Round trips. Ecuador - wild and casual. Experience unforgettable moments. Barefoot luxury, active and relaxed. Travel like the travel pioneer Dr. Julia Malchow.
Enjoy the unique flair of the restored train on the impressive journey from the highlands to the coast. You will be transported back in time, spend the night in authentic haciendas and be initiated into indigenous secrets.
Once one of the most important modes of transport for Ecuadorians, now embark on a unique experience on a steam train through the Strait of Volcanoes to the Pacific coast. The simmering power of the Cotopaxi volcano can only be guessed at while you look around in the national park of the same name at the foot of the second highest mountain in Ecuador for pumas and llamas.
In a historic hacienda you can fortify yourself with local delicacies and be sucked into the hospitable atmosphere of the country at a traditional festival of the locals. At the Hotel La Cienega you will spend the night within the walls, which also served as accommodation for the researcher Alexander von Humboldt.
Past picturesque crater lakes in the high mountains, the train trundles leisurely from Lasso to Riobamba. A maximum of 54 passengers travel in the spacious wagons, so you can enjoy exclusive comfort. In between, let yourself be captivated by the scents and colors of a fair trade rose plantation and in the Urbina you will be initiated into the sacred practice of ice procurement from Mount Chimborazo. In the Hotel Abraspungo you will find relaxation for the soul and local culinary sensations for the palate.
The journey continues in the direction of Costa past the Banbanera Church, the oldest church in Ecuador. Unknown to tourists, but still the trading center of the local farmers, immerse yourself in the fascinating smells and the hustle and bustle of locally produced products in the Guamote Market before the devil's nose makes even the most experienced train drivers catch their breath. 100 m it goes down across the steep slope. In the authentic Hotel Eterne Primavera you can review your impressions.
On the last stage from Huigra to Duran you will get to know the people and traditions of the legendary indigenous Shuar community of the Amazon lowlands. Let the dreamlike landscapes and exquisite cuisine of Ecuador melt in your mouth before the steam train arrives at Guayaquil train station on the Pacific.
Dear Julia,
here is my almost traditional feedback mail. Long and detailed, but hopefully valuable for you.
As always, it was a great holiday and in these special times, appreciated even more by all of us than the other great trips. For me it was one of our best family vacations ever, because we had such a harmonious time as a family. Here in Hamburg we hang out together 24/7, but Lapland was different. Great conversations, many shared experiences during activities and above all a lot of childlike joy in nature and the simple things like sliding down the hill from the Safari Camp with plastic sheeting.
