@@susanshaver912 Us too!! Stay tuned to this channel (Plan Free, it's our travel channel) and also Ayr's hummingbird channel, linked above....more fancy hummers this coming winter! Where do you live Susan?
🤣 no! Don't! Lol We are so glad we have made you feel more level headed about travelling to Ecuador. And we are just sharing our experience at the time we went. Things change all the time but Sept is right around the corner. You'll be fine. It's really about keeping your wits about you and your eyes 👀 open. Thank you so much for watching and the positive comment, we appreciate it! Let us know how your trip goes!
Thank you so much for saying so! We happen to see your other comment on our aruma video first so now we understand where you found us you caught our Ecuador video first! Are you a traveler yourself and do you spend considerable time out of your home country? We appreciate your comment! That really helps our channel grow. And, we're here if you have any other questions, just comment anytime. 👍
We are glad to hear that you are grateful. We are also grateful for YOU and we thank you for watching and also for taking the time to write us a comment. We love that! Welcome to our channel, we are here if you have any questions! Ayr & Lori
Thank you so much for saying so Holly! We put a lot of effort into being rational, informative but balanced! We thank you also for watching, and we LOVE that you took a min to write us. We are here if you have nay more questions. Have you seen our "Cost of Living in Quito" video? th-cam.com/video/7NUcD7U64rM/w-d-xo.html
Thank you very much to sharing safety advice based on your travel experience. I wish more TH-camrs would present a balanced account of what places are like.
Gosh @gford9987, thank you! You humble us with your positive feedback. We're super glad you appreciate our down-to-earth nature and delivery style. We definitely work hard to portray the true risks that are around while balancing the beauty and awesomeness of locations. We really appreciate you watching and commenting Means a lot! We hope you get a ton more value from our channel and let us know if there is something else specific taht we can help with, either is Ecuador or anywhere else you think of traveling to, perhaps we've lived there! The safest if travels to you, Ayr & Lori
Great video thanks, it reminded me that it is always a good idea to think about safety wherever you travel. I'm going to Mexico for part of this winter and will take a money belt and follow your other safety suggestions while there.
@alanmiller6792 Awesome! Thank you for the encouragement and for liking our video! Money belts....aren't they great!? We'll come and meet you in Mexico and we can compare our money belt sexiness factor! 🤩
Thank you for your videos! I appreciate everything you’ve created. If you have a chance to visit the Galapagos, Tena, Mindo, and Cotopaxi please comment in your videos if those regions are safe ? Your observations are honest and I appreciate your perspective. I also love that I can hear the undertone of your Canadian accents 😊. Looking forward to your next videos!
Hi Sandy, we are so glad you found us and we really appreciate your positive comment. We try really hard to be REAL, in all th einfo we share as well as in our delivery. Of the specfic areas in Ecuador that you mention, we did have the forture to live in Mindo for 1 month and fell in love with the diversity and birds (specfically humminbirds) in that area! You can see Ayr's other YT channel on video that he was able to capture on those magnificent little creatures in the Mindo area! @ayrmiller8479 or here: th-cam.com/channels/IXZFLmFqBYaKfxwSZi0GPg.html We also lived in many other areas in Ecuador, jjust not the ones you mention. Mindo was very safe, we would even feel safe at night there, before 10pm. Hope that helps you out! We appreciate you!
Great video. I'm booked on a trip for the 26th of january, 2024 and we go to both Quito and Guayaquil for a couple of days. I don't plan to do much extra exploring given the current situation but if anyone has any additional advice they can share, given this context, I'd be grateful.
If you're already booked and are committed to follow through, then my advice is to have fun and make awesome memories! Generally speaking, currently it's probably best to limit your time as much as possible in the cities, and maximize your exposure to the rural/nature aspects of Ecuador. The people are more kind and genuine in the middle of nowhere! NOTE; Ecuador has declared a state of emergency as Jan 9th, 2024 due to cartel factions in-fighting, and government fighting both factions simultaneously. This again will be most prevalent in cities and tourists are generally not intended targets.
@louislangoulant2489 It makes us happy to hear we helped you! Truly. Hahaaaa you watched until the end, that's sweet man. 👌 Glad you liked that. We wish you the safest travels in Ecuador! Have you see our cost of living for Quito video?
My family and I have plans to be in mainland Ecuador for a week before flying out to Galapagos for a week. We have 3 young kids and were planning on renting a car and self driving - Quito, Papallacta, Tena, Banos and back up to outside Quito by the airport. My husband is concerned about the safety of driving ourselves - mainly being robbed or worse. He does speak fluent Spanish, not sure if that matters at all. We don't plan to be out at night beyond dinner time (7/8ish), and won't ever be driving at night. Wondering if hiring a driver might be a better idea, but that's hard with 5 (and costlier, and more restrictive than having our own car!)
