Ecuador Unforgettable Testimonials
ECUADOR TRAVEL TESTIMONIALS
German family – August 2024
The trip was wonderful and we really had incredible experiences. In particular, the journey through the jungle and the stay at the Siena Lodge were very impressive, as was the diving in the Galapagos. The kids also really liked Guayaquil (the grand view of the water at night and the nightlife). Yes, next time I would recommend travelers to return to Quito by plane or fly directly to Guayaquil. The road conditions are very concerning, and from what I have seen, the road repairs will surely take longer, as huge sections of the road, about 10 to 20 km, have repeatedly been washed away, including the oil pipelines. People are working everywhere like crazy, and moving forward is practically only possible at a snail’s pace. It took us over 2 hours just for this section… and from the looks of it, stuff keeps falling from above, and it is dangerous, as far as I could assess. The pass road at the end is wonderful to drive on – unfortunately, we didn’t see anything because it was already late at night… but I think it’s really an experience during the day.
Oh yes, and about the diving: it was amazing. However, most diving spots are not recommended for beginners. The guides were very attentive (especially with Mika – it worked out great), but in the end, I was a bit overwhelmed by the currents. Later, I was told that one should have experience with about 50 dives there. Luckily, I didn’t know this beforehand because we really saw 3 large hammerhead sharks there…
The Galapagos cruise was also super cool, and the ship, though a bit old, was very clean, and the food was sensational. And everyone was so attentive… totally awesome…
We are really happy with you as a travel agency. It can’t get much better, and everyone was so attentive. Ecuador is really worth a visit, and the people are very helpful and friendly. It might be helpful to receive more information about tips, as there were very different opinions, especially because we were a family of five, and the recommendations were per person; that would be helpful, I think.
Of course, I will write something on your website and also send you some photos. Feel free to use them.
Lots of love, and I think we will hear from each other again. You are a fantastic travel agency! Fantastic!
Urte Fiutak – August 2023
Our 15-day-trip to Ecuador in August 2023.
During the private tour we saw all the main highlights of this beautiful country. Our favorite places were probably the Itamandi Lodge in the rain forest, the vivid city of Cuenca and the charming Hostería Mandála in Puerto López where we spent the last days of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized, so we could fully enjoy the immense diversity of Ecuador (definitely underestimated in Germany). We all, especially our three kids, will never forget the variety of what we saw and learned and experienced. But first of all we have to say THANK YOU to our great guide Rodrigo who made this whole tour so special and unforgettable!
Thanks for organizing this tour and best wishes.
Ecuadorian family traveled to Galapagos 2022
It was a wonderful journey.
With the whole family we traveled to Galapagos for a few days and it was an incredible trip and experience, from the day we arrived until the last day we were there, the organization and especially the seriousness and punctuality in the activities were very adequate. Thanks to Soleq Travel for the tour they gave us and for the quality of all the activities we did. We were a group of 19 people and each and every one of us had a great time, from the hotel, food, activities, guides and everything in general was great.
We are very grateful to all the people who made it possible and happy with this beautiful trip we made. There will be a next time for more days.
Margarete & Tobias 2022
We usually organize our trips completely by ourselves and for the Galapagos Islands we handed over the complete planning to an agency for the first time. This was a very good decision. We always had the feeling that we were in very good hands – from booking, to queries, to our delayed flight – we always had contacts who solved everything for us. Every pickup/transfer by the agency worked smoothly. We would definitely book a trip like this with you again.
Both the guide and the crew on board the ship were super professional and cordial. We felt very well taken care of.
We found the route along Isabella very impressive. So much almost untouched nature and hardly any people (except those on the cruise ships). We feel like we were able to see (almost) everything the islands have to offer and what makes your unique. It was great that we had the opportunity to snorkel several times. Our guide was always there and showed us a lot. It also felt very safe because there was always a dinghy nearby while snorkeling.
Thank you very much for everything!
