Itinerary 4 days - 3 nights
Day 1
Quito - Coca - Yasuní National Park
Departure from Quito in the morning, flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arrives to Coca after a short 30 minutes trip, transfer to the Napo River port. Then the motorized canoe ride downstream will be approximately one and a half hours; during the trip we will provide important information about the region. Once on board the MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER will start navigating down the Napo River during the whole afternoon. At dusk, our first live experience with the Ecuadorian Amazon basin will begin (night walk, visit to a native house or canoe ride will depend on the river level, climatic conditions, wildlife behavior and accessibility to the location).
Day 2
Visiting the Pañacocha Biological Corridor
We will continue our navigation downstream to arrive close to the mouth of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). After arrival, there will be a canoe trip through the Piranha River to see the sights of this interesting protected forest. There is a possibility to observe pink river dolphins, the agile common squirrel monkeys and much more. The Piranha Lake area is an ecosystem flooded by white waters. The rivers and lakes of that place are perfect habitat for the infamous piranha, the water monkey fish (Arawana) and white caimans. At night, there will be an optional excursion to explore the forest and riverbanks.
Day 3
Visiting a native house and CICAME Museum - Limoncocha Biological Reserve
In the morning we will visit a native house from the Kichwa, people who lives inside of the Yasuni National Park, including an interesting walk in a mature forest, if the time permits. After this, a short visit to the CICAME Archeological Museum, this interesting museum preserves the pottery from the Omagua Culture, one of the first forest pre-Columbian residents of the Napo River basin. This is also a good place to shop local handicrafts made from rainforest materials.
In the afternoon, there will be a visit to the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, an incredible area to find lots of birds, some monkeys and at night looking for the black caiman. Return to the MANATEE at night.
Day 4
Returning home
Return to the city of Coca to take the morning flight back to Quito. The canoe ride upstream will take around two hours.
Please note:
While it is our intention to adhere to the route described above, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. On daily basis of your tour you will be advised of any amendments.
The Expedition leaders will always be offering information about the region, tours, weather conditions, navigation, native cultures and probabilities to encounter wildlife through lectures, briefings, recaps and videos.
Itinerary 5 days - 4 nights
Day 1
Quito - Coca - Yasuní National Park
Departure from Quito in the morning, flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arrives to Coca after a short 30 minutes trip, transfer to the Napo River port. Then the motorized canoe ride downstream will be approximately one and a half hours; during the trip we will provide important information about the region. Once on board the MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER will start navigating down the Napo River during the whole afternoon. At dusk, our first live experience with the Ecuadorian Amazon basin will begin (night walk, visit to a native house or canoe ride will depend on the river level, climatic conditions, wildlife behavior and accessibility to the location).
Day 2
Visiting the Pañacocha Biological Corridor
We will continue our navigation downstream to arrive close to the mouth of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). After arrival, there will be a canoe trip through the Piranha River to see the sights of this interesting protected forest. There is a possibility to observe pink river dolphins, the agile common squirrel monkeys and much more. The Piranha Lake area is an ecosystem flooded by white waters. The rivers and lakes of that place are perfect habitat for the infamous piranha, the water monkey fish (Arawana) and white caimans.
At night, there will be an optional excursion to explore the forest and riverbanks, as well as optional overnight at our camp for an extra cost of USD30,00 per person (includes tents, sleeping bags, food an a naturalist biologist English speaking guide)
Day 3
Visiting the Observation Tower - Native House
On the third day of our cruise, we will explore the "observation tower" built around a tree to observe the different ecosystems of the forest and a wide variety of birds. After lunch at the MANATEE, you will stop at a native house of the Kichwas where a native guide will bring into the light their way of life and traditions.
Day 4
Visiting the Kapok Tree - Limoncocha Biological Reserve
In the morning we will continue to visit one of the tallest trees of the Rainforest, the Kapok. A native guide will also explain to us the use of medicinal plants; if time permits we will have a visit to the CICAME Archeological Museum which preserves pottery from the Omagua Culture, one of the first forest pre-Columbian residents of the Napo River basin. This is also a good place to shop local handicrafts made from rainforest materials. In the afternoon, there will be a visit to the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, an incredible area to find lots of birds, some monkeys and at night looking for the black caiman. Return to the MANATEE at night.
Day 5
Returning home
Return to the city of Coca to take the morning flight back to Quito. The canoe ride upstream will take around two hours.
Please note:
While it is our intention to adhere to the route described above, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. On daily basis of your tour you will be advised of any amendments.
The Expedition leaders will always be offering information about the region, tours, weather conditions, navigation, native cultures and probabilities to encounter wildlife through lectures, briefings, recaps and videos.