Congratulations on your upcoming travels! You'll enjoy Ecuador, especially if you can linger in areas to really absorb the feel (people, vibe, food, culture, animals, birds etc). Well, we would say, especially with younger ones, that you'd feel WAY safer with a driver. There might be other families traveling in Ec and doing something similar to you...so glad you asked! We would say that being robbed with all your items in the car is a minor concern (but still possible) so having a driver does eliminate that as he can stay with the car when you go to see things. And then also having a driver eliminates all the police road check hassle. You'd just be a passenger and so all of the worry about papers, tire tread thickness (!) and EVERYTHING is just gone. You can literally sit back and relax. We took the bus because we did not want to pay the high price of the private driver but the one benefit you'll have with the private driver is he will probably be able to stop anytime someone has to pee or at any spot that you find interesting whereas on the bus we zipped right through until our destination because we didn't want to get off to see something and then have to wait for the next bus. There are pros and cons to everything! We really hope we helped with that decision. And we thank you for watching and commenting. Let us know what you decide! Ayr & Lori
Hey! We had exactly the same concerns, as we will be travelling with our sons..in the end we hired a local driver who will accompany us through our trip. A bit more pricey but at least we will not worry about the roads
@@annalazzaro5897 The private driver option was one we considered also. In the end we decided to keep costs lower and to give the buses a go. The bus option was awesome for us! They went everywhere, close and far and were SO affordable. They private driver option will be good too, especially if it is in your budget, because they will handle all the road blocks, avoid unsafe areas and can/will stop for you/your kiddoes if anyone need a break for the bathroom or leg stretches! Pros and cons to every choice, isn't there? Safe and happy travels and we are here if you have anything more to add or ask! Thank you guys for watching!
Ecuador overall is safe, however there are hot spots due to crime and insecurity. Visitors must be cautious and smart, should avoid conflict areas and navigate with extra caution. The most violent provinces are El Oro, Sucumbíos, Guayas. Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo and Santa Elena are the regions most affected by the violence.
Good areas to point out also, thank you for adding them! And, terrible things happen everywhere so there are even MORE places that could be added. But, we didn't experience any of then first hand and went with what we heard talking to locals in each area as well as some online statistics available. Totally agree with you that visitors and full timers shoudk ALWAYS be cautious and smart. Thank you for watching and so much for your comment! We appreciate that so much.
Hey! Planning on going to Quito and Banos for around 1 week... I'm worried about theft- I have heard not to have my cell phone out on the streets, I am curious if this is a super strict rule! Would love to take some pictures and I am just overall so worried that my phone or something else will get snatched. Wondering if Quito should be avoided?
Hi and thank you so much for your question! To be honest keto is so big and it really depends on which neighborhood you're planning to visit. We have heard that some neighborhoods in Quito it's best not to visit or ti6 be very careful, not to have your phones out etc. Other neighborhoods we were completely fine in. You're going to want to ask around in the neighborhoods that you plan to visit, ask the local people, talk to the person you're renting your room or apartment from to get their opinion on the areas you plan to go to. Even today we would still easily go back to Quito and enjoy many parts of the city and we would not recommend that you avoid it completely. Just get the information from the people on the ground as to which areas are safe and which ones to have caution in. Does that help?
Thank you for this informative video, we planned a family holiday in October and want to ensure to have a safe and enjoyable experience...what do you think about Puerto Lopez and surroundings? We would like to spend three days there as we want to visit Isla de La Plata and the National Park.