Jamie and Jim Williams, Julie Rosenberg and Michael Shapiro explored Quito and surroundings with us in March 2022
“Dayana and Soleq were top notch! Dayana was incredibly responsive as we planned our time in Quito before our Galapagos trip. She provided several day trip options and helped us narrow down the right fit for our group of 4. She was proactive in sharing Ecuador’s COVID protocols so we always had the latest information. Once in Quito, our Soleq guide, Leo and his partner Noah, were incredibly informative and attentive. We had two FULL days of touring Quito city and then the Cloud Forest. We loved every minute. All unique experiences provided by local guides which also included special visits with a local chocolatier and a local coffee grower. The cherry on top was Leo walking us through the Quito airport at 5:30am as we set out for Baltra, ensuring we knew what to do, and was with us until we went through security. 5 stars all around!”
Christian and Anja from Germany went on their honeymoon trip to Ecuador and Galapagos in 2022
Despite a worldwide Corona scare, we stayed in Ecuador from February to mid-March. Regardless of the fact that it is an absolute dream destination due to its diversity, the country relies enormously on tourism. And if you’re smart, you should go there now! The country has an incredible amount to offer, first and foremost the spectacular, still unique nature in the Galapagos, the Amzonas and the highlands. In addition, the big cities are always worth a visit, here you will find history, culture, interesting customs, many worthwhile places to eat & shop.
The agency made it so easy for us to discover all these beautiful facets of this dream destination.
But it must be mentioned: This country has suffered economically under Corona, but has reacted cleverly. If you are afraid of crime, you don’t have to worry. So we were welcomed openly and warmly in the capital Quito, especially by policemen. Yes, indeed 😉 They handed out flyers, showed great willingness to help, because they want to mske their country safe for tourists and show that no one has to be afraid. Not only that was remarkable, but the incredible gratitude and hospitality of the Ecuadorians. We did a lot of tours, each one unique and indescribable. We saw and learned so much about the country and its people. The guides are mostly very educated and trained. Every question, whether about history, customs, animals or nature, was answered precisely. And no matter what wish we had, it was fulfilled, because they were just happy that we were there and interested in Ecuador. Every guide thanked us afterwards for visiting their country and for helping them and the country.
We would love to encourage all travellers to take advantage of this unique opportunity when the country is not yet overrun by tourists and visit Ecuador. You won’t regret it!
Michelle P. with parents (Germany) explored with us Quito, the Galapagos Islands, the Andes and the Amazon in 2021
“A dream trip – planned by SOLEQ.travel“
We went to Ecuador in September 2021, starting with 2 days in Quito, followed by day trips to the Mindo Cloud Forest, visiting the Yumbos Chocolate Factory and Cotopaxi. Then our adventure continued to the rainforest in the Napo Wildlife Center, where we spent three wonderful days, our guide Remi showed us nature and animals as we would not have dared to dream before, just to mention a few: caimans, otters, beautiful birds, parrots in the parrot clay licks, a poisonous frog and a baby boa, all in all it was a breathtaking experience to see these animals living in the wild and from this close. Besides, transportation on the Napo River is done with speedboats and canoes that do not only protect the environment but also were adventures that we will certainly never forget. In addition, we were allowed to visit a local community in the rainforest, the Comunidad Kichwa Añangu where we learned about the daily life of the indigenous people. There we were also very warmly welcomed and were allowed to test local delicacies.
Until our next 5-day trip to the Galapagos Islands, we visited several fantastic places in Quito, including the Basílica del Voto Nacional with its towers, the San Francisco Monastery with its magnificent courtyard and we went to Mitad del Mundo (the tourist equator) as well as the Intiñan (the actual equator), enjoyed a magnificent view of Quito after a ride on the Teleférico cable car, and also discovered and learned to love many of Ecuador’s culinary specialties.
With flight to the island of Baltra began our adventure Galapagos Islands, we traveled accommodated on the catamaran Treasure of Galapagos a total of 8 islands, each with their different animals and natural peculiarities, which are not to be described by words, simply dreamlike beautiful. While we had to actively search for the animals in the rainforest (luckily our guide always found them no matter how well they were hidden), on Galapagos Islands we partly almost stumbled over them, so close they were. Our highlights were the sea lions, the numerous iguanas, the red cliff crabs and the blue-footed boobies. We saw sharks and sea turtles while snorkeling and also here numerous birds. But also the nature with its partly volcanic rocks, rock crevices and the wonderful colors fascinated us and not to forget the fantastic beaches with endless white powder sand and far and wide only the animals and us.
