Geotours Banos

Heading to Banos, we rounded a corner in the bus and suddenly this mountain appeared in the distance. It had a ring of cloud just below it's summit and a heavy plume of smoke rising from it's peak. My first volcano. I have to say that the my initial reaction was of slight anxiety especially as I realised we were gradually heading closer and closer …

... this version of taffy a local specialty. It is a naturally sweet taffy made from boiled raw cane syrup. We then head to Geotours, a company recommended by Intrepid to book some activities through for our stay in Baņos. Baņos has a reputation as an ...

If you are an adventure junkie and don't mind lots of gringos then Banos is the place to be in Ecuador. Situated in the mountains next to thermal springs and a large river it offers a wealth of activities, of which we tried a 60 km downhill (mostly) bike ...

... to Guayaquil and the next, exciting part of our trip – the famous Galapagos islands off the west coast of Ecuador! A final story on our time in Banos.  The morning of our departure, we woke up to what seemed a pretty hazy day and couldn't see ...

... noises even during the time we spent there. Went white-water rafting with nearly the whole group on the first morning (with "Geotours"). A 15km trip over Grade 3+ rapids, which was good for beginners, but a bit tame for those who had been before. Got my ...

... treat ourselves and have a 90 minute pedicure for 10 pounds each. Bargain! That evening we went out with the guides from Geotours the white water rafting company and got very drunk. We only came home because they all closed! At one bar, another ...

... minutes in these steam boxes and then invigorated by cold water in between each session!!! Awesome. HOT TIPS for travellers: (1) I use geotours in the Lonely Planet for the rafting. Good crew and included transport and lunch for USD$30. Expect an ...

... cake & empanadas, it was truly a gem of a hostel!! On our second day, we booked a day of activities with Geotours - canyoning in the morning with ziplining in the afternoon after lunch - all for a whopping 45 dollars each! Canyoning is basically ...

... bus we soon realised this was more of a pick up while still moving kind of system they are so fond of in Ecuador! We hopped on a bus to Banos ($1). As there is only an hour between Ambato and Banos each bus is only about 10 minutes behind the next. We ...

... i am hanging out with all these english speaking people all the time...but it has been great to make friends with locals as well from Geotours etc...and its good to speak a bit...well, I suppose I probably will have enough of it once I get to Quito and ...

... being sick. I then passed it on to Jim so Saturday (when we were supposed to leave) ended up being a day of rest. Tips: Geotours are a great company to raft with and I believe they are the best choice for canyoning and hiring gear too. Rafting cost $30 ...