What To Bring

  For daily life:

  • The currency in Ecuador is US dollars, the exchange rates aren’t very good with other currencies but most banks do work to withdraw in ATMs at the two cities near us. Note that it can be difficult to change $20 bills and higher, bring enough small denominations with you ($5 and $10 bills) for small purchases like food and transport until you can withdraw more at ATMs in larger cities.
  • Spending: about $5 – $10 per day on food, which works out to be $150 – $300 per month (depending on your preferences)
  • Please register with telegram app as some people have problems receiving text message, we use it for our group messaging, events and general info.
  • Claro sim cards (chips) work best in our area, they can be purchased in any big city for ~$5-6 and are useful if you plan to travel around Ecuador or in the cities near us, but not critical since we have WiFi in most community areas and the signal can be weak from the local cell towers.
  • Rechargeable USB Flashlight or headlamp (check local shops or amazon)
  • Poncho (the quality can be better from amazon) or umbrella (can be purchased locally)
  • Shorts and long pants and shirts (good in the evening when there are gnats)
  • Sun hat, bandannas or handkerchiefs (can be purchased locally or borrowed from us)
  • Air-tight, sealed bags to avoid mold on clothes 
  • Natural and biodegradable soap, shampoo, detergent etc. such as Dr. Bronner’s natural soap
  • A quality daypack/small rucksack for buying fruit from town, going on long hikes, etc.
  • Enema bag if interested in fasting and detox

If you are volunteering, bring:

  • your own tent or arrange with us beforehand to use one of ours if we have one available. If interested in renting a room or cabin please check the Room Rental page and ask us about availability.
  • a sleeping pad and sleeping bag/bedding. You should be able to find a foam sleeping pad at the Gualaquiza store called Kapedi or at Mall del Rio in Cuenca for ~$12, if you are passing through there on your way here. Either at the camping store or the Coral.
  • Work clothes and work gloves (we may have spare ones for short stays, or they can be purchased in local towns)
  • 1-2 sheets and 2 thin blankets (temperature during the nights can get as low as 16 celius (60 F) during the wet season, or 17-19C during the dryer ones). Bedding, sheets, pillows and blankets are included for room renters.

Optional items that could be good to have, but not mandatory:

  • Seeds/cuttings: papaya (like red lady or other dwarf varities), herloom tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, any wet tropical loving plants
  • Hemp seeds for consumption (they are rare and more expensive in Ecuador compared to USA or other countries)
  • Essential oils, incense and natural bug sprays
  • Basic personal first aid kit (including for certain insect bites or illnesses)
  • Water-resistant walkie-talkie with standard CB frequencies (FRS/GMRS to be compatible with our radios such as baofeng uv-9r)
  • Quality pocketknife
  • Sewing kit or other hobbie items
  • Personal dishes if you’d like: spoons, forks, chop sticks, bowls, and glass/plastic tupperwear containers, water bottle, juice/nut milk bag, peeler/zoodler
  • Wood carving tools to make things from wood such as spoons or forks, etc.
  • For those interested in alternative currencies: crypto hardware wallets, silver and gold coins from APMEX or Provident Metals, if you are interested in transacting in PMs to move away from the paper money of the corrupt central banking system. See this page for more information.

Books

Feel free to bring a book to donate to the Fruit Haven library! We have an extensive collection, but we could really use the following titles:

Fruit Tree Tools


Optional items that will be useful if you want to learn more advanced methods of working with fruit trees:

  • “Silky saw“ for pruning fruit trees
  • “Fleco” brand pruning shears for nursery work and pruning
  • A grafting knife if you want to learn how to graft fruit trees, and grafting tape, thin parafilm kind that works for budding, and/or grafting wax

Long Term Stays

Are you buying land here? Or planning to stay for a few years? Here are some things you might find useful or to bring for those that are.

  • Precious metal coins/bars (see above) – for transacting with other community members
  • Bitcoin hardware wallet such as the Trezor One, and a stainless steel seed word storage device such as the CryptoSteel or various copycat products.
  • A handheld HAM radio (Baofeng/BTECH are affordable brands ) – This can help you maintain contact around the large Fruit Haven properties.
  • If you will be building a house with a solar system, it is a good idea to bring an inverter and charge controller with you to avoid import taxes.
  • Electronics such as: laptops, cell phones, portable speakers, cameras etc. will likely cost more in Ecuador than your country because of high import taxes.