I plan on staying for month of July at BioMindo Project. Any one been here before? I will be arriving in Quito at night so we will either have to sit it out at the airport till morning or rent a hostel (which scares me with my boy). Also on our flight there is a 6-7 hour layover in Mexico City. I am really phsyched but want to take all precautions! Also would like to know about the bus route from quito to Mindo ( about 1 hr North West of Quito)? Thanks for any and all advice. =D
Reply to this Hello Kari 😊
It has been 9 years since I was in Quito. I took a taxi to the airport. I think that is safe enough. At the time the dangerous part of the city was the old part. I dont know how much that still applies. But, I think you will be safe everywhere, so long as you make sure the hostel is open all night and the taxi takes you right to the door. Women are generally given the rooms with the most security in S. America. You will likely get the one with the best lock or the one nearest to the reception.
Mel
Reply to this I arrived in the Quito airport at night when I was there a few years ago and spent some time on the transportation systems after dark. I generally felt as safe traveling there as I would any other city (and I was a young female traveling with several other young females, so traveling with a child I'm sure you'll encounter even less hassle, of which there was very little to begin with). None of the taxi drivers tried to scam me/us but simply took us where we asked to go.
Reply to this Thank You for you responses! Any info on the roads traveling from Quito to Mindo? Also are there any hostels you could recommend?
Reply to this I was on a bus from Mindo to Quito, but was traveling from the the eastern part of the country on the way there so I don't quite remember what specific road it was.
I vividly remember my drive along Hwy 30 leaving Quito to be full of twists and turns the mountains with steep drop-offs on the side of the road. I thought the views were incredibly, but several people I was traveling with were scared of heights and refused to look out the window. I don't recall the drive from Mindo to Quito to be quite so harrowing (it was on another road, probably the route you'll take) - so either I was already conditioned to the mountainous curves, or that road route was relatively mild. Lovely views. Most of the roads seemed well kept, although Ecuadorian drivers seem to have absolutely no concept of a "no passing zone."
In Quito I stayed at the
Hotel Real Audencia. It's not that close to the airport so if you're just staying there the night it's probably out of the way. In Mindo I stayed at
El Gallo de la Pena. As to how these compare to other places in the area, I can't honestly say, but I found both to be clean and well kept, with adequate hot water and a friendly staff so I wouldn't object to staying there again.
Reply to this Cool, I am happy to get any inside info. I found I am a bit scared of heights last year in the Ruidoso Mountains. I guess its time to conquor the fear =0 Yikes. Although I 'll be praying the whole time.
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