Itinerary 8 days - 7 nights
Day 1
Quito - Coca - Yasuní National Park
Departure from Quito in the morning (08:30h), flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arriving to Coca around 09:00h, transfer to the Napo River port. Then the motorized canoe ride downstream will be approximately two hours, during the trip we will provide a box lunch and important information about the region. Once on board the MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER will start navigating down the Napo River for the whole afternoon. At night our first live experience with the Ecuadorian Amazon basin will begin (night walk or canoe ride will depend on the river level, climatic conditions, wildlife behavior and accessibility to a location).
Day 2
Visiting the Yasuní National Park
On the second day of our cruise, we will explore one of the fantastic tributaries of the Napo River that comes from the core of the Yasuní National Park. At this river, we will navigate upstream in search of the evasive giant river otter, the mysterious jaguar and the timid spider monkey. After our return from the excursion, the MANATEE will continue its navigation to arrive near the international boundary with Peru. At night, there will be an excursion into the Yasuní National Park to look for large rodents like capybaras and reptiles of the night, such us caimans (south american alligators). We may stay camping overnight to enjoy the jungle at night.
Day 3
Peruvian Border & Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
After a morning excursion to observe plants, birds and more wildlife in the Yasuní National Park, the MANATEE will navigate into the Aguarico River, the largest tributary of the Napo River to get through the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, one of the highlights of our exploration. On our way to Cuyabeno, we will visit a Peruvian town and meet local people.
Day 4
Cuyabeno W. R. - The Forest Dwellers
A full day visit to an Indian Community will give as an idea of how indigenous people live in the forest. At the community, a local guide accompanied by our expedition leaders will enlighten you with the use of plants for medicinal and other purposes. After a walk, you will stop at a local house where these true forest dwellers will bring into the light their way of life and traditions. This will be an opportunity to buy handicrafts made by the local people. There will be plenty of traditional food and hospitality.
Day 5
Cuyabeno W. R. - Lagartococha
This remote area is accessible to you only through the Lagarto (Alligator) River, a black water river surrounded by freshwater mangroves (Coussapoa trinervia), Macrolobium trees, and palm trees adapted to flooding conditions. Lagartococha (Alligator Lake) is not one but a system of lakes situated along the Ecuadorian-Peruvian boundary. This black water system is the home of the legendary pink river dolphins, river turtles, black caimans and the enigmatic amazon manatee. Moreover, if we look at the vegetation on the shores, we may well see red howler monkeys, three-toed sloth, the leaf-eating bird locally known as stinky turkey (Hoatzin) and other wildlife. The canoe trip upstream will reveal the overwhelming beauty of this aquatic region. An overnight in the forest could be arranged for this day.
Day 6
Navigation and exploration along the Napo River
From this day, we will start our return to the point where we boarded the MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER for the first time. There will be navigation throughout the entire day to relax and observe the Napo River banks, the forest and perhaps some wildlife. Late in the afternoon, after a relaxed morning, we will explore the Napo River banks and tropical river islands in quest of birds like the ornamented umbrella bird, the colorful blue-gray tanagers, kingbirds, social flycatchers and many more.
Day 7
Navigation along the Napo River - Pañacocha (Piranha Lake) Protected Forest
We will continue our navigation upstream to arrive at the mouth of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). After arrival, there will be a canoe trip through the Piranha River to see the sights of this interesting protected forest. There is a possibility to observe pink river dolphins, the agile common squirrel monkeys and much more. The Piranha Lake area, contrary to Lagartococha, is an ecosystem flooded by white waters. The rivers and lakes of that place are perfect habitat for the infamous piranha, the water monkey fish (Arawana) and white caimans.
At night, there will be an optional excursion to explore the forest and river banks.
Day 8
Yasuni N.P. - Cicame museum and return home
The MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER will arrive to the point were we started our adventure. Early morning, we will visit the most accessible parrot and parakeet clay licks in Ecuador. There are blinds or hides to watch and enjoy this nature show so close! It is difficult to imagine hundreds, sometimes thousands of parrots and parakeets coming all together at once into the clay licks. This area is also located inside of the Yasuní National Park.
Early afternoon visit the CICAME Archeological Museum that preserves pottery from the Omagua Culture, one of the first forest pre-Columbian residents of the Napo River basin. After the visit continue to the city of Coca to take the flight back to Quito.
Please note:
While it is our intention to adhere to the route described above, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. On daily basis of your tour you will be advised of any amendments.
The Expedition leaders will always be offering information about the region, tours, weather conditions, navigation, native cultures and probabilities to encounter wildlife through lectures, briefings, recaps and videos.
Explore
Explore Ecuador's Rainforest World
"The big trees of the forest are very powerful," claims my Achuar guide Gilberto, standing in the shadow of a mammoth ceiba tree. "All plants and trees are people, but you can't see them normally. The tall ceiba earns great respect, but is also dangerous for newly born children. It whispers to them and makes them ill." He pauses and arches his neck back to look at the tree's top, some 40 m (130 ft) up in the canopy.
