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Sandoval Lake lodge overlooks sparkling, palm-rimmed Sandoval Lake, the most beautiful and wildlife-rich of all lakes in Tambopata-Madidi. This privileged location gives you exclusive access to the lake in the early morning and late afternoon, the choice hours for wildlife viewing and photography. Sandoval Lake Lodge is built out of ecologically-correct driftwood mahogany and is owned jointly by a nonprofit conservation group and five families of indigenous Brazil nut collectors.

Getting there is half the fun – From Puerto Maldonado we take a 30 min motorcanoe followed by a 1- hour (3 km/2 mi) forest walk and finally a 30 minute lake paddle to reach the lodge. 25 screened rooms with private bathrooms w/ hot showers, flush toilets, light, fans. 

Departures: daily, year-round, on request

Prices are based on double occupancy

2016 Rates 

Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Lake Sandoval

Our staff welcome you at Puerto Maldonado airport and we drive through this bustling Upper Amazon Basin city to the Tambopata River boat dock. Here we board a powerful motorized dugout canoe and set off to the nearby confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios River, a headwaters tributary of the Amazon. Here we turn downstream for a 25-minute river trip to the trailhead landing at Lake Sandoval.

Stopping as we go to spot birds and butterflies, we walk – or take a rickshaw ride – along the 3km/2 mile trail to the narrow boat channel through flooded palm forest that leads to the open waters of this peaceful lake. As our crew paddle us across to the lodge (motors are prohibited here), we may see the lake’s surface broken by a massive Paiche – an Amazon fish that can reach 100kg/220lbs. Or perhaps we will hear the strange and haunting calls, and see the heads bobbing above the lake’s surface, that will signal our first acquaintance with Pteronura brasiliensis, the Amazonian Giant Otter.

After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, we once again set off by boat or catamaran to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, along the fringes of flooded palm forest we drift to the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied and Blue-and-yellow Macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. Our viewpoint from the canoe often allows closer and more extended encounters with birds and mammals than on a typical forest trail hike, and we may witness intimate feeding and mating behavior. On Lake Sandoval monkeys, in particular, have almost lost their fear of humans.

We return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. After dinner we take to the boats once more, in search of black caimans, which today are extremely rare in the Amazon, but still common in this protected lake. They grow up to 4m in length, and compete with the Giant Otters for their share of the fishing. On clear nights we take our boat further out into the lake to get an unimpeded view of the vast southern sky, with its unfamiliar constellations and superb vistas of the Milky Way.

Day 2: Lake Sandoval

A pre-dawn wake-up call will allow us to be on the lake for what is often a spectacular sunrise, and hopefully an encounter with the Giant Otters, which patrol the entire lake in a close-knit family pack, and are most active at this hour of the day. Most of the lake’s birdlife is extremely active now, too, and this outing should provide views of numerous species of fish-eating birds as they stalk and catch their prey, along with close-up views of the large, clumsy and primitive, leaf-eating Hoatzins.

After returning for a late breakfast we set off on a trail walk through the cool understory of the mighty primary rainforest that surrounds the lake. We will see the great Brazil-nut trees that are abundant here, and meet a local family – the only people permitted to live here permanently and harvest the natural bounty of the forest. They will show us how they collect the nuts, remove their shells and market this important forest product.

After dinner we will have another chance to spot caiman on the lake, or perhaps take a night trail walk in search of the numerous creatures, including frogs, toads, owls, nighthawks, spiders and night monkeys, that make the forest such a busy and different place during the night.

Day 3: Lake Sandoval

This can be either a relaxing day or a very active one, according to personal needs and wishes. If you are one of the many visitors who has fallen in love with this lake and its extraordinary environment, or if our outings so far have failed to produce an encounter with the Giant Otter family, we can make another early start in search of them and the many other wildlife surprises that Lake Sandoval may have in store for us.

We return to the lodge for a late breakfast, and then rest for a while, perhaps enjoying the panoramic view from our high point on the lake shore, before setting out to walk a special circuit where we investigate and learn the uses of dozens of Amazonian medicinal plants. We will see palmicho, the plant that supplies the roof-thatch material for our lodges, Candlestick Ginger for anti-inflammatory medicine, the historically important Chinchona, or Quinine tree, whose bark has saved countless thousands from the throes of malaria, and numerous other vital plants. This route includes both wild forest and a small botanical garden dedicated to cultivation of some of these species.

In the evening we can take a final opportunity to search for Black Caiman along the lake shore, or go for a last short hike through the nighttime forest.

Day 4: Lake Sandoval to Puerto Maldonado

After a dawn breakfast we take a final, short paddle along the palm swamps of the west end of the lake in search of the resident Giant Otter family. From here, on clear mornings, we will see a glorious sunrise and its reflection in the open waters of the lake. Returning once more down the trail to the Madre de Dios River, we return to Puerto Maldonado to catch the flight to Cusco or Lima.

Included: roundtrip transportation from Puerto Maldonado airport to Sandoval Lake Lodge; private rooms with private bathrooms; all meals and snacks; purified drinking water and juices; bilingual naturalist guide; All rainforest and lake excursions; Tambopata National Reserve entrance fee;

Excluded: domestic flights within Peru, alcoholic beverages, tips and international flights.

Coming Soon!

Quick Facts

• Enjoy the Amazon from the only lodge on the banks of a protected oxbow lake
• Exclusive access to the lake in the early morning & late afternoon, the best hours for wildlife viewing & photography
• 2-night and 3-night lodge-based programs
• Forest and lake excursions led by expert naturalist guides
• All inclusive packages

Following the Napo River down the eastern slope of the Andes you reach the steamy tropical lowlands of the Oriente, the Ecuadorian Amazon. The rain forests of this region are the most complex biological communities that exist, and provide the single greatest reservoir of genetic diversity on Earth.  This small area boasts 587 species of birds, 400 species of fish, and over 100 species of mammals!

Sacha Lodge lies in the heart of this region, 50 miles down the Napo River from Coca, a small jungle town where the airstrip is located. Each day (from 4 to 8 days) you choose your activities from a variety of hikes & walks on forest trails, canoes on quiet rivers and lagoons, accompanied by local naturalist guides. With its stunning lakeside setting and experienced enthusiastic staff, Sacha Lodge provides a superb base from which to explore and appreciate the raw beauty of the rain forest. When you’re not actively wildlife viewing, enjoy Sacha as a relaxing retreat with its comforts and services.  Swimming in the lake is a delight!

Not surprisingly, this forest remains a focus for scientific investigation.  Estimates suggest that a mere tenth of the insect species have been named, let alone studied.  A short walk soon reveals the huge variety of forms: a monkey just bigger than a mouse; a liana as thick as a man’s waist; a striped frog with poisonous skin; a dry leaf that suddenly sprouts legs and starts walking.  Wonders are there for all to see.

Ecotourism. The land was bought in 1991 by Beni Ammeter, a Swiss entrepreneur, who has been in Ecuador for the last 25 years.  Because Sacha actually has title to the land, hunting and farming are not permitted.  The adjacent Quichua villages benefit from employment and other services that the lodge provides. Through tourism, Sacha has made the land economically competitive.  By educating visitors on the culture of the indigenous people and the fragility of the forest, tourism offers a way to protect the rainforest. We invite you to experience and appreciate the beauty, complexity, variety and serenity of this magnificent ecosystem.

2017 

Departures daily, except Sunday

RATES:  

You can add extra days and stay longer. Please call us for rates.

Internal airfare Quito/Coca/Quito: $200 (subject to change)

Parrot Clay Lick Entrance Fee: $20, paid locally

Children’s discounts:

under age 5: free lodging; 50% off airfare

ages 6 to under 12:  30% discount on the lodge rate, and 50% off the airfare.

Included in the price: accommodation in double cabin with private hot water shower; all meals at the lodge, welcome drink, water, tea and coffee at all meals; services of professional naturalist guides and local guides on daily walks and canoe rides; transportation by motorized canoe from Coca to the lodge and back to Coca

Not included: round-trip airfare Quito/Coca (figured separately, to be prepaid, subject to change); Parrot Clay Lick Entrance Fee $20 per person, payable at the lodge; tips to guides & staff; soft drinks and alcoholic beverages; laundry, phone calls and other personal matters, insurance, airport taxes.

Rather than a set day to day itinerary, at Sacha Lodge you choose from a variety of daily activities, which are explained as you scroll down.

Getting to Sacha.

Your journey starts in Quito with a 40 minute flight to Coca.  There a guide meets you and takes you across town by bus to the dock. Here you pause for a snack and use the rest rooms before boarding the covered motorized canoe for a 2-hour, 50-mile (80-kilometer) trip down the sediment-rich waters of the Napo River, the largest river in Ecuadorian Amazonia. During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds such as herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys between the scattered native huts as you travel steadily away from civilization. Upon arrival at Sacha Lodge’s 5000-acre (2000-hectare) private reserve, you walk along a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where several species of monkeys are often sighted. Your luggage will be transported for you. The path leads to Pilchicocha Lake, a blackwater paradise where you’d least expect to find any sign of people, but dugout canoes (and even paddlers) await to carry you even farther. As you cross the lake, the cries of tropical birds lead you to the lodge, your home base for an exciting jungle experience.

A typical day.

You spend most of the day in the forest.  Starting early in the morning, groups are usually on the trail by 6:00 am.  Not only is it cooler at this hour, but animal and bird activity is at its peak.  However, each group may decide on its own wake-up and breakfast time, as well as the difficulty and duration of their morning outings. Usually you return to the lodge for lunch with ample time after for a swim and an afternoon siesta.  In the afternoon, visits begin at around 3:00 and often continue into the evening, when the nocturnal insect and frog chorus begins. The trails vary in length from an hour to a full day, with enough variety for all abilities and interests. In the evening, a night walk through the rain forest is an experience not to be missed — a sensual delight filled with new scents, sounds and shapes.

The habitat.

Sacha’s 5000 acres of rainforest covers a variety of different habitats, mostly in primary rain forest, but they range from terra firme to swamp to rivers and lakes.  Although most tours are on foot, some can be combined with river trips in a dugout canoe.

