur and Pauline Frommer discussing their favorite travel destinations; seminars on travel writing, culinary travel, train travel; cooking demonstrations, tequila and wine tastings----does it sound like this weekend was any fun??

You bet it was!!

We look forward to returning to Ecuador and implementing many of the great new ideas we learned while in New York. Even though the show was a blast, our primary goal in attending was to support our mission of providing travel experiences that exceed your expectations and create special memories.

Hasta luego!