When I had eight hours to decide whether to send someone to scout Ecuador as a potential group trip destination (while I was in the middle of a move, prepping for several weeks of back to back Cuba trips, and basically in the midst of total chaos), Krista Parks was the first person who came to mind. Not because I had a formal plan, but because I knew she'd say yes without blinking — and she did.

What started as a small group scouting trip with other travel industry professionals ended up being a private, one-on-one tour of Ecuador with our incredible guide Jose, and it couldn't have gone better. Krista went in not knowing what to expect and came back a self-proclaimed bird watcher, cacao convert, and Ecuador evangelist. She hand-fed hummingbirds at sunset with the Andes as her backdrop, crawled through a cave that only four people know how to find, met with an all-female Amazonian tribe and their shaman, got a medicinal cacao facial in Mindo, and ate octopus in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. That's the pure magic of Ecuador.

We're officially taking a group there for New Year's Eve 2027, and after hearing everything Krista experienced, I am convinced this was meant to be. Listen in to hear everything we'll be doing on our upcoming group trip, and then make sure to claim your spot ASAP. There's no promise we'll be doing this one again!

Upcoming Trips Mentioned:

Ecuador: NYE 2027 (December 26, 2026-January 2, 2027)

Links & Resources (Krista)

@krista_kat901
Episode 19: Trusting Your Gut: How Body Wisdom, IFS, and Astrocartography Guide Travel Decisions

Links & Resources (Laura)

Follow my personal IG: @lolawhiskey
Follow my business IG: @lauraericsongrouptrips
Follow our podcast: @type2travelpodcast
Learn more about upcoming trips: lauraericson.com
Check out our podcast page: lauraericson.com/podcast
Join my Facebook group: @lolalovestravel

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