Hiatus... Hoping: Peru

Maps:


National Geographic's
JiWire's wifi hotspots (not so hot...)


Pillars: Spanish study, volunteering, Inca study, Machu Pichu


Amauto - MB  Language school in Sacred Valley (40 min drive from Cusco) and in Cusco.  Sacred Valley accommodations are on-campus; homestays in Cusco.  Also has facilities in Argentina.


United Planet - Community development volunteering with homestay, bit of Spanish instruction, and excursion out of Cusco.  Optional add-on to floating islands of Titicaca.  Canadian based non-profit.  MB; this combo sounds good


Spanish in Peru - Language school with locations in Cusco, Sacred Valley and Tambopata.  Advertises a family program.  MB

Amigos - Language school with attached youth program; Cusco


San Blas - Language school in Cusco.  Says they have a program for kids.  MB


Casa de Avila - Hotel / hostel / language school in Alquileda (?) which has an enormous TA following


Machu Pichu:


Mountain Lodges of Peru - NGT-rec trek company that runs lodge-to-lodge trek on non-Inca trail ($$$)

REI lodge trek - very similar itinerary

Recommended Accommodations:


Lima: Second Home Peru: MB, Frommers rec; TA feedback very positive

Lima: Casa Andina San Antonio:  MB, Frommers rec but TA feedback mixed


Cusco: Ninos Hotel: MB, Frommers rec as great for kids; TA feedback positively rhapsodic; run by founders of Fundacion Ninos Unidos Peruanos; have four apartments suitable for families


Cusco: Casa Andina Cusco Korichanda: MB, Frommers rec; TA feedback generally positive.  (Note: there are four other Casa Andinas in Cusco; the Private Collection tier is more luxe)


Cusco: La Casa de Don Ignacio:  MB, Hospitality school associated; TA feedback limited.  WiFi and computer room on-site.  Same school runs a restaurant in Lima as well.

Ollantaytambo: Apu Lodge B&B:   (unvetted, but): has nice list of things to to in/around Ollantaytambo (from which bus to MP departs)


In-Country Logistics:


South American Explorers' Club - Lima and another clubhouse in Cusco -  LP, TA and Frommers all say to join.  Both Amauto and Spanish in Peru language schools give a 10% discount to members, so it would pay for itself for a family.  The Cusco clubhouse runs a Pub Quiz every Wednesday night, at which, evidently, it sells beer and uses the proceeds to support various local causes... which sound... well, maybe not so family friendly.

Hiatus... Hoping: Ecuador

Maps:

National Geographic's; shows national reserves

Basic zoom-able roadmap

JiWire's fascinating map of wifi hot spots (not, alas, too many in Ecuador.  Many more in Colombia; go figure)

"Pillars": Spanish study, ecology study, volunteering, Galapagos

Montanita: MB  Highly-rated language school with locations in Quito, Banos (S of Quito) and Manta (SW of Quito; beach). Manta location also has combination Spanish / PADI scuba programs (not clear if they'd be able to accommodate kids) and looks like most suitable beachside Spanish school option for our family.  Homestays or apartments in all three locations. Will organize half-day volunteering as well for 4 week stays. Also organizes side excursions, including to Galapagos.

Simon Bolivar: Language school with locations in Quito, Cuenca, and especially promising-looking beachside Palmazul (which is, alas, over budget).  Cuenca location  MB , which is supposed to be a worthwhile destination unto itself and is also within day trip reach of Ingapirca, looks like most suitable location for us.  Also partners with others to organize volunteer opportunities and excursions, including to Galapagos. Frommers gives star; brief reviews here and here.

Andean Global Studies: Language school with location in Quito, and partner arrangements with other schools (possible those above?) in Manta, Montanito, and Cuenca.  Arranges volunteer stints, including with Jatun Sacha.  Can string together multiple locations.  MB

Puka Inti: School in Quito; can arrange in multiple locations including Otalvo, Mindo, Galapagos and Yarina Lodge/Amazon.  NGTraveler did feature suggesting they accommodate families at MB.  Can also arrange volunteering (not clear re: families) and longterm gap year stints.  Unusually thoughtful website, including prompts to think through goals and motivations.

Instituto Superior de Espanol: 6 locations, including Quito, Otavalo NQB, and Galapagos.  Frommers gives two stars; also I like their emphasis on teaching methodology.  Otavalo location (of the famous handicraft market; a destination unto itself) the most intriguing looking for us.  Not clear about suitability for families.  Galapagos program includes Santa Cruz-based land portion with afternoon excursions plus a 1-7 night boat/yacht excursion at the end, at various levels of comfort / expense.

Bipo & Toni's: Quio: Frommers gives two stars; home stays and volunteer opportunities.  Website navigates best if you happen to speak German, but it looks quite promising.

