Guayaquil is different, that's true. The coast in and of itself is very different. Guayaquil and Durán are the most gang-invaded zones - but they're not that nice to visit, either. Manta is the "safest" tourist part for now, the whole sierra - Cotacachi, Loja, Cuenca... - is still awesome to travel, same goes for the amazon and galápagos.
Guayaquil is different, that's true. The coast in and of itself is very different. Guayaquil and Durán are the most gang-invaded zones - but they're not that nice to visit, either. Manta is the "safest" tourist part for now, the whole sierra - Cotacachi, Loja, Cuenca... - is still awesome to travel, same goes for the amazon and galápagos.