Hey Anna, you are most welcome! Lovely to hear of your upcoming trip. We lived in Ayampe for 3 months and loved that chill area. We enjoyed the beaches and slower vibe in Ayampe. We only travelled into Puerto Lopez for larger grocery stores, bakeries, home and computer stores for items we wanted to purchase for our rental apartment, etc. The buses between the 2 areas were fairly frequent, safe, inexpensive at about USD$1 each way per person and great. We did not spend extended time IN Puerto Lopez though so cannot comment directly on that small city. We do know that PL is the perfect location to catch a ferry over to Isla de La Plata so you've got that right! Thank you so much for watching and we are so glad it helped you out! Ayr & Lori
I am Canadian and have lived in Baños for 4 years now. Baños is super safe, as you mentioned. But Baños is an Ecuadorian tourist destination. So on weekends, the population quadruples or more....literally. People come in droves from Quito, Ambato and even Guayaquil. And with that comes opportunistic criminals. Watch your belongings with extra caution on weekends, especially pickpockets abound at crowded events like parades and fiestas. Also restaurant wifi can be an issue due to hackers. Just saying! But come to Baños, it is amazing
Hey Doug, I thank you so much for adding your specific location safety and security details in regards to the town of Banos (sorry, our keyboard won't allow the squiggle!! haha). Love it so much and people will be thankful you mentioned these great extra tips for them to be aware of when visiting! Thank you so much! We really appreciate you watching and taking the time to add yourself to the comments here, that means a lot! Have you done any traveling to the coast of Ecuador? Cheers to you, fellow Canadian! Ayr & Lori
We ARE travelling again Clemente! We are in Canada right at the moment and have finally had the time to edit all the information for this video on what we learned about the safety and security when traveling in Ecuador. We think people would be interested in what we learned. Sorry to hear that you feel stuck, at least you are "stuck" and allowed to stay now, with your temporary residency in Mexico, right? No pressure for you now. We hope you have peace about that and can find all the lovely things in your area to enjoy. We are SO happy you followed up with our help and advice on getting your temp res in Mx from our video! th-cam.com/video/DTLJiZphy2g/w-d-xo.html
Hi Daniel, Traveling with children is something we saw from time to time while we lived in Ecuador. People did not seem to have too many troubles that we heard about. You would just as a parent keep your eyes on your own items, your children's items as well as your children! Just normal caution but more things to keep and eye on. Does that make sense? Thank you so much for watching! 😊
You are very welcome. You'll be fine! Lots of other kids there too, travellers and locals. Enjoy the country and we hope you make awesome memories with your children 🙏 Ayr & Lori
We think it's always worth it to check, and yes if you have to worry about it, maybe pick another location, it's a big world! Thank you for watching and commenting.
Hi Darrell, well first of all thanks for watching and for your comment! We love that So, you have to keep in mind that when we made this video (see the publishing date?) there was a little bit of unrest at the time but it wasn't anything that we felt unsafe with as travelers. Since leaving Ecuador though things really took a turn for the worst and at the very moment of this writing (Apr 2024) we would not go back either! A lot has changed. We hope and pray that Ecuador can figure out and remedy it's miseries. The good people of the land do not deserve to feel frightened or uneasy. Gorgeous country once it settles down! We really appreciate your comment. 👍 Ayr & Lori
Your comments regarding precautions against street crimes and petty theft are common sense, as you state. But the larger question is how to react against the rising violent crime rates and narcoterrorism. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the murder rate has quadrupled in Ecuador. This is leading to political instability and quasi-anarchy. Make no mistake, the government is hanging by a thread. This weekend's snap election results may foreshadow added instability.
@krekhorohenian2154 Thanks for watching and commenting. We can agree with your points, and that if it was us planning a visit to Ecuador currently, we would likely postpone and observe for sometime first. Do you plan to visit Ecuador soon? Have you been there before?
@@PlanFree I lived in Ecuador during the 70s...went to high school there. Most of my family is there in Quito and Guayaquil. Needless to say, things have changed dramatically since then.Back then there was plenty of petty crime but little violence and no guns. Not so today. I was last there in 2015. Frankly, I don't see myself ever going back now.
@@krekhorohenian2154 gosh....and that can be said of quite a few places in the world now also. Too bad. What an interesting perspective you have. We wish we could get a glimpse of Ecuador in the 70's through your eyes, that would be cool. Thank you for adding to the chats here! Welcome to our channel, we hope we give you value along the way. ☺
@laurenn7774 Thank you for watching and commenting. We would love for you to expand on your comment here so that we all can get a clearer idea of what you are meaning to say. Cheers!🍹
No it isnt and many TH-camrs are misleading people. Though no group is perfect and many are censored by the admins based on their agendas, in the group Ecuador Expat Discussion, I think you will get a more realistic view
Tourists take stereotype to the extreme black and white exaggerated bias. Ex. Japan, Singapore are safe, mexico and colombia are super dangerous. In my opinion you should not be out at night anywhere you travel past 11pm.