Tours are not just limited to the ground. From the 135-foot observation tower, you can view the forest canopy up close among the epiphyte-laden branches of a kapok tree.  From here you see the rainforest stretch to the horizon in all directions.  On a clear day, the snowcapped peak of Sumaco, an extinct volcano 100 miles away, is often visible. Flora and fauna invisible from the ground can be studied at close quarters from this vantage point. Water-filled tank bromeliads stand side by side with sprays of orchids.  Hopping between them are a host of exotic birds with equally exotic names: Paradise Tanager, Spangled Cotinga, Many-banded Aracari.  The canopy is one of the least studied habitats and harbors thousands of still unknown plant and animal species.  To be surrounded by such richness is a rare experience.

Parrot Salt Lick.

Further down the Napo from Sacha, you can visit a parrot salt-lick to see hundreds of parrots and parakeets.  They are attracted to an impressive red cliff on the riverbank early each morning in order to fulfill their daily mineral requirements.  Whether clinging to the cliff or wheeling in circles above it, these birds provide an unforgettable spectacle of color and noise.

Quichua Communities.

Although the Napo River is a kilometer wide in places, it is often surprisingly shallow.  Pushing a large canoe full of people off a sandbar is not something the crew wants to do, so the canoe zigzags its way down the river following the deepest channels.  The riverbanks are home to Quichua communities.  Traditionally, their thatched roof houses are raised on stilts and surrounded by small gardens or chacras, where they grow coffee, bananas and yuca, among other things.  In recent years, enormous oil reserves have been discovered in this region and signs of the oil industry are now a common sight along the river.  Your guide will explain the surroundings in more detail and answer any questions.

AVAILABLE WALKS AND TRIPS AT SACHA LODGE

Groups are divided up according to interest, physical fitness, and age, with about five passengers per guide. Each group is accompanied by a naturalist bilingual biologist and a local guide.  This way you learn about the scientific and cultural aspects of the region. Wherever the destination, you take a leisurely pace in order to appreciate the fascinating details that the guides point out around you. Activities are spread out over a wide area allowing you to explore several distinct but equally fascinating habitats. Several trails lead through pristine terra firme forest, where 150 foot kapok trees tower above and roots form huge buttresses to give trees support. Others follow strategically raised boardwalks in seasonally flooded forests, where walking on the ground would be nearly impossible during most of the year due to groundwater. One popular trail leads across fallen tree trunks and a steel cable zip-line through rich swampland!

A favorite activity is to paddle dugout canoes along tannin-rich black-water creeks and lakes, where luxuriant lianas, orchids, bromeliads and palm trees thrive. Wherever an outing may lead the possibilities of spotting animals, from the tiny pygmy marmoset to the feared ocelot or puma, are endless. During free time at the lodge, swimming and piranha fishing are also activities not to be missed. Don’t worry! Piranhas are scavengers and the guides will prove that swimming is perfectly safe.

For adventurous souls, the day does not necessarily end with dinner. Night walks and canoe trips, with the aid of flashlights, often reveal creatures seldom seen during daylight. Caimans (of the alligator family) and giant insects rule the forest after sunset.

A sampling of the available excursions:

Canoe excursions:

Full morning canoe ride to the Tarabita (a swing that crosses the Orchid stream)

Full day trip to the Indillama river (an arm of the main Napo river).  This river crosses virgin park forest and provides huge possibilities for fauna observation.

Half day trip visiting the Parrot Lick which is an impressive reddish wall where very early in the morning, hundreds of parrots, parakeets and parrolets gather to nourish themselves on valuable minerals. The sound of the activity and color of these birds are outstanding.

Hiking excursions:

Every day the guides take you on hikes in the rain forest to a variety of biodiversity sights. The walks can take from 3 hours taking a soft pace observing and waiting for things to happen, to a full day of trekking through a vast jungle.

Our 135-foot tower has a large observation deck that can accommodate up to 15 people. The Ceibo tree has a large branch which is covered with orchids which bloom during certain seasons. The Lianas, short and long are dry land trails with interesting jungle flora and insect life which fulfills the curiosity of the general interest passengers.

Our two lakes, Pilchicocha and Largartococha offer us the possibility to observe caymans during the night

Wildlife

Anyone who has ever planned to visit the rainforest has at least once asked: What animals will I see?? There is an incredibly high diversity of species found around Sacha Lodge, and you will have the opportunity to see many fascinating creatures here. However, the wild is unpredictable and no two visits are ever the same! Monkeys are seen quite frequently, but how many of the 8 species found here will cross your path? They range in size from the tiny half pound pygmy marmoset to the noisy 17 pound red howler monkey, and night monkeys can be found in groups as small as 2 while squirrel monkeys can travel in groups of more than 150. Besides monkeys, there may be as many as 60 other species of mammals within our reserve (not including up to 50 species of bats)! So keep your eyes open, and maybe you’ll spot an anteater, a 3-toed sloth, or even an ocelot as you explore their natural habitat. But please keep in mind that the density of the rainforest foliage often makes it very difficult to spot wildlife. It’s best to keep an open mind as well as open ears and eyes, and to appreciate the rain forest in all of its ways. As for reptiles, be sure to take advantage of the night activities to look for one of Pilchicocha’s resident spectacled caimans. Members of the alligator family, caimans are often seen from canoes out on the lake, and sometimes the babies even come to hide under our dining room! A variety of lizards and snakes can also be found along our trails, if you move quietly and keep your eyes peeled. Several different boas, vine snakes and even the giant anaconda have been seen during many excursions. Frogs, on the other hand, are much more common and easy to see, from bulgy-eyed tree frogs to camouflaged leaf frogs to tiny colorful poison-dart frogs. So watch your step, day or night! And then, of course, there are birds.

BIRDING

In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favorite destination of both professional and amateur ornithologists. Of the incredible 1600 bird species registered in Ecuador , 587 (37%) have been seen at Sacha Lodge. That’s almost 7% of the species found in the entire world! This is a staggering number, especially if you consider that approximately 900 species have been registered in the entire continental United States and Canada . In only 4 or 5 days, it is not uncommon for even the most casual birder to see over 250 species here. With only minimal effort you can expect to see dozens of colorful parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, tanagers, hawks and oropendolas, and of course there are plenty of elusive LBJ’s (little brown jobs, of course) to keep the avid bird enthusiasts occupied for days. Our guides will carry telescopes along to bring your birdwatching experience close-up, and be sure to keep your binoculars handy at all times! Your guide will lead you through a variety of habitats where mixed flocks are common, and generally begin before sunrise to take full advantage of the morning peak. You may even take a box lunch along if you wish to stay out all day, and return only for dinner before heading out again in search of owls and other nocturnal species. Groups are as small as possible ( 5-6 people is ideal), and a minimum of 5 days is recommend to cover as much ground as possible. However, stays of a week or more are easily arranged in order to take full advantage of the local diversity! Avid birdwatchers can request bird-specialist guides. (Please request in advance to make sure one will be available.) These guides know the best spots for the hard-to-find species, and can easily identify species by both sight and sound. Oscar Tapuy, our local expert who has been with at Sacha since 1995, estimates 60 species per day (sighted, of course) to be his average tally!

The Butterfly House

Sacha Lodge is home to 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 flutter from flower to flower. Transparent glass-wing butterflies, spectacular blue morphs, striking tiger longwings, bright yellow swallowtails and giant nocturnal owl butterflies are only a few of the species you’ll encounter here, up close and personal.

The Canopy Walk

A new and much anticipated addition to Sacha’s activities is the 940-foot (275-meter) long canopy walkway. At approximately 94 feet (30 meters) above the ground, imagine exploring the rainforest up in the treetops! This sturdy walkway is fixed to the ground by three metal towers for stability, and offers an unbelievable opportunity to spot dozens of animals and epiphytes seldom seen from the ground. Thousands of colorful birds can to be spotted, and with some luck you can follow troops of monkeys as they forage through the forest canopy. Taking a leisurely walk above the trees on this incredible structure, to emerge even higher on the top of the towers surrounded by an endless sea of rainforest, is an experience not to be missed, and as far as we know found nowhere else in the world.

The Kapok Tower

One of Sacha Lodge’s original attractions and an all-time favorite of our guests is the famous 135-foot (43-meter) kapok observation tower. Situated on a hill and constructed around a giant kapok tree for stability, this tower allows you another opportunity to climb into and above the rainforest canopy for a magnificent view of the surrounding area. This tower has been a faithful delight for birdwatchers, where specialist bird guides have reported seeing over 80 species in a single morning! With some luck, you may see the noisy howler monkeys or the gentle three-toed sloth, especially with the aid of a powerful telescope.

The Yasun¡ Parrot Lick

At a short distance from Sacha Lodge is Ecuador’s most accessible parrot lick, an exposed clay riverbank where brightly colored parrots of several different species gather in the early morning. In ideal conditions (sunny and dry) hundreds of parrots will perch on and eat the exposed clay in a spectacular show of sound and color! The lick is located on the edge of Yasun¡ National Park, accessible from Sacha by a short canoe trip down the Napo River. Recently, the park service has set up blinds in order to watch the parrots from very close. If weather permits (the parrots won’t be there in the rain), the extra cost of this optional excursion is $15.00 per person for entrance into the National Park (subject to change, and to be paid at the Lodge).

Staff: Sacha’s staff are not only friendly, but are always available to cater any special needs you may have. On average, there are three staff members on duty for every two guests at the lodge.

Electricity: Throughout the Lodge, 24-hour electricity is provided by a distant, nearly inaudible generator.

Drinking water: All the drinking water provided at Sacha (including ice) comes from a local well and is purified with both porcelain filters and ozone treatment, the most thorough purifying systems available. This water is tested regularly and has proven perfectly safe for human consumption. If you prefer, however, you may purchase bottled water from the bar.

Amenities: In your shower you will find dispensers of biodegradable soap and shampoo. Although all runoff water is treated with ozone, we recommend the use of these amenities as an extra measure to protect the environment. You will also be provided with fresh towels each day.

Laundry: Sacha Lodge now provides laundry service (washing and drying). Please consult costs with the lodge administrator.

Boots and ponchos: Rubber boots and rain ponchos are available for all of our guests at the Lodge, free of charge. Please advise your shoe size.

