Yasuní Jungle Explorer

7 Day Tour Starting Mondays and Fridays

Price: $1470 per person
Limited to 5 persons (available also as a private tour)

DESCRIPTION:

Yasuni Jungle Expedition is our signature tour for all adventure and nature lovers.

It will take you deep into the Amazon jungle, trekking through Waorani territory, camping under the night sky on the banks of the Tiputini river, fishing your own dinner and weaving baskets using traditional techniques. You will also discover the wildlife highlights of the jungle owned by the Mandari Panga community and meet the matriarch founder of the community. 

TRIP CONSIDERATIONS:

Activity level: moderate
Focus: wildlife and culture
Tour type: active – adventure

    

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Itinerary (sample)

The times and length of the hikes are flexible and defined by the guide the day before. The guide may modify the plan on any particular day based on weather, wildlife activity, recent sighting information, and other factors.

Day 1: Arrival at Mandaripanga

Upon arrival in Coca (bus terminal or airport), you’ll be met by your local guide. Depending on your time of arrival, you’ll have a chance for breakfast (not included) at “Maitos del Yasuní” a typical restaurant created by the association Challuwa Mikuna to benefit indigenous women.

We’ll then begin a journey of about an hour and 45 minutes in land transport and another hour and a half in a motorized canoe along the Tiputini river. When we arrive at the camp, you will have time to get to know the facilities and settle into your tent. Enjoy a welcome drink; then a delicious lunch will be served in the main house.

In the afternoon, we’ll cross to the other side of the Yitsu Yacu River for a walk of approximately 2 hours. We’ll finish the afternoon enjoying the sunset onboard our motorized canoe, and when we return to camp, a delicious dinner served by candlelight will be ready for you.

Day 2: Hiking the "Pecary Trail"

After an early breakfast (6:30), we will cross to the other side of the Tiputini river in a traditional canoe. We start a walk of approximately 4 hours along a loop trail passing through spectacular virgin jungle. We’ll arrive at the lagoon of the anacondas where, with luck, you will be able to see this reptile so characteristic of the area.
We’ll return to camp for lunch. After, you’ll have time to relax in your hammock or tent. Walk around the campsite and even cool down with a swim in a tranquil tributary of the Tiputini river.
In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a pleasant traditional canoe trip in the Pishña lagoon (giant otter oxbow lagoon) for about 2 hours. This black water lagoon is a fascinating ecosystem, a blackwater lake where unique species live. We’ll enjoy the sunset and then return to the campsite for dinner.

Day 3: Rio Tiputini and the Casa de la Abuela

Early in the morning, we’ll begin a trip along the Tiputini River in a traditional wooden canoe. We will have breakfast during the trip while we enjoy the sunrise. During our trip we should be able to observe a wide variety of wildlife from our canoe, from diverse bird species to monkeys, river otters, river dolphins and much more. You’ll be back at the camp around 11H30.
After our visit we’ll have a delicious lunch, and have the chance to share with the staff of Mandari Panga who will offer you some of their handmade crafts. Time for a short rest or a swim, then around 15:30 we’ll depart in our motorized canoe for the Casa de la Abuela (Grandmother’s House). This is a traditional home where the matriarch of the community still lives. We’ll learn about how traditional chocolate is made, which we’ll serve with our dinner this evening. Time to enjoy amazing views of the sunset from this hilltop home, then we’ll return to camp for a delicious dinner.
After dinner, we can take an optional night walk along a short trail called the Tucán Trail near the camp, about an hour in duration.

Day 4: Visit the Parrot Clay Lick

After breakfast, we’ll travel by canoe to a small river named Rumiyacu and guided to a parrot clay lick. Normally many birds can be seen during the trip, and at the clay lick there are typically various colorful species of parrots we can observe.
We’ll return to the camp around noon to have lunch, and then have some time to rest and relax. Around 3 pm, we’ll kayak down the Tiputini river for a couple hours. We will stop on a river beach to make camp, while the canoe driver and cook put together the camp, you and your guides will do some fishing, looking for typical freshwater species such as pirañas and catfish. This will be prepared for your dinner.

