Hacienda Zuleta - Ecuador

Trisha who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. A wonderful relaxing stay at a comfortable hacienda which makes you feel at home | The horses are very well trained in neck raining and the Ecuadorian / Western saddles with the sheepskin are very comfortable. Due to the very wet weather and ground we mostly only walked. However the fantastic scenery when in view through the clouds was fabulous. I did 7 days of different half day rides varying from 2-5 hours which was fine, as the weather was too unpredictable and wet to picnic and do full days. My English speaking guide Ivan was excellent describing the history, culture and geography of the region. When he was not available then Mauriceio my Host who also rides accompanied me.

[ITS replies: Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your holiday. It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed your time at beautiful Hacienda Zuleta].

Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?

My room was very comfortable and looked out onto a courtyard. I loved the wood burning fire at night and the hot water bottle in the bed. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The community sitting room was comfortable with a lit fire throughout the day and tea and coffee on hand. (I had brought my own decafinated Yorkshire tea and they do not stock black tea).

It was lovely at 6pm when guests convene for drinks and cheese tasting and Margarita from the family would join the guests and regale us with stories of the hacienda and history of the family.

I enjoyed the home cooked food, especially the soups at lunch and the evening.

How could we improve the way we handled your booking and payment?

Everything was fine and the information itinerary booklet was excellent.

Do you have any other feedback for us?

Abbie was exceedingly helpful tirelessly answering all my queries and questions. I had a good idea what to expect and the transfers to and from the Hacienda were excellent. I even spent the Saturday in Otavalo visiting the market with Ivan accompanying me which was wonderful.

I loved the Hacienda, all the staff were most helpful especially my host Mauriceo was excellent seeing that I had activities organised and enjoyed the horses that I rode. I would not suggest anyone going there in February as it was grey sky and rain every day, they thought May was the best time or the dry season for better riding weather. I was disapointed that there were no other riding guests and I had to get used to sitting at a table on my own, it would be much better with a group or a friend but I still enjoyed the holiday.

It is a long way to go if you are just riding but excellent holiday if visiting other parts of Ecuador or like myself the Galapagos Islannds.

[ITS replies: Sorry to hear that you experienced such a wet week. Being right on the equator, it can rain at any time of the year in Ecuador. The general pattern is that from February until June, the weather is characterised by sunny days with showers which are sometimes heavy. June, July, August and September are usually drier. October to January is pleasant, with occasional showers.]