Sacha Lodge

The days at Sacha consist of a morning activity followed by a four hour free period at the Lodge and then a late afternoon activity. There are also optional evening activities. During our stay, we were assigned a naturalist and a native guide who ate meals with us and led us on various hikes and canoe rides. Our guides, David and Poncho were excellent. Their knowledge is extensive and I am still amazed at their ability to spot wildlife in the jungle.

This morning, we took a canoe ride and short hike to a platform constructed 42 meters up a tall tree for bird watching. The highlight of the morning was being able to view a family of Howler Monkeys with one baby resting high up in the canopy. Numerous birds were spotted with the help of our guides.

After returning to the lodge for lunch, we had the chance to read, lounge in the sun or swim in the lake. The black water is actually very refreshing and supposed to be good for your skin. Fishing poles were brought out and everyone had the opportunity to fish for piranha. As soon as the bait (raw chicken) touched the water, a swarm of the fish devoured it. Don't worry---they don't bother you when you go swimming!

In the late afternoon, we took a hike into the jungle and were able to spot numerous birds and exotic insects. The plant life is amazing, such as the Walking Palm which has the ability of move up to 20cm a year to reach better sunlight. Poncho showed us many plants which have been used by the indigenous people for constructing rope, medicines or for food.

In the evening, the kids went on another hike with flashlights in hand, looking for frogs, spiders and other insects. Highlights included tarantulas, poisonous tree frogs and Scorpion Spiders. The kids returned with great pictures and even better stories!