Navi. In December I drove to Cuenca from Quito.  It’s a long drive and I stayed overnight in Riobamba, which is about half way.  The roads are fairly decent, though between Riobamba and Cuenca there is a portion that can be very foggy.  Driving in Ecuador requires vigilance.  Some people would not be comfortable doing it, in which case the only alternative is for someone else to drive you.   Buses are cheap, but they take a long time and you never know what you get in terms of the driver.  Many do not have a sense of personal or public safety, but most get to and from in one piece. And it is far more inexpensive than renting a car.  A good compromise could be a personal taxi or chauffer service that may be able to take you.  I cannot recommend one, unfortunately, as many are informal services.  You should consider these options based on who your travel companions are.  If you are alone, a bus might be the best way to go for safety reasons. If you want to rent a car, the typical international agencies (Hertz, Budget, Avis) are available at the airport, but other local options exist as well.  Costs vary, but they are comparable to U.S. prices, perhaps a little cheaper, but not a lot.

Getting to Galapagos is simple, really. Several airlines offer flights from Quito/Guayaquil to the islands. LAN Ecuador has daily flights leaving in the morning. Flight time is about 1 hour, 45 minutes to the Islands from the coastal airport of Guayaquil (double your travel time if you originate from Quito). The islands sit 1000km, or 600 miles, off the coast. Tickets generally coast between $400-500 round trip. The big question is what will you do when you get there. You can look for packaged tours aboard a boat (reservations in advance, of course), which is one of the most common ways to see the islands. But often overlooked is the option to simply stay on one of the islands and then take day trips. Santa Cruz is the main island, home to the Charles Darwin Research Center. But Isabela, the largest island, is also a treasure often undiscovered by visitors to the island (tours often bypass this island due to time and logistics). Both islands have ample accommodations. Getting to Isabel will require an extra jaunt and therefore a little extra cash.  Its further from the other island so day trips would be limited, but like all of the islands it has a wealth of natural beauty. Check out my blog post Staying on Galapagos Island for some ideas.

Trout are everywhere in the Andes, the question is how do you find a good fishing spot. After some inquiring, I think your best resource near Quito might be the Campucocha Fishing Lodge. I found it more difficult trying to pin down fishing Expeditions in Baños, but that does not mean they do not exist. They just do not seem to commercialize that activity as much as the other adventure offerings in and around the town. Anyone who asks about fishing in Ecuador, I also direct them to the expats who live near Cuenca, particularly James Drummond (email: info@jdsecuador.com) who founded the Fly Fishing Club of Cuenca. You can hop aboard a quick LAN flight to Cuenca in 40 minutes. Best of luck and have a great time!

There are fishing opportunities throughout Ecuador. I inquired about who can offer fishing tours, particularly on such a tight schedule. You might try the Campucocha Fishing Lodge, located about an hour outside of Quito. They have a number of good testimonies from international tourists who came looking for a fishing excursion. The owner also enjoys deep sea fishing. Another alternative would be to fly LAN to Cuenca (40 minute flight) and hook up with the expats who put together the Cuenca Fly Fishers Club for a day or two.  Contact them via their website. One of them is James Drummond. He has another blog site or write to him directly at info@jdsecuador.com. James also suggested a possible site in Amazon (four hours from Quito) for good fishing: Kingfisher Lodge. Good luck and have fun!