Insurance

Travel insurance is a must for all visitors to Ecuador. Always take out insurance that covers both medical expenses and baggage loss, and read the small print carefully before you set off. Check that all the activities you may end up doing are covered. Mountaineering and scuba diving, for example, as well as the adrenaline sports practised in Baños and elsewhere, are excluded from many policies. Also check if medical coverage includes air ambulance and emergency flights back home. Mind the payment protocol, in Ecuador you are likely to have to pay out-of-pocket and later request reimbursement from the insurance company.

Have the receipts for expensive personal effects

like cameras and laptops on file, take photos of these items and note the serial numbers.