Quick Facts

• All-inclusive packages: 4, 5 days or more
• Naturalist-led excursions on forest trails & by canoe
• Wildlife viewing in forest canopy from 135-foot observation tower and 940-foot long canopy walk
• Visit Sacha’s renown Butterfly House & Parrot Lick
• Sleep comfortably in your private bungalow with hot water showers & electricity

Napo Wildlife Center Eco Reserve offers 4 and 5 day packages. You are based at the lodge and go out for your choice of excursions each day on rain forest trails or in quiet dugout canoes on lakes, to view the incredible wildlife in Yasuni National Park. Experienced bi-lingual naturalists and local guides accompany you to teach you of the intricacies of this amazing ecosystem. You stay in comfortable private cabins and enjoy a small group atmosphere.

Napo is also a fine example of community-based ecotourism. Located within the unique ancestral territory of the Añangu Quichua Community, and part of the Yasuni National Park, it actively protects 82 square miles of pristine rainforest based on a true conservation partnership with the local community.

A little history.

In the early 1990s, the Añangu community had a vision: to build their own lodge to provide jobs for themselves and to protect their land. They wanted high quality facilities to provide an intimate, exclusive and personalized rain forest experience for a small number of guests. They began building a few structures, however, they ran out of money and with no infrastructure, could not finish. The buildings remained incomplete until 2000 when they received help from several local and international contacts and could finish the project.

Thanks to the Añangu Community initiative, their manpower, support by the best technical assistance, and financial aid from donations in partnership with the independent Ecuadorian nonprofit conservation organization, EcoEcuador, Napo Wildlife Center was born in 2003. In June of 2007 the entire lodge was transferred to the community, and currently, Napo Wildlife Center is 100% community owned and administrated.

Today.

Uniquely located within Yasuni National Park, Napo Wildlife Center is a private nature reserve of 82 square miles inside the northern portion of the national park. This region is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and among the most biologically diverse areas on Earth. Napo is the only lodge on the south bank of the Napo River, home to 30% more bird and animal species than the north bank.  It has 2 parrot clay licks, eleven primate species, giant otters, and 568 species of birds, one of the finest wildlife destinations in Amazonian Ecuador.

By visiting Napo, you not only have a fantastic experience, but also you help to protect both the community’s reserve and Yasuni National Park. At the same time you are helping to support the local people.

Situated right on Anangucocha Lake, the lodge itself is beautiful and comfortable. All buildings’ are designed in the local style. There are only 10 cabanas to maintain an intimite feel, a large dining hall, library and well-stocked bar. Attached to the bar is a 50-foot viewing tower from where you can see the Andes on a clear day! Nearby blinds built at parrot clay licks bring the action to you. Deep in the forest is another viewing tower, 120 feet high up in the forest canopy where you experience life above the forest floor.

During the day you’ll take excursions to see monkeys, parrots, and giant otters on forest trails and on the lake, led by a bi-lingual guide and a local guide. At the end of the day, you enjoy the comfort of a hot shower, tasty dinner, and a cold beer.

2016

Departures: 4 to 8 Days, daily (except Sunday) all year

2016 Rates, per person 

(INCLUDES round-trip airfare Quito/Coca)

Children’s Discount: under 12, 30% off lodge, 30% internal airfare. Under age 5, lodge is free, 30% air

Included in the lodge rate: round-trip airfare Quito/Coca/Quito with assistance from the airport in Quito; accommodations, all meals, purified drinking water, river transport from/to Coca, daily excursions with local guide and bi-lingual naturalist guide, visit and entry into the parrot-macaw clay licks, visit to Añangu Kichwa community, entry fee for Yasuní National Park; use of rain poncho & rubber boots

Not included: soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are not included, but are available at the lodge; gratuities to guides and staff; laundry, personal items

With no set itineraries at Napo Wildlife Eco Lodge, you spend each day viewing wildlife and experiencing and learning about the complex natural beauty of the Amazon rainforest via guided walks and canoe rides, accompanied by bi-lingual expert naturalist guides. Choose from a list of excursions best suited for your interests and activity level. Of course there’s plenty of time to relax and enjoy the lodge as you’re experiencing the essence of the rain forest.

To get to Napo Wildlife Center, you fly by jet from Quito to the town of Coca (officially known as Francisco de Orellana) on the Napo River. After a short drive from the airport to the dock, you board a large, motorized, covered canoe for a scenic two-hour trip down the Napo River. Upon arriving at the entrance to the NWC Reserve, you switch to smaller, dugout canoes and are paddled up the blackwater creek to the lake and lodge (no motorized transport is allowed on the creek or lake so that wildlife isn’t disturbed).

Paddling up the stream is a great introduction to this unique area, and can take anywhere from one to three hours. You might see giant otters, potoos, kingfishers, Hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys. You have lunch en route and arrive at the lodge by late afternoon.

ACTIVITIES AT AND FROM THE LODGE

Parrot and Macaw Clay Licks.

The two licks at Napo are the most accessible parrot and macaw clay licks in Ecuador. Blinds have been built for guests to view them so as to keep a low profile. Clay licks form an important part of the biology of parrots and macaws. Both parrots and macaws live by eating nuts from a variety of trees. Some of these trees have a toxin in the nut to protect it against having their nuts eaten by animals and birds. Any animal that eats the nut will then become sick.Parrots and macaws have evolved with these trees, and have developed their own response to the toxins in the nuts. The response lies in the clay. Certain minerals in the clay neutralize the toxins in these nuts, so parrots and macaws seek out deposits of this very special clay. Once a deposit is identified, parrots and macaws will come many miles to eat the clay. This allows them to eat more nuts, and in turn allows them to survive periods when the non-toxic nuts are not available. Napo has discovered almost a dozen exposed areas of this clay within the reserve.

Saladero de Loros Lick:

The blind nearest Napo (Saladero de Loros) is typically visited by hundreds of individuals of Mealy Parrot, Yellow-crowned Parrot, Orange-winged Parrot, Blue-headed Parrot, Dusky-headed Parakeet, and occasional White-eyed and Cobalt-winged parakeets. The blind at this site is huge, with plenty of space to hold 30 guests at a time, and even includes a basic bathroom. Access is a simple 50 meter walk along an improved path.

Saladero de Pericos Lick:

The blind in the forest (Saladero de Pericos) is typically visited by a thousand or more Cobalt-winged Parakeets. The noise is incredible! From late October through early April, hundreds of Orange-cheeked Parrots are also found in the mix, as are rarities such as the Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet and occasional Scarlet and Red-and-Green macaws. It is almost certain that other small parakeets visit this clay lick, and new species for the region and Ecuador are just waiting to be discovered. Access to this clay lick involves a 700 meter hike on an improved path with stairs and boardwalks where necessary. The blind itself will hold up to 20 guests and affords fantastic views. Birdwatchers will note that this is where one can find the famous “Manakin Trail” with 6 species of manakins.

Canopy Tower

The 120-ft. (36m) high canopy tower is a great way to experience the life above the forest floor. This is the second tower at the Napo Wildlife Center (the first is attached to the dining hall and allows great views of the lake). The canopy tower is located about 20 minutes from the lodge deep within the terra firme forest. As you ascend the 12-story tower, you pass through different levels of the forest and emerge on top of a huge Ceiba tree. Here you cross onto a wooden platform that is actually built into the crown of the tree and experience the view formerly reserved only for the birds and monkeys.

The metal tower itself was constructed to the highest standards, galvanized, and carefully inspected by engineers. Safety is the priority, but so is ecological sensitivity. Most of the canopy towers in Ecuador encircle the tree with a scaffolding of wood. The platform in the top of the tree was constructed by tree platform specialists brought from Peru and incorporates bumpers to make sure that the platform does not scar the tree. From here you’ll see flocks of colorful tanagers pass right through the canopy of the tree, Blue-and-yellow Macaws fly past, and nearby trees Spider and Howler monkeys search for fruit. Two species of large toucans call in the early mornings and afternoons, and the life of the forest canopy opens before you (lucky guests have even seen both Harpy Eagles and Crested Eagles in a single morning!). Animals that are virtually impossible to see from the forest floor far below are suddenly right beside you, oblivious to your presence. The canopy tower opens a whole new world to guests of the Napo Wildlife Center.

Birds

568 species of birds have actually been seen in the Napo Wildlife Center Reserve area. Some obvious highlights include the world’s largest and most reliable population of Zigzag Herons, frequent sightings of Agami Herons, virtually guaranteed sightings of all five kingfishers found in the Amazon, and a great population of mixed-species understory flocks and ant-swarm specialists. There are 51 species of antbirds here. The Canopy Tower has produced some amazing sightings including Black-faced Hawk, Crested Eagle, and Harpy Eagle in addition to the cotingas and canopy tanager flocks that pass right through the tree.

Mammals

Many mammals have been found at the Napo Wildlife Center.  Upwards of six species of monkeys have been seen in a single afternoon from the Dining Hall tower, so you have a very good chance of seeing lots of monkeys. The Golden-mantled Tamarin is a stunning little monkey found only south of the Napo River, and so the Napo Wildlife Center is the only lodge on the Upper Napo River to have this species.

Giant Otters are also seen. There are two family groups that move among their dens, and they are found in all of the streams and in the lake in front of the lodge. These Giant Otters are one of the reasons that no motorized boats are allowed on the streams or lake, and appear to be curious (rather than scared) when visitors happen upon them. Again, Giant Otters are not found on the north bank of the Napo, so Napo Wildlife Center is the only lodge on the Upper Napo River to have this species. Capybara come into the lodge compound almost every night. You will have to stay up relatively late to see them, but they are almost always there. Peccaries, Tapir, Brocket Deer, and all of the Cats are difficult to find, but when found are generally seen quite well. There has been no hunting in the Napo Wildlife Center Reserve for well over a decade, so these animals are not abnormally scarce or frightened by humans.

More about the project, sustainability, and the Anangu community.

The Añangu community decided years ago that it was not going to succumb to local pressures to destroy the forest. Logging, market hunting, and oil extraction are all actively destroying local forests, and the income from the lodge will allow the community to continue to resist these pressures into the distant future. Often the most important part of a conservation project is the people.

The community land is located inside Yasuní National Park, and one might think that park status would confer substantive protection to the forest and its animals – after all, Yasuní was declared a National Park in 1979 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989. Unfortunately, the National Parks System in Ecuador is as under-funded as any other and does not have the resources to adequately patrol and protect Yasuní. The Napo project has worked closely with the Ecuadorian Parks System and the relationship has allowed the Parks System to rely on the Añangu community and the Napo Wildlife Center as their primary source of on-the-ground protection for this region of Yasuní.

