All travelers must have a passport valid for at least six months before arriving in Ecuador. They must also have a return ticket to their country of origin or to another destination.

Citizens of the following countries require a visa to enter Ecuador: Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, North and South Korea , Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen.

To enter the country, visitors must fill in an international embarkation –disembarkation form. It is important to keep it with your passport.

Travelers should have their passports with them during their stay in Ecuador to avoid problems with the authorities that may want to see it. A copy is not acceptable.

Those who wish to stay in the country longer than 90 days have to fill out the corresponding paperwork in an Ecuadorian Consulate.

If the traveler enters Ecuador as a tourist it is not possible to change visa status while they are in the country.

In General

Passport; travelers checks, credit or debit cards; medical prescriptions or health supplies; Swiss army knife; cloths for warm and cool weather as one can encounter both in a day in the Andes or if traveling between regions; raincoat; backpack; money belt or neck pouch; watch with alarm clock; flashlight or headlamp; plastic bags for separating dirty and clean clothes and shoes; needle and thread; biodegradable soap (if in backcountry areas); notebooks and pens/pencils; hat; and sunglasses.

Leave copies of your important documents, such as your passport, as well as travelers check and credit card numbers, with someone who can fax them to you if they are stolen or lost, and/or give a copy to a trusted traveling companion.
 
Ecuador's electrical current is 110 volts 60 cycles, the same as North America, so adapters for North American equipment are not needed. However, plug converters are necessary in older buildings.

For each region:

Andes

In most parts of the Andes, you can experience all four seasons in one day. Be prepared for cold nights and cold rain, especially if you plan on camping. Warm, fast drying clothes are recommended (synthetics and wool are good, but avoid cotton, especially directly against the skin). Good hiking boots that either dry quickly or are water-resistant are a must for most activities. For trekking through páramo, rubber boots work exceptionally well, even with a full pack. The general packing list plus these items will serve you well in the Andes.

Galapagos

Sun hat; sun glasses; sandals (for the boat); sneakers (for dry landings and rocky shores); teva-style sandals (for wet landings); swim suit; umbrella (for sun protection during island hikes); high factor, waterproof sunscreen; beach towel and bath towel (most yachts provide bath towel); wind resistant jacket; light sweater or sweatshirt (nights can get rather cool and you don't want to miss stargazing on deck); twice as much film as you think you will need; extra camera batteries; underwater camera; and motion sickness pills.

Most yachts will provide snorkeling equipment. But if you have your own equipment, we recommend bringing it.

Amazon Rainforest

Rubber boots (a must since hiking boots don't work well in calf-deep mud - most lodges and arranged tours will provide boots up to size 10 or they can be purchased in most towns for about USD 5); mosquito net (most hotels and tour companies offer nets); insect repellent (with DEET); malaria pills; antihistamine tablets and an epi-pen for people with serious allergies to stings; water purification tablets (iodine is recommended); oral re-hydration packets; binoculars (invaluable in the rainforest); plastic bags for keeping your clothes dry; swimming suit; lightweight quick drying clothes; at least one long-sleeved shirt; one pair of loose-fitting pants (no jeans); a light sweater (it gets surprisingly chilly in the rainforest, especially on boat trips); poncho that fits over you and your pack (the cheap plastic knee-length type coats are better than Gore-Tex, which will soak right through in a real rainforest deluge); bandana; a pair of clean socks for each day; teva-like sandals or sneakers for around camp; and zip lock bags for food, books, maps and anything else you hope to keep dry.

All clothes (undergarments included) should be loose fitting to help keep you cool and to reduce your chances of being bitten by insects.

Climate

The Galapagos Islands are located on the Equator. Pacific breezes, however, temper the tropical heat, and sweater may be needed on deck after sundown. From December until May, the sea is warm and there is a chance of rain and accompanying humidity.

Temperatures range from the low 80´s to the high 90´s / 25°C-30°C.

From June to September you may experience occasional garúa or mist and water is typically cool for the tropics. Temperatures vary from the low 60´s to the high 70´s / 15°C-25°C. From October to December temperatures ranges from the 70°F to 80°F.
 
Water Temperature

January - June: 70°F-80°F (20°C-26°C)
July-December: 65°F-75°F (18°C-23°C)

Local Time

GMT -6 in the Galapagos Islands. GMT -5 on the Mainland.

Itineraries

Most yachts offer 5days/4nights or 8days/7night's itineraries visiting the islands. Longer itineraries are subject to National Park Administration approval.

Boats

Tropic offers a select choice of the best boats in Galapagos, well known not only by their careful and responsible operation on the islands, their well trained crew and guides and their commitment to the conservation of the Islands. These characteristics provide and excellent guarantee of an unforgettable educational experience.

Luggage

No more than 44 pounds (20 kilos) of luggage may be checked on flights to or from the islands. These restrictions do not include small carry-on flight bags or camera cases.

