I woke up in the early morning with the worst itching of my life! Our lunch spot after the rafting trip was swarming with mosquitoes. We had been prepared for mosquitoes in the Amazon but were never warned about the rafting trip! Ironically, Sacha Lodge turned out to be no problem with mosquitoes at all as they can't breed in the black water which surrounds the lodge.
After a one hour delay at the airport due to a broken rear airplane door, we departed for the 30 minute flight to Coca. Coca has the feel of a "frontier town". We were picked up in a creaky truck with wooden seats constructed in the truck bed.
After some orientation and refreshments, we boarded our canoe for a 2-3 hour ride down the Napo River (yes it had a motor). The river is full of silt and requires constant back-and-forth maneuvering to avoid getting stuck. One can see the power of the river as evidenced by the thousands of trees falling into the river as the banks are constantly eroded. For the first hour of the trip, we watched a storm build to the south of us. Suddenly the boat stopped and ponchos were quickly passed out and we were told to "hunker down". Within minutes, the sky opened let loose. Despite wearing the ponchos, it was impossible to completely keep dry. My kids got a kick out of the fact that I was sitting near the outside of the windward side of the canoe and got the brunt of the storm.
We arrived at our landing point along the river and were met by more guides who escorted us on a 30 minute walk into the jungle. Immediately, one got the sense of entering a different world of water, sound and incredible plant life! Squirrel Monkeys scurried overhead.
We finally arrived at a small creek where we boarded small canoes and were paddled into a large black water lake called Pilchicocha. On the other side, we could make out the thatched roof of a boat house. I'm not kidding when I say that this looked like something out of Robinson Caruso!
After arriving at the Sacha Lodge, we joined a welcome reception in the sitting area of the main building which is a two story thatched structure with a quaint bar and plush wicker furniture. I was waiting for Humphrey Bogart to walk in!
Our cabins were very comfortable. I can't tell you how impressed we were with the facilities. I constantly found myself thinking about how much it must take to maintain the place which essentially sits on stilts above the water and mud.
On the evening of our arrival, Sacha hosted its once weekly barbecue at the boathouse. The food was delicious! We were all quite tired from traveling and went to bed soon after dinner. All of the mysterious and fascinating sounds of the jungle could be heard right out of the windows of our cabin. What an experience!
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.