What could be more effective than local residents protecting what belongs to them? All one must do is look at the barren cattle pastures of adjacent communities to know what could have become of this community territory in the absence of a legitimate, non-extractive income base. The community receives all of the net profits. The community has a democratic political structure that has decided how funds will be spent. The primary expenditures are for education and health care. The community does not maintain any debt from the construction of the lodge. All employees, whether from the community or not, are paid market salaries for the jobs that they perform. Members of the Añangu community make up between 85-93% of the total workforce at the lodge at any given time, and this variation is primarily dependent upon scheduling.

In the first half of 2005, 33 dry composting toilets were built in the Quichua Indian Community of Añangu.  One dry toilet was built for each family, plus two for the school, two for the community meeting hall, and five strategically located for the use of Napo Wildlife Center guests. The toilets are a double-chambered design, based on the concept of Ecological Sanitation in which our bodily wastes are respectfully returned to the soil, rather than contaminating the environment or being expected to disappear magically.  Urine is separated and drained directly to the soil, making use of its high nitrogen content for use as a fertilizer.  The average person excretes four kilograms of  urea every year, which holds enough nitrogen to fertilize all of the grains that he or she eats. Since the urine goes straight to the soil and is absorbed by plants, it does not have time to ferment and thus produces no odor.  Solids are covered in locally available dry organic material like ashes, rice hulls, or dry leaves and left to decompose naturally. The two-chamber design allows the contents of one chamber to decompose while the other chamber is in use. The aerobic design of the chambers creates odor-free decomposition into a rich and productive soil.

Quick Facts

• Eco-lodge owned and operated by the Añangu community
• 4 to 8 day all-inclusive packages, with departures any day but Sunday
• Located inside Yasuni National park on its private 82 square mile reserve
• 2 canopy towers for great wildlife viewing
• 10 Cabins all face the lake and accommodate 2-3 people
• Great for families
• Daily excursions led by bi-lingual and local guides
• 2 clay licks to see parrots and macaw

Established in 1986, La Selva Jungle Lodge was one of the first eco lodges established in Ecuador’s Amazon region, long before ecotourism became a buzzword. At La Selva you see ecotourism at its finest: living and walking in the Amazon rain forest with the best naturalists and native trackers. Through more than twenty years of refinement, the lodge has achieved a oneness with the environment and has won the Ecotourism Award.

Located in the pristine Napo rain forest area its motto says it all: “In the jungle anything is possible!”  such as “you are as far away from civilization as you can possibly be and a gourmet meal arrives at your table with only the freshest ingredients.” The food is a major event at La Selva.

Typical stays are 4, 5, or 6 days (longer stays are always available.) Each day you’ll choose from a variety of hikes, canoe excursions, and activities at a level that’s comfortable for you, led by a bi-lingual English speaking guide and a native guide. You come as close to nature as possible as you explore the virgin rainforest with its animal wildlife, lakes, rivers and flora.

La Selva takes up to 40 people, but each group excursion takes a maximum of 8 people per guide. There are many optional activities such as visiting the butterfly farm, night excursions, birding, and more. Swimming in the lake bordering the lodge is a popular activity at any time, and you can piranhas in it too! (Not to worry, the piranhas are very friendly to guests.)

La Selva prides itself on providing a family atmosphere where every guest feels at home, and especially caters to families from children to grandparents. The staff knows how to make the rainforest come alive for children — to excite, educate, stimulate and surprise not only children, but all guests. The food is appropriate for all people too — gourmet for the adults, and the best Amazon pizza, French fries and great desserts for the kids.

Scheduled Departures: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat (***Tue & Thu departures at additional cost; no deparatures on Sundays)

2016-2017  Rates, per person (rates are the same both years)

4 Days / 3 Nights, $1,215 (Wed-Sat, Fri-Mon)

5 Days / 4 Nights, $1,510 (Mon-Fri, Sat-Wed)

Extra Night: $340 (you can add any number of additional nights)

Single Rate: +30%

Airfare Quito/Coca/Quito: $200 (subject to change)

Children under age 12: 30% discount

***Canoe cost for non-operating days per person (Tue & Thu) subject to change:

1 passenger, $124

2 passensgers $62

3 passengers $42

4-5 passengers $32

Extras:

Private guide: on request. Please contact us for rate.

SAMPLE 4 & 5 DAY ITINERARY

Day 1

Arrive at Quito Airport for the flight to Coca. A representative from La Selva will meet you and assist with check-in. You fly on either of the following private airlines: ICARO, VIP, AEROGAL or TAME, all using modern planes for the 25 minute flight.

At Coca airport you’ll be met by La Selva staff for a 15 minute transfer in a Chiva (open bus) to a private dock. There you board a motorized canoe for the trip down the River Napo (2 to 2½ hours). A box lunch will be provided for you to eat during the river excursion.

Upon Arrival at the La Selva dock, the staff will carry your luggage (carry on, as well as camera gear, is guest’s responsibility.) Naturalist guides welcome you, as you sip a complimentary cocktail in the bar, then receive an introduction to the facilities and activities.. The first excursion follows after you’ve settled into your cabins. Return to the lodge for a delicious dinner, then a well-deserved rest.

Day 2

6:00 AM: early wake-up call

6:30: breakfast

7:10: departure for excursion

1:00 PM: lunch

Afternoon: Leisure time until 4:00 excursion

4:00 PM: afternoon activity/excursion.

7:00 PM: dinner

After dinner: night excursion

Day 3

6:00 AM: early wake-up call

6:30: breakfast

7:10: departure for excursion

1:00 PM: lunch

4:00PM: take another excursion, or an optional activity such as fishing, canoeing, the observation tower, or simply relaxing with your guide and discussing the lodge’s ecotourism efforts.

7:00 PM: dinner

After dinner: night excursion

Day 4

Early wake up for the return Quito. Reversing your steps from arrival day, transfer by morotized canoe to Coca, fly from Coca to Quito, arriving around noon The 5-day program follows the same itinerary as above, adding one more day the same as day 3. You depart on Day 5 (same as Day 4 above.)

Included in the Land Cost:

All meals and beverages with meals

River travel from Coca

Daily excursions led by English Speaking naturalist guide & local guides

Use of kayaks, fishing droplines, canoes, rubber boots, rain ponchos, etc.

Not Included:

Air ticket Quito/Coca/Quito $200

Yasuni National Park entrance fee

Beverage service from the bar (sodas and alcoholic beverages)

Laundry service

Personal expenses

Tips to guides and staff

SAMPLE HIKES

Depending on your preferences, you can choose from day adventures, night adventures, physical challenges, long or short walks, or anthropological visits. Advise La Selva of your preferences and they will arrange a native or naturalist guide to accompany you on your choice of adventure.

Below is a partial list of activities:

Walk by a local house

Cross Garzacocha Lake. 2½ to 3 hours walk on a purposely-underdeveloped trail, which is somewhat physically challenging. Half of the walk is in primary rainforest and the other half passes the huts of the indigenous neighbors along the Napo River.

Mandicocha Trail

An easy trail close to the Lodge, which is usually filled with wildlife at any time of day.

Night Excursions

Every night after dinner you can view the nocturnal wildlife such as caiman, monkeys, insects and owls via canoe or walking. These are among our most popular excursions.

Pedro’s Trail

Choose either the long or short version.

Long Version: cross Garzacocha Lake, then walk through virgin forest, looking for what might be just beyond the next tree. Arrive at the tower – 4 Hours.

Short version: pass the Butterfly farm and you will join Pedro’s Trail in the middle – 2 Hours.

Chawamango’s Trail

Head east at Mandicocha trailhead and walk along the Mandicocha Lake to the Napo River. Return to the lodge by an elevated walkway and cross Garzacocha by canoe – 3 Hours.

Little Chawamango

This short trip skirts the edge of Lake Garzacocha. Return by canoe to the lodge.

El Salado

El Salado Excursion — 2-hours, crossing the Napo River, with a picnic lunch. Visit a site where, with a little luck, parrots and parakeets, by the thousands can be seen.

High Forest Trail

The duration of the High Forest Trail can vary between 3 to 5 hours. Cross the Napo River and arrive at a challenging mountainous trail, which offers yet another ecosystem. Here are birds and wildlife seen nowhere else. Try eating the lemon ants!

Pilche Trail

Take the Pilche Trail across Garzacocha Lake and walk for one hour or more. Along the way you will see an enormous colony of leafcutter ants and whatever wildlife may come your way.

BIRDING AND BUTTERFLIES

Come to La Selva, where world-renowned bird guide author, Ned Wheatley has stated in the book, “Where to Watch Birds in South America?”, that La Selva Jungle Lodge is “Quite simply one of the world’s best birding sites.”

Birding is a different kind of adventure, often relished on a level the uninitiated can’t imagine. La Selva is renowned for its excellent birding, and cater to those passionate about birding.

At La Selva you’re surrounded by forest that is home to an amazingly rich and diverse number of birds. La Selva’s native birding guides are there to take you on the best birding excursions available. Some of these specialist birding guides have been leading birding expeditions in the Amazon for twenty years.

SOME BIRDING FIRSTS SEEN At La Selva:

–    long-tailed potoo

–    ochre striped ant-pitta

–    cocha antshrike

–    zig-zag heron.

BUTTERFLY FARM

La Selva’s Butterfly Farm was designed to present an ecologically sound, sustainable alternative way to help preserve Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. It is another step in the lodge’s ongoing effort to find viable ways (besides ecotourism) to help save Ecuador’s priceless Amazon rain forest.

At the farm you will see this miracle of nature and possibly witness the marvel of metamorphosis. Here you may find the best photo opportunity that the lodge has to offer!

La Selva breeds its own butterflies. It was the first professional enterprise of its type in South America, the only one in the world located in the primary rainforest. And currently, La Selva produces as many as 20,000 butterflies per year from egg to caterpillar to pupae for exportation.

