This trip was a wonderful introduction to Cuba. Everything was thoughtfully planned out and really connected us to local culture - beautiful accommodations, delicious meals, private artists tours, and much more. We fell in love with the people… and I have to say the food :) and hope to book another Cuba trip soon. Thank you to Paloma and Enmanuel for a perfect time. We always leave HOT tours with many new friends and we found them both amongst them.

This was an incredible trip. From top to bottom, beginning to end, it hit all the right notes. The care with which the Heart of Travel team prepared this voyage, and followed through on that preparation, is absolutely unlike anything I've seen. We are a family of four. The prospect of traveling to a Latin American country and pursuing a packed itinerary of activities with two young daughters was daunting to say the least. We had to pack our clothes carefully – for the cold weather of the Ecuadorian highlands as well as the sunny breezes of the tropical Galápagos archipelago. Heart of Travel was there for us with detailed packing lists and pertinent information about weather, safety, and activities. We knew our guides by name and photo before we even left the States. We could tell the team cared about us before we even began our travel. And then we got to the country and it was nothing short of magical. We stayed at historical haciendas and met indigienous craftspeople. We ate food cooked with love and care from fully stocked kitchens. We had the time we needed to experience things on our own terms, ask questions and get full answers, have conversations that opened up our understanding of the world, and grow closer together as a family and a tour group. Our accommodations were excellent, and our hosts were knowledgeable, flexible, and able to accommodate us when our plans changed in the moment. Highlights include: * Teaching my daughters how to play pool in the lobby of the hacienda as dusk fell and our food was being prepared in the other room; * Hearing Christina, a Quichua artisan, talk about her traditional clothing and sing a song about two young lovers; * Enjoying a pre-dinner cup of cinnamon tea in the bar of a 300-year-old hacienda, in the same spot where Simón Bolivar may have sat as he was bringing revolution to South America; * Touring a working rose plantation, watching the workers prepare the day's shipments, exploring the 400-year-old Jesuit chapel, and enjoying a homemade lunch at the main house; * Walking with the giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island while noticing the beaks of all the various finches that flew around; * Scuba diving in a school of tropical jack fish near Seymour Island on our second-to-last-day; * Standing on the official equatorial benchmark at 0°0'0" and learning about how over the centuries different cultures found their way to that spot; and * Making memories and friendships that will stay with us long after we get home. Chiva and Charlie were amazing guides, babysitters, social media mavens, and friends. Gustavo led us around his native country with care and consideration. The drivers were professional and always on time. We waited for nothing and always had people thinking about our next steps. At the same time that our guides were working to ensure a seamless travel experience, they were making friends and sharing their lives with us. I especially want to highlight how Chiva and Charlie stepped up for us. My wife and I had signed up for a scuba excursion one day, and this meant our daughters would need to stay with the rest of the group. We had talked and prepped about this for a while, and even introduced some of our travel buddies to our girls so they'd feel more comfortable being alone with other grown-ups while their parents were on the water. When the day came, our scuba party was preparing to go, but the balance of the travel group decided that instead of doing the planned small group activity – with our kids – they wanted to rest and shop in the village. Rather than cancelling the plans and having the kids sit around the hotel all day, Chiva and Charlie stepped up to the plate. They brought our kids on a boat and walking tour for most of the day, and then they stayed in touch with us throughout. We got so many pictures of our kids hanging out with the tour guides, enjoying the sea air on the catamaran, eating a full lunch, laughing huge belly laughs, playing, singing, just raucous fun. Who knew that in addition to being amazing tour guides, these two were also professional babysitters? Our tour ended with tearful goodbyes, and we felt like we had made friends for life. Our family is always going to remember our Ecuador trip with Heart of Travel. tl;dr: Looking for a great family trip? Look no further! Perfect, amazing service on every level, and some of the best memories we will ever have.

This trip was so everything I hope for and so much more. We saw so many animals on the three islands we visited, on land and in the sea! Swimming penguins, seahorses, giant tortoises, flying flamingos and all of this in their natural settings. Our guide Chiva and Charlie were always there to help and make adjustments as needed. The trip to Otivalo was an amazing way to learn about the authentic Ecuadorian life and culture. Thank you Heart of Travel!