An Orchid of the Andes

I recently attended the annual World Travel Market in London and met the new Ecuadorian Tourism Minister Sandra Naranjo. She gave a press conference emphasizing the country’s ‘mega-diversity’ and the natural and cultural reasons to visit the country and not just their Galapagos Islands.

David and Sandra Naranjo (3)

I was impressed with how passionate Sandra is about her country and was pleased to hear how her government is devoting more resources to marketing Ecuador to Europe and the UK. Select Latin America was one of the first companies to offer tours to all parts of this small but diverse country from the headwaters of the Amazon to whale-watching in the Pacific. For a first visit to Latin America we highly recommend Ecuador.

Orchids of Ecuador

One of the lesser known facts about Ecuador is the abundance of orchids, over 4000 species, mainly found in the cloud forests either side of the Andes. The Ecuadorian stand at the trade show highlighted this with an award-winning display of orchids and also roses (which are a big industry there). The country is also renowned for its gourmet chocolate and I was delighted to watch a display of making a fruit and nut brittle and taste some of the World’s best chocolate…

Chocolate making display Ecuador stand #WTM14 1

Chocolate making display Ecuador stand #WTM14

RELATED: Our picks for the 2018 hotspots in Latin America

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