2023 Weston Ecuador Cultural Journey

Accommodations

Hotel San Francisco de Quito

Step back in time and enjoy the beautiful accommodations of the Hotel San Francisco de Quito. Located in the heart of the historic center of Quito, one of the most well preserved colonial districts in all of Latin America, this unique hotel combines comfort with centuries of colonial history to provide its guests with an unforgettable stay.

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Las Termas de Papallacta

Las Termas de Papallacta is a lovely escape to nature with its collection of hot springs, comfortable accommodations, and beautiful mountain scenery. Whether soaking in the springs, star gazing, or taking advantage of any of the nearby hikes, Las Termas is an idyllic experience.

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North Seymour Hostel

Hostal North Seymour offers accommodations in Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island.  Each room at this hostel is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV with cable channels. A terrace or patio are featured in certain rooms. Rooms have a private bathroom fitted with a bath or shower. The hotel also offers a shared lounge, a hot tub and a sun terrace. Free WiFi is available throughout the property. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

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Hotel Loja Isabela

 Hotel Loja Isabela offers a charming natural environment with hammocks and is only 300 m from Puerto Villamil Beach. Hotel Loja offers comfortable rooms with private bathrooms with showers and free Wi-Fi and garden views can be enjoyed on Galápagos Islands. All rooms feature air conditioning with hot and cold water and private balconies. Loja is only 1 block from Puerto Villamil’s main street and 200 m from Galápagos National Park. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

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La Posada de Quinde

Located in Otovalo, La Posada de Quinde offers rooms with a private bathroom with a shower, while some rooms have a balcony and others also feature city views. At La Posada del Quinde every room comes with bed linen and towels. The hotel also  has a garden, free private parking, a shared lounge, a terrace and a restaurant. Free WiFi is available throughout the property. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

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Group Flight

International Flight

Domestic Flight

Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.

Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.

Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.

We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.

FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION 
Air travel can be unpredictable.  Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc.  Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route.  Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night.  Our primary role will be to  keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a  quick and effective resolution.

Host Community and Project Details

Packing List

What follows is a sample packing list but you know yourself better than we do so please adjust accordingly. We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on daily outings, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The list below should cover everything you would need, but know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with.  We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.

Finally, we recommend consulting a weather forecast for your destination. 

CLOTHES (quantities depend on your trip length) :

• Underwear
• Socks (a mixture of good hiking socks and casual socks)
• T-shirts (some quick dry)
• Long sleeve shirts
• Sweater/sweatshirt (for Quito)
• Light rain jacket
• Comfortable/hiking/everyday pants
• Comfortable/hiking/everyday shorts
• Durable athletic/walking shoes, appropriate for lots of walking.
• Sandals, both flip flops and tevas/chocos (optional)
• Hat/s with good sun protection
• Swimsuit/s

TOILETRIES (in addition to the basic toiletries):

• Face masks
• Reef-safe, biodegradable sunscreen
• Deet-free mosquito repellent
• Band Aids and Neosporin, other 1st aid
• Anti-itch cream
• Hand Sanitizer
• Medications (any prescription meds should travel in the original bottle with patient’s name)

MISCELLANEOUS

• Passport and one photocopy
• Student ID
• Sunglasses
• Journal and pen
• Book/s
• Camera
• Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $100-$200, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
• Two durable water bottles (Walking Tree provides all drinking water)
• Quick-dry towel
• Soap for washing your own clothes (optional)
• Flashlight/headlamp

Support Team

At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.

Gabriel Duncan

Co-Founder of Walking Tree Travel and Business Lead - Denver, CO

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Colby College – B.A. International Relations and Government

While at Colby, Gabriel spent a semester in Spain at the University of Salamanca studying contemporary Spanish politics and Spanish language. He also lettered for four-years on Colby’s lacrosse team and earned All-American honors. After graduating, Gabriel hit the road. He fished commercially in Alaska, taught in Chile and China, led programs for students in Spain and Costa Rica, and traveled to over 50 countries and all 50 states in the USA. Regardless of where Gabriel is located, he is constantly haunted by his naive faith and unconditional love for Denver sports teams.

