Bas & Catalina** This is NOT a sponsored Post. All of the information and reflections are based on our own experiences with Gate 1 Travel **
This summer, we traveled to Ecuador with Gate 1 Travel. Gate 1 specializes in group travel, and it was an incredible experience for our entire family. This vacation allowed us to explore many parts of Ecuador (not just one city), it allowed us to have fun and meet people from all over the world, but more importantly, it allowed us to have experiences with locals, to share with them, to learn from them and to keep those memories with us forever.
Visit many cities while traveling with Gate 1 Travel
Vacations with Gate 1 Travel are designed in such a way that you get to learn and experience life in the country you are visiting.
One of the things I love the most about traveling with Gate 1 Travel is that you get to travel to different cities versus one or two cities in a traditional trip. This allows you to see and experience many other things. For example, on our last trip to Ecuador, we experienced city life in Quito, the capital.
Then we left for Otavalo and learned much about the locals and the Inti Raymi festival. On the way to the Papallacta Hot Springs, we saw how the vegetation started to change as we arrived at the moor in high altitudes. After that, we headed to the Ecuadorian Amazon, and there are not enough words I could put together to explain that experience and the learning opportunities. Finally, on our way back to Quito, we stopped by Baños and a few towns in between.
Learning Opportunities with Gate 1 Travel while you are on Vacation
Vacations with Gate 1 provide an array of learning opportunities. Traveling is a learning journey, but Gate 1 offers cultural experiences and optional activities to deepen your knowledge of the location.
When we traveled to Ecuador, we had unique experiences with the locals. For example, on our way to the Otavalo Market Gate 1, arranged to have three lovely visitors on our bus ride. These three nice women shared their traditional attire with us, talked about their culture (Quichua), and even sang for us in their native language.
When we got to the Amazon, the learning opportunities were abundant, but I loved that Gate 1 planned for us to visit a local Kichwa family, and they shared about their life, how to make chicha, and even how to work with a blowgun for hunting. This experience was invaluable, especially for my 11-year-old boy traveling with us.
Our tour manager made several stops to let us try local fruits and snacks along the way to our destinations.
Moreover, we stopped by the Salasaca Community on our way back to Quito. Salasaca is a community of indigenous people located in the Tungurahua Province in the center of Ecuador. Their main economic activities are agriculture and handicrafts. While visiting a family in the Salasaca community, we saw firsthand how they raise their sheep to produce wool for some of the things they sell. In addition, we saw the fantastic textiles and tapestries they create, and we even got to see them working in action. It was indeed a unique experience for this trip.
Finally, back in Quito, we stopped at a Rose plantation. I was blown away at how much we learned during this tour. We learned about the entire process of rose production, from planting them to exporting them for big events worldwide.
Meet people from around the world and explore a country listening to different perspectives with Gate 1 Travel
One of the things we love about traveling with Gate 1 Travel is the group travel aspect. We loved traveling with 37 people from all over the world. We each had a different perspective on life and how we see the world. This made for interesting conversations and learning opportunities while traveling.
As a mom traveling with a group, I found this extremely valuable for my 11-year-old son. He was exposed to Ecuador and our group’s many cultures and ways of life. The discussions at dinner, on the bus, or as we walked to our destinations were terrific.