They send pupae to such diverse locations as a zoo in Holland, a castle in France, and Cypress Gardens in Florida where they fly in enclosed botanical gardens, spreading the message of beauty and the importance of the Amazon jungle with every beat of their wings and providing another example of ecotourism for our guests.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

The Canopy Breakfast

For a real thrill have your breakfast 135 feet (45 meters) high above the forest in the canopy tower at dawn. The tower is one of the most coveted spots at the lodge for viewing wildlife from the high perspective. So bring your camera and enjoy the delicious food and impeccable service.  ($25 per person, 6 people maximum)

Candelight Dockside Dinner

Partake of a private romantic candlelit dockside dinner for two on the lake. The entire dock is  lit with a trail of candles that leads to your table. Complimentary Cocktails and Wine & excellent service by your waiter. ($80 per couple)

Campout Overnight

Leave the lodge after lunch with camera, change of clothes, everything you need for a one night camp out. Hike to our campsite about 1 hour or more where everything has been prepared, tents, latrine, cold water shower for your overnight stay. Then you go to Madicocha lake and explore upper Mandiyacu stream by canoe. After dinner, a gourmet safari event, return to the lake for a nighttime exploration. Sleep to the sounds of the rain forest in full orchestration. Arise to a hearty breakfast early and hike the most distant trail from the lodge. Return to the lodge for lunch. ($100 per person / 4 couple limit / 2-person tents)

HONEYMOON PROGRAM – 7 Days

La Selva Jungle Lodge is the perfect place for honeymoon trips and romantic excursions. Here you’ll enjoy solitude, fun and relaxation, along with introspection that fosters a shared vision: rediscovering together a sense of belonging to something much larger than yourselves.

A sampling of some of the special amenities:

– flower petals decorating your room

– breakfast on top of the largest tree while the sun is rising

– a private sundowner cocktail.

– Secluded honeymoon bungalow with queen bed, in a spectacular natural environment.

– experience private adventures together based on your personal preferences and style of travel.

– private visit to the Butterfly Farm with a special display by the farm director.

– the Amazon Gondolier excursion —  an indigenous guide takes you out before dusk in a dugout canoe or kayak and paddles you slowly & quietly around beautiful tranquil Lake Garzacocha.

– candlelit dockside dinner over the lake with a private waiter and a table just for two. The entire dock is lit with a trail of candles that leads to your table. Complimentary cocktails and wine.

– breakfast at dawn, at 135 feet high, above the forest in the canopy tower

– massage for each in the spa

Quick Facts

• 4 & 5 Day all-inclusive typical packages
• Daily hikes, canoe rides, birding led by expert naturalist and local guides
• Kayaks, Butterfly Farm & lookout tower above canopy
• Excellent birding excursions led by expert native bird guide specialists
• Established in 1986, the first full-service eco lodge in Ecuador’s Amazon
• Comfortable cabins with private balconies & panoramic windows
• Excellent food & service
• Family-friendly

Kapawi  Ecolodge & Reserve is located in one of the most remote and well protected parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Deep in the nearly two million acres of the Achuar people’s territory, Kapawi is accessible only by air — flying in small planes over an unbroken green expanse of rainforest near the Peruvian border.

Kapawi is an award winning eco-lodge* noted for its comfort and quality of service, for its ecological design and sensitivity, and for its abundance of wildlife and rich biodiversity. Located in the territorial lands of an indigenous nation (6,000 people in 64 communities) still living as they have for generations and in intimate harmony with nature, Kapawi provides guests a range and depth of cultural experiences unmatched by any other rainforest lodges.

At Kapawi you have a variety of experiences and excursions available. For 4, 5, or 8 days you choose the type of hike, canoe excursion, cultural visit that suits you and your group, each led by 2 guides: an Achuar guide along with a bi-lingual naturalist guide.

* A sampling of Kapawi’s many awards:

– 2010: nomination in the 17th Annual World Travel Awards (equivalent to the Oscar!)

– Top 5 Ecolodges 2010. Special recognition of outstanding work in biodiversity conservation, poverty reductioin and adaptation to climate change.

– 2009: Designated as one of the top 50 EcoLodges by the editors of National Geographic ADVENTURE Magazine.

The Achuar

The Achuar are historically a nation of warriors with a firm commitment to preserve their territory and way of life, and to resist the encroachment of extractive industries and a western style of development. Kapawi Lodge is an example of an alternative development path and is a key element in the Achuar strategy for protecting their lands. It brings revenue, training and a connection with potential allies from the outside world. A visit to Kapawi is a truly authentic and unique experience but authenticity need not come at the expense of comfort! 19 fully screened cabins built in traditional Achuar style sit atop stilts over a lagoon full of stunning plant, bird and insect life. Fine dining, fusing international and Ecuadorian cuisine, and a well stocked bar and social area are enjoyed by guests supported by a staff eager to make your stay in Kapawi an unforgettable experience. An Achuar guide and a bi-lingual naturalist guide accompany each group on a wide variety of activities designed to reveal the mysteries and majesty of the rainforest and Achuar culture.

Some History

The Kapawi project opened in 1996 as a unique partnership between an Ecuadorian tourism company, and the Achuar people. Each partner shared a vision of building an economically sustainable project that would contribute to the preservation of the cultural and environmental riches of Ecuador’s Amazon region. The goal of the original Ecuadorian company, who provided the Initial funding, management and technical expertise, was to create this internationally recognized eco-tourism project that would eventually transfer total ownership and responsibility to the Achuar people.  As planned, January 1, 2008 marked the official transfer of Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve to the Achuar people, who own, manage and operate it to this day.

Departures Monday & Friday, 4, 5, or 8 Days — year-round

2017 Rates, per person

Single Occupancy: add 40% to listed rates

Extra bed: deduct 40% from listed rates

Transportation to/from Kapawi

Land transportation Quito-Shell-Quito: $103

Air Transportation Shell-Kapawi-Shell: $215 (including 12% VAT)

Note: weather conditions are unpredictable in the tropical rain forest and occasional delays can be expected. We recommend you consider adding an extra day before booking any onward flights or tours after your kapawi stay as a buffer day to make sure you meet your connecting flights or plans to your next destination.

Transportation rates subject to change

Children’s Discount: under age 12, 50% discount of listed rates when accompanied by an adult in the same cabin. For children under 7 years of age, hiring a private guide is recommended.

Contribution to the Achuar Community (per person): $35

Included in the land cost:

Accommodation in private cabin with private shower/toilet; all meals at Kapawi; filtered drinkable water; daily guided excursions by resident naturalist guides, canoe transportation and village visit.

Not included:

bottled water, alcoholic beverages and boutique purchases.

ACTIVITIES

Since there are no set itineraries, Kapawi Lodge offers a multitude of activities, so that with your guides and your group you can design a flexible program to suit your interests and activity level. Activities include bird watching, a choice of forest hikes (from easy to difficult), canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and self-guided hikes. Most itineraries include a visit to an Achuar community.

The Achuar Community.

Most groups are invited into a home to experience Achuar hospitality and taste the famous manioc beer. Depending on your fitness level there are a variety of rainforest hikes to learn about the flora, fauna and Achuar cosmology and culture. Your Achuar guide will delight and amaze you with all the different uses of plants, from food to medicine, to building materials. If you are lucky enough to come across traditional Achuar foods you will have the opportunity to taste lemon ants or palm larvae — not for the faint-hearted!

Bird Watching.

Kapawi lodge is a paradise for bird watchers and amateurs alike with more species of birds in the Kapawi area alone than in all of North America. Kapawi has specific Achuar guides who are birding specialists. These guides are not always available so you need to advise us in advance to request one.

Fish, canoe, kayak, swim, or float.

Located on the banks of the Capahuari river, you can fish for piranha, or take a traditional Achuar canoe or kayak to explore sleepy streams, thick with jungle foliage, where you will feel a million miles from western civilization. For those who prefer less effort, slip into a rubber ring or swim and let the current carry you downstream; no need to worry, the only wildlife you’re likely to encounter are the magical pink dolphins.

Dining in the forest.

Don’t miss the alfresco dining experience in the forest: after a beautiful walk your guides will set up a delicious hot lunch in the forest beneath the jungle canopy.

A Typical Day.

6:00AM. Early risers can start their day as early as 6:00AM to catch the animals and birds at their most active. Hot drinks and light snacks are available before heading off for your early morning activities — nothing too strenuous for first thing in the morning, just relax in the canoe as you’re taken upstream bird watching or downstream to the clay lick where the parrots and macaws gather most mornings. The dawn light and the symphony of insect, bird and animal calls at this time of the morning will be etched into your memory forever. The canoes will return you to the lodge in time for a big breakfast at 8:00 AM.

9:30 AM – 1:00PM. Morning activities. Choose the type of hike that appeals to you:

Easy path: Short hikes in the rainforest (up to 2½ hours) on well-defined trails, visits to the Achuar communities, trips in canoes and excursions on raft and kayaks.

Moderate path: Medium distance hikes in the rain forest (up to 4 hours) which sometimes cross flooded areas.

Difficult path: Demanding hikes of over 4 hours and in some cases all day or more, in poorly defined, hilly, and often flooded trails. Porters will carry food and supplies for longer expeditions. Excellent physical condition is required!

Depending on what you have arranged with your guides you will either return to the lodge at 1:00 for another delectable dining experience or you may stay in the forest and lunch beneath the trees.

3:00PM – 5:00PM afternoon activities

5:00PM. Return to the lodge. Relax in your hammock with a glass of something delicious.

7:00 PM. Guides briefing. Each evening in the bar, the guides give a briefing detailing the activities for the next day.

7:30PM. Dinner. A delicious dinner will be served in the dining room at 7:30pm where you will be once more serenaded by the sounds of the forest and frogs in the lagoon as you dine.

8:30PM. Optional night activities.  Take a gentle night hike along the self guided trail, spotting unbelievably stunning insects, frog, reptiles, and with luck a nocturnal monkey. Watch for night Caiman by canoe –a real highlight — keep your eyes peeled for their orange eyes just above the surface of the water. Alternatively you can sit or by the fire in the hammock hut and hear talks on the rainforest and Achaur life.

GETTING TO KAPAWI LODGE

One of the most unique and attractive things about the Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve is its remoteness. This remoteness both adds complexity and challenges to the travel arrangements to reach Kapawi, and also provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a unique part of Ecuador and to see the tropical rainforest from the air, flying in small planes, low over a vast expanse of green. We will endeavour to make your journey to Kapawi as easy and rewarding as possible and to embrace you in Achuar hospitality from the moment your journey begins at Quito airport.

From Quito to Kapawi The standard travel route to Kapawi is to fly from Quito to a small airstrip at Shell, a town located on the frontier of the Amazon, or to Coca or Macas, depending on the number of guests travelling to Kapawi that day. If you fly to Shell, the southerly route from Quito heads down the valley of the volcanoes and on a clear day the view is breathtaking. Even on cloudy days you can often see the snow covered peaks of the volcanoes through the clouds.

