VOLCANIC ACTIVITY ON TWO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS DAYANA volcanic origin The Galapagos Islands are of volcanic origin. This property of the islands can still be felt today. For current reasons, we would like to inform you about the actual situation on the islands of Isabela and Fernandina regarding volcanic activity. This way we hope to eliminate […]
ECUADOR FOR VEGETARIANS – TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MARIA Ecuador for Vegetarians – Tips and recommendiations When you are a vegetarian and traveling through Ecuador your first impression might be that you will starve. There is meat everywhere. But don’t worry, when you get to know the Ecuadorean cuisine better, you will notice that there is […]
FINDING REAL REWARDS – A QUILOTOA LOOP TREK EXPERIENCE (PART THREE) ESTEBAN last day Follow me on my last part: FINDING REAL REWARDS – A QUILOTOA LOOP TREK EXPERIENCE (PART THREE) I felt a little bit of anxiety since today was our last trekking day to reach the Quilotoa Lagoon and I didn’t want to […]
FINDING REAL REWARDS – A QUILOTOA LOOP TREK EXPERIENCE (PART TWO) ESTEBAN Beginning the day Welcome to my second day: FINDING REAL REWARDS – A QUILOTOA LOOP TREK EXPERIENCE (PART TWO) I woke up very early in the morning, it was cold and after such a great experience outdoors it felt like my room was […]
FINDING REAL REWARDS – A QUILOTOA LOOP TREK EXPERIENCE (PART ONE) ESTEBAN One of the most famous destinations in Ecuador, yet not that crowded is the Quilotoa Lagoon. Most travelers like to go there straight and comfortably in a bus or car and take some pictures, but we decided to take a longer way to […]
MY TOP 3 HIGHLIGHTS IN MINDO DAYANA When I heard that Mindo is located in the cloud forest, I had no idea what to expect because that should be my first time visiting one. In fact it is a type of evergreen rain forest on an altitude of 900 to 2.500 meters with an enormously […]
ÉL ÁNGEL – the most unknown national park DAYANA The Ecuadorian Andes offer a great variety of attractions from volcano climbing and hiking to horseback riding, canyoning, rafting or canopy. But there are also lesser known places just as beautiful. One of them is the ecological reserve of El Ángel, close to the Colombian border. […]
FAMILY WEEKEND ESCAPE TO THE COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK CLOSE TO QUITO DAYANA Just an hour and a half driving from Quito heading south there is a special place where you find one of the most visited volcanoes in Ecuador. It is the National Park Cotopaxi, with more than 33 thousand hectares. Another way to get there […]
ECUADORIAN FOOD – FLAVOURS YOU CAN ONLY FIND IN ECUADOR DAYANA Ecuador is a compendium of landscapes, climates, species of flora and fauna and of the most exquisite flavours. What’s better after a stressful day than to end it with a typical drink, accompanied by a dessert? We invite you to try Ecuadorian food! Canelazo […]
CAROLINA PARK – A PARK OF FIVE WORLDS ESTEBAN What do you know about the CAROLINA PARK – A PARK OF FIVE WORLDS. The beautiful metropolitan capital city of Ecuador holds a little place in order to escape the busy office and finance life of the Quiteños: the Carolina Park. Today I would like to […]
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT THE ECUADORIAN COAST DAYANA Getting there As I was born at the coast, I am completely addicted to the ocean. Therefore, when I arrived to Ecuador it was clear for me to visit the Ecuadorian coast as soon as possible. Actually, we wanted to go to Olón but in the end […]
FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF THE INCAS IN THE ECUADORIAN ANDES DAYANA Last weekend the SOLEQ.Travel team went on an excursion to the Ecuadorian province Cañar to check out the Inca Trail. Come with us and FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF THE INCAS IN THE ECUADORIAN ANDES. Preparation Before our hiking trip there were a couple of things […]
ISLAND HOPPING IN THE GALAPAGOS – USEFUL TIPS AND TRICKS DAYANA Swimming with turtles, sea lions and sharks, sun bathing on a beautiful secluded beach, eating fresh lobster and watching amazing sunsets – all in one day? That’s life on the Galapagos Islands. My last articles were about the experience I had on the three […]
ISLAND HOPPING IN THE GALAPAGOS – ISLA SAN CRISTÓBAL DAYANA Swimming with turtles, sea lions and sharks, sun bathing on a beautiful secluded beach, eating fresh lobster and watching amazing sunsets – all in one day? That’s life on the Galapagos Islands.The current blog posts will all be dedicated to my experiences on the secluded […]
