Your bags, safe while you’re in the Galápagos

In making these arrangements, Allyson wrote me to treat her as my friend in Guayaquil. In fact, she was like a best friend. The tour was amazing. She made everything run smoothly and led our family on a terrific tour of the Cocoa farm. We made our own chocolate and had a delicious farm to table lunch while the chocolate was cooling. We loved the city tour which she adjusted per our request as it was a long day - our first in the country. She is a lovely woman and has perfect English. She is extremely knowledgeable about her city and country. She went above and beyond by helping us arrange airport transfers both leaving Guayaquil and on our return. I do feel as if I have a friend in Guayaquil and would recommend her to anyone looking for the perfect guide while visiting.

Vivien M. · United States

Allyson Aleman was the perfect guide for us. We were two people who booked this tour months prior to landing in Ecuador. Allyson kept in contact with us periodically and then the day before the tour confirmed all arrangements. She is a very pleasant person and very knowledgeable about this chocolate making tour - plants, process, products. It was hands on and loads of fun besides being educational. I’d recommend her to anyone.

Clinton L. · United States

Lilian was an awesome guide. She arrived on time, stayed long enough to cover everything we wanted to do and did not rush us. She walked with us to all the places on our list and had the cards for the Aerovia cable car to make it easy to purchase the tickets. She told us about which places were safe and kept us away from places that were not safe. She even took us to a great souvenir shop and helped us with the shopping. She went out of the way to recommend vegan restaurants we should try! She also told us of a safe walking route to go see the giant monkey statue (Estatua Del Mono Machín) within walking distance of the hotel but in the median of the Juan Javier Marcos y Aguirre road on the way to the airport. Every attraction on our list was a hit and worthy of the visit - the 444 steps through Las Penas neighborhood to El Faro, the lighthouse, the cable car ride from Malecon to Duran and back to Cathedral, the nearby Cathedral, the Iguana park on the way to the Municipal building and the plaza in front, the Art University all opposite the Malecon, the semicircle Rotonda monument and the 2 things we did on our own - the walk to the giant monkey statue (Estatua Del Mono Machín) and the evening walk along the Malecon near our Wyndham Santa Ana hotel. Remember to wear full sleeves and long pants to stay safe from the bugs near the river eager for human blood as you walk the Malecon in the evening or sit out to eat an eatery off Malecon.

Sightseer788980

We have been on a number of Tours by Locals outings. Before going into specifics, we’ll start by saying that the tour we had with Allyson Aleman on Guayaquil, Ecuador was easily the most enjoyable, informative, and rewarding tour we’ve ever had. Guayaquil is one of the two main jumping-off points for the Galapagos Islands, the other being Quito. Guayaquil may be less well known, but as far as we are concerned, it is absolutely not to be missed. And Allyson is the guide you want to have. She has lived here her entire life, loves the city and its environs, and is incredibly well-connected. We spent an entire day roaming around, and we lost count of how many times people on the street greeted her or were greeted by her, waved to her, shouted out to her: she seems to know everybody in this city of 3 million! This personal connection played great dividends, because she was easily able to get us into any place she wanted to show us because, well, she knows everybody! Our day began with a tour of Guayaquil’s beautiful Municipal Cathedral. We were able to get a rare inside look of a gallery hidden in the walls that encircles the structure high up above the floor, on the back side of stained glass windows depicting over 100 saints. Afterwards we strolled through parks and other sites where Allyson pointed out statues of important figures and gave a us a great overview of Ecuador’s history. We ended up at the waterfront (on the Malecon) and had a look into the fascinating Museum of Archeology and Modern Art, before sitting down for a wonderful lunch at a fine restaurant right by the river. A stop for some of Ecuador’s excellent coffee followed. After strolling through some older neighborhoods we took a cable car ride across the water to have a look at the communities on the other side. We finished our day back at our hotel. Even though the tour was described as 6 hours, Allyson spent well over 7 hours with us. While she offered us rides from place to place, we are walkers and were happy to do all of our exploring on foot. Ecuador is reknowned for its Cacao farms and the chocolate that they produce, and Allyson mentioned that she was available the following day if we were interested in an excursion to one. We immediately agreed, and we were treated to a ride out of the city to Finca Cumanda, a small farm run by Roddy and Alexandra, a couple who are justly proud of what they have built. They showed us the entire chocolate making process (and they let us help!), from hacking open the cacao fruit, extracting and drying the beans, separating and roasting the nuts inside, and finally processing all the way to amazing bars with complex flavors—nothing like the Nestle’s back home! We always thought that Belgian chocolate was the best in the world. The fact is, the Belgians have come here to learn how it’s done! Afterwards Roddy and Alexandra treated us to a delicious traditional lunch, entirely from the farm’s produce. Then back to our hotel, after another amazing day with Allyson Aleman.

Carrie Schore

Allyson was a phenomenal guide for us. She made sure pick up went seamlessly at the airport and accommodated our requests along the ride for food stops! She's knowledgeable and personable and super easy to work with. I especially appreciate that she made sure we got a local feel for things.

Faith Hoenecke

Thank you Allyson! My wife and I had a day in Guayaquil before heading to the Galapagos. Allyson gave us a fun and informative time. She made us want to come back and see more of her beautiful country. See you next time!

Wayne D. · United States

On time pick up from our hotel. Tour around the highlights of the city. Guide was very knowledgeable and personable but the city itself is just not that scenic.

Trevor R. · United States

Wir hatten einen sehr schönen Tag mit Allyson. Bereits im Vorfeld war Allyson sehr kommunikativ und der Ausflug selbst war bestens organisiert. Vielen Dank Allyson gerne wieder.

Klaus W. · Germany