You're right. A person doesn't have time to describe all the intricacies of safe or unsafe on every location. It varies. We almost have to be general. We describe an overall feel of a place when we live there longer term (longer than a 2 week vacation!). Hope it helped you! Welcome to our channel. Ayr & Lori
Comparison between the USA and Ecuador: - both countries have mass shootings in public places with innocent victims - murder rate USA is 6 or 7, murder rate Ecuador is 40 - in the USA most crime is reported, in Ecuador approximately 80% of the crime is not reported - in the USA most murder cases are solved, in Ecuador only 8% - in the USA the police almost always respond to emergencies, in Ecuador that’s a hit or miss - in the USA the police rarely try to receive bribes from citizens, in Ecuador it’s normal - in the USA people are allowed to carry guns because it’s an old constitutional right, in Ecuador people are allowed to carry guns as an emergency measure from the government because the government admits that it cannot guarantees somebody’s safety anymore - in the USA the police are well-trained and equipped, that’s not the case at all in Ecuador - US judges cannot be bribed, in Ecuador it’s normal to bribe judges to avoid going to jail - in the USA you don’t need to build a high wall around your house with electric wire on top, in Ecuador everyone has such high walls - in the USA you don’t see many security guards, in Ecuador it’s necessary to have them everywhere, even some ice cream shops in Cuenca have security guards who carry guns - extortion is almost non-existent in the USA, in Ecuador it’s big and even tourists and owners of more luxurious homes are targeted - the USA doesn’t suffer much from terrorism, in Ecuador it’s flourishing
Wow what a comparison. What the heck IS Sicko-pedia!? (Guess we'll have to Google it!) I dont know where those stats come from but we know that OUR message is from our own personal experience living in Ecuador for the last 6 months. ☺️👌
@JuanMoreno-wo5yb right. This guy is crazy. I hope his or her feet ever touch the ground. I was ROBBED once in the USA. No place is perfect. There is bad things happening just EVERYWHERE. BUT WE HAVE TO TRUST GOD
You're a generous guy we guess! Just let us know where and when you'll be doling those out! 🥑🫒 Thank you so much for watching! Let us know if we can help further!
This is more an American view … and for package deal travelers ! not driving in Ecuador ? Why ? We are driving and travelling around the world , so that comment is a little awkward and nonsense .. as it’s it’s also without any comment and relevance
Interesting @Longboard-Worldwide, very interesting....we are neither American OR a package deal traveller! Lol We have lived in multiple countries around the world for the last 12+ years. Many people do drive. It wasn't for us this time around in Ecuador. That's why. It wasn't nonsense too us. We heard about the police and terrible roads in Ecuador and made our choice. We loved the bus systems. For us they were cheap, comfy, and stress and bribe free! Everyone's different. And that's why we thank you so much for watching and adding your thoughts and comments to our video! That's awesome. May your world travels and driving be safe and blessed! Welcome to our channel 🥰
Interesting, we'd have to look into that further. We're fairly new to that site. But, Numbeo seemed quite accurate to us from what we felt, heard, chatted with people about and read about while we were IN each of those places. Thanks for watching, we're glad you are here! And super appreciate the comments!
Yeah... you know we feel so extremely fortunate to have been able to travel the country in 2023 long-term We still think people would be relatively trouble free but why take the risk when there's so many other options for countries to visit and live in? ...it might be best to avoid Ecuador at the moment, especially if someone isa little more risk averse or not as well traveled. Are you from Ecuador or have spent considerable time in Ecuador yourself? Thank you for watching and for your comment, love that! Ayr & Lori
heh heh, cute and cleverly written @kangaroocrypto4663! Love it! We try not too show our papayas....not really our style. For the most part. 😉 And it's funny, even when a person knows the risks/potantial dangers/is aware of things we still need good, gentle reminding. It's so easy to get caught up in the beauty of an area or planning/writting/talking on the phone in public and forget to stay aware and diligent. (read=ME=Lori!) We so appreciate you watching and being one of the first to comment on our new videos, thank you SO much!
That is exactly right. That's what we say also! ...perhaps we should also have said it in this video. It is an excellent point. Unfortunate but real and true and something to keep in mind. Thank you so much for watching our video, and we really appreciate you popping your quick comment for us and others to read. That's awesome.
As promised here's our hummingbird videos!🤩th-cam.com/channels/IXZFLmFqBYaKfxwSZi0GPg.html
Thank you - love hummingbirds!
@@susanshaver912 Us too!! Stay tuned to this channel (Plan Free, it's our travel channel) and also Ayr's hummingbird channel, linked above....more fancy hummers this coming winter!
Where do you live Susan?
@@PlanFree Marquette, Michigan, and Golden, Colorado
@susanshaver912 That's pretty cool-both of those locales will have hummingbirds, yes?
I’m going to Ecuador in September and I was quite concerned about safety but this has made me feel better. I won’t be showing any of my papayas!!!
🤣 no! Don't! Lol
We are so glad we have made you feel more level headed about travelling to Ecuador. And we are just sharing our experience at the time we went. Things change all the time but Sept is right around the corner. You'll be fine.
It's really about keeping your wits about you and your eyes 👀 open.
Thank you so much for watching and the positive comment, we appreciate it!
Let us know how your trip goes!
Excellent video.
Thank you so much for saying so!