Juan Pablo “JP” Rabanales

Global Country Operations Manager

[email protected]

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Earlham College – B.A. International Studies, Minor in Economics

Born and raised with a big family in Guatemala, JP spent seven years living and studying in the US where he was exposed to highly diverse communities. JP worked as a Wilderness Leader guiding expeditions in the Southwest of the US. After spending two years in New Mexico studying the International Baccalaureate, he moved to Indiana where he spent the next four years at Earlham College. His passion for international affairs brought him to spend a semester in China, and several other Southeast Asian countries. During his time abroad, he spent his summers traveling and backpacking through 15+ different countries, and participating in several service projects. Today JP is based in Costa Rica where he works full time with the Walking Tree team.  Juan Pablo also enjoys hosting friends and travelers coming to visit. He’s always down for an exciting road-trip around the country, or even better, around Latin America. He is a long time art and design enthusiast, and a photography aficionado.

Natalia Avila Angel

Ecuador Country Director and Program Leader

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International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus Rotterdam University – M.A. Development Studies, Environment and Sustainable Development

Born in Cali, Colombia, nestled in a family-oriented, tropical environment surrounded by dance and nature, Natalia grew up between two countries during her childhood and youth: Ecuador and Colombia. From a very young age she developed strong skills in intercultural understanding, particularly between Latin American sister nations. Through her passion and talent in athletics, she has had opportunities to travel to many different countries and cities in South America. Natalia studied at a university in Germany, which allowed her to travel around Europe, where she experienced a vast array of countries and Western cultures. She later pursued a master’s degree in social studies in Holland, focusing on environmental studies. She completed research on natural biosphere reserves in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the issues facing indigenous communities there. After many adventures and experiences, Natalia fell in love with Ecuador’s natural and cultural diversity and has lived and worked in several different places along the coast, highlands, mountains and Amazon regions of the country.

Taylor Kinser

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Emory University – B.A. in English Literature and Theater

Taylor is an educator and artist from Atlanta, GA. After graduating, Taylor began traveling through Latin America to learn Spanish while creating theater and dance in new contexts. She is currently an independent educational counselor and loves working one-on-one with students to help them define and achieve their college goals. She finds the college essay process to be particularly meaningful and enjoys helping students articulate their magic.

Group Roster

Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.

• 1 Alexandra Kozinsky
• 2 Amy Robson
• 3 CANDY WANG
• 4 Charlotte Patterson
• 5 Cole Shulkin
• 6 Darrell Johnson
• 7 Denali Enzmann
• 8 Edward Fitch
• 9 Francesca Steinberg
• 10 Grant Cosimi
• 11 Henry Moon
• 12 Jack Shorter
• 13 Jacob Inbar
• 14 Jianxin Wang
• 15 Karen Bernardo
• 16 Kathleen Baker
• 17 Luca Andrea
• 18 Noah Lago
• 19 Oliver Moon
• 20 Owen Moon
• 21 Priscilla Wood
• 22 Riley Huml
• 23 Rosa Whitmore
• 24 Ryan Hassan
• 25 Ryan Shamari
• 26 Samuel Regelman
• 27 Sandra Jimenez Fique
• 28 Spencer Dobson
• 29 Thomas Kickham
• 30 Violet Moon

Blog and Communication

During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program.  Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.

Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.

GLC Curriculum

Standards of Behavior

In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.

ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL

1.  Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
4. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE

1. Getting a piercing or tattoo.
2. Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
3. Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
4. Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
5. Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
6. Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
7. Breaking group rules.

These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.

Health and Safety

Walking Tree requires all travelers and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before travel with limited exceptions. We also require proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of travel.

Current Entry Requirements for Travel to Ecuador:

Upon entry to Ecuador, all travelers must provide:

• Proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to boarding the flight to Ecuador, and;
• A COVID-19 vaccination card showing the traveler received a complete series of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Ecuador; and;
• A declaration of traveler health (the declaration is available on the Ministry of Public Health website).

Beyond COVID, we strongly recommend visiting the CDC Ecuador website to get the most updated information on additional health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. We also encourage you to consult your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.

Our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.

Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.

We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.

Insurance

While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with  two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.

To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry.  Begin by getting a quote here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.