Ecuador - Quito and Imbabura Region

Direct Delta flight from Atlanta for a reasonable price? Let's go! We spent eight days in Ecuador during Thanksgiving week. Our trip was split evenly between Quito and Imbabura region. We wanted to check out Quito properly and get a bit off the touristy path to see the country side.

Quito is a gigantic, sprawling, and at times, a sketchy city. However, it grew on us pretty quickly! We enjoyed walking around Old Town, eating in La Colonia and La Floresta, and checking out the cultural sites like Capilla del Hombre. The weather wasn't as bad as we were expecting, since we went at the start of the wet season.

Imbabura is the opposite of Quito. We booked a 5 day / 4 night homestay + hiking tour with Quichua Tours (http://www.quichuatours.com/.) We stayed with a host family in the village of La Calera, near Cotacachi. It was a wonderful experience getting to know the family, helping/observing their daily life like walking the cows, and getting to practice our Spanish since they spoke zero English. The hikes were fantastic as well. We had a bilingual guide on all four day hikes and the largest group we were in was a total of four hikers. We highly recommend booking with Quichua Tours since they are fully owned and operated by the indigenous Quichua/Kichua people. The tours help support the local communities through the homestay program and employing locals as drivers, guides, etc.

Things to know if you visit

• Knowing basic Spanish is very helpful for taxis, restaurants, etc. Get the Duolingo app and spend a couple of weeks brushing up on common phrases and travel vocab.
• We stayed at the JW Marriott in Quito which was very good point redemption (22,500 a night). Using suite night awards is definitely recommended sine the exec suite and balcony suites are very spacious. You also get status perks like a buffet breakfast and evening hor d'ourves at the lounge which are super helpful if you're trying to maximize your time in Quito.
• Taxis in Quito are very easy to hail down on the street and affordable. We didn't have any trouble with the drivers using the meter in the day time but at night there seemed to be a random minimum of $2 and no meter usage.
• Ecuadorian SIM cards are cheap and easy to get. We got a 7 day SIM (called "chip") from Movistar with 400 MB of data and 30 minutes of calling for $7. Whatsapp and Facebook browsing don't count against the data limit. You can get similar plans from Claro. We went to a nearby mall to get this chip.
• Afternoon thunderstorms are a definitely a thing. Get out there early in the morning, around 6am, for the best views and no rain. Also, get a decent rain jacket.
• Buy sunscreen before getting to Ecuador. It's very expensive (~$20 for 3 oz) in Quito and you definitely need it at this altitude, even when it's cloudy. 
• Altitude: We took diamox when we arrived in Quito and continued taking it for 2 days. Diamox combined with taking it easy on the first two days, sleeping eight hours a night, and not drinking meant we didn't struggle at all with the altitude. That being said, Mohit did get a headache while climbing Imbabura (see below) because of the rapid elevation change.
• Remember to always bring ear plugs (dogs) and an eye mask (shitty curtains)
• Places to visit in Quito:
• Climb the towers of La Basilica Voto Nacional to get great panoramic views of the city. The towers open at 9am on the weekends (timings on Google Maps are incorrect.)
• Walk around in Old Town making sure to check out Plaza San Francisco and Calle de la Ronda.
• Check out the free exhibits at Centro Cultural Metropolitano.
• Take a gondola ride called Telefrico to get a view of the city and nearby volcanoes. We went on a cloudy day and weren't able to see any volcanoes but still enjoyed the view during the ride. You can easily take a taxi there (there's a $2.50 surcharge for entering in a car) and hop into one on the way back that's dropping off other visitors. The ride itself is $8.50 per person and takes about 15 minutes each way.
• Mindalae - Ethnohistoric & Crafts Museum of Ecuador: It's a small museum with recreations of traditional crafts. $3 to enter and walk around. Worth it for a rainy day activity.
• Favorite restaurants include: Casa Warmi, Achiote, and La Purisima for fancy Ecuadorian food, and Siete Mares for seafood.
• Hikes to do in Imbabura region:
• Laguna Cuicocha: ~14km round trip hike around the crater lake. Medium difficulty with rolling hills. Cui means guinea pig in Quichua, and the lake gets its name from  a guinea pig shaped island in the middle of the lake. You get views of other nearby volcanoes including Cayambe, Cotacachi, and Imbabura.
• Mojanda and Fuya-Fuya: Fuya-Fuya mountain means cloudy cloudy in the Quichua language. It starts at 12,000 ft and ends at 13,700 ft with patches that feel like near vertical. We had amazing views on the way up, but the clouds moved in when we were at the top at around 11:30am
• Cubilche Lagoons: The summit is at ~12,500 feet with three lagoons, two of which are rain water and one is a crater lake. It's a tough hike through planted pine trees filled with mushrooms (championes) and our favorite paramo grass. We made it to the top just before the large group of university students. It's cloudy but we still got some nice views, especially on the way down of Ibarra city.
• Imbabura Summit: This is a very difficult hike. You climb ~4,000 feet to reach the summit at ~15,100 feet. Due to the difficulty, you start the climb very early, ~5am, which means waking up at 3am to leave Cotacachi. The hike begins with a section called Romper los Corazones (heart breaker) because of the steep incline. The last 1-1.5 hours of the hike is scaling rocks which can be intimating since you're not roped on to anything.  However, its all worth it on a clear day. The summit is breathtaking, and the views of the region on the way down as amazing. 
• Pinan: We did not get a chance to do the Pinan trek, which is rolling hills in the paramo grass but heard great things about it. 

