Enjoyed the most

Horses and rides were the best. Lots of nice long canters on strong horses with comfortable tack.

Bothered you

Nothing

Comments

Beautiful countryside, warm hospitality and wonderful riding.

Enjoyed the most

The Andes were very diverse and beautiful. Hosts and guides, although disorganized at times, were very knowledgeable, kind and extremely gracious. Whenever possible they went well beyond the call of duty to be helpful. The main hacienda was amazing, a real treat. Of the four other haciendas along the way, 3 were very pleasant and comfortable.

Bothered you

The enjoyment of each day's ride was fairly inconsistent, sometimes amazing, sometimes very frustrating depending on the organization of the day, the quality of the horse assigned and the pace. One of the Haciendas, was very uncomfortable.

Enjoyed the most

Its hard to say because I loved everything. One thing I think is very noteworthy about the horses is that when you canter as a group, the horses do not compete with each other. They canter easily as a group without trying to race. I really love that and find it to be unusual - speaks to their good training.

Bothered you

Absolutely nothing!

Comments

Feel free to use us as a reference for anyone else interested in this trip.

Enjoyed the most

The unique and beautiful area! At times I thought I was riding on the moon! Our wonderful guide Gabriel! He always made sure we were safe, well Fed, comfortable, and entertained!

Bothered you

Nothing!

Comments

If your not sure which Ecuador trip to choose I highly recommend this trip if your wanting to Do a lot of riding!

Enjoyed the most

The hospitality of the hosts exceeded my expectations. This trip turned out to be a trip of a life time. The variety of different scenery kept the rides fresh and interesting. Gabriel was a eager to answer any and all questions.

Bothered you

It ended too soon!!

Enjoyed the most
Our hosts, Gabriel and Paty were wonderful and one of the best parts of the trip. They made us feel so welcome and part of the family. La Alegria is gorgeous and was a wonderful place to stay. We also loved Tambo, one of the other haciendas we stayed at. Gabriel was the best guide we've ever had, EVER, and we plan on returning in future. The horses were magnificent creatures, beautifully cared for and exceptional to ride. Meals, too, were delicious.

Bothered you
Absolutely NOTHING bothered us.

Comments
This is the best ride we've taken. My husband and I have taken numerous guided rides and we own our own horses.  We also take long trips in the backcountry as well.

Please feel free to quote me on your website or anywhere else you wish. I am happy to be a reference as well.
Lauren, the woman who put this trip together for us at Hidden Trails, was also exceptional at customer service and was a true pleasure to work with. Thanks, Melanie and Bob Arndt

Enjoyed the most
Our hosts and their staff were incredibly warm and gracious! The ride was well thought out giving us varied terrain and authentic cultural experiences. The horses were well cared for, well schooled and fun to ride.  Scenery was unbelievable.  Fresh food was delicious!

Bothered you
Some of the lunches on the pack trip part of the ride were a little weak, but 95% of the meals were fantastic.

Hidden Trails service was both prompt and thorough. I hope the Hidden Trails team recommends this ride often!!

Enjoyed the most
The breathtaking scenery, the fantastic friendliness and professionalism of the organiser and his team. The organiser`s knowlege of the region and sensitivity for local issues such as the protection of the environment were outstanding which was really refreshing. Incredible attention to detail with regard to providing the necessary equipment and safety in a much demanding ride in testing weather conditions. Some of the accommodations were very basic with no light, hot water or heating which at 4000 mt of altitude makes it testing for after 7 hours on the saddle. This however makes this trip a real adventure and a taste of the life that the chagras still lead to this day.

Bothered you
In your trip description on the web site and catalogue you say "with comfortable overnights in Highland Haciendas". I felt this is inaccurate as some of the places - as mentionned above - were very basic.

Comments
A fantastic ride - a real Hidden Trail - an adventure that takes you to unforgettable places not reachable in other way but on horseback. The host was fantastic and made you feel a part of the family or better yet a real  "chagras"  - the cowboy of the Andes - rather than a tourist!

Enjoyed the most
Being in lonesome areas, but with friendly people!

Bothered you
The trip documentation did not make the climate conditions clear enough to me.

Enjoyed the most
The long canters, the landscape and my horse!

Bothered you
My bump after the first day..

Comments
Gabriele, the owner did a great job. With lots of professialism and a great portion of humour and power was he a wonderful tour leader.