We happen to see your other comment on our aruma video first so now we understand where you found us you caught our Ecuador video first!
Are you a traveler yourself and do you spend considerable time out of your home country?
We appreciate your comment! That really helps our channel grow. And, we're here if you have any other questions, just comment anytime. 👍
I'm grateful for the information who youtube is bringing to me about this beautiful country. I'll see how I can make it
We are glad to hear that you are grateful. We are also grateful for YOU and we thank you for watching and also for taking the time to write us a comment. We love that!
Welcome to our channel, we are here if you have any questions!
Ayr & Lori
Thank you for the info, it's very informative.
Thank you so much for saying so Holly! We put a lot of effort into being rational, informative but balanced! We thank you also for watching, and we LOVE that you took a min to write us.
We are here if you have nay more questions.
Have you seen our "Cost of Living in Quito" video?
th-cam.com/video/7NUcD7U64rM/w-d-xo.html
Thank you very much to sharing safety advice based on your travel experience. I wish more TH-camrs would present a balanced account of what places are like.
Gosh @gford9987, thank you!
You humble us with your positive feedback.
We're super glad you appreciate our down-to-earth nature and delivery style. We definitely work hard to portray the true risks that are around while balancing the beauty and awesomeness of locations. We really appreciate you watching and commenting
Means a lot!
We hope you get a ton more value from our channel and let us know if there is something else specific taht we can help with, either is Ecuador or anywhere else you think of traveling to, perhaps we've lived there!
The safest if travels to you,
Ayr & Lori
Great video thanks, it reminded me that it is always a good idea to think about safety wherever you travel. I'm going to Mexico for part of this winter and will take a money belt and follow your other safety suggestions while there.
@alanmiller6792 Awesome! Thank you for the encouragement and for liking our video! Money belts....aren't they great!?
We'll come and meet you in Mexico and we can compare our money belt sexiness factor! 🤩
Thank you for your videos! I appreciate everything you’ve created. If you have a chance to visit the Galapagos, Tena, Mindo, and Cotopaxi please comment in your videos if those regions are safe ? Your observations are honest and I appreciate your perspective. I also love that I can hear the undertone of your Canadian accents 😊. Looking forward to your next videos!
Hi Sandy, we are so glad you found us and we really appreciate your positive comment. We try really hard to be REAL, in all th einfo we share as well as in our delivery.
Of the specfic areas in Ecuador that you mention, we did have the forture to live in Mindo for 1 month and fell in love with the diversity and birds (specfically humminbirds) in that area! You can see Ayr's other YT channel on video that he was able to capture on those magnificent little creatures in the Mindo area! @ayrmiller8479 or here: th-cam.com/channels/IXZFLmFqBYaKfxwSZi0GPg.html
We also lived in many other areas in Ecuador, jjust not the ones you mention. Mindo was very safe, we would even feel safe at night there, before 10pm.
Hope that helps you out! We appreciate you!
Great video. I'm booked on a trip for the 26th of january, 2024 and we go to both Quito and Guayaquil for a couple of days. I don't plan to do much extra exploring given the current situation but if anyone has any additional advice they can share, given this context, I'd be grateful.
If you're already booked and are committed to follow through, then my advice is to have fun and make awesome memories! Generally speaking, currently it's probably best to limit your time as much as possible in the cities, and maximize your exposure to the rural/nature aspects of Ecuador. The people are more kind and genuine in the middle of nowhere!
NOTE; Ecuador has declared a state of emergency as Jan 9th, 2024 due to cartel factions in-fighting, and government fighting both factions simultaneously.
This again will be most prevalent in cities and tourists are generally not intended targets.
This was really informative. Thanks very much (including the trophy husband)
@louislangoulant2489 It makes us happy to hear we helped you!
Truly.
Hahaaaa you watched until the end, that's sweet man. 👌 Glad you liked that.
We wish you the safest travels in Ecuador!
Have you see our cost of living for Quito video?
My family and I have plans to be in mainland Ecuador for a week before flying out to Galapagos for a week. We have 3 young kids and were planning on renting a car and self driving - Quito, Papallacta, Tena, Banos and back up to outside Quito by the airport. My husband is concerned about the safety of driving ourselves - mainly being robbed or worse. He does speak fluent Spanish, not sure if that matters at all. We don't plan to be out at night beyond dinner time (7/8ish), and won't ever be driving at night. Wondering if hiring a driver might be a better idea, but that's hard with 5 (and costlier, and more restrictive than having our own car!)
Congratulations on your upcoming travels! You'll enjoy Ecuador, especially if you can linger in areas to really absorb the feel (people, vibe, food, culture, animals, birds etc).
