The Rough Guide to Ecuador

I spent a month in Educator, definitely not enough time to experience the entire country, but with this guide, I was able to experience more than I would have otherwise. The initial historical context set up by the book prepared me for what I would encounter in the country - I even loved that they touched, albeit briefly, on the tenuous race relations between Ecuadorian ethnic groups. As a black woman who loves to travel the world, I'm always curious to know how I will be perceived/what reception I will receive, so this tidbit of information was extremely helpful. I was participating in a language immersion program, so I stayed with a host family and thus can not speak to the hotel recommendations, however, I did have opportunity to visit a many of the recommended restaurants and night spots and I have to say, they were spot on with their selections. I think this book presented an authentic picture of Ecuador, covering the major regions quite adequately. I also had the Lonely Planet guidebook, but this was the one that rarely left my side and it is definitely part of the reason I had such an enjoyable time in Ecuador.

We just returned from visiting Ecuador for the first time. Between the four of us, we had several choices for guidebooks, but found The Rough Guide to Ecuador to be the most helpful when looking for a place to eat or to sleep. We'll only take this one if we go back!

We have just returned from a month in Ecuador and found the new Rough Guide invaluable. Each chapter is clearly laid out and gives an accurate summary of regional highlights. It definitely made our trip planning and travel much easier. Ecuador is an amazing Andean country, with rainforests, tropical pacific coastline, high active volcanoes and the Galapagos Islands. The Rough Guide provided us with essential information on how to travel and tips on safety and health proved very helpful. Thanks also to the authors for including information on the damage being done to Ecuador's pristine rainforest and indigenous communities by a few oil companies. This is something that senstive tourists need to be aware of - the rare and fascinating tribal communities, the jungle wildlife and natural beauty we travelled to see are in real danger because of the actions of a few short term organisations who are right now planning a big push into the Oriente region. Overall this is a really good, clear guide book with excellent recommendations for where to stay, what to do and even good tips on where to eat, drink and party. Don't go up the jungle without it! Thanks from Carmel McConnell and Catherine Purkiss