Once in Shell (or Coca or Macas) you will be met by a Kapawi representative who will assist you as you change to smaller airplanes for short jog to the airstrip in Achuar territory. In either of the staging towns (Shell, Coca or Macas,) the waiting time is normally 1 to 3 hours. A representative will arrange a variety of activities and snacks or lunch depending on the anticipated waiting time.

The flight from Shell is a 50 minute flight over miles and miles of unbroken pristine rainforest, arriving at the Achuar community of Wachirpas, located on the banks of the Pastaza River. There you will be welcomed by your Kapawi guides who will escort you on the final leg of your journey, a beautiful 30 minute canoe ride into the majesty and tranquility of this remote part of the world. You will travel up the broad expanse of the Pastaza River, then into the smaller Capahuari River, and moments later arrive at your destination, Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve.

Returning to Quito The travel process is reversed and you will normally leave the lodge mid-morning by canoe, then fly by small plane from Achuar territory to Shell (or Coca or Macas) where you transfer to the larger plane for the flight back to Quito. Please note: Our scheduled travel days to and from Kapawi are each Monday and Friday. If you are unable to travel on these days, we may be able to arrange special charter flights to accommodate you.

Please note: it’s important to schedule a buffer day for the return to Quito. If weather interferes, the flights will not go, and you would arrive in Quito a day late. You shouldn’t schedule any connections out unless you have a buffer day in between.

Kapawi’s naturalist guides are Spanish and English speaking. If you require a different language, you need to specify this once you confirm your reservation. With groups of 10 or more passengers, we will guarantee a bilingual guide. Groups of less than 10 passengers may have to join with another group of passengers in your language.  A translator can be provided (for groups with less than 10 passengers) at an additional cost of US$100.00 per day per reservation (not per passenger), this extra charge will be paid previous to the excursion departure date.

GETTING TO KAPAWI: The Planes

Air transportation to Kapawi is by private planes rather than commercial planes. The two types of airplanes capable of reaching Kapawi and landing safely on their airstrips are the 9-passenger BN-2 Islander and the 5-passenger Cessna. Flights are only on Mondays and Fridays, however, charter flights are available. Please contact Andean Treks for more information.

Additional information on flights and weather.

Note 1: Depending upon weather conditions and/or the availability of specific airplanes, the standard travel routes may be changed. You will be fully informed of the planned travel itineraries. However, weather conditions in the Amazon are unpredictable and can change quickly so please be patient and keep an open mind if there are lasta-minute changes even on the day of travel or en-route. Routings taken are based on the best conditions available, with passengers’ safety the foremost concern.

Note 2: In exceptional cases, usually due to weather conditions, we may have to take the overland route from Quito to Shell, or vice-versa, using a chartered bus, van or auto service.

Note 3: In the event that weather conditions prevent arrival into Kapawi on the scheduled day, accommodations at a comfortable hotel in Puyo ( a 10 minute drive from Shell) will be provided, and flights rescheduled as early as possible the next morning to Kapawi.

Quick Facts

• Fly from Shell over expansive Amazon rainforest to remote Kapawi Lodge
• 4, 5, or 8-day all-inclusive packages
• Achuar and naturalist guides lead daily excursions
• Cultural immersion on visit to Achuar community
• Birdwatching, hiking, camping
• Canoeing, kayaking, fishing
• Self-guided trails

The Tambopata Eco Lodge in the Peruvian Amazon is one of the most established eco-tourism lodges on the banks of the Tambopata River. With a capacity of just 59, it is also one of the smallest lodges, which is how the lodge intends to keep it. Smaller groups, they believe, contribute to a more fulfilling visit and reduce the impact on the many species of fauna that abound in the surrounding forest.

You’ll spend 2 to 3 nights or more at the Tambopata Lodge, with canoe or walking day-trips led by local naturalist guides to explore the richness and diversity of the Amazon rainforest. You’ll learn all about the flora, insects, birds, butterflies, mammals, and more that co-exist in this amazing, elegant, and beautifully balanced interconnected ecosystem.

The Tambopata Eco Lodge employs around 20 Peruvian staff, the majority of whom are residents in Puerto Maldonado. In addition, there are a number of naturalist guides, both from Peru and abroad, who are at your service throughout your stay. As well as guiding and introducing visitors to the many marvels of the forest, a number are undertaking research projects, thereby contributing to a greater ecological understanding of the area. 

Custom departures year-round, on request

2017 Rates, per person

Internal Airfare: round-trip airfare to Puerto Maldonado from Cuzco or Lima, $360 (subject to change)

Note Flight Requirements: touch-down in Pto. Maldonado BEFORE 12:30pm; take-off from Pto. Maldonado AFTER 11:30am on departure day.

Local payment: $12 Tambopata-Candamo Reserve fee (2 nights); $25 for (3 nights)

Private group services on request.

DAY 1-FLIGHT TO PUERTO MALDONADO, AND JOURNEY TO THE TAMBOPATA LODGE: Following your early morning flight to Puerto Maldonado from Lima or Cuzco, you will be met at the airport by your naturalist guide and transferred to the lodge office to leave in storage luggage not needed upriver. We continue via speedboat up the Tambopata River to the lodge. On the journey, the vegetation changes from colonized deforested areas to secondary rainforest. A box lunch is provided on board. On arrival you’ll have a welcome drink and meet the lodge staff. In the late afternoon you set off for an introductory walk into the “terra firme” forest behind the lodge, dominated by giant Brazil nut and Dipteryx trees. We frequently see Saddle-back Tamarinds, Brown Capuchins, Agoutis, Pacas, Blue-Morpho butterflies, Trogons, Toucans and many other species. After dinner, we take a night walk to find nocturnal animals or insects by their eye-shine. About 50% of the animals are nocturnal in the rainforest.

DAY 2-HIKE TO LAKE CONDENADO: After an early breakfast we board the motorized canoe once again for the short journey to the trail head to begin a morning’s exploration by foot and paddle canoe of the lake system of Condenado, rich in bird and aquatic life. A family of Giant Otters lives in the vicinity of the lake and is often observed. Birds abound, especially Rufescent Tiger-herons, Great Egrets, Wattled Jacanas, Hoatzin, the noisy Donacobius and many others. Remember to bring your hat and sun cream for there is no shade out on the water. We return to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon is for exploring the forest close to the lodge (with or without your guide), relaxing and bathing in the Gallucunca, a cool clear stream beside the lodge. An extra-cost option is to visit our tree platforms, going up with ropes and harnesses for a bird’s eye view of the forest and for close-ups of arboreal orchids and the many other species of plants and animals that are never seen near the ground. After dark you will go searching for caiman (alligators) and other nocturnal animals by motorized canoe along the Tambopata River.

DAY 3-HIKE TO LAKE SACHAVACAYOC (TAPIR LAKE): After an early breakfast we take a short boat ride downriver, and embark on a longer trail requiring the crossing of streams and swampy ground, past giant Lupuna trees which abound in this part of the forest. On the walk you are introduced to more aspects of the forest and its animals. At the oxbow lake it is possible to spot the elusive Black Caiman and Giant Otters. We return for lunch. The afternoon is free for relaxation and bathing.

DAY 4-RETURN TO PUERTO MALDONADO: A dawn start is required for the canoe trip back to Puerto Maldonado giving memorable views of sunrise over the river. Look out for the early morning wildlife, which is particularly active at this time. Howler monkeys are frequently heard, as they stake out their territories. Your guide will take care of you on arrival in Puerto Maldonado and will deal with all the necessities at the airport prior to you departure.

Any number of extra days at the Tambopata Eco Lodge, in addition to the above program, are possible. These can be guided or unguided, according to your preference and interests. During these days you can:

• Explore the trail system in more depth, going further afield along trails that are rarely visited.
• Repeat the lake visits accompanying other groups, giving you more time to wonder/paddle in your favorite areas
• Visit the tree platforms, going up with ropes and harnesses for a bird’s eye view of the forest and for close-ups of arboreal orchids and the many other species of plants and animals that are never seen near the ground or at dawn when the main activity of the forest begin with a sunrise.

Services included in your trip: All meals and accommodation from lunch on Day 1 to Breakfast on your final day (inclusive). All transport from your arrival at Puerto Maldonado to your return to the airport (inclusive). All guided excursions described in the itinerary (including on additional days, if you wish). One night excursion on the river looking for Caiman.

Not included: Any drinks you may purchase from the bar. Tips.

What immunizations are needed/required?

Please consult your local travel clinic regarding health issues for journeys in tropical areas. On arrival in Puerto maldonado, Peruvian health authorities will ask that you show proof of a valid yellow fever vaccination. Malaria prophylaxis is also recommended.

Quick Facts

• 2-night and 3-night lodge-based programs
• Superior guest cabins and deluxe suites
• Forest and lake excursions led by expert naturalist guides
• All inclusive packages

Inkaterra’s Reserva Amazonica offers the most deluxe option of the Amazon lodge choices in this region. They customize your itinerary based on each guest’s personal interests whether it be easy walks in search of wildlife, jungle treks or vigorous paddles, or bird watching and native communities. There is a thrilling treetop canopy bridge.

Inspired by native Amazon design, 30 private thatched roof cabañas combine natural materials with contemporary amenities. Four cabaña options are offered, creating the most luxurious of all lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. Located at Kilometer 15, on the left bank of the meandering Madre de Dios River.

Departures year-round

2017 Rates, per person:

Rates subject to change without prior notice.

Children’s discount: 50% for under age 12; children under age 5 are not recommended, or guest must sign a disclaimer.

Triple occupancy: same rate per person as in double occupancy; maximum one additional bed per cabana, limited capacity.

Included: assistance at the airport; round-trip transportation by land and river between the airport and the lodge; full board and bottled water; choice of daily excursions led by bi-lingual naturalist guides; canopy walkway and Anaconda walk; basic equipment for excursions; entrance fees to Lake Sandoval and canopy walk.

Not included: personal expenses; additional services; compulsory supplement of $85 per person for nights of Dec 24 and 31.

