Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)

Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
Average customer rating:

Nice

Superb Guidebook

New 7th Edition Offers Important Updated Information

6th edition 3.5 stars... time for update, guys

You can take it with you

Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
Danny Palmerlee , Carolyn McCarthy , and Michael Grosberg
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
Ecuador & Galapagos Islands | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Adventure | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Peru

The Rough Guide to Ecuador - Edition 3

Lonely Planet Peru

A Traveler's Guide to the Galapagos Islands (Non-Series Guidebooks) 4th Edition (Galapagos Traveler's Guide)

Wildlife of the Galapagos (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)

ASIN: 174104295X

Book Description

Climb the snow-capped peak of Volcán Chimborazo, the most distant point from the center of the Earth. Get up close and personal with capuchin monkeys in the central plaza of Misahuallí. Step back in time at Ingapirca, Ecuador's finest example of Inca architecture. Take in the surf scene on the south coast. Sophisticated cities, glaciated volcanoes, the lush Amazon Basin - our inimitable guide gives you access to all the treasures of exotic Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands

o GO WILD - special chapter on GalÃ¡pagos wildlife by noted nature writer David Andrew helps you identify the many species unique to the islands
o VENTURE OUT - expanded focus on activities, adventure and ecotravel, plus a dedicated Itineraries chapter to help you explore this compact yet varied country
o GET SMART - comprehensive History and Culture chapters provide insight into Ecuador's volatile political landscape and vital indigenous communities
o WALK THE WALK - discover the colonial charms of Quito and Cuenca with our detailed maps and walking tour

Customer Reviews:

Nice.......2007-09-15

Excellent book to give you an idea of Ecuador and help you plan your trip.

Superb Guidebook.......2007-08-07

I went on a one-week long trip in Quito and its surroundings. It was my first trip to South America, also to a country where I do not speak the language fluently. This one had accurate descriptions of places I wanted to see, and it also gave precise directions on how to get to the places that are outside Quito. I have visited extensively the capital and other near areas, and from little-known corner eateries to magical trees, everything is noted in this book. Lonely Planet never failed to amaze me again in this one.

New 7th Edition Offers Important Updated Information.......2006-12-15

I purchased the latest edition of this book shortly after it's release on November, 30 and was very impressed with it's significant improvements over the 6th edition. I bought the previous book 2 years ago and, even at that time, was struck by how out of date and inaccurate some of it's information was. My wife grew up in Ecuador, still has family living there and goes back every year to visit (I go there with her every 2 years). So we, especially she, have a pretty good idea about what is happening in the country in terms of politics, prices and other information relevant to travellers. But we were disappointed how the previous book barely mentioned the major impact of dollarization on the Ecuadorian economy and the substantial increase in prices it has caused. So much so that most Ecuadorian families now have at least one or more family members working overseas in order to send money home just so the family can survive.

Fortunately, the 7th edition provides much more up to date information on this subject and others. Of course, prices for travellers are also more accurate since this edition is "hot off the presses". The book does a good job of covering all regions of the country - the Andes mountains, the Pacific coast and the Amazon rainforest. Lonely Planet, as usual, includes not only the big cities and major tourist attractions. But also small towns and other "off the beaten path" places that may be of interest for those exploring the tremendous natural beauty and cultural diversity that Ecuador has to offer.

Lonely Planet is still among my favorite publisher of travel guides. But, this book, like many LP guides, seems to have moved away from the free-spirited, adventurous approach to travel that characterized it's early years. Nowadays, the guides seem much more inclined to politically correct lectures - no hitchhiking, no intoxicants, be a good little backpacker, blah, blah, blah. Of course, I understand the importance of being respectful towards the environment and local culture, making safe and responsible decisions, etc. But I also feel that LP's writers sometimes have their own political agenda to push and take an overly self-righteous tone that is more indicitative of Western values than Ecuadorian ones. Heck, I'm part of an Ecuadorian family myself now and I know that they would find alot of LP's advice and commentary about "how to behave" to be exaggerated and ridiculous. Ecuadorians are generally a very laid back and fun loving people. Of course, you should be respectful of Ecuador's beautiful nature and diverse cultures. But also relax, enjoy yourself and don't let LP's excessively "politically correct" attitude bog you down.