Logistics

On disembarking the airplane in Galapagos you will pass through a National Park control point where the park entrance fee is collected in cash US dollars. Your bilingual naturalist guide will be waiting to greet you and to accompany you the short distance to the bay where the boat awaits. Once on board the vessel, you will receive a welcome briefing from your naturalist guide, including a tour and detailed explanation about life on board, safety procedures and the Galapagos National Park rules. After you have moved into your cabin, lunch will be served, followed by an orientation for your first shore visit. In the evening, your naturalist guide will introduce you to the crew members and, as every night during the cruise, she or he will present a lecture about the next day's activities.

Shore visits

In order to protect the islands, the National Park Service limits visitation to 63 terrestrial visitor sites, in addition to the towns. These visitor sites have been selected to provide access to the best wildlife viewing opportunities. Visitor sites are reached by disembarking to a smaller dinghy or panga that every boat carries for shore programs. Most landing sites are sandy beaches or rocky promontories, as there are few docks. Landing may be "wet" or "dry" according to the whether you disembark the panga into shallow water on the beach or directly on to a rocky shore or dock. In either case there is a possibility of getting splashed, so anything you wish to keep dry should be carried in a waterproof bag in your day pack.

Photography tips

Bring plenty of film! You will need more than you think so many excellent opportunities for wildlife photography, Waterproof bags (Zip-loc freezer bags work well) are a must, also moisture-absorbing packs which are found in camera stores are recommended. Film the pros are using: Fujichrome, Velvia, Sensia and Provia.

Warning

Diving in the Galapagos is advised for experienced divers only. Most of the good diving sites have strong currents, surge and cold waters. Most dives are drifts along the cliff faces of the offshore rocks and pinnacles. There is no decompresor chamber in Galapagos, the closest being in Guayaquil or Panama.

Equipment provided

Bottles, weights, compressor, oxygen and basic medical supplies.

What you have to bring

Up to date health cetificate, up to date diving certification, wet suit (available for rent in the Islands), buoyancy control vest, regulator, mask and fins.

Again, what to bring?

Lightweight quick drying clothes: at least one long sleeves light easy to dry shirt; al least one pair of loose-fitting ultra-light pants (no jeans); cotton t-shirts; a light sweater (it gets surprisingly chilly in the rainforest, especially on boat trips); poncho that fits over you and your pack (the cheap plastic knee-length type coats are better than Gore-Tex, which will soak right through in a real rainforest deluge); bandana; a pair of clean socks for each day; swimming gear and a towel.

Footgear

Teva-like sandals or sneakers for around camp.

One large back pack and one small daypack, sleeping bag or blanket, sun block, hat, cameras, sunglasses with a strap, extra eye glasses, Swiss army knife (make sure is in your checked luggage not in your carry on), personal toilet and first aid kit, water bottle or water pouch, flash light with batteries and extra batteries, ear plug if you don't tolerate early morning loud sounds, binoculars (invaluable in the rainforest); plastic bags for keeping your clothes dry; zip lock bags for food, books, maps and anything else you hope to keep dry.

Insect repellent (with DEET); malaria pills; antihistamine tablets and an epi-pen for people with serious allergies to stings; water purification tablets (iodine is recommended); oral re-hydration packets;

Passport, copy of your passport, health card and health insurance.

Washing is done in the river, so don't forget your biodegradable shampoo and soap!

About the accommodation:

Our program is developed in a camp site with tents, sharing bathroom and kitchen area (traditional Huao style), located near the community. We do not provide such city comforts as hot water and private showers. We do provide the possibility of being intimate with nature at its most exuberance and seeing life in the rainforest through the eyes of people who have lived there forever.

About the food:

We do not add to the pressure on the environment by consuming food that the Huaorani hunt and gather from the forest. The majority of the food for the tourist operation is brought from Quito, including drinking water. Remember hunting activities are not allowed for us.

However, we do purchase locally and seasonally abundant crops such as manioc, banana and papaya.

About the transportation:

We provide different types of transportation during your journey; it's important that you bring only the strict necessary things because we have weight restrictions for our flight from Shell to Quehueri'ono, our staff will make and approximate calculation for each group but don't be surprised if we have to leave some things behind. In case it happens these things will be returned to you when we are back in Quito.

About tipping:

We don't encourage tipping our local partners individually, we suggest that your help should go to the entire community.

Groups can make donations to Fundación Acción Amazonia, the foundation was conceived in recognition of the reality of the Ecuadorian Amazon, whereby economic pressures are threatening the survival of all indigenous groups and protected areas of the region coupled with the almost complete lack of sustainable development alternatives available to the communities and the areas. Given the inability of the state to fulfill its role in the field of conservation, communications, health care, education, etc., it is necessary for concerned members of the national and international and you our visitor to provide the appropriate resources to work towards the long-terms future of some of the worlds most valuable natural and cultural resources.

Tipping our bilingual naturalist guide should be dependent on the quality of the service that you received.

Degree of difficulty

The rainforest hikes are accessible to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. During the activities, you will have to carry a day pack with your rain poncho, binoculars and camera equipment.

Important

Itineraries may be modified to suit the interests of our clients, given the proper notice, and also in the case of weather problems.