Fun facts

• Even experienced farmers can loose a cow when distracted by their 2 year old son, 6 year old nephew, and two tourists. Falta una vaca! 
• Ecuador has signs for "Two Way" street... You might be wondering, isn't that a little unnecessary? Aren't most streets two way unless stated otherwise?
• All the tourists that visit the equator line attraction are being fooled. The equator is actually like 200 meters away from the sign 😅
• Every taxi driver will know the cevicheria Siete Mares, even if they don't know of the JW Marriott across the street
• Ecuador also has Black Friday sales after Thanksgiving.

Summary of pictures

View from the top of La Basilica 

A short walk from at the top of the Teleferico. If you're nuts, go for the Runa Pichincha hike from here.

Cloudy day = no volcano views = sad Fate

Taita (Father) Imbabura

Quick walk to move the cows with the host family dad, son, and nephew

Views of Imbabura from the quiet La Calera community

Laguna Cuicocha. You see the guinea pig right?

Mojanda Lake and Fuya-Fuya mountain. This is the only part we were smiling for during this hike.

The grass you see here is called paramo. It acts as nature's stairs!

Cubilche lagoons. I know, they're pretty small. Was the uphill worth it? Yes!

Out homestay in La Calera!

Our host family, from right to left: Jose (dad), Rocio (mom), Jesus, Nanki, Yarina

Imbabura Summit. Smiling on the outside, head pounding on the inside.

The edge of Imbabura crater. There's a distinct sulfur smell from the "active" volcano.

The clouds cleared on the way down, allowing us to see Ibara and the surrounding mountains

Capilla del Hombre - Amazing large scale art by Oswaldo Guayasamín

Sao Miguel, Azores

The Azores are a chain of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic. Sao Miguel is the main and most populous island in the Azores, with Ponta Delgada being the largest city on the island. Sao Miguel is big enough that you can spend a couple of weeks and still have things left over for another visit. We rented a scooter for eight days and were only able to scratch the surface. We were there from July 27 - August 3, 2018.

