ORIENTATION
The Republic of Ecuador, whose name derives from the Equatorial line that runs across its central part, has a 270670 square kilometre extension and it is located in the north-western coast of South America, between the 1° 27' northern and the 5° southern latitudes. Its current population is of over 11 million inhabitants. Its neighbouring countries are Peru and Colombia.
the Andean cordillera divide the country into three regions: the coastal plain, the Andean mountains or sierra and the eastern Amazon forest. The Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in which a great variety of birds and animals live is considered a fourth region.
The capital Quito is located in the central part of the country at 2800 metres above sea level.

TIME
Time in Ecuador is five hours ahead of that of the Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT). When at noon in Ecuador it is:

Santiago de Chile y Caracas	14:00
Río de Janeiro	15:00
New York	13:00
Tokyo	02:00

TEMPERATURE
Due to this geographic division the weather differs considerably in each zone.
On the coast the rainy season starts in June and ends in November.
In the sierra the rainy season starts in December and ends in May.
In the east rainfalls are frequent throughout the year.

RECOMMENDATIONS
- Use comfortable footwear or sneakers during hikes.
- Drink enough liquids during your excursions.

WATER
Water is drinkable in most of Ecuador, though the chemicals vary according to the place you are in. In order to avoid complications, we recommend you always drink bottled water.

VISAS
All travellers must get in contact with the Embassy of Ecuador in their countries of origin and verify what kind of visa they are going to need. The visa requirements are subject to changes.

LANGUAGE
Spanish is the Republic of Ecuador's official language. However, there are other languages and dialects used by the diverse ethnical groups of the country. Amongst these languages, Quechua is the most spread one. It is spoken in the sierra an in the Amazon, where two deriving dialects are in use: the Quechua of Napo and the Quechua of Pastaza.

CURRENCY
In September of the year 1999, the Ecuadorian government began a process of equalising its economy with the US dollar, which has ended in the replacement of the national currency, the Sucre, for the US dollar for good.

TIPS
Even though tips are a personal issue, we intend to give you a general picture of what is accustomed in Ecuador. Most of the restaurants add a 10% amount for tips on the bill. The total tip should be more or less 15%. Porters will get US$ 1.00 per piece of luggage. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip.
Guides:
Full day excursions: US$ 6.00 per person
Half day excursions: US$ 3.00 per person

PICTURES
Always ask for permission before taking pictures of the local people. Your guide can assist you in that respect. Do not take pictures of military installations or airports. You can take pictures of most of the monuments and at some museums.

POWER OUTPUT
Voltage in Ecuador is of 220 AC, 60 Hz.

HEALTH
In spite of the fact that no vaccination certificate is required to enter Ecuador, you may ask your doctor and get a pre-emptive vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, typhus fever, yellow fever, poliomyelitis or hepatitis A.
The illness that most affects tourists is a minor diarrhoea. Another recurrent malady in the cities of the sierra is the soroche or altitude sickness, as a consequence of the low atmospheric pressure, which is manifest in headaches, nauseas and drops in blood pressure.

ALTITUDE
Quito: 2800 metres above sea level
Cuenca: 2549 metres above sea level

IMPORTANT: Enjoy Corporation reserves the right to make changes on the excursions or trips' scheduled without previous notice, due to weather conditions, water level of the rivers, arriving or departing time of flights or buses, or any other relevant reason, in order to guarantee the best outcome for your trip.