Amazon Rainforest: Wildlife and Culture Adventure

Napo Cultural Center, guests are warmly welcomed with a refreshing traditional drink and immediately taken Early morning transfer to the Quito airport where we will catch our flight to  Coca (35 minutes) over the Eastern Andes Mountain Range, crossing the equator and looking over the snow-capped volcanoes over 18,000 feet above sea level to reach the headwaters of the Amazon Basin near the Napo River.  

At Coca's airport, a representative of Napo Cultural Center will be waiting to take us to the nearby pier where a motorized canoe will take us down the Napo River for approximately 2 hours to our destination.  Upon arriving at the to their cabins between the wild found in one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth.

We will rise very early in the morning to share one of the ancient customs of the Kichwa’s pre-dawn rituals:  drinking guayusa to energize body and mind and we may even analyze dreams from the night before! Afterwards, return for breakfast and rest.

After a buffet breakfast, we will experience the amazing flora and fauna above the forest floor while visiting the 36-meter canopy tower. This tower is located about 30 minutes from the lodge deep within the forest. 567 species have been recorded so far, and we will enjoy seeing colorful tanagers, macaws, toucans, flycatchers and Spider or Howler Monkeys feeding themselves on the nearby trees.

Afterwards, we will continue to the Napo Wildlife Center where a typical Ecuadorian lunch will be waiting for us. In the afternoon, we will hike through a marvelous terra- firme forest to discover the diverse plants and their respective roles in the Tropical Rain-Forest: ancient trees, bromeliads, and orchids stand out in this impressive natural garden. After the hike, explore the surrounding creeks with possibilities of finding a Giant otter family.

Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Guests will be lead through the rainforest by a local Añangu guide, who is also an official Yasuni Park Ranger. These bilingual experts know the forest's secrets, the medicinal uses of plants and other in-depth knowledge of tropical forest biology

One of the highlights at NWC is going out on a very early excursion to reach two of Ecuador's most accessible parrot clay licks, one of the most striking and colorful experiences when you visit the Amazon jungle in Ecuador. The parrot clay licks are located within the lodge territory and can be reached by following the Giant Otter creek downstream in a dugout canoe to reach the Napo. Comfortable blinds have been built in each parrot lick in order to provide visitors the best viewing and high quality photo/video opportunities. Activity kicks off at main just after sunrise, and then again after midday.

Species include: Mealy, blue headed, yellow crowned parrots, cobalt winged, dusky headed parakeets, orange cheeked parrot, scarlet shoulder parrotlet and scarlet macaws. In the best weather conditions, a minimum of at least 800 individuals of most species can be spotted and on other days, despite rain, one can still see a good few dozen. You can choose to do a full day excursion visiting both blinds equipped with a nice freshly made box lunch, or a half day visiting the main lick and returning for a served lunch at the lodge.

There is a 15 m (50 feet) tall observation tower on a 13 m (42 feet) hill, high enough to get great views of possible troops of spider or howler monkeys passing by and immense tropical scenery. From here the avid professional and amateur birdwatcher can spot a great number of species.

NWC has a large lake with two creeks that can be easily explored whilst quietly sitting in a dugout canoe paddled by expert guides eager to spot and show you wildlife. Thanks to the pristine habitat of the area other large species like woolly monkeys and giant otters can be found. Creeks are densely vegetated with large trees overhead and calm flowing waters. Anaconda or a gentle easy moving three toed sloth may also await.  

On the morning of Day 4, after visiting the parrot clay lick we will visit the interpretation center “Kuri Muyu” managed by women of the Añangu community  to learn Kichwa culture culture, and crafts, as well as how traditional uses of natural resources are used by the community.

After an early breakfast you will return to Quito. While you travel in the dugout canoe you will have the last opportunity to enjoy the colorful birds of the rainforest. After one hour you will arrive to the creek where you will take your motorized canoe to Coca to catch your flight back to Quito. (B)

Join Global Family Travels for a truly authentic experience combining wildlife and culture of the Kichwa people in one of the most amazing places in the world, the Amazon Rain Forest! 

Located in the heart of one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park spans nearly 2.5 million acres of the Amazonian rain forest and is rich with extraordinary wildlife and vibrant local culture. The Napo Cultural Center is the only lodge within Yasuní National Park boundaries, and has been declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.   The center is located in the community of Añangu which  has been the ancestral territory of a Kichwa indigenous community who are active participants in the conservation and management of a large territory within the park as well as partners in tourism.

We will also visit the  Napo Wildlife Center (NWC), where friendly and experienced guides will help you discover some of the Amazon Rain Forest’s interesting and diverse wildlife.  You will enjoy daily hikes, canoe trips and lookout spots.  The location of the NWC complex which has sixteen luxury cabins deep in the heart of Ecuador’s rain forests is unbelievably beautiful, and the sounds and smells of the rainforest provides a relaxing atmosphere!

Learning themes unique to this tour include:

•                    Bio-diversity of the Amazon Rain Forest, where you will see three types of Amazon forests: Varzea, Igapo and Terra firme

•                    Ancient customs of the Kichwa culture

•                    Sustainable tourism and its impact on community development

•                    Visit the best-access parrot clay licks in Ecuador within the territory of the Kichwa Añangu Community.