Date: 10/17/25 9:57 am From: Teresa Michelsen via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador?
It's my experience that Ecuador is generally variable. It's not the same at any given time. Sometimes it's 100% safe and beautiful, but there can be political instability. If you have guides or other locals with you, trust in them to know what to do. Keep an eye on what's going on the country before you go. One could say the same about the US right now, honestly.
Our family may have had bad luck, but we've had two trips to Ecuador cancelled due to basically revolutions or deposing of current leadership. My aunt and uncle were on a cruise ship so it was no big deal for them, they just didn't stop in that port.
In my case, I was on an ABA tour and exchange program and we had the bad luck of landing the day the President was deposed. Everyone who had arrived early either stayed safely at their remote lodges and enjoyed the birds OR folks in Quito were safely transported to the airport by the local guides, who also made sure we had food and water, and everyone shared their trip supplies. Several people got home on the last commercial flights out and the rest of us actually chartered a plane between us from Guatemala, which the officials held the airport open long enough for that plane to land and take off. It was clear that nobody on either side in government wanted a situation where foreigners were being held hostage in the airport or anything like that. It felt safe inside the airport, and at all times people were helpful not only to us but to all the travelers there, vendors staying open to supply meals, airport officials maintaining calm and making good decisions, etc.
I don't feel like it's a particularly dangerous country to travel in, it just isn't 100% stable. I've had more threatening situations in Mexico, in terms of personal safety in both city and rural environments.
