Explore the beauty of the rainforest and learn about the local Kichwa culture and traditions. With plenty of activities to choose from this the journey is full of adventure. Spend five days exploring the rainforest by floating down the river, looking for birds and monkeys, hunting with a blowgun and making your own coffee. This easy paced trip to Yachana Lodge is perfect for anyone with a sense of curiosity and a love for the outdoors.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
At Coca airport you’ll be meet and then transported to Yachana by private car. On arrival at Yachana, receive a warm welcome from the native staff that will serve you a refreshing beverage and snack while you are introduced to the facilities.
After you’ve had a chance to rest in your room, your guide will take you on a short hike. The hike will take you to a place where there is a giant and beautiful Ceibo tree (kapok tree). Learn about rainforest ecology along the way.
You have the option to start your day early by participating in a bird watching excursion or sleep a little longer before enjoying a splendid breakfast. After breakfast, board a ranchera (typical local bus) and accompany your guide as he leads you on a journey into the rainforest stopping to observe birds, and possibly monkeys, along the way. During your rainforest trek your guide will explain the uses of various medicinal plants and amaze you with his knowledge of the several species of birds and animals that inhabit the rainforest, which he calls home.
In the afternoon, learn about how the Yachana Training Center works and the strong support of the Yachana Foundation with his educational program. After this you will take a ranchera to Agua Santa community in order to board a raft downriver to observe a local family doing panning for gold. From there, using either inner-tubes, a small rubber raft or just life jackets, you can float/swim as you continue down river enjoying the spectacular scenery that surrounds you. At some point you will get on board a motorize canoe to head back to Yachana.
After dinner your guide will offer to take you on a night walk to discover a totally different side of the forest that only comes alive after dark. On this walk, you have the chance to see many small insects, amphibians, reptiles and other animals.
After breakfast, board a ranchera to go to a farm where you can see and harvest many products you have probably never seen or prepared before. Learn how to make a typical lunch with the help of the chef.
In the afternoon, travel by canoe to the home of a shaman and his family to learn about local Kichwa culture and traditions, and to participate in a cleansing ceremony. Afterwards, try your skills on the art of hunting using a typical blowgun and spear. This is a wonderful cultural activity to know a local family and learn more about the kichwa tradition and way of living.
After dinner learn how to make chocolate using organic cacao harvested from the local families. Turn the cacao beans into delicious jungle chocolate, one of the main ingredients for several of the delectable desserts served at Yachana.
After a wonderful breakfast depending on weather conditions you may choose from the following:
A hike further into the 1000 hectares of protected forest.
Visit a community bank (for this activity we will ask for a donation of 50 USD per person).
Explore more deeply the Napo River on a canoe.
In the afternoon board a ranchera to visit the Cacao Collection Center and then you will hike for about 10 minutes to La Paz Waterfall. Have time to enjoy the waterfall and if are lucky you will see a lot of parrots! Hike back to the main road where the ranchera will be waiting for you to go back to Yachana for dinner.
After dinner sit around the campfire and prepare some delicious coffee. Enjoy your coffee as your guide tells you some of the stories and legends of the Amazon and be amazed by the sounds of the jungle at night.
Day 5: Depart for Home
1 Breakfast
After a hearty breakfast, travel by a private car from Yachana back to the city of Coca for your flight back to Quito. When traveling by land, you’ll have the chance to observe Amazon life and other communities.
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.
Initial deposit is 50% (min. $400), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days 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
Everything was amazing! The planning with Adventure Life went smoothly. The actual trip was fantastic! One of the best trips I have experienced. The cruise staff members were knowledgeable and attentive. I will be writing more about this on the blog!
Justin Chappelle
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.
