i have done some of the west coast. my missus if from guayaquil in ecuador (hence the name) so go there a bit. there are some great places in ecuador. tana and banos are good for the activities, quito is worth checking out, some pretty good clubs there, but not cheap and cuenca is a really good town. its worth going up chimborazo too, which would mean a trip to riobamba. not much to do in riobamba, but we thought it had the potential, so could be worth a weekend there, rather than the weekdays that we stayed. obviously, guayaquil is worth a visit, but i found the smaller towns both better value for money and more welcoming but still with lots to do.

you can also get over the boarder into peru. its an experience going thru boarder control at night, but its like anything, be sensible and you'll be safe. peru i found is a bit more rebelious than ecuador. they don't seem to get on at the best of times, and there was a bit of animosity. northern peru though seems to be a bit of a party area. we went to mancura and had a cracking time. very cheap, hostels clean and mostly safe...we did get robbed on the full moon party evening, but i suspect we could have been a bit more careful. they are only interested in stuff they can sell though....left english money, credit cards, passports etc, just stole usd's and electicals. that happens most places in the world though, so don't let it put you off

if you are over on the west coast, go and see the galapagos, as they are starting to put a limit on the amount of tourists going out there, so could be worth doing while in the area. again, not cheap, but once in a lifetime opportunity.