About the Tours

After so much interest in the tours recently I thought it would be good to talk again how special the tour into the Esmeraldes Forrest really is. The next trip will be July 30th through August 5th 2010. We recommend you come 2 days early to enjoy Quito and then stay two days after to see other treasures in Ecuador. If you can stay longer, take advantage of being there! Again while on the Tour all food, lodging and transportation is taken care of. Cost of the Tour is a $1000 donation that goes directly back into the communities we visit. Space is limited, please reserve your spot ASAP.

First and foremost the tour is about people and the communities the people live in. South American Secrets mission is to support these communities and help maintain their identity and culture. I can't emphasize enough how special the people we meet on the tour are. They make the tour what it is. The tour is about the lives, cultures and effects globalization has on the Esmeraldas Forest and it's people. In the tour, travelers are exposed to both traditional african-ecuadorian music and contemporary latin music. As well as traditional afro-ecuadorian dance and contemporary salsa, merengue, and cumbia. In addition to the traditional dance and music, the travelers eat and drink what is typical in the various communities. Typical plates consists of chicken, fish shrimp, clams, prawns, crab, crawfish, and various soups.. Almost every dish comes with rice and or yucca. Fruit is abundant so we generally are enjoying tropical fruit juice with our meal. And some how a nice pilsener is always available. For a complete itinerary of the Reality Tours see Tours.

The Reality Tour starts in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The first night is located in the Mariscal area of Quito, also known as Amazonas or Gringolandia. The hotel is located next to all the restaurants, pubs, cafes, and shops for a comfortable adjustment to the altitude. The next day we take off to Otavalo, which is located two hours north of Quito. Otavalo is where travelers want to do all their shopping. All the artisans bring their products here to sell. Most travelers want to spend at least one day here, and usually have an extra suitcase for everything they buy in Otavalo. The next day we leave Otavalo and travel into the Jungle which is another three and a half hours north west. This is day three, the next few days become much more adventuresome, and challenging. Most of the time is spent in off road vehicles and canoes, the jungle does not generally have roads, or airports. Therefore we are on the water going from community to community.

The Jungle part of the tour starts in Borbon where most rivers meet. We travel the Santiago river until the river splits and becomes Rio Cayapas and Rio Onzole. Most of our time is spent on Rio Onzole in the afro-ecuadorian communities San Francisco and everyones favorite Zancudo. After a few days of getting to know these communities, their food, music, farming, fishing practices, politics, history, and the social make-up, we come back to the mouth of the river where the ocean water blends with the fresh water of from the river. The mix of the two waters make the perfect combination for the tallest manglar forest in the world. From here we visit small fishing villages, and ghost towns that once were abundant with life and treasures. By the end of the day we are in a beach town (Las Penas) where we settle into a hotel and relax and take in all what we have seen over the past 3 days in the jungle. The next day we enjoy the beach and return later in the evening back to Quito.