Mainland Ecuador, Ecuador & The Galapagos

Just a short drive away is the Middle of the World Equator line - you can stand with one foot in the Northern hemisphere and the other in the South - sure to impress younger visitors in particular! 

If you have longer to linger, there are some great options for day trips from Quito. Don’t miss the colourful local markets; Otavalo is one of the best for handicrafts and textiles and at the weekend it fills with locals from the surrounding villages who come to buy and sell their wares. There are some popular excursions from here too, including to 

For a more exhilarating day trip, visit Cotopaxi National Park with its fantastic trekking or consider a train ride along the Devil’s Nose pass. 

In complete contrast, it's definitely worth considering a jungle lodge stay in the Ecuadorian Amazon if you are travelling with older children. There are some pioneering eco-tourism projects where you can stay in a community-owned lodge and whilst the facilities are more basic, for a real insight into how these rainforest communities exist and of course, to see the incredibly bio-diversity of these largely untouched forests, as an experience, it is hard to beat. Mashpi Lodge is a different proposition - offering sleek, modern luxury in a remote, jungle setting and with some impressive eco-credentials to boot.