Amazon Eco-Lodge Explore

Day 1 QUITO – PAPALLACTA – ITAMANDI

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   8 hours Admission ticket included

   7H00 - pick up at your hotel in Quito by private, comfortable transportation with a naturalist bilingual guide.
   We take a two-hour drive east of Quito to the Papallacta Hot Springs Resort, located in the Andean highland, stopping at 4000 meters for a quick look at the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve. We will appreciate the high mountain "paramo" ecosystem before we continue our journey to the best hot springs in Ecuador. We can soak in the hot volcanic pools, surrounded by birds and flowers.
   After a couple of hours, our next stop is at the Hummingbird Sanctuary at Guango Lodge, to observe all the different colorful species of these small creatures, as well as to have a healthy lunch.
   On our way down the curvy road to the Amazon Rainforest, we stop at the "Guacamayos Lookout" (macaws), located in between Sumaco and Antizana National Reserves (low elevation cloud forest), to observe the magic blanket of clouds that covers the Amazon rainforest, until we finally get to the Arajuno River.

Day 2 ITAMANDI FULL DAY ACTIVITIES

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   8 hours Admission ticket included

   Early in the morning, we take a canoe ride for 15 minutes upstream to visit the parrot clay lick (Saladero), a unique site where parrots and parakeets gather in order to obtain the minerals that will help them to digest the fruits or seeds they have consumed. Binoculars are highly recommended to watch hundreds of parrots and parakeets approach the treetops and later come down to the clay bank to eat this mineral-rich soil.
   After a couple of hours, we take a hike along the shore of the river to try and spot the smallest monkey on earth, Titi monkey. Because they are so small, it is hard to see them in their lush environment. We go on a different trail to observe the typical flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest.
   In the afternoon it is time to enjoy a cultural activity. An Amazonian Kichwa community will receive us and we learn about their way of life and the interaction they have with the forest. This encounter is going to show you that part of the Amazon.

Day 3 AMAZING ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE

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   8 hours Admission ticket included

   After a healthy breakfast, we continue our canoeing exploration, heading deeper into the jungle. Every day in the Amazon is a new adventure: the more pristine and wild the jungle becomes with new exciting opportunities to encounter more wildlife, such as different types of monkeys, capybara, tapir, swallows, flycatchers, herons, sandpipers and hawks. We will also take hikes to learn more about local plants and their medicinal properties. In the late afternoon, we arrive at our campsite, located on the Tiputini Riverside. Our chef will prepare a special gourmet dinner for us tonight.

Day 4 ITAMANDI – QUITO

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   Quito

   6 hours

   9:00 am: Check out and motorized canoe ride for 20 Minutes to the Arajuno Bridge. We will drive back to Quito across the eastern range of the Andes with drop off at your hotel or final destination.