Exploring Ecuador: A Photographer's Dream Journey Through Nature and Culture

It all started with a little desire. My dad and I have wanted to go to Peru. We’ve wanted to see Machu Picchu for over a decade, maybe 15 years.   We always said we will go someday. Flash forward to 2025 and we’re here. It took a little convincing, especially from my cousin Jimmy, who I wanted to travel with this year. I told him to tell my dad, because we’ve wanted to go for so long. We looked at dates and prices. July worked for my dad and my schedule. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Jimmy. However Jimmy did spark my dad that it’s time to go. Jimmy had prior obligations in July and couldn’t make it.

Our original plan was to go to Peru. However, we did a tour package that goes to Ecuador. It also includes the Galápagos Islands first. We did it with On The Go Tours / Tour Radar. About a month to a month and a half before the trip, we were concerned. Our tour group hadn’t booked our flights. We had trouble communicating with them. They’re based out of England, so our timing was off. Luckily, we got in touch with them by phone. Their chat was slower than a tortoise. They got our flights handled with under a month to go before our departure.

An unexpected visit to the Virgin of the Panicello with our driver, Germán.

Aside from the media, politics, and opinions about Ecuador, it was an outstanding time. Several family members were concerned I was going to Ecuador. They reacted as if trouble was guaranteed if I went. They were absolutely wrong about Ecuador. Ecuador is a beautiful country, at least the areas my Dad and I experienced were good and safe. It has friendly people and delicious food. The unforgettable landscapes created an experience that left us wanting more.

The next day our driver Germán became really good friends with us on the drive to Mindo. He was so much fun, whenever we need to stop and pee, he stopped. My dad requested we stop and get some beer, and he had no problem stopping for that too. He got so comfortable with us my Dad drove the car as Germán was the passenger.

Quito (in Photos)

One Fun Fact about Quito, Ecuador is that it is the highest constitutional capital city in the world, situated at an elevation of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) above sea level.

We flew out a day early before our tour started, and that proved to be a big win for us. We stayed at the Wyndham Airport hotel in Quito and Wow! It was a lot nicer than we were expecting. The have an awesome sauna, steam room and massage rooms. We were really impressed with the setup there. The gym is very light, but I would definitely book again.We had the breakfast buffet both mornings there and one dinner (It ended up being probably the nicest hotel of our entire trip). Obviously, since we were near the airport, we were about an hour away from the city of Quito. If you look at the city from above, you will see that an airport could never be there. It is in the middle of that densely populated area. Our driver, appointed to us by the hotel, took us to one of the high points of Quito.

He drove us to Cafe Mosaico where you have a panoramic view of the city while you eat. There we had queso empanadas and Sopa papa. Both were very tasty. They really satisfied our hunger after a 12-hour travel day, with a layover in Panama originating from LAX.

My Dad cheesin' on our way to Mindo, Ecuador!

After dinner, my Dad had a suggestion. He proposed that Germán, our driver, take us on a drive around the city. This was to be done before we went back to the hotel. It was an awesome little night tour. We drove through the city. We stopped in Plaza de San Francisco. Then he drove us to the statue at the top of Quito. It’s called Virgin of the Panicello and is shown in the video above. It was a beautiful view of the city at night. A fellow drone pilot with a DJI Mini drone took this little drone video of us at the top. As we drove back to our hotel, I chatted with Germán using Google Translate. We were trying to figure out what we would do the following day.

Cascada Nambillo, Mindo, Ecuador

Mindo

Some Fun Facts about Mindo, Ecuador is known as a birdwatcher's paradise, boasting over 450 bird species, making it one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. It's also a popular destination for chocolate lovers, with several local farms offering tours and tastings. Additionally, Mindo is famous for its cloud forest environment, offering activities like ziplining, hiking, and waterfall exploration. 

