Straddling the Equator on the Pacific coast, this small nation is richly endowed with snowy Andean Peaks towering over emerald green slopes, rivers winding through tropical jungles, and beyond this in the Pacific Ocean lay the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador offers an interesting blend of the colonial and indigenous cultures: charming towns and villages, colourful indigenous markets, pre-Columbian artefacts, and impressive colonial architecture.