Ecuador & Galapagos

Sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador is – by South American standards – a relatively small country. Small though it may be, its arsenal of attractions is far from meagre. Broadly speaking, the country can be split up into three distinct regions: the Costa (coast), Sierra (Andes) and Oriente (Amazon). Because of its compact size, traveling around Ecuador is a breeze and you can hop between wildlife-filled jungle, culture-packed colonial cities, mountain valleys and sublime beaches in just a few short hours.

For the wildlife-watching experience of a lifetime, travelers can combine a journey of the mainland with a side trip to the world-famous Galápagos Islands. On this volcanic archipelago, slow-moving giant tortoises, eye-catching blue-footed boobies and leathery marine iguanas – as well as all manner of other unusual creatures that exist here and only here – can be seen going about their daily business, seemingly unbothered by the curious humans who come to observe them.