Move Over, Rio – Quito is South America’s Hottest Must-See City

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/move-over-rio-quito-has-arrived/article12786249/

JUDITH RITTER, QUITO — Special to The Globe and Mail

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Intag Cloud Forest

Thanks to newly paved roads, this remote area of northern Ecuador is more easily accessible….so our tour this fall will spend three days and two nights learning about the abundant bird life, the exquisite unique plant life and the kind people who will be our hosts. I took a short trip here last March and knew it was a place to return to explore – join us in September 2013!

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New York Times Travel 9/18

36 hours in Quito featured in the New York Times

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Future travel dates

Hi All, We have had several requests for different travel dates. January and February are best for the High Sierra Tour to Ecuador. In Peru, the weather clears up in the Urubamba Valley by March and the trains run more frequently through the mountains by April 1….So let us know when you would like to travel and we can fit you into small groups forming at specific dates.

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Return to Refresh and Review!

Hacienda Cusin, and its sister inn, Las Palmeras in Otavalo, Ecuador are the highlights of my trips to the Mitre du Monde – the middle of the world!

Ecuador; a spectacular country of diverse cultures, enormous volcanoes and mountains that create abundant variety in an area the size of France. 

It may be hard to imagine wanting to fly south in the summer from North Carolina, but I can’t wait to return where the day is equal to the night all year long and the change in the weather is determined by what altitude you choose. 

Next year, I am heading back during the winter months when the Berkshires are chilly and dark. The light will do me good and the tranquil pace of the country will be a breath of fresh air!

I am planning to visit the most affordable place to stay, in the hillside peublo of Quiquinche at the beautiful rebuilt inn, Las Palmeras. With views of three mountains, it is attractive, comfortable, and the staff are eager to help with the details of travel – the bags arrive in the rooms, coffee is hot every morning, rooms are spotless and the gardens are abundant with flowers and blackberries. Meals are delicious three course events featuring fresh grown vegetables, unusual juices and fruits, and meats and fish beautifully prepared in the Ecuadorian style.

I expect to visit owner, Nik Millhouse, who will be staying at Hacienda Cusin. He is a great host and ready to provide all the information and history most of us/ I am able to absorb. The history of Cusin, establsihed in 1602 on thousands of acres, is reflected in all the renovations since he took ownership in 1990 and continues with a plethora of innovations. The décor of the rooms is constantly updated with fabulous examples of local artisan’s handicraft – including ornately carved furniture, indigenous paintings on sheep skin, hand woven alpaca bed covers and religious vestments and European tapestries on the walls. On the last trip, the improvements were a new grand entrance and new wifi service. What to expect this year?

I am looking forward to the choices that abound each day; whether it is a visit to the church in the square at San Pablo del Lago, a rose plantation tour, a taxi ($5) to the leather village for a little shopping trip; a drive up the mountain to the raptor preserve or a stroll through Peguche park to the waterfall. Maybe I will sit on the veranda and practice my Spanish with a local teacher, or maybe I’ll trek around Guinea Pig lake with a guide. Surely, I will return to the abundant Otavalo market, known to be the largest in South America. And of course I will ride horseback up into the hills for a close look at small farms and large fields with indigenous people leading a lifestyle repeated for hundreds of years.

In the evening, there will be a log fire in my room, and in the dining area, even in the summertime when temperatures dip into the 50’s. I hope to again spend evenings among friends and new acquaintances passing through. I might watch a film, check the news on my computer (wifi available) sketch in my journal in the library or sip an after dinner drink at the bar.

Before I go, it will take just a minute to pack. I’ll take a few things to carry in a light bag. I can get laundry done easily for a very reasonable rate, so I only need two or three changes of clothes. Of course, a fleece is a good idea, but I can pick up a new alpaca sweater in the market, or perhaps at one of the high end boutiques in Quito. I’ll need really good walking shoes, a rain jacket and a hat, since the sun shines directly down in the middle of the day. And I’ll be glad to have a few extra art supplies to give away to the children who I meet along the way.

It will be great fun. Can’t wait to go back! Chao!

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Considering your travel plans

When considering travel to South America, contact us to design itineraries for your interest and experience. We can arrange the details. In addition to the trips listed to the High Sierra of Ecuador, and the Peru explore, New View Tours offers extension trips to the Galapagos Islands, to Machu Picchu, to the cloud forest, and to the Amazon jungle. And a new tour is in the works; a four day extension tour to the north of Lima takes you to the high desert near the coast where the most Moche ceramica is found.

Look forward to hearing from you! Ramelle & Michael

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Read About Our Trips

Elizabeth Morten of Dovecote Decor has written an excellent post on her blog about our trip which includes beautiful pictures.  Please visit http://dovecotedecor.com/pages/blog.html

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Hacienda Cusin & El Monestario & Las Palmeras Inn

Our High Sierra Tour will travel from Quito across the equator to the High Sierra region of Ecuador. Here we will stay at El Monestario on the grounds of the beautiful 1602 restored Hacienda Cusin in San Pablo del Lago.  We’ll explore the craft villages, walk around volcanic lakes, and experience the enormous Otavalo markets …  by artist Guyasaminwww.newviewtours.com.

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Why travel with New View Tours?

Well researched itineraries, excellent accommodations, affordable prices
and friendly service are the benefits to traveling with us.

Deadlines are fast approaching.

Contact us now to sign on for:
the High Sierra Tour in Ecuador (2/15 – 22, 2011) orTextiles & Treasures in Peru (Mar 23 – April 1, 2011) Mountains in the Sun ( 10 days in Sept 2011).

We have 11 years of experience leading groups to these destinations.

Stay in touch with us as new tours become available.

Tour Leaders,

Ramelle and Michael Pulitzer, Jr.

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What is included on a New View Tour?

I was just asked this important questions by an experienced traveler who is coming on their first trip to South America! Basically, the price includes all lodging, all transfers, most meals (clearly listed in the itinerary) and transportation to the destinations listed on the itinerary. Not included: international airfare, trip insurance, exit taxes, museum entrance fees, tips, liquor, laundry and other personal expenses.

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Stockbridge Library Talk

On Thursday, Dec 12, 2010 at 7 PM please join us for a talk about travels to Ecuador and Peru at the Stockbridge Library, Main Street, Stockbridge, MA. Learn the explorers who paved the way to the beautiful High Sierra of Ecuador and the plateaus of the Sacred Valley in Peru. We will touch on the scientists Humbolt, Darwin, and Hiram Bingham then the Hudson River School artist, Frederic Church. We will bring images and stories of our own travels, our itineraries for future tours – and look forward to seeing you there! Ramelle and Michael at New View Tours!

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The itinerary

Tour details of each trip come together for each itinerary – and then we rearrange priorities of the day based on your interests: birdwatching? fishing? horseback riding? photography? writing? sketching?  history? gardening? fine art and architecture?

And the activity level of each traveler will make a difference in the timing of each day. Plan to have a great time – all day!

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Contact us!

Welcome to the New View Tours website. We hope you enjoy! To contact us, please click Contact and send us your name, e-mail, phone number, best time to call, and the tour that interests you! Until then, travel safely!

Ramelle and Michael

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