Still the 7th edition is a big improvement over the 6th and I recommend it for those travelling to Ecuador in the near future.

6th edition 3.5 stars... time for update, guys.......2006-03-26

I'm a Lonely Planet addict who knew better than to blindly buy this edition (if you order one now -6th edition, as I did, you'll get 2003 info), but addicts usually are not known for using their heads.

Quito is rather different nowadays, bus lines are new, and there are different security issues.

At least I can say that 6th ed authors err on the side of caution (eg it's risky to expect to book last minute space on Galapagos boats; or take a taxi at night even if you're going one block), but the exceptions to these dicta are too great to accept that this edition is up-to-date. The errors in museum hours and bus info (Mitad del Mundo, for one) need revision.

Worst thing about ANY Lonely Planet is their system of maps. Reader never gets text of an attraction or restaurant or hotel referenced to map location. AND if you need reading glasses, just forget about using these maps when you're in a dark taxi or dark restaurant (often the places you need to read them). Bringing a magnifying glass is not always easy.

Another grouse... while authors want to tell the traveler that the most conveniences are in the Mariscal Sucre area (gringo landia), they don't leave it at that. They list almost no restaurants & resources outside that area. I thank the authors for including my fringe area hotel in the book, for I can walk to grungy backpacker-ville any time I want to, BUT there is a true pressure towards a kind of "this is where you will stay because most travelers do." Get off the beaten path, fellas!

So, thanks for the tips, but I'm glad I used travelwise.com and other resources. Lonely Planet system may be a thing of the past soon.

You can take it with you.......2006-02-24

I've used LP before for trips. Once you get the book, you are invited to go on-line for up-dates. There you are directed to "The Thorn Tree" forum. I used it just about every day to keep well-informed and prepare for the trip. The guide is an easy ready and full of useful information. Prior uses were very accurate.

V!VA Travel Guide to Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands

Average customer rating:

An awesome book for reaaly experiencing Ecuador
One of the worst I've ever used
Helped us out quite a bit.
An essential, useful and informative guide to Ecuador!

V!VA Travel Guide to Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands

Manufacturer: Viva Publishing Network
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 097912641X

Book Description

V!VA Travel Guides: Ecuador and the GalÃ¡pagos Islands provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of EcuadorÂ´s most popular destinations. Written by a team of travel writers who have lived and traveled throughout this fascinating country, the guide contains extensive coverage of the GalÃ¡pagos Islands including reviews of over 80 GalÃ¡pagos boats and more than 30 maps of the visitor sites and islands. The book details more restaurants and hotels in Quito than any other guidebook, plus our community of writers have found the top eco-lodges and tours for an unforgettable stay in the Amazon rainforest and tips on visiting the jungle. A special Adventure Travel section provides detailed information about rafting, climbing, riding, mountain biking and hiking around Quito. In addition to coverage of the not-to-be-missed destinations of Otavalo and BaÃ±os, in this, the latest edition, you can find new, and completely up-to-date sections on Cuenca, the Southern Andes and the Coast. V!VA Travel Guides has re-designed the travel guide book from the ground up using the internet, community participation and online geographic databases. All V!VA Travel Guide's books begin as web sites, collecting reviews, comments, rants and raves, suggestions, and updates from travelers like you. The communityÂ´s favourites are then compiled into a book. Most guide books rely on the opinions and research of one single person who may or may not share your tastes. V!VA Guides, on the other hand, rely on unbiased first-hand accounts from fellow travelers. This process guarantees that you have the most up-to-date, accurate information available for planning your travels.

Customer Reviews:

An awesome book for reaaly experiencing Ecuador.......2007-08-16

I just returned from a semester abroad studying in Quito, and I
constantly used this book when I traveled around Ecuador and while in
Quito. I felt like it always led me in the right direction and helped
me discover all the places and people that became the most
memorable parts of my trip.

In Quito, this book has all the best restaurants and bars that only
the locals know about. Other guidebooks on Ecuador seem to recommend
only the touristy places where you hardly even hear people speaking
Spanish. I also bought a "new" 2006 Lonely Planet book, but after the
first few weeks didn't use it (except for occasionally the maps), and
ended up
giving it away because it was so touristy and almost all the prices
were really out of date already and many places recommended were out
of business.

The Viva book's maps could use improving and it was a little hard to
find some info quickly, but once you found it, it was 100% on target.