In Mindo, we visited a hummingbird sanctuary. The hummingbirds eat out of the palms of your hands. They use honey in a bottle cap. After the hummingbirds, we did some inner tube rafting which was exhilarating to say the very least. We approached big rocks and our inner tubes handled them with ease. The water temperature was on the cooler side but it was a really fun experience. My dad and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We also did a cable car. It takes you across a canyon in Mindo. However, the inner tube rafting was by far our favorite part of Mindo.

The incredible detail of these birds are fascinating to me. I caught myself reliving the moments with them again --noticing new details for the first time.

Galapagos Islands and Isla Santa Cruz

Some Fun Facts about Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos is that it's home to the largest town in the archipelago, Puerto Ayora, which is a hub for tourism and research. It's also known for its diverse wildlife, including giant tortoises and both land and marine iguanas, as well as its unique geological formations like lava tunnels

The following day we flew to Baltra island in the Galápagos Islands. From we hopped on a ferry over to Santa Cruz Island. We literally got off the plane. Our guide Belen said, “Put your bags on the bus. We’re going straight to sightseeing!” Our first stop was this Tortoise Ranch called Rancho Primicias. On the way there there were literally giant tortoises crossing the road. At the ranch, we had a delicious vegetable soup with some plantain chips. We also enjoyed Tuna / Chicken rice & veggies. This building was gorgeous and apparently they only opened it a few months ago. This ranch in a way felt like Jurassic park because all these beautiful creatures looked like dinosaurs. Some of them were around 150 years old!

Rancho Primicias our first food stop on the Isla of Santa Cruz. Great ambiance, and views of giant tortoises all over the ranch.

Just like Quito, in Galapagos (Santa Cruz) we had amazing food and experiences! This little place called Anca on isla Santa Cruz is one of my top 10 favorite pizza places. It is probably one of the best in the world. We went two nights in a row because of the ambiance, food quality and service. We spoke with the owners and it took a lot of effort to get their business going, but they are finally alive and thriving. Please check this place out if you're in the mood for things other than seafood.

Back to back days we did a couple Snorkeling excursions. Day 1, was fun but day 2 of snorkeling took the cake. We went to Isla Pinzon on Day 2 and wow. I’m usually terrified of the water and sea creatures, but something came alive in me that day. I was completely comfortable in the ocean and swam with seals twirling all around me.

We swam above a giant White tipped reef shark that appeared to be sleeping. Right beyond that shark, a majestic sea turtle swam so gloriously next to us. The sea turtle had some orange hues to its shell. It glistened under the sun rays that were poking into the water. Countless schools of fish swam within centimeters of my body.

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this. For the first time in my 37 years, I wasn’t terrified of the ocean. I felt so at home. I had the thought when I was underwater that I need to start practicing my underwater photography and videography. I was absolutely inspired to say the very least.

Sea Tortoise in the Galapagos Islands (July 2025)

Charles Darwin Avenue on Isla Santa Cruz is a ghost town until 5pm local time. At 5pm, the restaurants and stores come alive. We had such a good time walking up and down that street. We heard our tour guide wrong, we thought she said everything closes at 5, it was the opposite. We were excited to try that Anca pizza place, but it didn’t open up until 4pm. We had our minds set on that place. When we saw it wasn’t open until four, we ended up getting a burger at FraFre. We waited there till we could get into Anca. They burger place was solid, but I can’t say enough about that pizza place. Don’t get me wrong. We had the native food too. However, this place was outrageous with homemade pasta, fantastic cocktails, and service.

So the naysayers who had their opinions of us going to Ecuador could be right. They mentioned political unrest and other issues. However, that was not our experience at all. Beautiful landscapes, welcoming and friendly people everywhere we went, and I would undoubtedly go back. On our trip, we only stayed on Santa Cruz and visited Isla Pinzon. We’ve heard great things about Isla Isabella and many more places.

Please give Ecuador a consideration on places to go! It was absolutely incredible. Overall including travel we spent 5 days in Ecuador, and we wouldn’t trade our trip for anything else. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our journey exploring Peru!