East
4 Days 3 Nights
Living Jungle
Begin your Amazon adventure with a short flight from Quito to Puerto Francisco de Orellana, followed by an exciting canoe trip down the Napo River. Arrive at Sacha Lodge’s private reserve and enjoy a hike along an elevated platform to Pilchicocha Lake, where you’ll stay in comfortable jungle-view rooms. Explore the jungle with native guides and bilingual naturalists, with daily excursions including trail hikes, canoeing and night walks in search of wildlife.
4 Days 3 Nights
TRAVEL ITINERARY
Day 1
Your Amazon adventure begins with a 25-minute flight over the Andes mountains from Quito, Ecuador’s capital, to the town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana. Here a covered motorised canoe awaits to navigate 80 kilometres down the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon, for about 2.5 hours. Upon arrival at our 2000 hectare private reserve,
You will take your first walk along a raised platform through dense palm vegetation, where different species of monkeys are often observed. The trail leads to the Pilchicocha Lake, where paddle canoes are waiting to take you across to the hotel.
After a welcome cocktail and brief orientation you will be taken to your comfortable rooms, which provide electricity, private bathrooms with hot showers, ceiling fans and balconies with hammocks overlooking the jungle. Then, before sunset, there will be time to hike, swim, look for birds or visit a small tower overlooking the lake and cabins.
Days 2-3
Guests at Sacha Lodge will be divided into small groups, each of which will be led by a native guide with extensive knowledge of the medicinal and other useful plants of the rainforest, and a bilingual naturalist guide, educated in the biology and ecology of the area.
A typical day at Sacha begins at dawn or even earlier to take advantage of the cooler morning hours when the jungle animals are more active. Each group can decide their own wake-up and breakfast times, as well as the difficulty and duration of their morning excursions. In the afternoon, visits begin between 3:00 and 4:00 pm, and very often continue into the evening when the chorus of insects and night toads begins. Activities are spread over a wide area, and allow visitors to explore different fascinating habitats.
Several trails go through terra firme forest, where ceibo trees grow up to 50 metres high and immense aerial roots support the trees. Others follow wooden platforms strategically raised over flooded forest, where walking on the ground would be almost impossible during most of the year due to the water, and one route that many choose to follow takes you over fallen tree trunks and a tarabita through the swamp!
A favourite activity of our guests is paddling canoes through black water streams and lakes, where lush lianas, bromeliads and palm trees flourish. And wherever an excursion takes you, the possibilities for spotting animals, from the tiny pocket monkey to the dreaded ocelot or puma, are endless. For adventurous souls, the day doesn’t necessarily end with dinner. Night walks and canoe rides, with the aid of torches, often reveal creatures that are difficult to see during the day. Caimans (from the lizard family) and giant insects dominate the jungle after sunset… Do you dare to look for them?
The Observation Tower
One of the attractions at Sacha Lodge is our 43 metre high observation tower. Situated on a hill and built around a giant ceibo tree for stability, this tower allows our guests to climb above the vegetation for a splendid view of the surrounding forest. Shortly after sunrise or before sunset, from the tower’s wide platform it is possible to observe toucans, parrots and dozens of colourful bird species in the treetops. With a bit of luck you may also spot boisterous howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys foraging for food, or peaceful three-clawed sloths, especially with the help of a powerful telescope provided by your guides.
In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favourite destination for both professional and novice ornithologists: over 500 species of birds have been recorded in the area, and on several occasions our specialist guides have reported seeing over 80 species from the tower in a single morning!
The tower can be reached on foot, by a half-hour walk through the terra firme vegetation, which is the easy way to get there before sunrise. However, no one should miss a one-way walk (from or to the tower) along the “Caño Orquídea”, a narrow blackwater stream that leads from Pilchicocha to the Napo River. For one hour you can
for an hour, you can paddle along this stream through a palm forest, a trip that many choose to repeat.
The Butterfly House
Sacha Lodge is home to one of the largest butterfly farms in Ecuador. Designed as a living exhibition conservatory, the Butterfly House is currently breeding about 40 local species of butterflies. Guides will explain how these beautiful insects are reared, and then you can walk through the “flight area” where hundreds of colourful butterflies, including the spectacular blue morphs, fly from flower to flower.
The Yasuni Parrot Licker
A short distance from Sacha Lodge is the most accessible parrot lick in Ecuador. This lick is actually an exposed clay bank on the Napo River, where colourful parrots of different species gather early in the morning. In ideal conditions (sunny and dry), the parrots perch and eat the exposed clay. This acts as an “antacid” for them: Parrots eat a variety of toxic and acidic fruits, and the clay draws these toxins out of their bodies. On an ideal morning, hundreds of these parrots can be seen around the shore between 07:00 and 08:00 for a spectacular “show” of sound and colour. The lick is located on the edge of the Yasuní National Park, which can be reached from Sacha by a half-hour motorised canoe trip down the Napo River. Visits to this site are possible very early in the morning, but strictly according to the weather.
LOCATION
WE TELL YOU MORE
If you have any questions or just need more information, contact us and book a phone call or an online meeting and we promise to answer all your questions without any obligation. You are just one step away from living an adventure.
COSTS INCLUDED
- Tourist Guide:: Private bilingual naturalist guide (English and Spanish) or driver-guide in private buses.
- Accommodation: Double accommodation with daily breakfast. Accommodation is subject to availability until confirmed.
- Transport: All transfers and private ground transportation as detailed in the itinerary. Assistance in the check-in procedure at Quito airport.
- Tickets and Activities: All excursions mentioned in the itinerary with private bilingual naturalist guide (English and Spanish). Meals as detailed in the programme, Ecuadorian and international cuisine. Personalised assistance 24/7
RECOMMENDATIONS
On domestic flights, each passenger is allowed one checked baggage allowance of 23kg + one carry-on baggage allowance of 8kg.
The checked baggage allowance is:
Weight: 23kg
Size: 158cm/62in
Carry-on baggage allowance is:
Weight: 8kg.
Dimensions: 55cm x 35cm x 25cm
It is advisable to bring comfortable, light clothing, a waterproof jacket, swimming costume and comfortable walking shoes for the Amazon or Galapagos visit points, and warmer clothing for the days in and around Quito. Visitors should not wear tank tops, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting religious or official buildings. Sunscreen, sunglasses, a small backpack, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay in Ecuador.
COSTS NOT INCLUDED
- Personal expenses, extras and tips.
- Alcoholic and meals not included in the itinerary.
- International tickets to Ecuador.
- Medical services.
- Travel insurance.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
The itinerary is subject to change in case of force majeure caused by exceptional and natural circumstances.
Prices are subject to change without prior notice and can only be guaranteed once the booking has been made.
Reservations must include the passenger’s full name, nationality, passport number, age and date of birth.
Any deposit or payment made by the Client to the Company for services to be provided by the Company constitutes acceptance by any person receiving services from the Company of the Terms and Conditions described in the following document:
