seeking travel advice: ecuador

A dear childhood friend, Jen N. is planning a trip to Ecuador and is seeking some input and suggestions. She's planning on visiting three areas. Here's her basic itinerary:

Jen and a friend are flying into Quito and then thinking of heading towards beaches about mid-way down the coast (Puerto Lopez, Salango, Ayampe, Montanita areas), and then continuing south towards rainforests and working our way up through the forests and Andes Mountains. Some of the places she's started to pull out are the Mindo Cloud forest, Vilcabamba, Tene, Chiche Canyon, Tena, Termas de Papallacta. Then finishing with a day or two in Quito. She's arriving early on a Friday morning and leaving around noon the following Sunday.



If you have any suggestions, I'd love it if you'd comment here and I will pass them along. Muchos gracias!