GEOGRAPHY: Ecuador - South America is bounded to the north by Colombia , to the east and south by Peru, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. There are three distinct zones: the Sierra or uplands of the Andes, running from the Colombian border in the north to Peru in the south, of which there are two main ranges, the Eastern and Western

Cordilleras (divided by a long valley); the Costa , a coastal plain between the Andes and the Pacific with plantations of bananas, cacao, coffee and sugar; and the Oriente , the upper Amazon basin to the east, consisting of tropical jungles threaded by rivers. The latter, although comprising 36 per cent of Ecuador's land area, contains only three per cent of the population. Colonization is, however, increasing in the wake of the oil boom.

Climate: Warm and subtropical. Weather varies within the country due to the Andes mountain range and coastal changes. Andean regions are cooler and it is especially cold at nights in the mountains. Rainfall is high in coastal and jungle areas. In the Galápagos the weather is dry and mild.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens, and rainwear in subtropical areas. Warmer clothes are needed in upland areas.

Food: All meals are provided. It's exciting to try the exquisite local food, taste new and exotic fruits and the typical dishes prepared especially for you, all this is enough to satisfy even the most demanding of palates.

Accommodation: Volunteers stay in comfortable hotels, guest houses or suitable private homes and community centers; generally in double rooms. In some cases, single rooms may be arranged, although there might be an extra charge for this.

Transportation: During your stay travel by land; transfer to and from the airport to the hotel at arrival and departure times, and daily transportation from the hotel to the place of service will be provided.

Schedule and Free Time: The team work is carried out from Monday to Friday, during office hours. between the 8:30 a.m. 16:00 p.m. Afternoons and weekends are free for you to do any social or touristy activities alone or with the rest of the team. The tours in Ecuador are amazing experiences

The program costs include the following: Food, accommodation, transportation, team leader, project materials, program coordination; all the inherent costs of coordinating the volunteer team's work are covered by the Foundation and all the administrative expenses are covered by the service costs.

The program costs don` t include the following: Airfare, visa costs, pocket money for leisure time, alcoholic drinks, medical and travel insurance. The costs for canceling or transferring your place on the program are not covered by the program cost. All free time expenses are your responsibility.