Yachana Lodge: NQB NGTraveler award-winning ecolodge in Tena (N of Quito) which also runs a Spanish program run by Yanapuma (see below). Evidently a portion of lodge profits are plowed into local technical high school. Organizes transportation from Quito and has a travel agency arm as well. TA feedback limited but positive; look for review from mother who took all 5 of her kids ages 8-19.

Yanapuma: appears to be a loose confederation of Spanish teachers who will go pretty much wherever you want, and provide private or semiprivate Spanish lessons along your way.  Interesting, if budget-busting, model.


Amazonas: Frommers-two-starred; multiple locations including one (rather dear, Santa Cruz based) option in Galapagos.  Not clear if they can accommodate families (can do one-on-one classes, but accommodations may be tricky)

United Planet - Conservation project in Nanegalito that looks appropriate (not clear re: families; teaching and orphanage projects as well)

Book Bus Ecuador: 2+ week stints; mostly homestays; bus runs all year in one of 4 locations: Tena/Amazon jungle (Jan/Feb/March); Esmereldas/ Pacific Coast (April/May/June); Puerto Lopez (June/July/Aug); Riobamba/High Andes (Sept/Oct/Nov/early Dec)

57-day Trip by VentureCo combining language school in Quito, 2 weeks on Book Bus, and trip to Machu Pichu and Lake Titicaca, which would appear to get 3 birds within one set of logistics (whole lot of days traveling by bus; and not clear if they'd take families, however)

Ecoventura's Galapagos trip: Best fit of all I've seen so far (20 passenger boat, Frommer recommended guides; family programs).  Does not exactly fit the budget, sigh...

WWF Galapagos trip (once a year)

Global Volunteer Network (the well-rated NZ non profit) supports 5 different conservation-oriented projects throughout Ecuador, including the San Cristobal center in Galapagos; not clear how many (if any) are appropriate for families.

Jatun Sacha: Courses and volunteering in reserve and Galapagos itself.  Can volunteer directly, or go through several of the main agencies.  Lots of feedback out there on the volunteer experience; looks very interesting for later phase but not really suitable for families.  Look into the courses.

Global Volunteers: Family-appropriate project with Fundacion de Damas Calderones (FUNDAC), agency in Quito working with disadvantaged children. Start dates are episodic.

(no CCS programs in Ecuador)

Arte del Mundo- Library / tutoring / English school in Banos looking for volunteers (answered LP request for family volunteering opportunities, though web site specifies age 23+)

Cloudforest Conservation in La Hesperida, Ecuador (90 km from Quito); specified elsewherethat they are very flexible with families; have Montessori school on premises; on-site Spanish classes as well; 4 week commitment preferred

National Geographic's breathtakingly expensive but doubtless very well narrated Galapagos expedition

Recommended Lodging:

Black Sheep Inn - MB in Quilotoa (4 hours mostly S and a bit W of Quito) - Rural but posh ecolodge repeatedly recommended/awarded by National Geographic Traveler and others. All-vegetarian menus.  They have a relationship with a local library and school and will happily accept not-too-old (see website) used laptops. They will organize transportation from Quito upon request. Very extensive TA feedback which is almost uniformly positive.

El Monte NQB  Sustainable Lodge - Mindo (2 hours' drive N of Quito; Equator Monument is more or less on the way) cloudforest; written up in NGTraveler; looks comfortable but not over the top. TA feedback mixed.

Hacienda La Alegria - Within striking distance of Quito; has extensive horseback riding program; recommended by Frommers as a top pick for kids.  Near Cotopaxi National Park / volcano.  Has family suites.  Extensive and very positive TA feedback.

Hacienda Rumiloma - 2 hours north of Quito, super luxe, recommended by NGTraveler; TA feedback is limited but very positive.

Kapawi Ecolodge - 6 hours SE of Quito in rainforest near Peruvian border -- remote fly-in only; recommended by NGTraveler; TA feedback generally positive (I think R&A stayed here?)

Sacha Lodge - Loooong way from Quito (fly in) on coast; organizes 3 and 4 day boat excursions to Galapagos as well; recommended by NGTraveler

Napo Wildlife Center - within Yasuni National Reserve; first fly then take a dugout canoe; TA feedback extensive and generally positive.

In-country logistics:

South American Explorers' Club - Quito Clubhouse - Both LP and TA fora recommend joining, and dropping by, to vet travel agents / immersion schools / host of other logistics

(get name of travel agent R&A had such a good experience with)

VentureCo: Used by Book Bus; also runs own programs throughout South America, including to Galapagos

GapAdventures: Used by wideworld family to Galapagos; also runs all sorts of other places

Tauck: Travel agency recommended by Frommers for family excursions, including to Galapagos

Cotopaxi: Ecuadorian travel agency also recommended by Frommers

Links to others' experiences:

Wideworld: Especially nice writeup (kids 13 and 9ish), along with kid-friendly youtubes

Family with similarly aged kids

RTWFerrers with boys 10 and 12