My Beauty Ecuador

Ecuador direct Tour Operator offer the best prices in cruises and tours around Ecuador and Galapagos Islands. Galapagos last minute deals and big promotions every week. with more than 10 years of experience, offering Galapagos Island Cruises, Amazon Expeditions, Highlands Adventures, Biking, Diving, Trekking, Rafting, Horseback Riding, Indian Markets, Family and Custom Trips, Tailor made programs, and more…

MyBeautyEcuador, with more than 10 years of experience is a team of young, professional and dynamic people who knows what responsible tourism means. We are a tour operator specialized y organizing the best programs in Ecuador, Galapagos and all South America.

We take great pride in our personalized and high level of service. Every detail is our knowledge and experience in planning and operating tours to Ecuador and South America. The history of My Beauty Ecuador is full of passion, inspiration, courage and success. Our personnel is deeply in love with Ecuador and all South America, and always willing to share the wonders of our countries with visitors from around the world.

We aim for faultless administration from your first encounter with us to the end of the tour, with personal service. We make certain promises to you and we live up to them. We aim to give you the best choice of quality services at the correct prices for you.

WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PROVIDERS BECAUSE:

• We offer Fast & Competitive Quotations
• Extensive List of Suppliers Contracts
• Genuine interest in what we do
• Excellent Local Knowledge
• We are passionate about our work
• We pay attention to small details
• We present you weekly Galapagos Availability
• Bilingual Professionals
• Match all Budgets
• Complimentary Welcome Dinner with all our Tours
• Fam Trips for our Colleagues

WE ARE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE AND SHARE PART OF OUR PROFIT

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT CHRISTMAS

20 December, 2009. MyBeautyEcuador shared part of its profit helping special children and elderly people from low income and abandon families. The help was effective in the Towns of Pujili and La Parroquia Victoria in the Province of Cotopaxi. This included:
Children who received toys and sweets
Elderly people who received clothes and sweets

ABOUT ECUADOR

With this relatively small territory (256.370 km2), Ecuador has the biggest biodiversity per area in the world!. In a recent study of the conservation International, Ecuador is among the 17 “megadiverse” countries, with 9.2 species per km2, occupies the first place in the world with regards to species per area.The richness of this country lies on it’s DIVERSITY, both natural and cultural.

Ecuador has 4 diverse, and rich regions: the Amazon Rain forest, the Coast, the highland Andes and the Galapagos Archipielago. These four regions are subdivided into 24 provinces. Besides, its exuberant biodiversity, Ecuador embraces an impressive variety of ethnic groups, including some untouched communities which still preserve traditional values and customs from ancient times.

LANGUAGE
Spanish. Most of the indigenous population speaks Quichua. English is spoken in hotels, tourist shops and in major visitor centers where sometimes is possible to find people speaking French and German.

RELIGION
95% Catholics

CURRENCY
Dollars. The government has produced series of local coins of 1,5,10,25 and 50 cents, that have the same value as the American coins (which are also accepted). Banks open from 9 to 5pm and on Saturdays only half day. Money exchange offered every day in main hotels.

GOVERNMENT
Democratic. Current President is Rafael Correa

BOUNDARIES
Colombia borders Ecuador on the north, Peru on the south and east, and the Pacific Ocean has an extension of nearly 800 km on the west

ISLANDS
The Galapagos Islands(Approximately 8,000 km2) consist of 13 principal islands, 6 small islands and 42 islets.

HIGHEST ALTITUDES
Chimborazo rises 6,310 meters above sea level and Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world is 5,897 meters above sea level.

DOCUMENTS
Upon arrival in the country, all foreigners must present a passport and a visa certified by an accredited Ecuadorian consul in the country of origin. It is a good idea to carry your passport or a copy of it, because there are regular checkpoints at different places in the country.

CLIMATE
Although Ecuador belongs to the tropic zone, the great differences that exist in altitude result in varying temperatures in different regions. The average temperature on the coast is 27o C. The sierra has a subtropical climate with temperatures varying between 3oC and 25oC. In the Amazon region, the climate is warm and humid with temperatures varying between 23oC and 26oC. The Galapagos region has a dry subtropical climate with temperatures varying between 10oC and 22oC.

SUGGESTED PACKING LIST
Quito and highlands: wear spring attire during June, July and August. During the rest of the months, bring warmer clothing like those you would wear during the fall. A raincoat or jacket would be useful at night since it gets pretty chilly.