I liked how this book is created by many different people who have
lived and traveled in Ecuador, and the reviews of places and quotes
from other travelers were cool, as that's how I like to travel anyway
-- asking other travelers who have been somewhere what they liked and
where I should go. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who
wants to get off of the well trodden gringo trail and experience the
country's true culture.

One of the worst I've ever used.......2007-06-09

As someone who travels extensively (and do it very much on a budget and enjoy a truly local experience), this guidebook rates as one of the worst I've found (I bought it because the publishing date was the most current - if I had a chance to thumb through it in a bookstore, I would have passed - few maps and no visuals). While in Cuenca, I found a number of addresses wrong or not listed. For Guayaquil, there was no map in the book and the description of the hotel I booked online was laughably wrong (described as "elegant and sophisticated," but it was more like Motel 6). For the price, you can get much better guides with more photography, maps and detailed information.

Helped us out quite a bit........2007-04-02

We spent the past 8 days in Ecuador and this guide was great. Make sure you get the current edition as I believe it gets updated twice a year. The book is not one author's opinion, but rather the collective observations of many through their website and online forum.

An essential, useful and informative guide to Ecuador!.......2007-01-19

This "community" guide is not only good for essential information, maps and reviews, but for over all enjoyment too, with short stories and comments from other travelers. I guess it takes people who live, travel and work in Ecuador to really make a guide that works!

What is really cool is that unlike other guidebooks who suggest three or four token places for travelers to eat or sleep, Viva lists many reviews not only by the authors, but by their online "community" of travelers as well. It's like virtual tourist type of thing, but in a book.

Footprint Ecuador & Galapagos (Footprint Ecuador and Galapagos Handbook)

Average customer rating:

Bang for the Buck This is the Best Equador Guide Out
Really Disappointing

Footprint Ecuador & Galapagos (Footprint Ecuador and Galapagos Handbook)
Robert Kuntstaetter , and Daisy Kuntstaetter
Manufacturer: Footprint Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Footprint Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
Birds of Ecuador Field Guide
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ASIN: 1904777384

Book Description

From the publisher of the legendary South America Handbook comes the fifth edition of the most practical and informative guide available to this remarkably diverse country and its breathtakingly beautiful island neighbor. Husband-and-wife team Robert and Daisy Kunstaetter bring a combined total of 40 years of living and traveling in Latin America to their coverage of this tiny equatorial nation, leading readers on excursions both on and off the "banana pancake trail," including Quito, the jungle, the Pacific Coast, the national parks, and volcanoes. Footprint Ecuador and Galápagos also includes full coverage of the islands that inspired the theory of evolution, from the legendary "center of the earth" to the Avenue of Volcanoes. Fully researched, checked, and updated by the authors, this guide includes tips for culture-sensitive travel, advice for women traveling alone, and a comprehensive background section with Spanish words and phrases.

Customer Reviews:

Bang for the Buck This is the Best Equador Guide Out.......2006-02-22

There was a day when `Rough Guide' and `Lonely Planet' were the best South America guides available for travelers that go "off the beaten path." But slowly, year by year, `Footprint's coverage of South America has improved, and now Footprint is the best Ecuadoran guide you can buy.

I have lived, on-and-off, in Peru for 10 years. Being allergic to the fumes of tour buses and the crush of camera slinging sightseers, I seek out South America's extraneous locations. For the past few years I have used my slowly disintegrating car to drive the highways (poco) and byways (mucho), that South America offers. This year I drove from my home, near Cusco, to Equador.

Of the five guide books that I took with me, I found myself consistently reaching for `Footprint' first. The guide listed the best (clean & reasonably priced) accommodations, and the best restaurants, some of which were exemplary. Most important, `Footprint' listed places that the other guides missed completely, and they were great "finds"!

Regarding Quito, the Galapagos and other "must see" tourist destinations, `Footprint' has solid recommendations and very good coverage. FYI - Quito has become one of the top centers for studying Spanish in Latin America, and the Spanish language school section in this guide is excellent. Also, noteworthy is the "Special Interest Travel" section, which includes: Birdwatching, Climbing, Scuba Diving, Rafting, Biking, Trekking, etc.