ISLAND HOPPING IN THE GALAPAGOS – ISLA ISABELA DAYANA Swimming with turtles, sea lions and sharks, sun bathing on a beautiful secluded beach, eating fresh lobster and watching amazing sunsets – all in one day? That’s life on the Galapagos Islands.The current blog posts will all be dedicated to my experiences on the secluded archipelago […]
ISLAND HOPPING IN THE GALAPAGOS – ISLA SANTA CRUZ DAYANA Swimming with turtles, sea lions and sharks, sun bathing on a beautiful secluded beach, eating fresh lobster and watching a amazing sunsets – all in one day? That’s life on the Galapagos Islands. The following blog posts will all be dedicated to my experiences on […]
FIESTA DE LA LUZ – QUITO’S OLD TOWN SHOWS ITS MOST COLORFUL SIDE DAYANA Last week starting on August 9th to August 13th Quito lightened up for the second edition of the Fiesta De La Luz (festival of light). Of course the SOLEQ.Travel team didn’t want to miss the opportunity to attend this amazing event. […]
THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – LAST STOP NILS A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I decided that we wanted to attempt climbing Ecuador’s highest mountain, Chimborazo. With an altitude of 6300 meters above sea level this mountain is an actual giant. Therefore, it was clear from the beginning that prior preparation is needed. […]
THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – THIRD STOP ILINIZA NORTE NILS Come with me to THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – THIRD STOP ILINIZA NORTE. A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I decided that we wanted to attempt climbing Ecuador’s highest mountain, Chimborazo. With an altitude of 6300 meters above sea level this mountain is […]
THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – SECOND STOP IMBABURA NILS Come with me to THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – SECOND STOP IMBABURA. A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I decided that we wanted to attempt climbing Ecuador’s highest mountain, Chimborazo. With an altitude of 6300 meters above sea level this mountain is an actual […]
THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – FIRST STOP RUMIÑAHUI NILS Come with me to THE ROAD TO CHIMBORAZO – FIRST STOP RUMIÑAHUI. A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I decided that we wanted to attempt climbing Ecuador’s highest mountain, Chimborazo. With an altitude of 6268 meters above sea level this mountain is an actual […]
LAS CUEVAS DE LOS TAYOS – AN INCREDIBLE CAVE EXPEDITION NILS adventure of a life time Last weekend I embarked on an adventure of a life time. Diego and I were investigating options for possible tours on the way from Tena to Loja in eastern Ecuador. During our search we found a tour which offers […]
DAYTRIP TO GUAMOTE – A Memorable DAY in Ecuador DAYANA DAYTRIP TO GUAMOTE Our intern went for a daytrip to Guamote – A Memorable Day Trip in Ecuador. Last week, we got an invitation from the Inti Sisa Art Guesthouse to visit their hotel in Guatome. Guamote is a little mountain village in central Ecuador, […]
Ecuadorian Coffee History – 4th largest amount of coffee in the world DAYANA If you’ve visited Ecuador, you might have been served the type of instant coffee that is popular among Ecuadorians; Nescafe. I’ve been a proud drinker of good coffees since I was sixteen, so I almost spit out the first coffee I bought […]
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: ALL YOU NEED IS ECUADOR! DAYANA Christmas and Hanukkah are around the corner, and you’ve probably been too busy traveling to think about what presents to get your like-minded traveling family and friends. Or maybe you just miss Ecuador so much that you want a perfectly curated list to send to your […]
JOURNEY TO PEGUCHE WATERFALL DAYANA A few weeks ago, I made the journey to the most famous waterfall in northern Ecuador, Peguche Waterfall (or Cascadas de Peguche). It is located only 15 minutes from the beautiful market town of Otavalo, and easily accessible by bus or taxi. I decided to take a bus, so I walked […]
CHICHA: ECUADOR’S ANCIENT BEER DAYANA Chicha is a drink native to Latin America that first appeared during the aboriginal/pre-Colombian period, around 5000 BCE. It is essentially a corn-based beer, although corn can be substituted for quinoa depending on the region in Ecuador. The Incas discovered that saliva could be used to trigger the fermentation process […]
