Intermediate Program 4 Days / 3 Nights

Day 1: Starting from Quito you can take a public (or private transport - extra charge ) to the city of Tena where our guide will be waiting you for your transportation to the small Indigenous village of Santa Rosa. From here, we navigate for about 30 minutes downstream along the Napo River by canoe, arriving at Yacuma Lodge in the afternoon where you will be welcomed by a typical cold drink and will be time to settle in the lodge’s typical Quechua bungalows for two people.

After a short rest and in the company of one of our expert’s Indian guides, by canoe we go to the Birds Island where we make a hike in the forest around the Laguna Escondida (Hidden Lagoon), an special place where we can observe different species of jungle birds: river Garzas (great egret), Great Blue Heron, King fisher, Garrapatero, Oropendolas, etc. One of the most interesting bird is The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoatzin), the Amazon's weirdest birds and rather shy except in breeding season. It has a punk hair-do, and a bright blue face. Added to that it smells horrible, so it's also called the "Stink-bird." It eats only leaves, so is rather heavy, and hence a clumsy flyer.

Later on we canoe back to the lodge for a well deserved dinner. Afterwards and weather permitting we will go for a night canoe ride with a silent navigation on the nearby lagoon and looking for wildlife.
Included: Spanish/English speaking companion, Indigenous guides, noted meals, accommodations in bungalows for 2 people, canoes and excursions.

Day 2: After breakfast in the lodge, we’ll begin a 3-4 hour trek through the deep primary rainforest. Along the way an indigenous guide will show us the many species of plants and trees and describe their medicinal purposes and uses. With luck we perhaps will see monkeys and birds such as oropendolas and parrots. Return to the lodge for lunch and after a short rest we will make a walk in the forest to observe the different kind of trees cultivated by the locals: bananas, papaya tree, pineapple, orange trees, sugar cane, etc.

Then we continue to the small settlement where we can observe (and buy) pottery made by the locals. Later on we continue our walk for a visit to the Quechua indigenous community of Chontayacu, where you will have the opportunity to learn about local customs and the way of life of the native people of the jungle. Later in the afternoon return to the lodge for dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Included: Spanish/English speaking companion, Indigenous guides, noted meals, accommodation in the lodge in bungalows for 2 people, canoes and excursions.

Day 3: In the morning, we’ll start a 3 hours walk into the primary rainforest. Crossing small streams and different kind of terrains with several species of trees and plants we will arrive to the main objective of this day: la Cueva de los Tutapishco (Amazon Bats (Saccopteryx bilineata) Cave).

This is a special place and considered by the locals as a sacred place where the shamans (medicine man) come to enter in contact with the spirits. We then continue our walk for about 2 hours until we meet our canoes on the shores of the Napo River. We will canoe back to the lodge for lunch followed by a short rest. In the afternoon we go for a navigation in the Napo River where we will you will have the rare opportunity to try panning for gold on the shores of the river. Later on we’ll also take you to a perfect spot for bathing beside one of the sandy shores of the Napo or Chontayacu Rivers.

Then we return to the lodge late in the afternoon and after dinner we invite you to ve a drink at our informal social farewell evening. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Included: Spanish/English speaking companion, indigenous guides, noted meals, accommodation in the lodge in bungalows for 2 people, canoes and excursions.

Day 4: After breakfast we say goodbye to our Indian friends and then we’ll begin our return journey along the Napo River to Santa Rosa Village from where you can take your transport (on your own) back to Tena and from there back to Quito. Breakfast.
Included: Spanish/English speaking companion, Indigenous guides, noted meals, canoes.

.BASIC PROGRAM 3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS                            FULL PROGRAM 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS