Wildlife Odyssey

Arrive in Quito and overnight.

Begin your Ecuador travel adventure with a short flight over the high Andes and down to the Amazon frontier town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana (called Coca by locals). You travel by motorized canoe two and a half hours down the Napo River, followed by a short walk through a thick palm forest to Sacha Lodge, your home for the next few days.

Your stay at Sacha Lodge is filled with discovery.  Upon arrival, visitors are divided into small groups (max 6), each with its own naturalist/guide that stays with their group for the duration of their stay.  This allows each hike, each canoe ride, and each exploration to build on the species seen or the lessons learned in the previous experience.  

Twice-daily activities are centered around paddling dugout canoes along blackwater creeks and lakes - past luxuriant lianas, bromeliads, and enormous palms. There are points along many of these blackwater creeks where travelers will be able to get out and hike for a bit to further explore the Amazon ecosystem and see more wildlife.  

Sacha Lodge also offers a number of very unique ways for visitors to get up high in the Amazon.  A 130-foot-high observation tower and a 940-foot-long canopy walkway both give visitors a chance to get above the rainforest canopy for incredible views of the area. The Kapok tower climbs right into the highest reaches of one of the tallest trees in the Amazon, and a crane hoists travelers directly into the sky in an open-air basket - without all those pesky steps/stairs.  These are great places to observe toucans and other tropical birds and, with luck, spot noisy howler monkeys, potoos, or three-toed sloths.

Swimming and piranha fishing are also popular (the piranha here are harmless, really!). And for the adventurous Ecuador traveler, there are nighttime walks and nighttime canoe trips in search of caiman and other nocturnal creatures. Finally, if staying in the rainforest long enough, travelers are also able to travel by the Yasuni Parrot Lick, on their way to a cultural experience at the Yasuni Community across the river from Sacha Lodge, just a short distance via motorized canoe.

Complete your Amazon tour with a flight back to Quito. Two hours north of Quito lies one of Ecuador's finest haciendas. Nestled in the Otavalo Valley in the shadow of Imbabura Volcano, the 200-year-old Hacienda Pinsaqui was a favorite haunt of the revolutionary General Simon Bolívar. The thick, whitewashed walls seem to whisper stories of a bygone era. From the hacienda, go mountain biking in the countryside, visit the white city of Ibarra and the leather shops of Cotacachi, or take horses around Cuicocha Lake. Pinsaqui, with its gardens and old textile shops, is yours to explore.

After a pleasant breakfast at Pinsaqui, your day's adventures are open. Hike around the volcanic crater of Cuicocha, visit the villages around Otavalo, or share a traditional lunch with an Otavaleño family. The choice is yours! There are markets every day of the week in the tiny town of Otavalo, where indigenous people from the mountains descend into the valley to sell their crafts, textiles, cows, and goats. This is the most famous Indian market on the continent, and the Otavaleños are sure to win your heart. This afternoon, return to Quito to prepare for the next day's Galapagos adventures!

An early morning flight from Quito brings you to the Galapagos Archipelago. Upon arrival, you are picked up and transferred to your yacht - your home for the next seven nights. This afternoon, you head to your first island to begin your Galapagos cruise and a week filled with mysteries of the natural world. Click here for more details about Corals.

Visit several islands during your unforgettable voyage. Each day, you leave the comfort of your yacht and go ashore in a panga (the local word for dinghies, Zodiacs, etc.) to remote areas of the islands for natural history walks through the Galapagos's unique ecology. Your crew takes excellent care of you with delicious meals and attends to all your creature comforts onboard. On the islands, your naturalist guide shows you the diversity of Galapagos life and teaches you about the area's natural history. This is everyone's chance to photograph unusual marine iguanas, snorkel with playful sea lions, and take in the unique landscape of ancient volcanic turmoil. Except for a few settlements, the entire archipelago is a national park, and the beaches and meandering footpaths invite relaxation and fanciful dreams.

This morning, you visit one last island and say goodbye to Bachas Beach as you complete your Galapagos tour. You are transferred back to the airport for your return to Quito.