Sara Tai
Travel Author
Lives in
Sydney, Australia
Favorite Destinations
About Sara
Sara is a passionate travel writer and photographer who seeks out unique adventures in beautiful places. She loves freediving, bird watching, camping and island hopping and often travels solo with her backpack.
After years pursuing a career in medicine alongside working at a bank, she found herself craving something more from life and so quit her job and travelled Australia for a year in an old 4-wheel drive. She has also extensively travelled South East Asia and hopes to make South America her next destination.
A self-confessed introvert, Sara enjoys expanding her comfort zone by travelling outside of it, and hopes to inspire others to do the same.
Sara's unique travel experience
My most unique travel experience was in 2022 when a random underwater photographer reached out to me on Instagram asking if I would come on a trip with him to dive in a lake full of stingless jellyfish. I had no idea what to expect but 3 flights and a boat ride later, we arrived at the most incredible set of islands on the coast of East Borneo. We had a 4-day private tour throughout the Derawan Islands with guides who spoke no English. We freedived with 6 whale sharks one morning (and no other tourists in sight). We also dived in caves and lakes and with turtles right out the front of our bungalow. I've never seen such untouched beauty!
Latest travel articles and insights by Sara Tai
The Amazon remains relatively dry in October, making this a great time to explore the jungle by foot for wildlife sightings and seeing caimans lay their eggs on riverbanks. The Galapagos Islands are also dry during this time, and cooler temperatures make for more pleasant hikes around the islands. In the Highlands though, rainy days are back and the region transitions into the low season. However, this also means you can find great discounts on tours and accommodation if you visit Ecuador in October.
Seasons are changing in Ecuador in May, with crowds set to roll in from next month, meaning you can still enjoy low season prices without the queues. With luscious green landscapes and a chance to see blue-footed boobies displaying their famous mating dance, May is a fantastic time to visit the Galapagos Islands. Mountain trekking also returns in May, but as the rest of the country heads into dry season, the rainy Amazon in May is perfect for adventurous rafters and kayakers. Read on to find out what your Ecuadorian holiday this month can look like.
The start of the Amazon rainy season offers fantastic opportunities to spot wildlife that are more elusive in the dry season, as abundant food supply draws them into the forest canopy. Hot, sunny days on the coast are perfect for beach lovers, while surfers make the most of the epic waves while traveling in Ecuador in March. This is also the best time of year for snorkeling and scuba diving around the Galapagos Islands, not only because of the pleasant warm waters but also for a chance to spot manta rays.
Ecuador in January offers warm sunny days in its coastal regions — perfect for a relaxing beach holiday. Meanwhile, most parts of the Amazon also see drier days and low water levels in the river, creating a perfect condition for spotting caimans, pink river dolphins and other Amazonian wildlife. January also marks the start of the low season in the Andes region of Ecuador, so you will find low tourist crowds in popular tourist destinations during this time. Whether you are planning for an island-hopping trip of the Galapagos, going wildlife spotting in the Amazon rainforest, or sightseeing, a trip to Ecuador offers plenty of sights and activities for travelers.
The streets are alive in Ecuador in February, as the carnival festivities begin. Join the locals in one of their biggest celebrations of the year. Exploring Ecuador’s coast is the thing to do this month. Crowds flock to the beaches to surf and soak up the sun. Nature and wildlife lovers, meanwhile, can head to the Ecuadorian cloud forests and the Galapagos Islands. To escape tourist crowds, visit the highlands, where fewer travelers venture on the account of rainy weather. Places like the indigenous city of Otavalo are less crowded with tourists this time of year.