In Ecuador, there's a Ministry of Tourism tourist information office (formerly known as CETUR) in every provincial capital and in other tourist areas. The quality of service varies widely from office to office - some are downright unfriendly, while others pull out all the stops to help. The majority of offices won't have an English-speaker on hand, but almost all will have rudimentary maps, lists of hotels and restaurants, leaflets, and probably basic information on any sites of interest in the area. The head office in Quito is friendly and helpful, though it isn't always well stocked with leaflets and maps.

Another good source of information is South American Explorers ( SAE ), a non-profit organization which provides the latest information on travel, research and adventure sports in Central and South America. Their Ecuador Information Packet and Galapagos Information Packet cost US$6.50 for non-members and can be ordered in the US on tel 1-800/274-0568, by fax on 607/277-6122, and online at www.samexplo.org . Membership is $40 per year ($70 for two people), which entitles you to use the clubhouse in Quito (plus two others in Peru at Lima and Cusco) where you can gain access to a range of maps, a lending library, bag storage, book exchange, phone, fax and email services, detailed country information and trip reports on everything from a Galapagos cruise to climbing Cotopaxi. You can join at any clubhouse or by contacting their US headquarters at 126 Indian Creek Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA (tel 607/277 0488, fax 277 6122, explorer@samexplo.org ). In the UK, The Latin America Information Centre , St Margaret's Chambers, 5 Newton St, Manchester M1 1HL (tel 0161/236 5906, fax 236 5907, laic@globalnet.co.uk ) is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness of Latin America. They have a free walk-in research facility, stocked with books, journals and reports, and send out weekly news updates on countries or regions as desired (around ?35 for a year's subscription).

One of the best ways of getting pre-trip information is via the Internet . The Latin American Travel Advisor ( www.amerispan.com/lata/ ) has recently transformed into an electronic publication, giving detailed reports on the public safety, political situation, recent weather phenomena, travel costs, economy and health risks for the whole of South and Central America from its base in Ecuador. LATA also offers a private expedition service for custom-tailored travel with a private guide in the country.