I had a WONDERFUL jungle experience on the Tucan Lodge trip. The staff & food were EXCELLENT. The guide (Stalin) was superb. …. and, of course the jungle lived up to its reputation of providing “critter entertainment”, both during the day & on the night hikes. I typically travel solo, with local buses, hostels, etc., so this was my first “booked tour” in South America”. It was worth EVERY penny and I certainly recommend it to any fellow travellers in Ecuador! I also like that Carpe Diem gave a free t-shirt to remind me, when I’m back home in Canada, of this GREAT jungle trip in Ecuador (they also gave a free chocolate bar, which I enjoyed on later adventures climbing volcanoes). Overall, the Tucan Lodge jungle trip was a TOTALLY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE for me, and once again I must say that Stalin was an EXCELLENT guide.

Our driver was Diego and he was so knowledgeable of the area We went on a day trip to Mindo which was approximately 2 hours away. Diego gave us lots of information regarding Quito and took us to some amazing spots in Mindo. Our favorite spot was to see the birds. So many varieties of hummingbirds which actually ate out of a container we held on our hands. We also spent time touring an orchid garden as well as other activities. Thanks Diego

We really enjoyed our guide Alirio he was very nice, kind, informative and patient. The tour was interesting and the food was delicious

We enjoyed this tour of Quito and the equator exhibit. Alirio was an excellent guide for this tour. Wide knowledge and excellent English. He answered all of our questions completely and easily. We also discussed lots of things that were not about what we were seeing, such as local politics, cultural differences and history of Quito and Ecuador. The Basílica del Voto Nacional was impressive. My favourite part was that all of the gargoyles were Ecuadorian animals such as llamas, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, pumas etc. The Presidential Palace, with its significant military presence was a surprise, but no one was uncomfortable with it. I liked the explanation for all the components of the Independence Monument. Graphic and well portrayed. Yumbos Chocolate had an excellent chocolate tastig session. We did our best to develop our chocolate connaisseur skills. And everyone bought a few bars to take home. The Virgin of the Panecillo, overlooking the town was made even more impressive but the massive temporary nativity scene which was being constructed around it. Come Christmas, there would be a matching Joseph standing beside her. The Middle of the Earth was better than I expected. The equator itself and the "magic" sideshow of the corriolis effect were amusing. The real highlight of the place was the Amazonian tribes displays. The talk and exhibits for the Shuar and Waorani were excellent, if a little graphic. Overall, this is an excellent way to spend a day.

We stayed in Cayman Lodge and had a very positive experience. We took the bus from QUITO. It was a long ride, but there was plenty of room to stretch out and sleep a bit.