All that glitter is not gold (so said Pizarro), and the guide does have flaws. `Footprint' continues to use the cumbersome use of letters to tell you the `approximate price' for accommodations (i.e., LL=$150 and up, L=$100-$149, A=$66-$99, B=$31-$45 until you get to my price range - G=$3 and under). The legend is at the front of the book, and, unless you have a good memory for the mundane, you will find yourself flipping back and forth. It would definitely be more "user friendly" just to quote the price in dollars. The city maps are too small, and definitely not as good as most other guides; and the guide has more than 60 intrusive advertisements for hotels & tour companies which causes one to question the integrity of the author's recommendations.

Bang-for-the-buck, this is the best guide out for exploring Equador. It gives you more choices than the other guides and I found the listing always reliable. 4.5 stars

Really Disappointing.......2005-08-11

Having used a couple of Footprint Guides in Southeast Asia, I came to think of them as the best of all guidebooks. So I was really excited to see a new edition of this book coming out a month before I'm due to leave for Ecuador - both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide were last published a couple of years ago, making the information several years out of date.

The book is a real disappointment for the independent traveler. Descriptions of sights are terse, more on the level of Lonely Planet than Rough Guide's sometimes overly detailed enthusiasms. That would be excusable if the coverage of basic travel information were complete, but it's not. Worst of all, there's a single bus chart at the front of the book, with prices and travel times but not frequencies. Individual cities sometimes have bus schedules, sometimes not, and some bus connections that are in RG and LP simply aren't listed. Does the bus to where I need to go run once a day, once an hour, every 10 minutes, or never? Tell me, dammit...I'm sorry, that's a lot more important information than where to get a great French meal in Quito. (The authors basically say, "There are a lot of excellent luxury restaurants in Quito, so we'll tell you where to find expensive fondue, but we can't be bothered listing inexpensive places." Jeez...)

Astonishingly, there's not even a schedule of when and how often buses leave Quito for other destinations. That's understandable in a Fodor's, but when the much shorter Ecuador chapter in the South American Handbook is of more concrete help in planning a trip than the new Ecuador Footprint, something's wrong.

Used to be that Footprints had compact and reliable hotel, restaurant, and transport information. In this one, the list of Quito restaurants and nightclubs is nearly as long as the entire section on sightseeing. It's not a total disaster, but it's really a letdown. I'll be taking the Rough Guide, too, and if this weren't a lot more current than RG, I'd return it.

Moon Handbooks Ecuador: Including the Galapagos Islands (Moon Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Good overview but get something else to plan
For sale at any price
Moon Over Ecuador
Best of the 3 Ecuador books I bought
The best Ecuador guide going

Moon Handbooks Ecuador: Including the Galapagos Islands (Moon Handbooks)
Julian Smith
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Moon Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
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Laminated Ecuador Map by Borch

ASIN: 1566916100

Book Description

From horseback riding between ancient haciendas in the Andes and cruising around the Galapagos Islands to relaxing in a mellow coastal beach town, Moon Handbooks Ecuador is the guide to the best the country has to offer, both on and off the beaten path. Practical information includes suggested travel strategies and lists of must-see sights, plus essentials on dining, transportation, and accommodations for a range of budgets. Complete with details for exploring the colonial architecture of Quito's Old Town, climbing volcanoes, and hiking, biking, and rafting information, Moon Handbooks Ecuador gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview but get something else to plan.......2006-05-31

I first bought this book a couple of months ago and was really pleased at first. It seemed to give good information on a variety of areas and gave recommendations of things to do that were probably off of the beaten path. Based on the book I drew up a list of the places in Ecuador that I would like to visit and laid the book down for a little bit until I had firmed up my plans some more.

On picking up the book again I started to see some of the glaring errors I had missed in my first reading. There are very few maps of the cities that are spoken of in the book so it doesn't really do you any good to know an address if you have no idea where in the city it is. When there is a map it will label all of the things mentioned in that section on that map. When you're talking about Quito or Cuenca or even significantly smaller cities you have to search the entire map to find the name of a hotel or museum. It would have been so much easier if there was a key to the map where all the locations were given numbers and you could say that Hostal Maria is #5 which is located in square B-3.

