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Rating: 
Summary: Best Book Out There
Review: I just used this book for a great trip to Ecuador. I consider myself an adventurous, independent traveler, but I don't need to suffer in bad hotels and eat tasteless cheap food to earn travel stripes. Yes, you can go to Ecuador for pennies a day, but I prefer to get a good feel for the culture, stay in small, unique hotels, and eat flavorful local foods. This book helped me do that perfectly. It is right on. I appreciate the authors opinions, who obviously have the same travel requirements that I do...small, unique, interesting...I like getting somebody's opinion rather than a whole laundry list of alternatives with no real feedback about how to spend my limited vacation time. I still had an inexpensive trip, but it was really nice as well. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Are You a Tourist or a Traveler?
Review: This book's slogan "Be a traveler - Not a tourist" had me questioning the definition of those words throughout my trip. This book is easy to read, and is a good guide if you want to live Ecuador on the beaten path. When selecting a hotel or restaurant from this book we could trust that it would be a nice respectable place with good service/food/lodging/etc. The print in it was the largest of the 3 books we used, making it the largest & least compact book. The maps in the book were our least favourite as they had very little detail. Ecuador is an inexpensive country to visit at the moment. The book's Budget section only lists the higher priced budget options ($15 for a double room when there are decent $4 options around.) The recommendations in the book did not guide us to "locals" places; our neighbors in the hotels & restaurants recommended by the book were all tourists. We followed the book's 'budget' recommendations, and ended up spending much more money then we would have without the book, but staying in nicer hotels and eating in 'safer' (tourist friendly?) restaurants. I would recommend this guide if you want to tour Ecuador without getting your feet too dirty. If you are looking for a shoestring traveling experience, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book Out There
Review: This book's slogan "Be a traveler - Not a tourist" had me questioning the definition of those words throughout my trip. This book is easy to read, and is a good guide if you want to live Ecuador on the beaten path. When selecting a hotel or restaurant from this book we could trust that it would be a nice respectable place with good service/food/lodging/etc. The print in it was the largest of the 3 books we used, making it the largest & least compact book. The maps in the book were our least favourite as they had very little detail. Ecuador is an inexpensive country to visit at the moment. The book's Budget section only lists the higher priced budget options ($15 for a double room when there are decent $4 options around.) The recommendations in the book did not guide us to "locals" places; our neighbors in the hotels & restaurants recommended by the book were all tourists. We followed the book's 'budget' recommendations, and ended up spending much more money then we would have without the book, but staying in nicer hotels and eating in 'safer' (tourist friendly?) restaurants. I would recommend this guide if you want to tour Ecuador without getting your feet too dirty. If you are looking for a shoestring traveling experience, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Are You a Tourist or a Traveler?
Review: This book's slogan "Be a traveler - Not a tourist" had me questioning the definition of those words throughout my trip. This book is easy to read, and is a good guide if you want to live Ecuador on the beaten path. When selecting a hotel or restaurant from this book we could trust that it would be a nice respectable place with good service/food/lodging/etc. The print in it was the largest of the 3 books we used, making it the largest & least compact book. The maps in the book were our least favourite as they had very little detail. Ecuador is an inexpensive country to visit at the moment. The book's Budget section only lists the higher priced budget options ($15 for a double room when there are decent $4 options around.) The recommendations in the book did not guide us to "locals" places; our neighbors in the hotels & restaurants recommended by the book were all tourists. We followed the book's 'budget' recommendations, and ended up spending much more money then we would have without the book, but staying in nicer hotels and eating in 'safer' (tourist friendly?) restaurants. I would recommend this guide if you want to tour Ecuador without getting your feet too dirty. If you are looking for a shoestring traveling experience, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely check out this title if you're Ecudaor bound!
Review: This book, dare I say, bests Lonely Planet all around. The husband-wife team has been wandering the backroads of Central and South America for more than a decade, and their grasp of local culture shows on every page. Like other Open Road guides, this title appeals to budget, real-world travelers; if you read Big World, you'll probably enjoy their titles immensely.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely check out this title if you're Ecudaor bound!
Review: This book, dare I say, bests Lonely Planet all around. The husband-wife team has been wandering the backroads of Central and South America for more than a decade, and their grasp of local culture shows on every page. Like other Open Road guides, this title appeals to budget, real-world travelers; if you read Big World, you'll probably enjoy their titles immensely.
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