When packing, think carefully about what you really need to take with you. Waste disposal systems in many areas of Ecuador are ill-equipped to deal with the increased pressures that tourism brings.

A few simple measures can make an enormous difference to the effect you have on your destination. Where possible, remove the wrapping of packaged goods before you leave.

• Environmentally-friendly detergents and shampoos for hand and hair washing are widely available. Please take these and use as little as possible. This will help to keep valuable fresh water supplies, rivers, streams and the sea free from pollution. Make sure you prevent your soap polluting someone else’s drinking water

• Opt for digital cameras and use solar-powered devices or rechargeable batteries

• As well as accentuating the gap between rich and poor, extravagant displays of wealth such as ostentatious jewelery and technological gadgetry can be an incitement to robbery. Please bear this in mind when deciding what to take with you, and avoid taking unnecessary valuables

• In many places, dressing inappropriately can be considered offensive