Why Americans Should Consider Traveling to Ecuador
Ecuador quickly became one of my favorite travel destinations. It has everything to offer: tropical islands with unique wildlife, the Amazon, bustling cities, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, delicious food, friendly people, vibrant culture, etc. I believe everyone should consider going to Ecuador for a vacation, but it's particularly easy for Americans to go there. Here are five reasons why:
5. Uber is available in the major cities. This one is a perk for all countries that use Uber regularly. If you don't want to deal with figuring out the public transportation system or don't trust taking taxis, you can take Uber. It's usually less than $5 or $6 for a ride up to 20 minutes, and you don't have to tip. If you take an Uber in Ecuador, one person in your group should sit in the front seat. The taxi companies aren't happy about Uber being around, so if someone sits in the front, it just looks like you are carpooling with someone you know. It's safe; we used Uber in Guayaquil and Quito multiple times, and we felt completely safe.
4. In most of the places you'll likely go, a lot of people speak English. If you're working on your Spanish, almost everyone will be happy to let you practice. If they don't speak English, and you try to muster your way through broken Spanish, from my experience, they'll be patient and work on communicating with you until everyone understands what's going on.
3. 9-1-1 is the emergency number. If you ever find yourself in a true emergency, you don't need to think about which number to call.
2. No need to bring outlet converters. The outlets are the same as in the U.S. everywhere in Ecuador. If you were planning a trip to many other English speaking countries, you would need to plan on bringing or buying an outlet adapter for your electronics.
1. The currency is the same. In 2000, Ecuador made the USD its official currency. All of the bills are the same and the coins are a mix of old Ecuadorian change and U.S., but the values are equivalent. This is a massive bonus to people from the U.S. You never have to worry about foreign transaction fees or conversion rates when withdrawing money or trying to remember how much you're paying in your currency.
I've talked with quite a few Americans who are nervous to travel internationally to a country that speaks a different language. In our opinion, Ecuador was actually easier to travel to than the majority of other English speaking countries because of the reasons listed above. I could write on and on and on about all the other reasons I love Ecuador, but that may be for another time. Seriously, if you're from the U.S. and you're looking for a new country to visit, especially if you're nervous to take the leap to go to a non-English speaking country, consider Ecuador.
-T