Things to know if you visit

• Renting a car or scooter is needed to see the island properly. There are public buses but the routes can be tedious. We ended up going with a scooter since we enjoy riding them and they are reasonably priced (€255 for 8 days.)
• We highly recommend using the secondary roads when going around the island and avoiding the highways. While the highways may be a few minutes faster, we found the secondary roads to have much better views and plenty of viewpoints to stop at along the way. 
• The Azor Hotel is a good option if you've got Marriott points. It's a design hotel, so you don't get any of the Elite status perks like free breakfast, but the rooms are modern and the location is good for quick access to Old Town (walking) and rest of the island by hoping on the highway or secondary roads. 
• Passion fruit is abundant on the island. The soda drink called Kima can be found in every restaurant and is fantastic. 
• Almost everyone speaks English on the island. 
• Scuba diving is fun in the Azores but do not expect vibrant colors like in Asia. It's more about unique fish and the WWII shipwreck. The water wasn't that cold either, so don't let that scare you. They give you 7mm wetsuits with hoods. 
• Places to visit:
• Drive to Nordeste with stops at Miraduro Santa Iria, Praia de Moinhos, gazebo in Miraduro Do Frade, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, Miraduro de Ponta do Arnel, Miraduro Ponta de Sossego, Cha Porto Formosa, Miraduro Ponta da Madrugala
• Salto de Prego hike takes 3 to 4 hours. You get to see a waterfall, hike through a jungle, and walk through a cute little town called Sanguihno
• Sete Sidates are volcanic crater lakes that you must see. Drive to Miraduro de Boca do Infernos, and walk along one of the many trails with stunning views of the crater lakes. 
• Hike down to Lagao de Fogo, another beautiful crater lake. This time you get to be right at the edge of water rather than just looking down into the crater.
• Visit Ferraria geo thermal pool during low tide. You get to be in hot water (40 C) and look out into the freezing Atlantic ocean. There are ropes dividing the areas based on heat levels. They also help if you don't want to tread water for thirty minutes and just hold on instead. Do not go during high tide like we did the first time. The water is freezing and you just get slammed against the rocks.
• Stop by Queijadas de Vila Franca do Campo (Do Morgado) for a delicious Portuguese tart. 
• Our favorite restaurants include: A Tasca, Trezze, O Americo de Barbosa (must get the pulpo), Tea House (Opeojo), and Quinta Dos Sabres for fancy prefix menu.

Fun facts

• Fate earned the nickname Madam Miraduro on this trip by making Mohit stop the scooter at every viewpoint possible. 
• Sao Miguel has seven volcanoes! 
• People will work on their tan at the Azorean beaches even if it's 65F and the beach is jagged rocks
• Azoreans (no clue if that's a word or not btw) will make liquor out of anything.

Summary of pictures

Jardim Antonio Borges near Old Town

Praia dos Moinhos where every wave looks like its part of a rip current

Miraduro do Frade

Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes - worth it for a quick stop if you've got the time

Nordeste viewpoint chasers at their best

Porto Formoso tea gardens

Beginning of Salto de Prego hike!

View from Sanguihno near the end of the Salto de Prego hike

View of Caloura from Miradouro do Pisao. We will be back to actually swim in this pool one day!

Hydrangeas. Hydrangeas everywhere!

Magical Siete Sidates 

Lago de Fogo

We're smiling because it's low tide

Little walk near Vila Franca do Campo to end the trip.

Camiguin, Philippines

Camiguin is a tiny island in the Central Visayas/Mindanao region of the Philippines in the Bohol Sea. Yes, its a pain in the butt to get to. But its totally worth it! Camiguin is best managed island we've seen in South-east Asia. Each tourist site is taken care of by government employees who provide receipts for everything, there are trashcans everywhere which people actually use, and facilities are well maintained. The resorts also have helped make the island "more eco" by not using straws and limiting the use of plastic, which really shows. The sea surrounding Camiguin is so much cleaner than Bali and Lombok.