This guidebook also wasn't very helpful in planning because it wouldn't give very much information on the transportation section. You could be in a section on the southern coast and it will say that the bus takes 11 hours to Quito. Well, what about Guayaquil or other closer cities of importance? Also, how frequent are the buses? Is it once a day or do they leave every couple of hours? Very few travelers are going to keep going to the capital in between cities. Rather they will probably be making a circuit and it's really necessary to know how long it is between cities in a region.

In addition it will mention towns that are major transportation hubs (like Jipijappa) but doesn't give any additional information like travel times to various places, accomdations if you need stay the night, etc.

One last pet peeve was that frequently they would mention a hotel or a restaurant and just give the name of the place with no address or phone number.

Having said all of this the Moon guide was informative about various places and it was nice that it included pictures in the text, though as usual, more would have been nice. I had bought the Lonely Planet Peru and found it far more helpful in planning for that country. Unfortunately, however, the LP for Ecuador hasn't been updated since Ecuador switched its currency. Oh well.

For sale at any price.......2006-04-14

A travel writer casually speaking of the tour company he touts as having bribed the army for permissions that the environmental agency in the area denied is not someone I would trust on any level.

Whom has he bribed and who bribed him. Would you trust his information? I wouldn't.

Moon Over Ecuador.......2006-02-24

Very informative and as I have used Moon publications before I knew exactly where to go for the things I needed to look at. The index helps finds things faster if you are not quite sure, or even if you know the exact subject matter. It goes in the suitcase first!

Best of the 3 Ecuador books I bought.......2004-06-22

Hi,

I bought three Ecuador guides for my recent trip. Lonely Planet was pretty good but for detail on hotels and restaurants the Moon Guide gave the greatest detail

The best Ecuador guide going.......1999-01-28

Informative, entertaining, obsessively comprehensive--you have to love a guidebook that quotes Kurt Vonnegut and describes Galapagos penguins as looking "as out of place as eskimos at a beach party." Makes you realize how dull most other travel guides are. And all the travel details are dead-on, too. My wife and hiked around Cotopaxi volcano, rafted in the Amazon, and went birdwatching along the coast, and in all cases the information was accurate and complete.

Frommer's Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Frommer's Complete)

Average customer rating:

OK but not great

Frommer's Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Frommer's Complete)
Eliot Greenspan
Manufacturer: Frommers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Frommer's | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
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Culture Shock! Ecuador: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides)

ASIN: 0470120029

Book Description

Researched by a veteran travel writer who lives in Latin America, Frommer's Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands is the only truly up-to-date guide that gives you such in-depth coverage of this fast-changing country, with recommended accommodations in every price catagory. You'll visit rugged wilderness preserves, sleepy beach towns, the bustling, colonial captital, and, of course, the spectacular Galapagos Islands. There are adventures here to suit all ages and abilities: mountain biking in Baños, swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos, whitewater rafting on the Rio Blanco, and summiting Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world.

With Frommer's in hand, you'll experience the wonder of Ecuador's amazing biodiversity, as we point out the best places to see hundreds of unique, colorful species of animals and plants. You'll travel like a pro with our handy Spanish-language glossary and detailed regional and town maps. And our Suggested Itineraries chapter will help you plan your trip and organize your time.

Customer Reviews:

OK but not great.......2007-09-19

The guide covers most of the key places but lacks in indepth research. In my opinion, it does include all of the best places to stay and visit, and overestimates some mediocre places.

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands: the Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guide: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)

Average customer rating:

Great for Ecotourist
Excellent Color Plates with a thorough, yet readable text
Go go Galapagos!

Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands: the Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide (Ecotravellers Wildlife Guide: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
David, Ed. Pearson
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Wildlife of the Galapagos (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)
Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
Birds of Ecuador Field Guide
Galapagos: A Natural History
ITMB Ecuador Map

ASIN: 0120848147

Book Description

Ecotravellers to Ecuador want to experience tropical forests and other stunning habitats and catch glimpses of exotic wildlife, such as toucans and parrots, monkeys and anteaters, frogs and toads, and crocodiles and snakes. On the Galápagos Islands, curious visitors want to see with their own eyes the exotic, unique, and tame wildlife that stimulated Charles Darwin to formulate the theory of evolution. This book provides the information you need to find, identify, and learn about Ecuador's magnificent animal and plant life. The authors, professional biologists, selected for color illustrations more than 500 of Ecuador's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals--the species you are most likely to see. In one easy-to-carry, entertainingly written, beautifully illustrated book, you will have as constant companion on your journey, information on identification, behavior, habitats, common plants, and parks and reserves in the region.