TRADITIONAL ECUADORIAN DRINKS AND DESSERTS DAYANA Ecuador is becoming a popular foodie destination because of its delicious cuisine, but sometimes less attention paid to its traditional drinks. Energy-packed days of adventure will make you want to sit back, relax, and taste some of the traditional Ecuadorian drinks and desserts, which are just as varied and […]
ECUADORIAN DANCES – have a passion for dancing! DAYANA Ever since I was little, I have always loved to dance. When I was a teenager I danced especially Standard, Hip Hop and Jazz. When I finally knew that I will go to Ecuador, I was willing to learn the Ecuadorian dances and traditional music. The […]
YASUNI: PARADISE IN DANGER DAYANA The Yasuni is part of Ecuador’s Amazon region and is among the most biodiverse areas of the world.Read why Yasuni, a part of Ecuadors Amazon Paradise, is in Danger. The Yasuni Because of the unique environment the Yasuni in Peril is world famous. Even the UNESCO recognized the Amazon area for its ecological and […]
CALDERAS IN ECUADOR – special types of volcano crater DAYANA Volcanoes can be threatening. But volcanoes can also be amazing, beautiful, unique, and impressive. Ecuador has one of the highest densities of volcanoes of all countries in the world. Especially the so-called Avenue of the Volcanoes in the Andes of Ecuador is peppered with several […]
ANDEAN MUSIC – have a passion for music DAYANA Music is the art of mixing sounds, and expressing feelings and emotions. It is proven that people have created music from the beginning of time. The history of music begins with the Egyptian Culture. They used instruments that were very difficult to use and to build, […]
QUITO’S AMAZONAS AVENUE DAYANA History of the Amazonas Avenue Before the 19th century, what today is the Amazonas Avenue were ample green areas that were used to cultivate Andean crops. With the population and businesses growing, wealthy families started moving to the areas north of the city center and the sector of the Amazonas Avenue […]
ECUADOR AND THE GALAPAGOS WITH KIDS? DAYANA A tour to Ecuador and the Galapagos with kids is quite a big thing when you come from Germany, considering that the international flight takes about 15 hours. As our kids, 4 years and 10 months old, are quite easy, we thought we might try it and we […]
VOLCANOES IN ECUADOR DAYANA Being among the summits of the volcanoes in Ecuador is no doubt an unforgettable experience. Perhaps you don’t know that each mountain is hiding curious legends, and that those have been told by grandparents from generation to generation. We believe that the mountains are not simple land formations, but more than […]
10 HIDDEN ECUADOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS DAYANA Many people who visit our country get to see the typical Ecuador tourist attractions: Quito, the Cotopaxi Volcano, the market in Otavalo, and of course the Galapagos Islands. Of course they are all amazing, but we want to share with you some places that are not very well-known. Check out our team’s […]
A VISIT TO OUR SOCIAL PROJECT DAYANA As is a SOLEQ.travel tradition, I was able to visit our social project – the Refugio de los Sueños – last week with some of my colleagues. This way I was able to see where the money goes that we donate to the foundation – every one of […]
THE ANDEAN CONDOR – A Symbol of the Skies in ECUADOR DAYANA The Lion is the king of the animals. The ruler of the land, without any natural enemies. But there is also a lion of the air: the condor. Unchallenged and undisputed. The Andean Condor has also no natural enemy, there is no other […]
LA FANESCA – A TRADITIONAL ECUADORIAN DISH DAYANA The traditional dish “Fanesca” is usually prepared to be eaten and enjoyed during Lent. The most typical day to eat this dish on is Good Friday. The origin There are many different narrations about the origin of this dish. One of these narrations says that in the […]
FRUITS OF ECUADOR – come to the local market DAYANA When I first arrived to Ecuador, one of the first things I did was head to the supermarket to buy all the fruits of Ecuador I had never seen before. I should have gone to the local market where the fruit is much better (and […]
SOLEQ.TRAVEL’S TRIP TO RIOBAMBA DAYANA The team of SOLEQ.travel took a weekend to the Riobamba area to share a lot of new experiences together. We took the opportunity to look for new tourist attractions that so far we had not visited in order to determine whether they will become a part of our tour itineraries […]
COLOMBIA – A COUNTRY BETWEEN TWO OCEANS DAYANA Being in Ecuador I have always been curious to get to know our neighboring country Colombia. The majority of people who visited loved it there, so we decided to go. Experience Colombia with us – a country between two oceans. Cali Our first stop was Cali – also […]