Reserva Amazonica offers more than a dozen excursions. An interpreter meets with each guest upon arrival, shaping an ideal itinerary based on individual interests, desired activity levels, weather conditions, and length of stay. Below is just a sample of a classic 3-night/4-day program:

Day 1 Arrive Puerto Maldonado

Our staff welcome you in Puerto Maldonado, and check you in at the Inkaterra Butterfly Farm. From here we go by land transfer to the boarding wharf, and begin our rainforest experience on the 45-minute boat ride along the Madre de Dios River. Upon arrival at the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lodge, we have a short briefing before you settle into your beautiful cabaña. Lunch will be served in the dining room. After siesta & a refreshing tea time, enjoy a guided walk along the Trail system in the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica natural area. First night Twilight River excursion, afternoon cocktails, and dinner served in the main dining room from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Retire early or join us to talk about your first day experience of life in the rainforest. Overnight at the Lodge

Day 2 Sandoval Lake – Canopy Walk

Rest in bed or rise early – breakfast begins at 5:30 a.m. to avoid the heat and enjoy nature at its fullest. Join the Sandoval Lake excursion into the Tambopata National Reserve. Return to the Inkaterra lodge for lunch. After lunch, climb the towers to the Inkaterra Canopy Walk, & extend your excursion to appreciate the sunset from one of the towers. Cocktails in the main dining room or during the daily nature presentation in the Eco-Media Center. Dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. Overnight at the Lodge

Day 3 Gamitana Farm – optional lodge activities

Enjoy a trip to Gamitana Creek, 45 minutes by boat from the Inkaterra lodge, followed by a visit to Gamitana Farm. After a picnic lunch, we’ll have a short guided tour to see how local farmers raise fruits and vegetables. Afternoon free at Leisure. Overnight at the Lodge

Day 4 Madre de Dios River & Departure

Enjoy a full breakfast before our departure for our 45-minute return boat trip on the Madre de Dios River to Puerto Maldonado. Visit the Inkaterra Butterfly Farm near the airport, then transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima or Cuzco.

Coming Soon!

Quick Facts

• Customized itineraries based on individual interests
• Thrilling treetop canopy bridge
• Enchanting & accessible rainforest trails
• The most Luxurious Amazon option in Peru

Journey to the Heath River, staying at Heath River Wildlife Center, and then Lake Sandoval Lodge for an exceptional Amazon experience in the best pristine rainforest and stay in the most comfortable lodges in the Upper Amazon Basin. A great combination of remoteness and comfort. The Heath River, a tributary of the the Madre de Dios River, forms the border between Peru and Bolivia southeast of Cuzco. On the right bank (the Bolivian side) is Madidi National Park; the left bank is part of Peru’s Tambopata Candamo Reserve. Close to the lodge you observe wildlife in diverse terrain, including open grasslands and primary rainforest. Additionally there is a clay lick near the lodge which attracts macaws and other colorful birds. Heath River Lodge is a long trip from Puerto Maldonado, but well worth the effort.

Dates & Rates

Departures: All Year; 5 or 6 Day Fixed Departures Mon & Thu; or any day, year-round

Note: Departures on days other than fixed departures available at additional cost. See rates below:

2017 Rates, per person

5-DAY/4-NIGHT & 6-DAY/5-NIGHT ITINERARIES

Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Heath River Wildlife Center

Staff welcome you at Puerto Maldonado airport and we drive through this bustling Upper Amazon Basin city to the Tambopata River boat dock. Here we board a powerful motorized dugout canoe and set off to the nearby confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios River, where we head downstream for approximately three hours to the Peru-Bolivia border at the mouth of the remote Heath River. Even beneath the vast sky of this major Amazon tributary we glimpse the diversity of the riverine environment, with its forest-capped red-earth cliffs, alternating with low banks thick with Cecropia trees and giant grasses.

Now, after brief frontier-crossing formalities, we motor for about two more hours up narrower and wilder waters, suddenly enjoying the intimacy of mysterious forest looming close on either side. Occasional views of native villages and children splashing by the banks, are interspersed with long quiet stretches where we may spot herons, hawks, cormorants, Orinoco Geese, and perhaps a family of Capybaras — the world’s largest rodent, weighing up to 120 lbs, and looking like an enormous guinea pig. We reach our simple, charming and comfortable quarters at the Heath River Wildlife Center in time for dinner. (Please note that the lodge is located on the Bolivian shore of the Heath River, so passports are required to clear Bolivian passport control.)

Day 2: Heath River Wildlife Center

Today we make an early start to visit the lodge’s most spectacular feature: the Heath River parrot and macaw lick. Here these colorful birds gather to eat a type of clay from the cliff-like river banks that neutralizes certain toxins in their diet. They congregate early each morning, sometimes by the hundreds, jostling and squabbling over the best eating spots on the clay lick. This extraordinary wildlife display occurs at only a handful of sites in the Upper Amazon Basin, and nowhere else on the planet.

Our floating hide platform provides comfort and complete concealment, so that we can eat a full breakfast here during pauses in the bankside spectacle. For ultra-close-up viewing, our guides carry a tripod-mounted spotting scope, which can also be used to get telephoto pictures with even the simplest camera.

On our return we can land partway downriver and walk back along a section of the lodge’s extensive network of forest trails. We encounter numerous gigantic Brazil-nut, kapok and fig trees, along with the scary strangler fig, whose life strategy is as sinister as its name suggests. After lunch we typically hike or bicycle along a major trail to a point where the forest abruptly gives way to the spacious plains of the Pampas del Heath, part of Bolivia’s Madidi National Park. This unique environment — the result of very poor soils, plus an extreme seasonal cycle of dryness and flooding — is the largest remaining undisturbed tropical savannah in the Amazon, and is home to rare endemic birds and mammals, such as the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird and the highly endangered Maned Wolf. Shortly beyond the edge of the forest we can climb a raised platform that allows us a grand view of this vast expanse of grassland and shrub, studded with palm trees.

We return to the lodge by night, using our flashlights, and perhaps pausing here and there in total darkness, to listen to the ever-changing orchestra of animals, frogs and insects, and to experience the magic of the night-time rainforest. After dinner some guests may choose to visit one of our mammal lick hides, in hopes of seeing a Lowland Tapir, the rainforest’s largest mammal.

Day 3: Heath River Wildlife Center

Our second full day at the lodge allows us to choose from a wide range of activities available in this exceptionally diverse tropical environment. Many people choose to make a second visit to the macaw clay lick. Later we can take a canoe tour around Cocha Moa, an oxbow lake that lays a short way downstream from the lodge.

The reeds, fallen trees and forested shoreline of this lake teem with birds and other wildlife. Red Howler Monkeys may peer at us through the branches of the giant trees above us, while herons lie in wait among the fallen trees, cormorant-like Anhingas watch from the forest branches, and an Osprey may circle overhead. In the afternoon we may travel an hour or so downriver to visit the Ese’Eja native community of Sonene, where we can meet these descendants of nomadic forest tribes, and catch a glimpse of those traditional lifeways that they manage to maintain in the modern world. We can also purchase their handcrafts, made from a wide range of seeds collected from the forest.

After dinner we can board our canoe once more, for an evening of spotting for caiman, the Amazonian cousin of the alligator. This region is home to the endangered black caiman, and we nearly always pick out a few with our powerful spotlight as we patrol the river.

Day 4: Heath River Wildlife Center to Sandoval Lake Lodge

We leave at dawn for the return trip downstream. This is peak hour for wildlife so we keep a sharp eye on the riverbanks, often spotting families of Capybara, and perhaps being rewarded with a rare jaguar sighting, or a tapir swimming across the current. We reach the Madre de Dios River, re-enter Peru, and set off upstream for the boat landing near Lake Sandoval Lake Lodge.

We walk the 2 mile trail to the narrow boat channel through flooded palm forest that leads to the open waters of this peaceful lake, stopping as we go to spot birds and butterflies. As our crew paddles us across to the lodge (motors are prohibited here,) we may see the lake’s surface broken by a massive Paiche — an Amazon fish that can reach 220 lbs! Or perhaps we will hear the strange and haunting calls, and see the heads bobbing above the lake’s surface, that will signal our first acquaintance with Pteronura brasiliensis, the Amazonian Giant Otter.   

After lunch at the lodge and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, we once again set off by boat or catamaran to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest we drift to the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied and Blue-and-yellow Macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. Our viewpoint from the canoes often allows closer and more extended encounters with birds and mammals than on a typical forest trail hike, and we may witness intimate feeding and mating behavior. On Lake Sandoval, monkeys in particular have almost lost their fear of humans.

We return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. Afterwards we board the boats once more, in search of black caimans, which now are extremely rare in the Amazon, but still common in this protected lake. They grow up to 4 meters in length, and compete with the Giant Otters for their share of the fishing. On clear nights we take our boat further out into the lake to get an unimpeded view of the vast southern sky with its unfamiliar constellations and superb vistas of the Milky Way.

Day 5: Lake Sandoval to Puerto Maldonado

After a dawn breakfast we take a final, short paddle along the palm swamps of the wets end of the lake in search of the resident Giant Otter family. From here, on clear mornings, we will see a glorious sunrise and its reflection in the open waters of the lake. Returning down the trail to the Madre de Dios river, we return to Puerto Maldonado to catch teh flight to Cuzco or Lima.

FOR THE 6-DAY/5-NIGHT PROGRAM: Days 5-6 are as follows:

Day 5: Sandoval Lake Lodge

We rise early to tour the lake shore by canoe once more for yet new wildlife sightings. We return to the lodge for breakfast and rest for a while, perhaps enjoying the panoramic view from our high point on the lake shore, before setting out to walk a special circuit where we investigate and learn the uses of dozens of Amazonian medicinal plants. We will see palmicho, the plant that supplies the roof-thatch material for our lodges, Candlestick Ginger for anti-inflammatory medicine, the historically important Chinchona, or Quinine tree, whose bark has saved countless thousands from the throes of malaria, and numerous other vital plants. This route includes both wild forest and a small botanical garden dedicated to cultivation of some of these species.

After the mid-day heat subsides we canoe our way around the shore to the western end of the lake, and encounter the flooded palm swamps where macaws make their home and monkeys abound. As we make our way back to the lodge later, it is getting dark and we can use our flashlights to spot the brilliant red eyes of caimans and get close to them as they lurk along the bushy shoreline with their snouts just above water.

Day 6: Sandoval to Cuzco or Lima

After a dawn breakfast, we cross the lake, perhaps encountering a family of macaws leaving their roost to forage or a troupe of monkeys greeting the day. We hike back out to the river, where our motorized dug-out canoe takes us swiftly upriver to the boat dock at Puerto Maldonado, and thence to the airport.