Key Features
* Includes identifying and location information on the most frequently spotted animals
* Up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of these animals
* Information on Ecuador's habitats and on the most common plants you will encounter
* Brief descriptions of the region's most frequently visited parks and reserves

Customer Reviews:

Great for Ecotourist.......2007-08-10

This book was one used by my guide during a recent trip to the Ecuadorian
Selva. I purchased it on my return home and transfered my field notes to the pages with the appropriate birds and animals I had the pleasure to see. I have enjoyed reading the addition info the book provides and it will help preserve my experience for myself and others.

Excellent Color Plates with a thorough, yet readable text.......2002-06-29

A layman needs a good guide when on tour of a new territory, whether that be a museum, a literary genre, or a country's heritage. In David Pearson's and Les Beletsky's 485 page ECUADOR and its GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, they present a book that is as good a guide as a layman could hope for, not just for exploring Ecuador or its Galapagos Islands, but for getting to know much of the fauna of Amazonian Latin America. The text is professionally written, yet down to earth and not infrequently humorous. The famous entomologist J. Henri Fabre once wrote, "Others again have reproached me with my style, which has not the solemnity, nay, better, the dryness of the schools. They fear lest a page that is read without fatigue should not always be the expression of the truth. Were I to take their word for it, we are profound only on condition of being obscure." This approach to scientific writing - being informative without being pedantic - allows writers like Pearson and Beletsky to fill the reader's heart with wonder while still often bringing a smile to his/her face.

With Ecuador being one of the most biologically diverse countries on earth, it is impossible to create a book that is both comprehensive and brief. The authors have gone for middle ground, covering the portion of Ecuadorian wildlife that is of interest and/or likely to be spotted by the ecotraveller to Ecuador. There are 96 color plates (with 5-6 animals illustrated on each one), several pages of color photographs, an excellent chapter - with maps - of Ecuador's National Parks and Bioreserves, a section on Ecuador's geography and habitats (e.g., Lowland Wet Forest, Mangrove and Coastal Vegetation) along with drawings illustrating several major plants in these regions, and 200 pages of animal descriptions under the headings 'Amphibians', 'Reptiles', 'Birds', 'Mammals', 'Insects & Other Arthropods', and 'Galapagos Wildlife'.

As an Ecuadorian resident, I have found this guide to be an excellent aid to identifying and understanding the natural history of the country. The book was both informative and fun to read, and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about this wonderful area of the world.

Go go Galapagos!.......2000-07-28

I have just returned from those Enchanted Isles and found Beletsky's guide omnipresent, dog-eared and tightly clutched in the sea-salted hands of many a visitor. I am surprised that the Sea Lions and Blue Footed Boobies did not have their own copies!

This guide is a truly indispensible accessory for those fortunate enough to have visited those Islands of wonder and enchantment. It is also a great whetter of one's appetite! Other books have their strengths, but when push comes to shove, or in this case just going around..., one wants a thorough compliment to one's naturalist (to make all those notations when one gets back home, of course) and also a look into what is to come. Accurate and beautifully illustrated.

Let's Go Ecuador 1st Edition: Including the Galapagos Islands (Let's Go Ecuador)
Average customer rating:

Has some good tips, but not the best

Let's Go Ecuador 1st Edition: Including the Galapagos Islands (Let's Go Ecuador)
Inc. Let's Go
Manufacturer: Let's Go Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Let's Go | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
Ecuador & Galapagos Islands | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Let's Go Peru 1st Edition (Let's Go Peru)

Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)

The Rough Guide to Ecuador - Edition 3

Moon Handbooks Ecuador: Including the Galapagos Islands (Moon Handbooks)

Insight Flexi Map Ecuador & Galapagos (Insight Flexi Maps)

ASIN: 0312335628
Release Date: 2004-11-18

Book Description

Brand-new Let's Go: Ecuador is your insider's guide to South America's biodiversity hotspot. Combining completely fresh text and maps with Let's Go's forty-five years of practical savvy, it's the only guide you'll need to navigate this rapidly changing country. Extensive coverage of national parks, community-based tourism, and volunteer opportunities will help you get off the tourist track. Opportunities for hiking, rafting, and bird-watching uncover Ecuador's natural wonders. Valuable hints, tips, and listings provide the practical know-how to see the sights and experience the culture, from prehistoric petroglyphs to indigenous villages. So, whether you'd rather island-hop among the iguanas and tortoises of the Galapagos or explore the awe-inspiring caverns of Cuevas de los Tayos, Let's Go can lead the way.