Well, we would say, especially with younger ones, that you'd feel WAY safer with a driver.
There might be other families traveling in Ec and doing something similar to you...so glad you asked!
We would say that being robbed with all your items in the car is a minor concern (but still possible) so having a driver does eliminate that as he can stay with the car when you go to see things. And then also having a driver eliminates all the police road check hassle. You'd just be a passenger and so all of the worry about papers, tire tread thickness (!) and EVERYTHING is just gone. You can literally sit back and relax.
We took the bus because we did not want to pay the high price of the private driver but the one benefit you'll have with the private driver is he will probably be able to stop anytime someone has to pee or at any spot that you find interesting whereas on the bus we zipped right through until our destination because we didn't want to get off to see something and then have to wait for the next bus.
There are pros and cons to everything!
We really hope we helped with that decision.
And we thank you for watching and commenting. Let us know what you decide!
Ayr & Lori
Hey! We had exactly the same concerns, as we will be travelling with our sons..in the end we hired a local driver who will accompany us through our trip. A bit more pricey but at least we will not worry about the roads
@@annalazzaro5897 The private driver option was one we considered also. In the end we decided to keep costs lower and to give the buses a go. The bus option was awesome for us! They went everywhere, close and far and were SO affordable.
They private driver option will be good too, especially if it is in your budget, because they will handle all the road blocks, avoid unsafe areas and can/will stop for you/your kiddoes if anyone need a break for the bathroom or leg stretches! Pros and cons to every choice, isn't there?
Safe and happy travels and we are here if you have anything more to add or ask! Thank you guys for watching!
Ecuador overall is safe, however there are hot spots due to crime and insecurity. Visitors must be cautious and smart, should avoid conflict areas and navigate with extra caution.
The most violent provinces are El Oro, Sucumbíos, Guayas. Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo and Santa Elena are the regions most affected by the violence.
Good areas to point out also, thank you for adding them!
And, terrible things happen everywhere so there are even MORE places that could be added. But, we didn't experience any of then first hand and went with what we heard talking to locals in each area as well as some online statistics available.
Totally agree with you that visitors and full timers shoudk ALWAYS be cautious and smart.
Thank you for watching and so much for your comment!
We appreciate that so much.
Hey! Planning on going to Quito and Banos for around 1 week... I'm worried about theft- I have heard not to have my cell phone out on the streets, I am curious if this is a super strict rule! Would love to take some pictures and I am just overall so worried that my phone or something else will get snatched. Wondering if Quito should be avoided?
Hi and thank you so much for your question!
To be honest keto is so big and it really depends on which neighborhood you're planning to visit.
We have heard that some neighborhoods in Quito it's best not to visit or ti6 be very careful, not to have your phones out etc. Other neighborhoods we were completely fine in.
You're going to want to ask around in the neighborhoods that you plan to visit, ask the local people, talk to the person you're renting your room or apartment from to get their opinion on the areas you plan to go to.
Even today we would still easily go back to Quito and enjoy many parts of the city and we would not recommend that you avoid it completely. Just get the information from the people on the ground as to which areas are safe and which ones to have caution in.
Does that help?
Thank you for this informative video, we planned a family holiday in October and want to ensure to have a safe and enjoyable experience...what do you think about Puerto Lopez and surroundings? We would like to spend three days there as we want to visit Isla de La Plata and the National Park.
Hey Anna, you are most welcome! Lovely to hear of your upcoming trip. We lived in Ayampe for 3 months and loved that chill area. We enjoyed the beaches and slower vibe in Ayampe. We only travelled into Puerto Lopez for larger grocery stores, bakeries, home and computer stores for items we wanted to purchase for our rental apartment, etc. The buses between the 2 areas were fairly frequent, safe, inexpensive at about USD$1 each way per person and great. We did not spend extended time IN Puerto Lopez though so cannot comment directly on that small city. We do know that PL is the perfect location to catch a ferry over to Isla de La Plata so you've got that right!
Thank you so much for watching and we are so glad it helped you out! Ayr & Lori
I am Canadian and have lived in Baños for 4 years now. Baños is super safe, as you mentioned. But Baños is an Ecuadorian tourist destination. So on weekends, the population quadruples or more....literally. People come in droves from Quito, Ambato and even Guayaquil. And with that comes opportunistic criminals. Watch your belongings with extra caution on weekends, especially pickpockets abound at crowded events like parades and fiestas. Also restaurant wifi can be an issue due to hackers. Just saying! But come to Baños, it is amazing
Hey Doug, I thank you so much for adding your specific location safety and security details in regards to the town of Banos (sorry, our keyboard won't allow the squiggle!! haha). Love it so much and people will be thankful you mentioned these great extra tips for them to be aware of when visiting! Thank you so much!
