Plug into Nature’s Bounty at Sacha Lodge in Ecuador’s Amazon Basin by Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate   Like Jack on the beanstalk, we climbed up a giant wooden stairwell wrapping the kapok tree. A drenching rain set in before we reached a viewing platform above the protective canopy. We stood atop what must be the 9th wonder of the world with our heads tucked into the hoods of our ponchos waiting for the weather to change. Soon, blue skies opened over the platinum Napo River.   Pink flamingo hues softened gray layers of clouds. Shafts of light streamed down upon the... Read More

Riding High in Ecuador by Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate    Spirits soared as I galloped through undulating fields of shimmering wheat beneath a brilliant sun in the highlands of the Northern Andes of Ecuador. The sound of my steady mount’s hoofs upon the grassy lane and the brisk wind cooling my cheeks were all I thought of as I followed Sally Vergette’s lead across the top of the world. Far below, the villages resting in the Otavalo Valley surrounding platinum Pablo Lake looked like tinker toy towns from the lofty vantage of the condor. This romp with a band of nine... Read More

Saddle Up in Ecuador by Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate   What prompts a young Brit ensconced in the Parisian perfume industry to flee the continent in quest of creating the ultimate South American riding experience? That was the first of several burning questions I had for Sally Vergette, owner of RIDE ANDES, before joining her in Ecuador this September. I’m looking forward to romps through pastures in the shadow of snow-crowned volcanoes with other experienced riders on Sally’s fit and well-mannered mounts. Each day’s ride ends at a wonderful colonial estate like... Read More