Customer Reviews:

Has some good tips, but not the best.......2005-05-15

This book lacks some serious items, such as maps! The Lonely Planet guide is far superior.

The New Key to Ecuador and the Galapagos (New Key Guides)

Average customer rating:

Best Guide to Ecuador

The New Key to Ecuador and the Galapagos (New Key Guides)
David Pearson , and David Middleton
Manufacturer: Ulysses Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Ecotourism | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
The Galapagos Islands: The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying and Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands

ASIN: 1569750408

Book Description

From the Galpagos Islands to the Andes to the rainforests, this guide leads adventurers through South America's premier ecotourist destinations. This third edition has an expanded Galpagos section and new entries on Mindo Garden, a newly reopened cloud forest; and Yachana Lodge, a new ecotourism facility that helps the Quichua Indians.

Customer Reviews:

Best Guide to Ecuador.......2000-11-13

I'm living in Ecuador for a year and have almost every guidebook (there are many)published. If I could narrow it down to two, it would be this one and the Footprint Guide. If only one, this would be it. What's remarkable about this book is that it cares almost as much about the quality of food and accomodations as it does about wilderness trips. It's descriptions of restaurants are excellent and it's practical information about such things as the location of rental car agencies is as up to date as it can be. It also has a remarkable index which includes places, hotels and restaurants all in separate categories. With the other guide books, it takes much longer to find something for the second time. When you read a description of a place or an old hacienda to stay in, you really trust that the authors have actually been there. The authors know and love Ecuador. Perhaps if you're looking for only student prices, this is not the best book, but for the adventurous over 30, this is it!!

Average customer rating:

not great
Opening the door to Ecuador

Rough Guide to Ecuador, Second Edition
Harry Ades , and Melissa Graham
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rough Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)
Laminated Ecuador Map by Borch
The Rough Guide to Peru 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Birds of Ecuador Field Guide
Moon Handbooks Ecuador: Including the Galapagos Islands (Moon Handbooks)

ASIN: 1843531097
Release Date: 2003-11-27

Book Description

INTRODUCTION

"Ecuador, so tiny on the map of the world, has always possessed the grandeur of a great country to those who know her well." Albert B. Franklin, Ecuador: Portrait of a People

