Ecuador & Galapagos Guide

I just used this book for a great trip to Ecuador. I consider myself an adventurous, independent traveler, but I don't need to suffer in bad hotels and eat tasteless cheap food to earn travel stripes. Yes, you can go to Ecuador for pennies a day, but I prefer to get a good feel for the culture, stay in small, unique hotels, and eat flavorful local foods. This book helped me do that perfectly. It is right on. I appreciate the authors opinions, who obviously have the same travel requirements that I do...small, unique, interesting...I like getting somebody's opinion rather than a whole laundry list of alternatives with no real feedback about how to spend my limited vacation time.I still had an inexpensive trip, but it was really nice as well. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

This book, dare I say, bests Lonely Planet all around. The husband-wife team has been wandering the backroads of Central and South America for more than a decade, and their grasp of local culture shows on every page. Like other Open Road guides, this title appeals to budget, real-world travelers; if you read Big World, you'll probably enjoy their titles immensely.