Ecuador Living

This message shares ideas on  how to save and earn in Ecuador. See new Ecuador Hotel discounts below.

Hotel Victoria in Cuenca Ecuador

Many readers who travel in Ecuador do so looking for opportunity.   One idea they miss is Ecuador publishing opportunity combined with Ecuador exports.

A delegate on our last export tour sent this note.

Hello Gary: Thank you for the fantastic Import/Export tour Sunday!  The information was invaluable, the hospitality and buys were top shelf, and the people, both along the tour route and on the bus, were great.  It will be much appreciated if you would forward any information on having suits made and ordering roses in Ecuador.  Again, many thanks,

See more on self publishing and Ecuador export opportunity here.

Another loss that many readers experience is from paying too much for their Ecuador hotel rooms. This is why we continue to add the number of hotels that provide our premium subscribers with substantial discounts.   See new hotel discounts here.

An Ecuador Living subscriber recently sent this note about Ecuador travel and Ecuador hotel discounts..

Merri and Gary,  This thank you is long past due. I joined your January Andes tour and had a fantastic time. The entire staff at Mason de Flores were great and Bonnie Keough was a terrific leader for the tour. I saw a couple of wonderful homes in the Cotacachi area and met some fun and interesting people who were also on the tour.

I left the tour in Manta, rented a car from Avis ($394.80 for 15 days), and headed south along the Ruta Del Sol. The road is surprisingly good and as long as one looks out for speed bumps coming into and leaving each village is quite safe to drive. The government is widening and repaving with concrete this highway all the way to Salinas. When complete, the drive will be a chinch.  Along  the route I visited Puerto Cayo, Puerto Lopez and Olon.

Of all the places I visited on this three week trip my favorite was Hostoria Mandala, an exquisite small resort set in a tropical garden on a wonderful beach in Puerto Lopez.

View from Hostoria Mandala

Hosteria Mandala Entrance

I spent a couple of nights in Salinas and looked at several condos.  However, I found Salinas too big and too busy for my taste.

From Salinas I headed east to Cuenca. The highway to Guayaquil is excellent.

From Guayaquil go to Duran, then Pto Inca,then Naranjal, then up through the Andes into Parque El Cajas and down to Cuenca. This is the absolute best route to take and total driving time was about five and a half or six hours.  The road is good all the way and parts of the road in the Andes is being repaved with concrete.

Cuenca was everything I had hoped for; a beautiful colonial city. I booked into the Villa Nova Inn and the staff there was great. However, after two days of climbing the 85 steps from the river up to the town several times a day the altitude got the best of me and I decided to find a hotel in the city.

Right at the top of the steps on Calle Larga I walked into Hotel VIctoria, an elegant old home that has been converted into a 23 room hotel. It was perfect and the ambiance was just what I wanted for my stay in Cuenca.

My room had one wall of glass looking out over the gardens and the Tomebamba river. My rate seemed reasonable and included a full breakfast in their “El Jardin” restaurant. The hotel also has free secure parking for anyone with a car.

I was fortunate to meet the owner of the hotel, Daniel Duran, who invited me to join him for a trip to their sister hotel, Posada Ingapirca. Posada Ingapirca, is a charming old country house, about a hour and a half drive into the country from Cuenca and only 500 yards from the most important archaeological complex in Ecuador; the Inca and Canaris ruins.

Posada Ingapirca

The Posada has 21 rooms and my lunch in their dining room was a special treat.  Sincerely,  Dennis Griffin

We have now arranged for Ecuador Living subscribers to enjoy discounts at the Hotel Victoria in Cuenca as well as at  Posada Ingapirca

Learn here how to subscribe to Ecuador Living’s premium service and enjoy discounts at the following Ecuador hotels.

Inn Land of the Sun (formerly MESON DE LAS FLORES) in Cotacachi.

La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa in Cotacachi.

Radisson Hotel in Quito.

Mansion del Angel in Quito

In Cuenca two hotels offer discounts to our readers.  Villa Nova Inn and Hotel El Dorado

La Selva Jungle Lodge in the Amazon.

Learn here how to subscribe to Ecuador Living’s premium service and enjoy discounts at the following Ecuador hotels.

Gary

See more on self publishing and Ecuador export opportunity here.