Ecuador sits right on the Equator, but its landscapes and climate are governed by altitude: from the sultry tropical coast to the dizzy heights of ice-mantled volcanoes at over 7,000m above sea level, there's huge diversity. It's a tiny country, you can travel from one highlight to another on relatively short, scenic drives or short domestic flights. This holiday of just over a week takes you on an amazing road and rail trip through the Andes, visiting indian villages  where the inhabitants, who still wear their colourful fabrics, maintain a lifestyle little-changed since Spanish colonial times. 

The colonial period is not neglected: you'll stay on one of the haciendas originally granted to the Spanish conquistadors, the restored historic core of Quito and Cuenca, a quintessential example of colonial grace and grandeur.