In addition to the general cleanliness, Camiguin is great because the island doesn't survive on tourism. People actually live here. Which means that prices are super reasonable (see below) and locals aren't looking to make a buck off you at every turn. The food is also surprisingly good because many expats have settled down in Camiguin and opened up resort+restaurants. There's plenty to do like hiking one of the seven volcanoes on the island, scuba diving, free diving, riding around on scooters for sightseeing, snorkeling with giant clams, and taking a boat to tiny Mantigue Island nearby for beach chilling. We spent nine days here from July 17th to 26th.

Things to know if you visit

• If you're travelling in from outside the Philippines, your cheapest path is probably going to be through Cebu City. CebuGo has a daily flight to Camiguin at the convenient time of 5:25am. You can also take a ferry from Bohol.
• Getting from the airport to your hotel/homestay is straightforward. Once you step out of the tiny airport, you'll be greeted by several local tricycle or jeepney drivers. They know all of the homestays on the island and there are fixed prices for getting a jeepney to yourself (called "special ride") written on a board. But you can also take a jeepney with others and the price is a like 1/10th.
• Getting around the island is once again done by scooters/motorcycles. Its actually a pretty good island to learn if you aren't too comfortable with handling a scooter since traffic is light and the main road is well maintained. A scooter from our Airbnb cost 250 php/day ($5.)
• We paid $18/night for an Airbnb (Mountain View Cottages) that included an A/C room, bathroom, and attached kitchen. Definitely recommend staying here since the staff are very welcoming, the A/C is powerful, and the kitchen is super helpful for cooking up breakfast.
• Things to recommend doing while here include:
• Scuba diving - Black Forest and Old Volcano are our favorite sites. Johnny's Dive N Fun has good prices. The instructor Fate had was good but he's a freelancer. The divemasters are Johnny's are locals who know what they are doing but don't expect the full on PADI safety checks, dive planning, etc.
• Tausan Falls - A nice small (<100 foot) waterfall which has several pools below it for swimming, though the water is pretty cold.
• Katibawasan Falls - A much larger waterfall than Tausan with a beautiful surrounding jungle/forest that has some wild monkeys.
• Giant Clam Sanctuary - Learn a bit about giant clams from the young guides and then snorkel in the sea to see the giant clams up close with a guide. A little pricey (~350php per person) but totally worth it.
• Old Spanish Church Ruins - A free, quick walk around the ruins of an old church.
• Ardent Hot Springs - Don't expect hot tub like waters but a good place to swim and relax in fresh water pools. 
• Old Volcano Walk - Provides nice views of the ocean and volcanoes. But be prepared for a steep, sweaty walk. 
• Katunggan Park - Walk around the mangroves and take some scenic pictures.
• Mambajao Market - Get them fresh mangoes and bananas for cheap!
• Our favorite restaurants include: Kurma for healthy options that are reasonably priced ($4 per entree), Guerrera's for awesome Thai and Indian flavors ($6.50 per entree), and La Dolce Vita for homemade pasta and pizza ($7 per entree). 

Fun facts

• A family van = a motorcycle with attached side cart
• Make sure the place you rent your scooter provides actual motorcycle helmets not skateboarding helmets, which many locals support with flowery patterns painted on top. I guess they're more airy?
• Old white men move to Camiguin to marry Filipinas who are around half their age.
• The hippies are now all about freediving instead of scuba diving since its all natural. But don't worry, a one day class still costs $140 pp.
• Sunday appears to be trash burning day on Camiguin.
• Giant clams are hermaphrodites. 

Summary of pictures

Mountain View Cottages

View of White Island from Paradiso Resort's Restaurant (food is meh)

Fancy vegetarian burger at Kurma

Stephen, our awesome guide at the Giant Clam Sanctuary

Another viewpoint on the main road of Camiguin

Distant view of Hibok Hibok volcano

Mangroves!

Tausan Falls

View of the Old Volcano during the torture that is Old Volcano Walk

Fate barely let Mohit take this picture due to her face melting in the heat

Agent Zahura chilling after a filling lunch at Kurma

Nemo spotted during diving

Old Spanish Church ruin