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Mike and the ESSENTIAL team flew with American Airlines
www.aa.com		 American Airlines

and also
took a helicopter ride with
Tame
www.tame.com.ec

 Tame
They stayed at
Hotel Patio Andaluz
www.hotelpatioandaluz.com
in Quito’s old town		 Hotel Patio Andaluz
and
Hacienda Rumiloma
www.haciendarumiloma.com
also in Quito		 Hacienda Rumiloma
They stayed at Sacha Lodge www.sachalodge.com
in the jungle town of Coca		 Sacha Lodge
and Hacienda Pinsaqui Hotel www.haciendapinsaqui.com
in Ottavalo.		 Hacienda Pinsaqui Hotel

For everything you would like to know about Quito visit: www.quito.com.ec


 Quito

ESSENTIAL ECUADOR

Mike McClean

Mike McClean braves tarantulas to head deep into the Amazon. If it's not the piranhas and anacondas that get him, then the rain certainly will. We also visit Quito at a nosebleeding two miles above sea level and check out the nation’s finest pet food, Guinea Pigs.

 

 

For everything you would like to know about Ecuador visit:
www.ecuador.travel
Ecuador

 

If you’d like to find out more about the places Mike visited in the programme, then check out the following links:

And for a chance to own your own genuine panama hat from Ecuador visit  www.travelchannel.co.uk

 

FUNDACION GUAYASAMIN & CAPILLA DEL HOMBRE
www.guayasamin.com
www.capilladelhombre.com
This museum located high on a hill features the magnificent work of Oswaldo Guayasamin, whose work captured the political oppression, racism, poverty and class division found in South America,  as well as the artist’s collection of archaeological, colonial and contemporary art.

LA COMPANIA DE JESUS CHURCH
www.quito.com.ec
Latin America’s most beautiful church – and the most ornate.  The Compania of Jesus is the best example of American Baroque. Its interior is entirely gilded and shines like a jewel. There are a great number of paintings and sculptures from the ‘Quito School of Art’. Its vaults have earned it the nickname ‘Quito’s Sistine Chapel’.

ESCUELA TALLER (Quito Workshop School)
www.quito.com.ec
The school trains artisans in traditional construction techniques; integrates young people into the labour market; and promotes the restoration, rehabilitation and conservation of Quito's historic heritage. Objects made by the pupils are on show and also on sale to the public.

OTAVALO
www.otavalo-ecuador.com
Located just 2 hours north of Quito, Otavalo is home to one of the best South American’ markets with indigenous merchants, craftspeople, world travellers and accomplished musicians.  Otavalo is the centre of a thriving handicraft industry, surrounded by volcanoes and volcanic lakes. This area is rich in cultural and natural wonders.

CHIVA EXPRESS
www.chivaexpress.com
The easiest way to organise a trip down to Ecuador’s most famous volcanoes, Cotopaxi, is to catch a train from Quito’s newly restored Chimbacalle Station. Whether you catch a steam or electric train, you can admire the wonderful views from the top deck.

SACHA LODGE
www.sachalodge.com
This is a 5000-acre private ecological reserve in Ecuador's Amazon region, an accessible yet pristine rainforest sanctuary where bird-watching from a canopy walkway, fishing for piranhas, and canoeing down the Napo River are some of the activities on offer.

CAFÉ LIBRO
www.cafelibro.com
Try out a few salsa steps in the heart of ‘La Mariscal’ district.

MITAD DEL MUNDO (MIDDLE OF THE WORLD
www.mitaddelmundo.com
www.quito.com.ec
One of Ecuador’s most visited landmarks; ’Mitad del Mundo’ is a monument which claims to be the centre of the planet, marking latitude 0°. It’s a yellow line that separates two hemispheres: the north and the south.

CHURCH OF SAN FRANCISCO
www.in-quito.com
San Francisco is the most imposing of all Quito's architectural monuments. It’s at once a temple, a series of chapels, and a convent.  Its monastery is Ecuador’s oldest,  and was built only a few weeks after the founding of Quito in 1534.  The Quito School of Art was born here. Capilla Cantuna houses an impressive collection of colonial art.

TELEFERIQO
www.quito.com.ec
There is no better way of admiring Quito’s location in the Andes than to take the cable car along the Pichincha Volcano. The views at an altitude of 4050 metres are breathtaking.

OTAVALO WEAVING
Located in the community of Peguche, Don Jose Cotacachi is one of the region’s   most famous weavers whose creations are based on pre-Hispanic cultures such as Valdiva, Nasca and Inca.

NANDA MANACHI
Most of the music in this programme is courtesy of one of Ecuador’s most famous traditional bands - Nanda Manachi who hail from the community of Peguche just outside of Otavalo.

HACIENDA SAINT AUGUSTIN DE CALLO
www.incahacienda.com
Located 1hour and half south of Quito and at the foot of Ecuador’s most famous landmarks and of the world’s highest volcanoes,Cotopaxi, stands this beautiful Hacienda and working farm.

NAPO WILDLIFE CENTRE
www.napowildlifecenter.com
This is a famous eco-lodge located in the heart of Yasuni National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon forest. Completely run by the native community of Anangu Kichwas, it is a truly exceptional experience with some of the best wildlife viewing lodges in the country.