highly rated SPORTS IN ECUADOR DAYANA ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HIGHLY RATED SPORTS IN ECUADOR Concerning Sports in Ecuador, there is a lot to say about. Haske tells us about his experiences in Quito.“Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved watching and participating in sports. Several times per week […]
HOLIDAYS: CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S IN QUITO DAYANA Christmas in Quito After a hopefully successful year for all of you, it is time to find a relaxing end of 2015. Here in Quito we have our own traditions concerning holidays. The “Quiteños” – citizens of Quito – already at the beginning of December take time […]
FESTIVITIES OF QUITO DAYANA The festivities of San Francisco de Quito … are celebrated to remember the foundation of the city. It was on December 6 in the year 1534 that Quito was founded by Sebastian de Benalcazar, in the same place where it is today. In August of the same year, a city was […]
HORSEBACK RIDING IN PULULAHUA DAYANA This weekend I decided to do a Horseback Riding Tour in Pululahua with my friends. About one and a half hours away from Quito, in the middle of the Pululahua Volcano’s crater, a wonderful horse ranch is located. It offers fabulous horseback riding tours from one to eight days. How […]
THE PEACEFUL AMAZON RAINFOREST- CUYABENO LODGE DAYANA Welcome to the Amazon Rainforest! Imagine yourself sitting in a canoe, surrounded by sounds of monkeys, insects and birds, feeling the warm sun´s rays on your skin and watching the beautiful untouched nature. You are on the way to Cuyabeno Lodge which is located in the Cuyabeno National […]
THE DAY OF THE DEAD IN ECUADOR – TRADITIONS DAYANA For the Ecuadorians, each year November 2 is the day to commemorate in different ways the Day of the Dead. The “Día de los Muertos” which was celebrated in Ecuador last week is an old tradition since pre-Inca times. In pre-Inca times In pre-Inca times […]
Baños – A Place full of Adventures DAYANA Read all about my weekend in BAÑOS – A PLACE FULL OF ADVENTURES here: Last weekend my friends and I went to Baños, a little town in the Ecuadorian Andes about three and a half hours south of Quito. It is famous for its hot springs, the […]
Northern Ecuador and a Magical Fores DAYANA Getting to know something new in the beauty of creation always causes indescribable curiosity. This thirst and spirit for adventure evolves, so that I and my friends decided to travel to the Northern Ecuadorian Highlands. First stop: Cayambe The mountains with their amazing natural colors attracted our attention. […]
WHALE WATCHING – AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE DAYANA I hope the next lines describe my feeling, have fun reading: Whale Watching – an Unforgettable Experience On the first weekend in September me and my friends from Quito went to Ecuador’s Coast – Puerto Lopez. Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of seeing humpback […]
PUERTO LOPEZ – A PARADISE ON THE PACIFIC COAST DAYANA Last weekend I wanted to spend some days on the beach and decided to go to Puerto Lopez – a wonderful place on Ecuador’s Pacific Coast that offers a perfect combination of relaxing near the ocean and doing different interesting day activities. When I arrived […]
ANOTHER HERITAGE OF HUMANITY FOR ECUADOR, THE INCA TRAIL DAYANA Another heritage of humanity for ecuador. The Inca Trail or also named as Qhapaq Ñan is be declared as a World Heritage Site. It is therefore the fifth destination of Ecuador which is recognized by UNESCO. This Andean Route System was built by the Spanish […]
AN ADVENTUROUS WEEKEND IN MINDO DAYANA Last weekend I decided to go to Mindo. A little, calm village in the cloud forest and about 70 km western from Quito. It is especially known for its unique bird world, like hummingbirds, toucans, parrots and the famous cock of the rock. As well you can do there […]
DAYANA’S FAMILY ON TOUR IN QUITO DAYANA Sunday, the day for resting, and 18th of May, International Museum Day, a beautiful morning in Quito. Which museum should we pick to visit? We decide on Yaku. What is Yaku? Yaku is a word from the indigenous Kichwa language which means “water.” We leave for the city […]
Cotopaxi Adventure – The most famous mountain of Ecuador The Cotopaxi volcano, is an adventure on Ecuador’s most famous and active volcano. Don’t miss the spectacular views on your Ecuador tour! Our intern Fanny went and shares her impressions: “Last Saturday I went on a tour to the Cotopaxi National Park. We left Quito very […]