The last day of our trip we spent in the thermal baths of Papallacta, which is also a destination not to be missed on a trip to Ecuador.
In general the accommodations booked by SOLEQ.travel such as Hotel Patio Andaluz and Ilatoa Lodge are 100% recommendable. Also on the catamaran Treasure of Galapagos no wishes remained open, neither regarding food, nor cabin, nor with the crew.
Our overall conclusion:
Anytime again and a huge thank you to Diego, Lorena, Dayana and Mathew from SOLEQ.travel for the great planning and to our guides, especially Marcelo Guerra!”
Heike (Germany) in 2020
“Everything went well in Ecuador. We enjoyed Galapagos Islands very much. It was wonderful there, the cruise, the hotels, the nature, the people. The transfer services were all perfect. Thank you very much for your perfect organisation of our journey. And thank you again for your birthday present!”
Colopy family (UK) explored with us Quito, Andean Highlights and Galapagos in 2019
(See the complete comment on Tripadvisor)
“Our guides Rodrigo and Luis showed us a fabulous time in the mainland of Ecuador. It is gorgeous and inviting, friendly and safe (roads are excellent), full of things to discover, but didn´t feel tourist-y. Don´t think we EVER had to wait in a line (probably thanks to our guide´s good planning). We enjoyed a great mix of activities-adventure-eco-agro, cultural, and relxing down time. Wish we could have stayed twice as long.
We have traveled plenty on our own and can appreciate the charm and thrill of mustering through the unknown. But on this trip, we got to sit back and enjoy. Highly recommend SOLEQ.travel!”
Daniel S. (US) in 2018
“Thanks for an awesome and memorable experience!”
Victor H. (US) did the Condor Trek with Daniel in 2018
“It was definitely one of the more impressive hikes we have done so far. Please pass our greetings again to Maria, who conducted our city tour and Marcel for his mountain guiding and hard work through our hike!”
(See the complete comment on Tripadvisor)
“Amazing service – We did a day tour in and around Quito with Diego. He was flexible with our flight schedule. He was knowledgeable about the social, cultural, political, economics and history of the country and region. We tend to ask many questions and he was able to answer them! He was flexible, interesting and fun to be with. We were thrilled with the tour he gave us!”
CaliTraveler (USA) visited Quito and Midad del Mundo in 2017
(See the complete comment on Tripadvisor)
“My trip consisted of a stay in the rainforest (at Cuyabeno), a Galapagos cruise, and a few days in the surroundings of Quito. I was really happy with the mail exchange before the tour and how they always tried to adjust their suggestions to my personal wishes. The whole organization really impressed me, but also the guide was so lovely and knew everything! I can definitely recommend this agency and would choose them again at any time”
Fanny R. (Germany) explored with us Quito, the Cuyabeno Rainforest and the Galapagos in 2015
(See the complete comment on Tripadvisor)
“A very eventful, varied vacation in which we beat all records of pictures and videos taken on a trip”
Ingeborg and Gunter R. (Germany) experienced a private tour across Ecuador tour and a Galapagos cruise in 2012
“Our three destinations were fabulous in every aspect”
We organized for Vera and Manfred P. (Germany) a customized tour across the Amazon, the Cloud Forest and the Galapagos in 2012
“Your experience and your connections with the country were impressive and priceless!”
Cornelia and Claus B. (Germany) visited Quito and went island hopping at the Galapagos in 2010
“Compliments for great teamwork and excellent service and support in Ecuador”
We prepared a customized tour for Svenja V. and Peter A. (Germany) to the Andes, the Cloud Forest and the Galapagos in 2009
“It was a wonderful trip, well planned and organized, in a charming country”
Sandra and Steven H. (Germany) went with us to the Andes, the Amazon and the Galapagos in 2007