Walking through the forest with Gilberto, the green and brown morass of decay and destruction in turn comes alive. After an hour on a trail, his knowledge of plants, flowers, animals, myths and customs turns what seems like an impenetrable mass of life and death into a forest of revelation.
Dream world
In common with many other Amazonian peoples, the Achuar, who are part of the jívaro linguistic family, don't separate the waking world from the dream world, the "real" from the "spiritual." They use hallucinogens such as naatam, known more commonly as ayahuasca, or "the truth vine" Banisteriopsis caapi, under the guidance of a shaman for ritual trance purposes, a practice not recommended for the uninitiated.
"When you take naatam, the forest comes alive." For most people, the forest itself is hallucinogen enough. Although the missionaries have done their best to banish shamanism and prohibit the use of the forest's hallucinogens, both practices are still integral to the older generation of Achuar.
Further on, Gilberto points out an arrow-leafed plant carpeting the forest floor. "The shishin speaks kind words while you are in a trance. It is very friendly. The shamans brush it over the body of a patient, chasing bad spirits." Another plant, chirikiaspi, gives the hunter strength and fortifies the lungs to be able to shoot monkeys high in the canopy with a blow pipe. "It also anaesthetizes the body," explains Gilberto, "making you feel numb and able to walk for days without much food," which is exactly what the Achuar use it for: their territory is the size of Belgium or Maryland.
During the afternoon we sit on a little wooden bench drinking nijiamanch, a slightly acidic, yeasty, milky-white broth. It is made by one the village women by chewing up manioc and spitting it into a big, earthenware pot where it ferments for a few days. It is said that this "beer" or chicha as it's known in most of the country after its Quechua name, tastes of the woman who makes it. As practiced beer drinkers, we had no trouble quaffing it down from bowls continually refilled by the local shaman's first wife. Following Achuar custom, we carefully avoided looking her in the eye as she served us.
The Amazon Experience
Drinking strange beer, taking herbal teas, eating new foods, and learning about the day-to-day lives of the Indians of Ecuador's rainforest is a worthwhile and humbling experience. It is worthwhile as an opportunity to glimpse a way of life different in almost every respect to that with which we are familiar. Also because revenues from tourism undoubtedly play a part in protecting the fragile forests. Humbling because we are confronted with a totally alien environment which most of us would be unable to cope with alone and unaided. Most people come away from meeting jungle peoples in awe of their self-reliance and their apparently simple, uncluttered lives. Most regard their jungle trips as among their most lasting memories.
The Ecuadorian Amazon options
One of the most positive developments in the last years in Ecuador has been the development and consolidation of community-based and community-benefiting tourism. There are several excellent initiatives that Metropolitan Touring works with.
We also take guests to lodges that have large nature reserves where the chances of spotting the rainforest's elusive creatures are high. Sacha Lodge's canopy walkway, for instance, is an amazing structure that young and old enjoy no end, allowing one to appreciate the forest from a unique perspective. We also arrange tours aboard the Manatee Amazon Explorer boat, which takes passengers on cruises of varying days along the Napo River, an Amazon tributary, offering yet another perspective on this region's great riches.
Amazon Rainforest - Ecuador
Ecuador's rainforest is located in the heart of the world's largest and most famous tropical rainforest, the Amazon Basin. A short flight, or a descent by road down the flanks of the Andes, leads modern explorers and adventurers along the same routes the first Spanish Conquerors ventured through in their search of El Dorado or the land of Cinnamon... and found the mighty River Amazon instead.
Accessibility
Ecuador's portion of the Amazon is regarded as the most accessible of all the countries that share the Basin. Leaving Quito in the morning, you can be swinging in a hammock at your chosen lodge by lunchtime. The country is also a continent-leader in nature- and community-based tourism initiatives, where the value of the forest and of its inhabitants' heritage has been recognised and prized above its short-term exploitation. By visiting the rainforest and staying at responsible lodges, you are actively contributing to its conservation for future generations - and of course, exploring one of the planet's most fascinating ecosystems.
Explorations and Discoveries
Our Ecuadorian Amazon itineraries offer environmentally-conscious programs for all ages, enjoyed in safety and comfort with reliable operators and experienced naturalist guides: explore the rain forest on treks on terra firma forest beneath the gigantic Amazon trees, along boardwalks crossing palm swamps and up observation towers for a close look at the forest canopy. Take to native dugout canoes to paddle up rivers and creeks, or start early for birdwatching outings. Climb canopy towers or walkways for wonderful perspectives of the forests and its denizens... A new, green world awaits.
Metropolitan Touring is currently developing a new lodge, Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, located on the western, Pacific, slopes of the Andes. The reserve harbours some 1,000 hectares of cloud- and rainforest, and is located a mere two hours' drive from the capital, Quito. Find out more here.
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