We really appreciate you watching and taking the time to add yourself to the comments here, that means a lot!
Have you done any traveling to the coast of Ecuador?
Cheers to you, fellow Canadian! Ayr & Lori
Are you two traveling again?? I want to travel but I feel stuck for a couple of reasons. Have fun!
We ARE travelling again Clemente! We are in Canada right at the moment and have finally had the time to edit all the information for this video on what we learned about the safety and security when traveling in Ecuador. We think people would be interested in what we learned.
Sorry to hear that you feel stuck, at least you are "stuck" and allowed to stay now, with your temporary residency in Mexico, right? No pressure for you now. We hope you have peace about that and can find all the lovely things in your area to enjoy.
We are SO happy you followed up with our help and advice on getting your temp res in Mx from our video! th-cam.com/video/DTLJiZphy2g/w-d-xo.html
Sounds like a lot to stay cautions. What about traveling with children?
Hi Daniel,
Traveling with children is something we saw from time to time while we lived in Ecuador. People did not seem to have too many troubles that we heard about. You would just as a parent keep your eyes on your own items, your children's items as well as your children! Just normal caution but more things to keep and eye on.
Does that make sense?
Thank you so much for watching! 😊
@@PlanFree Thank you!
You are very welcome.
You'll be fine! Lots of other kids there too, travellers and locals.
Enjoy the country and we hope you make awesome memories with your children 🙏
Ayr & Lori
Anywhere that requires you to check or worry about safety and security is never great to travel to.
We think it's always worth it to check, and yes if you have to worry about it, maybe pick another location, it's a big world! Thank you for watching and commenting.
Ecuador is rated the least safe place in Latin America and that's saying something. There is no way I would go there.
Hi Darrell, well first of all thanks for watching and for your comment! We love that
So, you have to keep in mind that when we made this video (see the publishing date?) there was a little bit of unrest at the time but it wasn't anything that we felt unsafe with as travelers. Since leaving Ecuador though things really took a turn for the worst and at the very moment of this writing (Apr 2024) we would not go back either! A lot has changed.
We hope and pray that Ecuador can figure out and remedy it's miseries. The good people of the land do not deserve to feel frightened or uneasy.
Gorgeous country once it settles down!
We really appreciate your comment. 👍
Ayr & Lori
Your comments regarding precautions against street crimes and petty theft are common sense, as you state. But the larger question is how to react against the rising violent crime rates and narcoterrorism. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the murder rate has quadrupled in Ecuador. This is leading to political instability and quasi-anarchy. Make no mistake, the government is hanging by a thread. This weekend's snap election results may foreshadow added instability.
@krekhorohenian2154 Thanks for watching and commenting. We can agree with your points, and that if it was us planning a visit to Ecuador currently, we would likely postpone and observe for sometime first. Do you plan to visit Ecuador soon? Have you been there before?
@@PlanFree I lived in Ecuador during the 70s...went to high school there. Most of my family is there in Quito and Guayaquil. Needless to say, things have changed dramatically since then.Back then there was plenty of petty crime but little violence and no guns. Not so today. I was last there in 2015. Frankly, I don't see myself ever going back now.
@@krekhorohenian2154 gosh....and that can be said of quite a few places in the world now also. Too bad.
What an interesting perspective you have.
We wish we could get a glimpse of Ecuador in the 70's through your eyes, that would be cool.
Thank you for adding to the chats here! Welcome to our channel, we hope we give you value along the way. ☺
Also this is a low context culture, so keep that in mind
@laurenn7774 Thank you for watching and commenting. We would love for you to expand on your comment here so that we all can get a clearer idea of what you are meaning to say. Cheers!🍹
No it isnt and many TH-camrs are misleading people. Though no group is perfect and many are censored by the admins based on their agendas, in the group Ecuador Expat Discussion, I think you will get a more realistic view
We agree, sounds like you probably appreciate our approach in this video then?
Tourists take stereotype to the extreme black and white exaggerated bias. Ex. Japan, Singapore are safe, mexico and colombia are super dangerous. In my opinion you should not be out at night anywhere you travel past 11pm.
You're right.
A person doesn't have time to describe all the intricacies of safe or unsafe on every location. It varies. We almost have to be general.
We describe an overall feel of a place when we live there longer term (longer than a 2 week vacation!).
Hope it helped you!
Welcome to our channel.
