Tips for Traveling in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Jun 17th, 2009 | 07:01 PM
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Tips for Traveling in Guayaquil, Ecuador
I am an American citizen but my mother is Ecuadorian so we just came back from 2 weeks in Guayaquil visiting family and seeing the sights. Here are a few notes I'd like to pass along to make your trip a good one:
- Get traveler's insurance. We got ours from travelguard.com and it was worth the premium we paid. With basic coverage you are covered for everything from medical expenses to stolen/lost baggage. Well worth it as most US medical insurance plans do not cover you if you are outside the US.
- Always keep an eye on your luggage while at the airport. NEVER leave anything unattended. One piece of my luggage was stolen literally from right next to me. I walked out with two rolling carry-ons and stopped to hug my family members that were waiting for me. I put them on either side of me. When I checked, one was gone. When we checked the video footage with the airport security, it was a 11-12 year old girl who took the bag (obviously sent by someone who wanted her to steal). Thankfully, we were able to recover the loss of the bag and the items in the bag through our traveler's insurance. Luckily, the items in the bag weren't anything irreplaceable. Still, annoying and scary.
- Note that in South America it is perceived that the lighter (whiter) you are, the richer you are. Gringos are considered to be particularly wealthy. Try to blend in. Don't go around shouting in English.
- NEVER, EVER take a taxi off the street. It can be very dangerous (robbery, etc). Get taxis through your hotel always or find some secure car service through your hotel and use them exclusively.
- Dont eat or drink water in hole-in-the-wall places. Try to stick to decent, clean looking establishments. Always drink bottled water and try not to eat raw vegetables unless again you are in an upscale location.
- Although Guayaquil can be a dangerous place because of the extreme poverty in some areas (as there are fewer and fewer jobs), it really won't be dangerous at all if you use common sense. They steal cell phones, handbags, etc. Dont walk around on your blackberry unless necessary or with a handbag the looks very expensive. I have both, but when I went out I put my Chanel wallet away and used a small cheap change purse for my cash and one credit card. Don't bring out your passport or anything super valuable for obvious reasons. I always had my blackberry away unless I needed to use it. Dont go waving it around. Additionally, my Marc Jacobs bag went away and I used a simple canvas bag during the day. Nice things are fine in Guayaquil when going out to a nice dinner or to someone's home, but not in an artisinal market. See what I mean? Common sense. No big deal. It's really not that much different than NYC.
- Guayaquil is a beautiful and charming part of the world. The people are wonderful and kind, and the food is amazing. I got addicted to their "pan de yuca" which is actually cassava bread with cheese inside. Unbelievable. Also, they have a soda called "Tropical". It tastes like strawberry soda but its sooo amazing. Their supermarkets are impeccably clean and are stocked with everything. The malls hire their own hard-core security in their parking lots to protect their customers (these guys wear bullet proof vests and have real guns!), which shocked me but would make sense here in the states as well. I cant tell you how many times I run to my car (in an affluent part of NY) afraid that someone will jump from around the corner to carjack me.
- The sites you must see: Malecon 2000 (amazing, picturesque), Las Penas (look it up b/c its hard to explain but its amazing, cute little villages that you get to by climbing a bunch of stairs - I made it to stair #178!), La Chiba (the double decker bus of guayaquil, they sell drinks and play music-fun and you see the whole city without getting off the bus), San Marino Mall (its unbelieveable, nicer than any mall (I''ve been to in the states), and much much more.
- Do your research before you go and have a blast. I used to visit when I was a kid and still got the same amazing feeling when I just visited. It's good food, kind people and fun times.
Bon Voyage!
- Get traveler's insurance. We got ours from travelguard.com and it was worth the premium we paid. With basic coverage you are covered for everything from medical expenses to stolen/lost baggage. Well worth it as most US medical insurance plans do not cover you if you are outside the US.
- Always keep an eye on your luggage while at the airport. NEVER leave anything unattended. One piece of my luggage was stolen literally from right next to me. I walked out with two rolling carry-ons and stopped to hug my family members that were waiting for me. I put them on either side of me. When I checked, one was gone. When we checked the video footage with the airport security, it was a 11-12 year old girl who took the bag (obviously sent by someone who wanted her to steal). Thankfully, we were able to recover the loss of the bag and the items in the bag through our traveler's insurance. Luckily, the items in the bag weren't anything irreplaceable. Still, annoying and scary.
- Note that in South America it is perceived that the lighter (whiter) you are, the richer you are. Gringos are considered to be particularly wealthy. Try to blend in. Don't go around shouting in English.
- NEVER, EVER take a taxi off the street. It can be very dangerous (robbery, etc). Get taxis through your hotel always or find some secure car service through your hotel and use them exclusively.
- Dont eat or drink water in hole-in-the-wall places. Try to stick to decent, clean looking establishments. Always drink bottled water and try not to eat raw vegetables unless again you are in an upscale location.
- Although Guayaquil can be a dangerous place because of the extreme poverty in some areas (as there are fewer and fewer jobs), it really won't be dangerous at all if you use common sense. They steal cell phones, handbags, etc. Dont walk around on your blackberry unless necessary or with a handbag the looks very expensive. I have both, but when I went out I put my Chanel wallet away and used a small cheap change purse for my cash and one credit card. Don't bring out your passport or anything super valuable for obvious reasons. I always had my blackberry away unless I needed to use it. Dont go waving it around. Additionally, my Marc Jacobs bag went away and I used a simple canvas bag during the day. Nice things are fine in Guayaquil when going out to a nice dinner or to someone's home, but not in an artisinal market. See what I mean? Common sense. No big deal. It's really not that much different than NYC.
- Guayaquil is a beautiful and charming part of the world. The people are wonderful and kind, and the food is amazing. I got addicted to their "pan de yuca" which is actually cassava bread with cheese inside. Unbelievable. Also, they have a soda called "Tropical". It tastes like strawberry soda but its sooo amazing. Their supermarkets are impeccably clean and are stocked with everything. The malls hire their own hard-core security in their parking lots to protect their customers (these guys wear bullet proof vests and have real guns!), which shocked me but would make sense here in the states as well. I cant tell you how many times I run to my car (in an affluent part of NY) afraid that someone will jump from around the corner to carjack me.
- The sites you must see: Malecon 2000 (amazing, picturesque), Las Penas (look it up b/c its hard to explain but its amazing, cute little villages that you get to by climbing a bunch of stairs - I made it to stair #178!), La Chiba (the double decker bus of guayaquil, they sell drinks and play music-fun and you see the whole city without getting off the bus), San Marino Mall (its unbelieveable, nicer than any mall (I''ve been to in the states), and much much more.
- Do your research before you go and have a blast. I used to visit when I was a kid and still got the same amazing feeling when I just visited. It's good food, kind people and fun times.
Bon Voyage!