Included: transportation from Puerto Maldonado airport to Heath River Wildlife Center & Sandoval Lodge to Puerto Maldonado; private bungalows with private bathrooms at Heath River Lodge and Sandoval Lake Lodge; all meals and snacks; purified drinking water and juices; bilingual naturalist guide; all rainforest and lake excursions; Tambopata National Reserve entrance fee;

Excluded: domestic flights within Peru, alcoholic beverages, tips to guide and staff and international flights.

Important note : please note that all macaw and parrot licks in southern Peru are less active in May, June and early July than in other months.

Coming soon!

Quick Facts

• Enjoy the Amazon from the only eco-lodge on the Heath river
• Spy the gathering of macaws & parrots from the floating hide just 30m/100ft from the lick
• 4 & 5 night lodge-based programs, fixed departures or any day
• Forest and lake excursions led by expert naturalist guides
• Overnights at Heath River Lodge and Sandoval Lake Lodge

Indulge in a luxury Amazon cruise onboard the Aqua or Aria yacht on the Peruvian stretch of the river, experiencing the natural beauty of the rainforest while appreciating the comfort and luxury of a custom-designed Amazon River cruise yacht. Each day brings new discoveries as you explore remote areas along the river, hike in the rainforest to view wildlife, and meet the local people.

Choose from 4, 5, or 8 days, with weekly departures Saturday and Tuesday on Aqua, Monday and Friday departures on Aria. 

Each day you encounter amazing new wonders as you journey toward the source of the mighty Amazon in one of the luxurious yachts, accompanied by naturalist guides. Explore small inlets and winding river systems that make up the flooded forest. Pacaya Samiria Reserve, located on the headwaters of the Amazon basin, spans more than five million acres. At twice the size of Yellowstone Park, it teems with wildlife and aquatic life. Here you’ll see hundreds of species, including the endangered pink Amazon dolphin, black caiman, and three-toed sloth.

Choose from two river yachts:

M/V Aqua: Accommodates up to 24 guests plus crew; 130 feet long

M/V Aria: Up to 32 guests plus crew; 147 feet long.

These luxury yachts are the perfect size for Amazon river cruises, providing sumptuous lounge, dining and sleeping accommodations and modern navigation technologies and standards for cruise ship travel and safety.

Daily river-based excursions on comfortable launch boats allow guests to experience such wonders as viewing pink dolphins and six-foot-wide water lilies, fishing for sharp-toothed piranha, and interacting with the people who live out their days along the river. 

2016-2017 Departures: Tue & Sat (Aqua); Mon & Fri (Aria), all year / 4, 5 or 8 days

Rates, per person in standard double cabin (please contact us for rates on the master suites)

2016 & 2017:

Single Supplement: +25%

Childrens’ Discount: ages 7 to under 12, 20% discount

Triple Rates: 3rd person sleeping on sofa bed: 20% discount; 3rd person child under 12 on sofa bed rate is $500/night

Additional Fees: Internal airfare Lima/Iquitos/Lima: approximately $440 round-trip on Lan Peru, subject to change

Included in the land cost: all meals while onboard; all excursions, non-alcoholic beverages and wine and beer; transfers to/from vessel when arriving on recommended flights; Pacaya Samiria entrance fee.

Not included: International airfare; internal air tickets to/from Iquitos; guide and crew gratuities, boutique purchases.

Choose from an 8, 5 or 4 day Amazon cruise

8 days: Enjoy the best of all worlds on the most complete Amazon River cruise and experience the Amazon’s three powerful tributaries: the Marañón, the Ucayali, and the Puinahua as well as several hidden black water lakes.

5 days: From Iquitos, you travel by land transportation to Nauta where you board the yacht, then explore the Ucayali River and the Amazon River and tributaries.

4 days: From Iquitos along the Amazon River to Nauta, followed by the Marañón River and estuaries.

1. When is the best time to visit the Amazon in Peru?

The Amazon River in Peru has basically has two seasons, a high water season (December-May) and a low water season (June-November). Traveling to Peru in either season offers rich rewards, fabulous sites, amazing opportunities to view plant and animal life, and hot weather with some rainy days here and there.

Two key points to remember, as you choose which season to visit Peru for your Amazon river cruise:

• There will be some rain whichever season you choose, and you will see spectacular wildlife and plant life whether you go in either season.
• The Amazon basin is as rich and lush and green as it is because of the abundance of rain (12 feet a year on average). In a typical year, the Amazon River rainforest has 200 rainy days, which means that there will be days of heavy rain even in the low water season.

The High Water Season, December-May Peru’s rainy season runs from December through May–summer and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the “relatively” cooler and wetter season when the Amazon region receives a little more than half (60%) of its total rainfall. During the high water season the average temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit, 12 degrees cooler than in the low water season.

There are great benefits to taking an Amazon cruise in Peru at this time of year: Perhaps most important, the Amazon Basin’s rivers and streams are about 23 feet higher than they are during the low water season, and every river, creek and lake is navigable. Thus, you are able to explore more of the waterways of Amazonia by skiff and will have access to areas with more plant life and wildlife than during the low water season.

The flooded waterways put travelers much closer to the Amazon jungle canopy, where monkeys play and the beautiful Amazon birds like to roost. In fact, you are very likely to see many more mammals, both monkeys and others, during the high water season.

Enhanced navigation by water has a flip side, however, areas to walk and hike are sometimes limited at this time. If navigable hiking trails are found, there will be more mosquitoes than in the low water season.

Fishing in the Amazon River is more limited during these months too, but you still have close to a 50:50 chance to get out your rod and reel and make a catch.

The Low Water Season, June-November Although technically it’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the warmer season on the Amazon River, with temperature averaging about 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and, despite its name, the low water season still exhibits some heavy rains.

Benefits to choosing Low Water season for your Amazon River cruise:

• Trails and jungle paths that are flooded from December to May are now easily accessible, allowing you to explore deep in the jungle by foot, and accompanied by fewer mosquitoes than during the flooded season.
• Fishing is 100 percent guaranteed . . . you even stand a fair chance to catch a piranha. And while you are farther below the birds that roost in the Amazon jungle canopy, you will have the chance to see dozens of species of migratory birds in flight, something you would completely miss during the high water season.
• The flip side of this is that water levels on the Amazon River and its tributaries are much lower, which means that many of the creeks and lakes that are accessible during the rainy season are inaccessible.

The Bottom Line: The Best Times to Visit Peru’s Amazon If seeing the glorious high watered forest and getting close-up looks at lots of birds and mammals (and enjoying a slightly cooler temperature) sounds attractive, then the December to May season might be your best choice. (Remember: Despite being the “rainy” season, the Amazon only gets about 10% more rain than falls in the low water season.)

If jungle hikes, seeing exotic migratory birds perch on trees as they pass through Amazonia, still having the chance to see monkeys and other mammals, and going on great fishing expeditions top your list, you might be happier choosing the warmer, low water season.

Perhaps the best solution of all is to choose one season this year… and the other in the future! Regardless, whichever season you choose, your luxury cruise down Peru’s Amazon will be an unforgettable experience.

2. What is a typical day like?

Each Amazon cruise includes many optional 2 to 3-hour excursions into Amazonia on remote tributaries where you spot monkeys and birds along a jungle trail, visit a local village, go fishing on one of Amazonia’s beautiful lakes, and much more. The M/V Aqua and the M/V Aria are equipped with three and four auxiliary aluminum skiffs respectively that take you along the waterways, or ferry you to the landing point for onshore excursions. Each of our excursions is led by a trained and knowledgeable naturalist guide who is fluent in English and/or French. You have plenty of time to explore, listen to your guide’s explanation, and photograph the abundant wildlife.

Most days your excursions start after your sumptuous breakfast. After 2-3 hours you return to refreshing cold towels, a delicious lunch, and a few hours to relax. The afternoon excursions usually start at 3:00 or 4:00 PM, to get away from the midday sun and heat, and when the birds and animals start to become active again. Return to the yacht with plenty of time to wash up before dinner. There will always be an evening lecture and description of the next day’s activities.

If there are days when you choose not to go onshore for an exciting jungle expedition, you can stay onboard — lie back on a lounge chair, breathe in the Amazon air, soak up the sun, read a good book, watch the ever-changing view, and simply experience total relaxation in the heart of the Amazon jungle.

3. What wildlife am I likely to see in the rainforest?

Your Amazon cruise aboard the M/V Aqua or the M/V Aria takes you into the Pacaya Samiria Reserve (Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria), located deep within the Amazon rainforest at the headwaters of the Amazon River basin. Pacaya Samiria is one of Peru’s most well preserved havens for Amazon wildlife, plants and birding. Since it is only accessible by water, you will become one of only a handful of seasoned travelers ever to have reached this remote, remarkably beautiful destination on the Amazon River.

The Pacaya Samiria Reserve spans more than five million acres, twice the size of Yellowstone Park, rich with wildlife and aquatic life. In winter, when the river is high, you can explore the small inlets and various winding river systems that make up the Reserve’s flooded jungle. In summer, the river recedes and beautiful sandy river beaches form.

Only about 30,000 people live on the vast tract of land within the Pacaya Samiria area. You will have the chance to meet some of the local people as part of your Amazon cruise experience. In addition, Pacaya Samiria park rangers will show you some of the conservation and sustainability projects that are part of this vast reserve within the Amazon rainforest.

When you arrive at Pacaya Samiria Reserve, you will enter a world filled with birds in neon-brilliant colors, playful monkeys, graceful hawks and herons and millions of butterflies. You will have the opportunity to see hundreds of species, including the endangered pink Amazon dolphin, the three toed sloth — and perhaps, if you are very lucky — a sleek, black jaguar!

In this glorious environment, parrots and macaws perch in trees as though posing … fuzzy orange and black howler monkeys munch on the treetop leaves … pre-historic looking iguanas, like mini-dinosaurs, laze in the sun. You will have the chance to watch long-legged cormorants fish for their dinner, and will probably see alligators cooling themselves in the river, and possibly … from a safe distance … the legendary boa constrictor.

Quick Facts

• 4, 5, or 8 day Amazon cruises
• 24 or 32 passenger luxurious yachts, the Aqua and Aria 
• View myriad wildlife, birds and flora
• Visit indigenous villages & meet the people
• Enjoy sumptuous meals on board prepared by the renown chef