Amazing day trip from Guayaquil! - What an incredible day trip from Guayaquil! We initially were worried that there would not be enough to do with 3 days in Guayaquil and we were wrong. We took this day trip to get out of the city for the day and experience nature so close by. Simon and Yamil were the best hosts we could ask for. Even better that Simón was a fellow Canadian for 12 years. We started early with a punctual pick up at our hotel and headed out of the city to Cerro Blanco National Park to see the howling monkeys. We picked up a ranger at the gate who led us on a great adventure into the forest. High along the River bed we found the monkeys. They were as interested in us as we were with them. Once returning back to the car (well supplied with cold water and beer after our trek), we made our way to the cacao farm. Full functioning with no other tourists, we were treated to a delicious shrimp ceviche lunch with fried plantains and juice from the cacao seed. Beautiful setting amongst the groves of fruit, nut and cacao trees. After a guided walk through the groves with lots of fruit tastings we made our way back to the city. It was absolutely perfect and Yamil and Simon shared all of their knowledge with us along the way. We would highly recommend this tour! Guayaquil is not what we had anticipated at all. We were initially worried about being in this big city but it has so much to offer, is safe and has lots to do. It was the perfect way to end our trip to Ecuador.

Worth an extra day in Guayaquil!! - I was extremely happy with my experience. I made last minute plans and Jamil was able to put together a nice day trip to the Cerro Blanco forest and to a cacao plantation. It was a private tour and Jamil was very accommodating. If you are stopping in Guayaquil on the way to the Galapagos spend an extra day in the city and one more doing a tour like this. Very worthwhile! Thanks!

Amazing day trip - Our hotel recommended this tour to us and we booked the tour with Yamil one day before the tour started. Everything went very well and we had a great day. First we went into the forest and were lucky enough to see some monkeys sitting in the trees by the trail. After the hike, we stopped at Finca Cumanda and spent several hours walking through the plantation, tasting various types of fruit and learning a lot about cocoa cultivation and the production of chocolate. Thank you very much for the wonderful experience.

Fantastic Adventure - We LOVED our “outside the norm” adventure! Yamil and his father, Simon, were fantastic guides; we learned so much - from the jungle fauna, howler monkeys and then off to the cocoa farm where we had an AMAZING traditional meal before we set off to harvest and make our own chocolate!! One of our best Ecuadorian adventures - and the chocolate from the farm was a fantastic gift to family and friends.

Fantastic Private Tour! - This private tour was great. They picked us up at our hotel in Guayaquil and off we went. Yamil was our guide for the city and countryside tour. The then handed us off to another guide (Simon) who took us up into the forest and to the cocoa farm, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw quite a few howler monkeys . We hiked further into the forest to see the beautiful waterfall. The cocoa farm tour was great! We had a good lunch of fish soup and plantain cups filled with avocado - yummy. The tour of the cocoa farm was wonderful and we were amazed at the fruit pods hanging on the trees. Having the opportunity to experience this tour was great. I would highly recommend this to everyone.

Excellent, memorable day. - From the start Yamil and Wendy were incredibly warm and friendly. We loved the cacao farm experience and eating fresh chocolate- amazing! The forest was beautiful but had a TON of mosquitoes. Yamil kindly lent us extra bug spray and some extra long-sleeved shirts to further protect us. Super thoughtful!

Trip to the forest and Cocoa farm - We had an absolutely fantastic day hiking the forest to see the Howler monkeys. The flora and butterflies were beautiful. Our guide Simon was very personable and knowledgeable about the natural history of the area. I learned so much. The trip to the farm was interactive and memorable. The family owned Cocoa farm had a wide variety of fruits and plants to taste and experience. Traditional food was cooked using the harvest from the farm and was absolutely delicious. Thank you to our charming hosts. Truly a unique and valuable experience. Thank you Yamil and Louise for an unforgettable day.

Perfect Personalized Tour! - My wife and I took the full day tour that include hiking through a very large protected nature reserve just 20-30 minutes from Guayaquil, and then a surprise visit to nearby cocoa plantation to learn how to make chocolate and sample the product. Both aspects of this tour were amazing and truly unforgettable. Yamil was our tour guide for the day and he brought along another expert field guide, Daniel, for the nature hike portion of the trip. They were both super knowledgeable and thoroughly described the abundance of flora and fauna species in the reserve. The subsequent trip to the cocao plantation was a surprise to us at the time and we really enjoyed that as well. Yamil gave an interesting and broad explanation of Ecuador’s position in the economy of South America and the world in regards to the farming and production of chocolate, bananas, and other crops. Delicious food and drink was also provided! This was an excellent personalized tour and a perfect end to our honeymoon trip in Ecuador! Highly recommend!

Friendly, personal, knowledgeable guide, passionate about sharing his knowledge - Since the first moment I saw Yamil I was filled with warmth and passion for Guayaquil! The day unfolded with a first trip to the historical parc where Yamil took lots of pictures and explained to me the architecture and natural wonders of Ecuador, while also referring to the history of the country. Following we stopped in Plaza Lagos for a great coffee and sweets to relax and recharge in anticipation of visiting Malecon and Las Penas taking the 444 steps to Piazza Sta Ana where the lighthouse offered us 360 degrees views of the area. Yamil created an experience of visiting with a good friend. One of the best tours I ever had!! We exchanged also knowledge of languages - he taught me a bit of Spanish and learned a few new English words from me ... We both agreed on Italian :-)