Sitting on the equator between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean nations, covering an area no bigger than Nevada. For all its diminutive size, however, the country is packed with the most startling contrasts of scenery, taking in steaming tropical rainforests, windswept highlands, ice-capped volcanoes and palm-fringed beaches, all within easy reach of the capital, Quito. It's a land of bold contours and heightened colours, where you can find yourself beneath a canopy of dripping vegetation amongst clouds of neon-coloured butterflies one day, and in a highland market, mixing with scarlet-ponchoed indigenas the next. It's also a country of astounding biodiversity, boasting 1600 species of bird (more per area than any other South American country), 4500 species of butterfly and over 3500 species of orchid, to cite just a few examples. Add to this the country's stunning colonial architecture and diverse indigenous groups, and it becomes clear why Ecuador is ! regarded by many as a sort of South America in miniature, offering a pocket-sized microcosm of almost everything travellers hope to find on this bewitching continent. As if more were called for, its attractions are triumphantly capped off by the Galapagos Islands, whose extraordinary wildlife has gone down in history for its pivotal role in shaping Charles Darwin's theories on evolution. Geographically, Ecuador's mainland divides neatly into three distinct regions running the length of the country in parallel strips. In the middle is the sierra, formed by the eastern and western chains of the Andes that surge abruptly into the clouds from the lowlands either side. Punctuated by over thirty volcanoes, the two chains are joined by a series of high plateaux at around 2800m above sea level, separated by gentle transverse ridges, or nudos ("knots" of hills). This is the agricultural and indigenous heartland of Ecuador, a region of patchwork fields crawling up the mountainsides, of stately haciendas and dozens of remote communities. The sierra is also home to many of the country's oldest and most important cities, including Quito. East of the sierra is the Oriente, a large, sparsely populated area extending into the upper Amazon basin, much of it covered by dense tropical rainforest - an exhilarating, exotic region, though under increasing threat from oil-production and colonization. West of the sierra, the coastal region is formed by a fertile alluvial plain, used for growing tropical crops such as bananas, sugar, coffee and cacao, and bordered on its Pacific seaboard by a string of beaches, mangrove swamps, shrimp farms and ports. Almost a thousand kilometres of ocean separate the coastline from the Galapagos archipelago, annexed by Ecuador in 1832. All this provides a home to some fourteen million people, the majority of whom live on the coast and in the sierra. They are descendants, for the most part, of the various indigenous populations that first inhabited Ecuador's territory, of the Incas who colonized these lands in the late fifteenth century, of the Spaniards who conquered the Inca empire in the 1530s and of the African slaves brought by the Spanish colonists. Although the mixing of blood over many centuries has resulted in a largely mestizo (mixed) population, the indigenous component remains very strong, particularly among the Quichua-speaking communities of the rural sierra, and the various ethnic groups of the Oriente such as the Shuar, the Achuar, the Huaorani and Secoya, while on the north coast there's a significant black population. As in many parts of Latin America, social and economic divisions between indigenas, blacks, mestizos and an elite class of whites remain deeply entrenched, exacerbated here by ! a slew of recent economic and political crises. And yet, even as poverty and unemployment increase, as their national currency is lost to the US dollar and their political leaders continually fail to tackle the country's problems, the overwhelming majority of Ecuadorians remain resilient, remarkably cheerful, and extremely courteous and welcoming towards visitors.

Customer Reviews:

not great.......2007-08-06

I ordered this guide and the Lonely Planet Guide. I had previously toured Costa Rica using the Lonely Planet Guide and it worked out very well. This time I wanted to see if there was any additional information in the Rough Guide that would be helpfull. I have not yet gone to Eucador so I can not comment on the accuracy, but the detail in the Lonely Planet guide is much greater than that of the Lonely Planet Guide. Besides that it is much more compact. 440 pages vs 590. Basically Lonely Planet is more concise and more informative. If you are going to Ecuador and have room for one book, I recommend Lonely Planet rather than Rough Guide.

Opening the door to Ecuador.......2001-01-02

We have just returned from a month in Ecuador and found the new Rough Guide invaluable. Each chapter is clearly laid out and gives an accurate summary of regional highlights. It definitely made our trip planning and travel much easier. Ecuador is an amazing Andean country, with rainforests, tropical pacific coastline, high active volcanoes and the Galapagos Islands.

The Rough Guide provided us with essential information on how to travel and tips on safety and health proved very helpful.

Thanks also to the authors for including information on the damage being done to Ecuador's pristine rainforest and indigenous communities by a few oil companies. This is something that senstive tourists need to be aware of - the rare and fascinating tribal communities, the jungle wildlife and natural beauty we travelled to see are in real danger because of the actions of a few short term organisations who are right now planning a big push into the Oriente region.

Overall this is a really good, clear guide book with excellent recommendations for where to stay, what to do and even good tips on where to eat, drink and party. Don't go up the jungle without it! Thanks from Carmel McConnell and Catherine Purkiss

Ecuador & Galapagos, 6th Edition (Footprint Ecuador and Galapagos Handbook)
Average customer rating:
Ecuador & Galapagos, 6th Edition (Footprint Ecuador and Galapagos Handbook)
Robert Kunstaetter
Manufacturer: Footprint Handbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Ecuador & Galapagos Islands | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Lonely Planet Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Lonely Planet Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands)

ASIN: 1904777937

Book Description

From the publisher of the legendary South America Handbook comes this sixth edition of Footprint Ecuador and Galápagos, fully revised and updated. Authors Robert and Daisy Kunstaetter return to bring their expertise, gleaned from over 40 years combined experience living and traveling in Latin America, and detail unforgettable sights such as the islands that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution, a valley where people live forever, and the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Packed with practical travel information perfect for travelers wishing to tread their own paths, this latest edition in a highly acclaimed series also includes Spanish words and phrases, as well as comprehensive background information, to help introduce travelers to Ecuador's rich and diverse culture.

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