A combination Amazon trip with two nights at the Casa del Suizo and three nights in Sacha Lodge, Ecuador's premier rainforest lodge. Explore the Amazon with professional naturalists and indigenous guides without leaving behind your creature comforts - unforgettable Amazon travel!
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
The trip to la Casa del Suizo will depart from Quito early this morning, and the first leg of your journey brings you to Papallacta, a small mountain village famous for its natural hot springs. Take some time to visit these springs for a soothing swim in their thermal waters before lunch. You will continue your journey along a scenic stretch of road which takes you out of the majestic Andes highlands and down into the “Oriente”, or Amazon region. Along the way there will be several opportunities to stop for photographs overlooking lush green valleys and beautiful sparkling waterfalls.
The road ends at Punta Ahuano, a tiny port town on the North bank of the Napo River, where canoes await for a late-afternoon 20 minute ride downstream to la Casa del Suizo. This evening get settled, and enjoy a sunset from your swimming pool with a refreshing welcome cocktail.
Today guests will have a choice between several morning, afternoon and full day activities at la Casa del Suizo. The programs will begin after an early breakfast, and will be led by both native and bilingual guides. At all times these guides will be on the lookout for tropical birds while pointing out important aspects of the surrounding vegetation. You'll hike through the shadowed jungle canopy learning about the medicinal uses of various plants, or visit the celebrated animal shelter, AmaZoonico, where you can get better acquainted with the local exotic wildlife. Your time in the rainforest can also include a float down the peaceful Rio Arajuno.
After breakfast board a motorized canoe for the journey down the Napo, taking you farther and farther away from the Andes and deeper into the pristine Amazon rainforests. During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds such as herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys between the scattered native huts as the river slowly widens to a kilometer across! At a little more than halfway you will stop along the riverbank for a break and enjoy a box lunch before continuing on to Sacha.
Upon arrival to Sacha Lodge’s 3200-acre (1300-hectare) private reserve, guests will take their first walk along a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where several species of monkeys are often sighted. This path leads to Pilchicocha lake, a black water paradise where you’d least expect to find any sign of people, but dugout canoes (and even paddlers) await to carry you across the lake to the Lodge. The cries of tropical birds lead you to your final destination, which magically materializes out of the jungle at the last possible moment. You will arrive with time to settle in, birdwatch, swim, or take a walk under the canopy before dinner.
Your days at Sacha Lodge are filled with discovery. During excursions, visitors are divided into small groups (max 6), each with its own native guide and bilingual naturalist. Native guides carry a lifetime of knowledge about the medicinal and functional uses of rainforest plants. They proudly display the wonders of their home environment, sometimes even offering a tasty treat like the strange lemon tasting ants that coexist in the stems of certain trees. Naturalists, educated in biology and ecology, translate for native guides and complement excursions with explanations of the scientific workings of the rainforest.
Sacha Lodge has something for everyone. A favorite activity includes paddling dugout canoes along blackwater creeks and lakes past luxuriant lianas, bromeliads, and enormous palms. Swimming and piranha fishing are also popular (the piranha here are harmless, really!). And for the adventurous Ecuador traveler, there are night walks and canoe trips in search of caiman and other nocturnal creatures.
Sacha Lodge offers a number of very unique sites to its visitors. A 130-foot observation tower and a 940-foot canopy walkway both give visitors a chance to get above the rainforest canopy for incredible views of the area. These areas are also great places to observe toucans and other tropical birds and, with luck, spot noisy howler monkeys or a three-toed sloth. Another site is the butterfly house where over 40 local butterfly species are bred. Visitors can see the process of breeding and raising these colorful insects and wander through the "flying room." Finally, there's the Yasuni Parrot Lick. Just a short distance from Sacha Lodge is Ecuador's most famous parrot lick, where visitors can observe dozens of the magnificently colored birds feeding on the clay.
After an early breakfast, you'll head back up the Napo River for the flight back to Quito to complete your Amazon tour. At the airport, you'll be picked up and transferred to your hotel and have the evening free to enjoy Quito.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$3,057
Notes
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Flights to/from Coca are offered from Mondays to Saturdays except Sundays.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day 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
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