Ayr & Lori
Comparison between the USA and Ecuador:
- both countries have mass shootings in public places with innocent victims
- murder rate USA is 6 or 7, murder rate Ecuador is 40
- in the USA most crime is reported, in Ecuador approximately 80% of the crime is not reported
- in the USA most murder cases are solved, in Ecuador only 8%
- in the USA the police almost always respond to emergencies, in Ecuador that’s a hit or miss
- in the USA the police rarely try to receive bribes from citizens, in Ecuador it’s normal
- in the USA people are allowed to carry guns because it’s an old constitutional right, in Ecuador people are allowed to carry guns as an emergency measure from the government because the government admits that it cannot guarantees somebody’s safety anymore
- in the USA the police are well-trained and equipped, that’s not the case at all in Ecuador
- US judges cannot be bribed, in Ecuador it’s normal to bribe judges to avoid going to jail
- in the USA you don’t need to build a high wall around your house with electric wire on top, in Ecuador everyone has such high walls
- in the USA you don’t see many security guards, in Ecuador it’s necessary to have them everywhere, even some ice cream shops in Cuenca have security guards who carry guns
- extortion is almost non-existent in the USA, in Ecuador it’s big and even tourists and owners of more luxurious homes are targeted
- the USA doesn’t suffer much from terrorism, in Ecuador it’s flourishing
I hope your message isn’t from SickoPedia… just saying!!!
Wow what a comparison. What the heck IS Sicko-pedia!?
(Guess we'll have to Google it!)
I dont know where those stats come from but we know that OUR message is from our own personal experience living in Ecuador for the last 6 months. ☺️👌
One of the most biased comments ever written on this subject. You pretty much sound like the typical inmigrant.
@JuanMoreno-wo5yb right. This guy is crazy. I hope his or her feet ever touch the ground. I was ROBBED once in the USA. No place is perfect. There is bad things happening just EVERYWHERE. BUT WE HAVE TO TRUST GOD
@@lephilosopheinconnu3952 who's comment....@lvovodedda 's comment?
What if I like sharing my papayas? 🤭
You're a generous guy we guess! Just let us know where and when you'll be doling those out! 🥑🫒
Thank you so much for watching! Let us know if we can help further!
This is more an American view … and for package deal travelers !
not driving in Ecuador ? Why ?
We are driving and travelling around the world , so that comment is a little awkward and nonsense .. as it’s it’s also without any comment and relevance
Interesting @Longboard-Worldwide, very interesting....we are neither American OR a package deal traveller! Lol
We have lived in multiple countries around the world for the last 12+ years. Many people do drive. It wasn't for us this time around in Ecuador. That's why. It wasn't nonsense too us. We heard about the police and terrible roads in Ecuador and made our choice. We loved the bus systems. For us they were cheap, comfy, and stress and bribe free! Everyone's different.
And that's why we thank you so much for watching and adding your thoughts and comments to our video! That's awesome.
May your world travels and driving be safe and blessed!
Welcome to our channel 🥰
Numbeo and others are based on opinions and not facts unfortunately.
Interesting, we'd have to look into that further. We're fairly new to that site. But, Numbeo seemed quite accurate to us from what we felt, heard, chatted with people about and read about while we were IN each of those places.
Thanks for watching, we're glad you are here! And super appreciate the comments!
I have the womens underwear with zipper pockets
That's actually COOL! ....you're probably pretty glad that youtube doesn't allow photos though hey!?
@@PlanFree They look more like shorts
@@Whatsupbuddiebud very cool item to have, we like it!
Lol. Cool !! 😅👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞
Don't do Equador in 2024
Yeah... you know we feel so extremely fortunate to have been able to travel the country in 2023 long-term
We still think people would be relatively trouble free but why take the risk when there's so many other options for countries to visit and live in? ...it might be best to avoid Ecuador at the moment, especially if someone isa little more risk averse or not as well traveled.
Are you from Ecuador or have spent considerable time in Ecuador yourself?
Thank you for watching and for your comment, love that!
Ayr & Lori
Some folks have more dollars than sense today unfortunately. Keep ya Papayas hidden
heh heh, cute and cleverly written @kangaroocrypto4663! Love it!
We try not too show our papayas....not really our style. For the most part. 😉
And it's funny, even when a person knows the risks/potantial dangers/is aware of things we still need good, gentle reminding. It's so easy to get caught up in the beauty of an area or planning/writting/talking on the phone in public and forget to stay aware and diligent. (read=ME=Lori!)
We so appreciate you watching and being one of the first to comment on our new videos, thank you SO much!
Gringos stand out like a sore thumb, so will alwaysssss be at risk.
That is exactly right. That's what we say also!
...perhaps we should also have said it in this video. It is an excellent point. Unfortunate but real and true and something to keep in mind.
Thank you so much for watching our video, and we really appreciate you popping your quick comment for us and others to read. That's awesome.