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The Spirit of the Andes ~ 2 Night/3 Day tour

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STV Super Specials
What do these rates mean?

* STV Super Specials are STV's usual SUPER Discounted Special rates, GENUINELY and STRICTLY ONLY available for TRAVEL INDUSTRY Employees resident globally, and are classified as an Employee Benefit. (Available to Airline, Travel Agent, Tour Operator, ATC & Airport Handling Agent Employees)

* You must be a Travel Industry Employee and you must be registered with STV (Free) to be able to book our STV Super Special rates.

* Minimum one Travel Industry Employee per room. You are required to present your I.D. / proof of employment on check-in.

* There is no limit to the number of bookings per year you can book (unless stated otherwise)

* Friends and Family cannot book STV Super Special Rates. They can accompany you but must stay in the same room as you (some hotels permit an extra room for Friends & Family and if so this will be stated on the hotel page, but you must always be included in the booking and be staying at the hotel).

* PAYMENT & CANCELLATION: With STV Super Special rates you only need to pay a very small refundable deposit within 14 days of making your booking, or right away if travelling short notice, and the main balance of the booking is paid direct to the hotel, usually on check-in. It is FREE to cancel or amend dates for your booking, often right up to and including the day of check-in, making these rates great for standby travelers (see each hotels payment & cancellation terms). When you make a booking request with STV Super Special rates and it is confirmed, you do not need to go ahead with the booking and can cancel immediately without paying a deposit if you wish.

* Remember STV Super Special Rates are only available for Airline & Travel Industry Employees as an employee benefit and are the lowest rates you will ever find.

MORE INFORMATION

* True Airline & Travel Industry Employee rates are known as ON REQUEST. This means you choose your hotel and Super Special rate and submit your booking request through our website and you will receive a response back from the hotel as soon as possible. Because the rate is so highly discounted, the hotel 1st needs to check if they have enough spare rooms to agree to let you pay these exclusive Travel Industry Employee rates. The hotels will often reply to you the same day but be prepared to wait up to 24-48 hours ~ It's worth it!

* BEWARE of other Interline/Agency companies telling you they offer Genuine Airline & Travel Industry Employee rates with 'immediate confirmation'! This is simply not true, and you are being misled. Hotels need to manually check their availability for Genuine Travel Industry employee rates and this can take 1-2 days. This is why they are known as ON REQUEST rates.

* BEWARE. If other companies tell you your Friends and Family can use the same rates as you unaccompanied, you know they are not genuine Travel Industry Rates! No hotels allow Friends & Families to book genuine Airline & Travel Agency Employee rates unaccompanied, so they are simply selling you rates that are also available to the general public through other channels.

STV have different rates available to Friends and Family to enjoy unaccompanied, they are called STV Direct rates. Because we source such rates in bulk and are the only truly global client and leading company selling holidays to Airline and Travel Agency Employees and their Friends and Family (we have served travel industry employees resident in over 200 countries ~ almost every single country on the planet), we always have the lowest STV Direct rates available anywhere. See STV Direct for these great deals for you and your Family.

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This tour takes in the best the area has to offer, from stunning natural landscapes and unique wildlife, to picturesque towns, and even an Incan fortress. 

Educational Rates for Travel Industry Staff

Day 1 ~ Visit Cotopaxi National Park 

Route: Quito, Patate 
This tour starts in Quito and finishes in Cuenca.
Early in the morning, depart from Quito to the Cotopaxi National Park, an ecological sanctuary covering 36,000 hectares (88,920 acres). The park is dotted with stunning volcanoes, including the highest active volcano in the world. Created in 1979, it is the second biggest national park in Ecuador and second most visited after Galapagos National Park. The area has an impressive amount of birdlife with Andean gulls, ducks, several species of hummingbirds and even the odd condor. 

This national park is a nature lovers dream, and an introductory briefing about the Andean paramo and moorlands, and its flora and fauna will be given in the small Interpretation Center.

This is followed by a hike around Limpiopungo lagoon, and for those that have the stamina a 40 minute hike to José Ribas Refuge. Lunch will be at the Hacienda La Cienega.

From here you will continue on to the charming town of Patate to spend the night at a 300 year ­old hacienda “Hacienda Leito”, featuring a covered Spa with wide windows and surrounded by nature. Facilities include a swimming pool heated to 29º C, Jacuzzi and Turkish and Polar Baths (B, L) 

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Day 2 ~  Visit Route of the Cascades 

Route: Patate, ­Baños­, Abraspungo 
After breakfast, take a spectacular walk along the gorge of the Pastaza River to the small but cosmopolitan town of Baños (Baths), right at the foot of Tungurahua Volcano. This mystical town of waterfalls and hot springs is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Amazon."

From here you will take the Route of the Cascades until you reach El Pailón del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron), a beautiful waterfall surrounded by subtropical vegetation and orchids. Lunch will be at Samari restaurant. In the afternoon take some time to explore the town and get to know the people and the culture.

From here you will head up to the magnificent Chimborazo mountain, the highest in Ecuador, to take in the impressive view of the Ecuadorean landscape below. Overnight at Abraspungo. (B, L, D) 

Day 3 ~ Train Tour and visit to Inca Fortress of Ingapirca

Route: Riobamba, Alausí, Devil ́s Nose, Alausí, Ingapirca, Cuenca 
After an early breakfast you will depart for the next adventure. After a 2 hour journey passing through breathless landscapes and evergreen fields, you will reach the town of Alausi.

Alausi is considered the centre of the recent revival of the Ecuadorian Railway Company. The project to bring the railway back to life is considered an important project for many communities located along the railway line. 

The highlight would have to be the thrilling 800­metre (2630­foot) descent down the part of the track known as the Devil's Nose. At the bottom you’ll find the newly renovated Station of Sibambe. The train whistle calls guests back on board for the return to Alausí, where a light snack is served.

From here continue exploring the Andean mountains to the south, visiting the Inca Fortress of Ingapirca en­route, Ecuador’s most important lnca ruins. Lunch will be at Posada de Ingapirca. Arrival in Cuenca in the afternoon. End of the tour (B,L) 


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Please book 2 nights for this tour

Price inclusions and exclusions

Included:

  • Private transportation, English speaking guide, visits as detailed, meals as detailed (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner). Accommodation as detailed, train tickets. 

Not included: 

  • Meals not mentioned, alcoholic drinks, personal expenses, tips. 
  • Accommodation in Cuenca or transport out of Cuenca. 

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