Amazon Expedition - Napo Wild-life Center

Children under 12 receive a 30% discount
All rates are per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time.
Itineraries are subject to change at any time and for any reason

NOT INCLUDED:
Quito-Coca-Quito add $130 US (subject to change at any time)
Yasuni National Park Fee add $10 (included for 2011)

The tower may be reached on foot via a half-hour walk through terra firma forest, although no one can miss out on at least a one-way trip to or from the tower along Orchid Creek, Pilchicocha Lake 's natural black water runoff to the Napo River . In a dugout canoe guests may follow this winding stream through untamed palm forest for about an hour, a trip that many choose to repeat.

In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favorite destination of both professional and amateur ornithologists. Over 500 species of birds have been registered in the area, and from the tower platform our bird specialist guides have on several occasions reported seeing over 80 species in a single morning!

A short distance from Sacha Lodge is Ecuador 's most accessible parrot lick, an exposed clay bank where brightly colored parrots of several different species gather in the early morning. In ideal conditions (sunny and dry), the parrots will often perch on and eat the exposed clay.

On an ideal morning thousands of parrots can be seen gathering around this bank between 7:00 and 8:00 for a spectacular show of sound and color. The lick is located on the edge of Yasuni National Park , which may be reached from Sacha by a one half-hour motorized canoe trip down the Napo River .

Sacha Lodge is home of one of the largest butterfly farms in Ecuador . Designed as a live exhibition conservatory, the Butterfly House is now successfully breeding nearly 40 local butterfly species. Guests will be shown how these beautiful insects are bred and raised, and later be free to wander through "the flying room", where hundreds of colorful butterflies including spectacular blue morphs flutter from flower to flower.

Children under 12 receive a 30% discount. All rates are per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time. Itineraries are subject to change at any time and for any reason
NOT INCLUDED:
Quito-Coca-Quito add $130 US
Yasuni National Park Fee add $25 (paid locally)
  

At La Selva Jungle Lodge, situated high on Lake Garzacocha , deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest   region , we offer you the ultimate in luxury jungle experience.

The Lodge offers many exciting excursions which will give you a genuine feeling for this very important, richly biodiverse and beautiful region of the world.

Friendly service is one of La Selva's trademarks.

Their   food is their pride. It blends the finest ingredients Ecuador has to offer with French, North American and Ecuadorian culinary skills. Expect to try most of these fruits: uvillas , guayabas , guanabanas , naranjillas , morete , obos , taxo , granadilla and tomate de arbol . They make Amazonian pizza that will rival any; veal milanesa a la Amazon, and local fish, when available, prepared with one of their numerous original recipes. Vegetarian and special diets are available on request.

Children under 12 receive a 30% discount
All rates are per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time.
Itineraries are subject to change at any time and for any reason
NOT INCLUDED:
Quito-Coca-Quito add $130 US
Yasuni National Park Fee add $25

Manatee Amazon Explorer Cruise
Yasuni National Park and Biosphere Reserve

Some 60 million years ago, South America was an enormous island, partly submerged in the Atlantic . The Amazon River flowed west, as the Andes rose majestically eons later. Life gathered in isolated patches, like Noah's Ark , bearing the promise of continuity. Salt water retreated to the sea, rains clashed against mountain slopes, and the Panamanian land bridge gave way to genetic transactions with the North. The result? The greatest orchestration of life ever heard on Earth - whose symphonies delight the spirit as its rainbow of colors come alive with what scientists call "biodiversity". What's more, not even the most outlandish imagination, nor the most sophisticated multimedia equipment, could ever emulate this "divinely computerized programming".

In 1541, the very first Europeans set out from Quito to explore these dense jungles east of this ancient Incan capital in search of gold and cinnamon. Not the jungle or the natives ever revealed where the precious metal of "El Dorado " was to be found, as they floated for 800 miles down the Napo to come upon what they thought to be the Atlantic. But it wasn't the Atlantic - yet. It was the Great Amazon River, fed by over a thousand tributaries that emptied one third of the Planet's fresh water into the sea!

Almost 500 years have passed since the discovery of this magnificent river system that flows through the world's largest primeval forest, containing 10% of all existing trees, 70% of all pharmaceutical compounds, and native Indians that live symbiotically with their unique ecosystem. This is the habitat of wildlife that is sure to be watching you - or vice versa - if you are lucky: freshwater dolphins, 500 species of birds, half a dozen species of monkeys, caimans, tapirs, 2500 species of butterflies.

Today, you can be a temporary guest in this magical wonderland for young and old. Our Amazon Manatee Explorer, designed for adventure, yet featuring the comforts and advantages of modern technology - is the result of over 20 years of experience in running expeditions others think are extinct. Come aboard for an experience of a lifetime!

Children under 12 receive a 50% discount (on double rate)
All rates are per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time.
Itineraries are subject to change at any time and for any reason

NOT INCLUDED:
Quito-Coca-Quito add $130 US
Yasuni National Park Fee (paid locally) add $20
Rates do not include $25 US fee for Parrot Salt Lick visit

Sample 5 day Itinerary:
Day 1 Quito – Coca – Yasuní National Park
Depart from Quito in the morning, flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arriving 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 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 Pañacocha Biological Corridor
We will continue our navigation downstream 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 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 and also optional overnight at our camp for an extra fee of $30,00 per person can be arranged.
Day 3 Visiting the Observation Tower – Native House
On the third day of our cruise, we will explore the Observation Tower build 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 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 also will 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.
Sample 4 day Itinerary
Day 1 Quito – Coca – Yasuní National Park
Depart from Quito in the morning, flight to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), arriving 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 for 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 a 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 that lives inside of the Yasuni National Park with an interesting walk in a mature forest if the time permits after this a short 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 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 Exploration 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.