Guayaquil and other coastal cities: Wear summer clothing all year round. During the rainy months, December to May, the weathers is very warm.

Galapagos: Wear comfortable walking shoes and casual clothing. Shorts, t-shirts and summer clothing will be just fine. Don’t forget a hat and sun block lotion which is must along with a bathing suit.

Amazon or Jungle: Wear clothing adequate for a rainy season. If you can get yourself a plastic poncho, take it with you, as well as several sets of light pants and long sleeve shirts. Shorts are less useful because of the insects and abundant vegetation you will walk through on your excursions. Rubber boots and insect repellents are necessary to take along with a hat. If you plan to take pictures, you will need high speed films.

AIRPORT TAX
All persons, whether they be foreigners or nationals, must pay a departure tax of $44 in cash in Quito and $25 in Guayaquil. There are also other taxes varying between $10 and $20 that are charged within the country, especially when entering national parks and reservations. The tax for Galapagos is $100 per person.

TOURIST VISA
Ecuador no longer requires a visa for foreign tourists to enter the country.

Tourists from any country will be welcome to Ecuador, without a visa, for a visit of maximum 90 days. The traveller must also hold proof of return, or onward journey.

VOLTAGE
110 V, 60 Hz outlets

TIME DIFFERENCE
In relation to European countries, Ecuadorian time is 7 hours earlier in summer and 6 hours earlier in winter. The Galapagos Islands are ahead of the continental Ecuador by one hour.

AIR TRANSPORTATION
Ecuador has two international airport, “Mariscal Sucre” in Quito and “Simon Bolivar” in Guayaquil. These airports have flights to and from the principal cities of the world. There are also other air terminals for the national airlines that fly to the main cities within the country.

DEPARTURE FLIGHT
Do not forget to reconfirm your international flights at leas 72 hours before departure. Our staff will be happy to help you.

MEDICAL SERVICES
Most cities in the country have clinics and hospitals. All the hotels have information regarding how to contact a doctor or call Emergency. Many hotels have a staff physician. There are pharmacies that are open 24 hours a day.

WATER
We suggest you drink bottled water rather that water from the tap

TELEPHONE, FAX, POSTAL SERVICES, TELEFAX, E-MAIL:
From Ecuador you can make international telephone calls directly or by calling through the operator at 116 or 117. Andinatet is the company in charge of communication in the Sierra and Pacifictel in the Coast. Most hotels now have fax and e-mail service. There are also many nice “cyber cafés” where you can make international calls or send fax and e-mail.

BANKS
Banks and money exchanges are open from 9 am to 4 pm, business and shopping centers are usually open from 9 am to 7 am, Monday to Saturday. Small stores sometimes stay open longer, and it is possible to shop on weekends.

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES OPERATING IN ECUADOR
American Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, Avianca, Alitalia, Copa Airlines, Continental, Cubana, Iberia, KLM, Lan Chile, Lufthansa, Lan Peru, Lacsa, Aero Continente, Varig, Santa Barbara, Taca, Lan Ecuador, etc

NATIONAL AIRLINES OPERATING IN ECUADOR
TAME, AEROGAL, ICARO

SPECIAL CUISINE
Here is a short list of some of the quite special foods served in Ecuador, of course, the list is not complete since our gastronomy is varied and extensive. Some examples are locro de papas (potato soup), caldo de patas (pig feet bouillon), timbushca (beef vegetable soup), sopa de bolas de verde (plantain ball soup), cebiche (seafood cocktail), biche (fish chowder with yucca and plantain), fritada (fried pork), llapingachos (potato patties), empanadas de morocho (fried cornmeal turnovers), empanadas de verde (plantain turnovers), quimbolitos (steamed corn cakes), tamales (steamed cornbread), fanesca (fish chowder), seco de chivo (lamb stew), colada morada (spicy wine-colored fruit drink), etc.

There are also many good restaurants that serve international cuisine

CRAFTS
A wide variety of crafts are sold everywhere. On Amazonas Avenue in Quito, there are little stores open every day, and there is a new craft market in the Mariscal sector that is also open every day. There places offer all kinds of crafts from all over the country. There are also Indian markets all over the Sierra that are well know for their original designs in sweaters, wall hangings, ponchos, hats, shawls, scarves, embroidery, wood carvings, leather objects, leather clothes, clay figurines, bags and articles made of alpaca wool. Always ask for a cut in price – it´s part of the deal!