Trip Report: 1 Month in Ecuador, F20

**Budget:** There were two budgets here; some family members wanted me to bring them back stuff. My personal budget (which I would spend on myself only) was capped at 2k USD. I ended up spending around 2.4k, which includes about 1k of things to bring back that weren't for me. I don't have a detailed list of what cost what, but generally: a full meal in one of the markets was $3, a longer bus ride about 4 hours long was about $4, and each bed in a hostel was an average of $15 a night. Spending 1.5k over the course of the month would've been extremely doable/easy. **Trip Length:** One month; arrived June 1, left midday June 30. **Destinations:** *Quito:* I spent a total of 5 full days in Quito throughout this trip. I stayed initially for only 2 days, 3 nights, in El Patio Hostel, which was probably one of the nicest hostels I stayed at. While in Quito, I walked everywhere except after dark. If something was more than 45 minutes away, I took an Uber or a taxi. Since most things aren't open late into the night, at least during weekdays, there wasn't really a point in going out. I liked Quito a lot -- there was a lot of things to see, and the museums and art galleries were my favorites here. Lots of markets. Went to a flea market on a Sunday in the far north of the city. The Teleferico was fun. *Quilotoa Loop (Latacunga, Sigchos, Isinlivi, Chugchilan, Quilotoa):* The Quilotoa Loop hike usually takes 3 days of hiking but I wanted to spend more time in Isinlivi, so I took 4 days. Great mountain and pastoral scenary, brutal inclines. Usually, people stay in the villages Isinlivi and Chugchilan, taking a morning bus on the first day to reach Sigchos to start the hike there. The villages were extremely quiet. Each day was around 8-10 miles of hiking. There are very few if any stores as you hike from village to village, so bring water, some snacks, and toilet paper. *Banos:* I was really expecting to love it here. I don't know why, but something about the town didn't click with me. I did the hike from the town up to the tree house and back, which was incredible since you walk through clouds for about 2 hours and then bam! You're at a swing. I forgot sunscreen. Don't forget sunscreen. I think another problem is I had planned to spend a week (!!!) here and felt pressure to find things to do and so I just... didn't. I went canyoning, which is fun, but these few days in Baños definitely reinforced the part of me that likes solo stuff. I ended up leaving a few days early to spend more time in Quito, actually. *Quito, part 2:* I was determined to hike up Pichincha. I got back, spent one day exploring art galleries again, and the next I was up and ready to take the Teleferico again and summit. It was a beautiful hike. The last two hours are pretty serious scrambling, though not quite rock climbing. Highly recommend bringing gear. I did not, and was adopted by a group of mountaineers 3/4 the way up who would watch my back while I went. People get injured on this hike a lot, so I would not recommend how I did it. *Cotopaxi National Park:* Maybe the most beautiful place I've ever been in my life. I got there originally planning on staying 4 days, and the first night I had already extended it. I am a big hiking person, so I was really excited for this place. Unfortunately, I had extreme cramps my last two days, so I wasn't able to hike. Instead, I hung around the hammocks for awhile, did some horseback riding, etc. I don't usually hike with other people, so it was also a big shift when doing the group hikes at the beginning of my time there. Because the park is surrounded by private property, they say you shouldn't hike any of the routes by yourself. *Otavalo:* I was in Otavalo for Inti Raymi. It was great. The celebrations were incredible and everyone was dancing. One day, I went to Cotacachi to walk around and once I got there I decided to head to the national park nearby and hike around the big lagoon, which took about 3 hours. *Cuenca:* A very nice, relaxed city. I was in town for the Corpus Cristi celebrations so there were many fireworks and sweet stands. I went to a museum and an art gallery. The museum was very interesting, though I wished it was a bit larger. Generally, exhibits seemed to be larger in Quito. I also went to Cajas National Park, where I fell into a cactus. Still love that park. Got a tattoo, thanks to Carlos Chavez's studio. **What went right/wrong?** I think I was pretty lucky -- nothing went wrong. You could argue falling into a cactus is "going wrong", but I have it on video and it's pretty funny, so I say no. Everyone I met was extremely kind and helpful. The entire trip I had to remind myself that it's actually going this well, because it seemed unreal. **Recommendations:** Do the Quilotoa Loop. So much time to just walk and think. I didn't realize when I was hiking it but there's also a much longer version that creates an actual loop, so when I go back to Ecuador, I'm probably going to take a week to do that. Go to the museums and art galleries in Quito, if you have enough time. Don't plan too far ahead. I think this trip taught me more how to travel with the flow. One more thing: if you go to the Inti Raymi celebrations, and you happen to come across one of the shamanic traditions, **do not take photos.** We saw some American assholes taking pictures with full-on flash, photography gear, and chatting to each other during a very silent, very low-lit ritual, taking pictures of the people's faces and everything. Don't be that person. It's extremely disrespectful. **Safety:** I know this generally isn't a part of the template, but I feel like I should put it in here because while I was getting ready to go, people kept telling me I was going to get kidnapped. You're not going to get kidnapped. I never once had an instance where I felt unsafe. Literally not a single time. From what I was told by people living in Ecuador, 1) tourists are NOT targeted by the unrest/violence, and 2) it's really only confined to specific areas in the coast now. **Final Verdict:** Please, please, PLEASE, visit Ecuador. Almost every person I met only happened to be there because they were on their way to Peru or Colombia. Ecuador is an amazing country in its own right, with interesting food, kind people, so many things to do, and incredible traditions and holidays. Lack of tourism because of the security crisis has really hit the country hard, and that's the main reason I'm writing this up. The news 100% overblows what's going on in Ecuador, at least from the USA. I loved it there and I already can't wait to go back. --- **Post Details:** - **Subreddit:** r/solotravel - **Author:** u/pumpkincarrots - **Score:** 9 upvotes - **Upvote Ratio:** 86.0% - **Comments:** 7 - **Posted:** 7/2/2025 - **URL:** https://reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/1lpxd9p/trip_report_1_month_in_ecuador_f20/