Day 5: Exploring the Anaconda Lagoon

After an early jungle breakfast, we’ll take a morning hike for about two and a half hours. This hike will be through Waorani territory, and we’ll have a local guide from the Waorani tribe with us for the hike. We’ll then continue down the Tiputini river for a few hours with a stop for lunch, and will continue to a different campsite deep in the jungle. On the way we’ll have a chance to explore some small tributaries of the Tiputini River in our kayaks as well. We should have a very good chance to see plenty wildlife during our journey. We’ll set up our camp, and then have a delicious dinner.

Day 6: Deep Amazon Kayaking, return to Mandari Panga

After an early jungle breakfast, we’ll have a chance to kayak further down the Tiputini river for about 2.5-3 hours. Around noon we will jump on the motorized to start our return to Mandaripanga camp. We will make a stop to have lunch in the canoe. After a quick rest on a river beach, we will hike back to the campsite. We’ll return to camp at 6 pm, with the chance to experience the fantastic Amazon, and we may spot other wildlife active at sunset, such as capybaras, pacas, and frogs. Once we arrive, you can take a nice shower to help you to relax, at about 7 pm a delicious Amazonian dinner will be ready for you.

Day 7: Return to Coca

Breakfast will be served early in the morning (depending on the time of the group’s flight departure). We’ll begin our trip in our motorized canoe for about an hour and a half; during the relaxing trip, you can say goodbye to the beauty of the Amazon rainforest. We’ll then be met at the shores of the river and travel overland for about an hour and a half back to Coca, where you’ll be dropped off at the airport or bus terminal for your return to Quito or travel to your next destination.

Included:

  • Transportation Coca – Mandari Panga – Coca
  • Bilingual and native guide
  • Accommodation in tents complete with mattress and bedding
  • Kayak equipment
  • Camping equipment
  • Use of rubber boots for hikes, life jacket for canoe travel
  • Three meals a day (starting with lunch on the first day through breakfast on the final day)
  • Purified water

Not included:

  • Transportation Quito – Coca – Quito
  • Additional beverages and snacks; extra meals in Coca before and after the tour
  • Rain ponchos (can be purchased in Coca before the tour if needed; highly recommended for adequate protection from heavy Amazon rains)
  • Tips
  • Personal Expenses
  • Travel insurance

PACKING LIST (lookinf for our recommendations):

  • ORIGINAL PASSPORT (in waterproof plastic bag)
  • Fast drying, lightweight clothing including long sleeve shirts and pants
  • A light jacket for colder nights
  • Waterproof jacket or rain poncho
  • Sandals or walking shoes
  • Thick, absorbent hiking type socks
  • Hat or cap
  • Sunglasses, sunblock and repellent (no spray)
  • Water bottle
  • One small (waterproof recommended) daypack
  • Flashlight or headlamp with spare batteries
  • Plastic bags to protect electronic equipment
  • Camera and Binoculars
  • Swimming suit

INQUIRY FORM

This form will NOT result in a bill or a confirmed reservation

    Other information

    CLIMATE:
    The Amazon Rainforest is characterized by rain, heat and more rain and heat (usually 72°-90°F, 22°-32°C), providing the perfect environment for plants and wildlife! The Amazon is always humid with generous amounts of rain occurring year-round. Both the rainy and “rainier” seasons are great times for an Amazon tour.

    Sunshine and rain showers during the day and slightly chilly temperatures at night are a rule of thumb to go by on Amazon rainforest tours.

    December and January are the driest months-with January and February being a shoulder season that leads to the months with the heaviest rainfall.

    March, April, May, and June see the most precipitation in the Ecuador Amazon Basin. These months coincide with the wet season in the rest of the country. Rainfall in the Andes spills over into the Ecuador Amazon Basin-raising water levels of the Napo River and its tributaries. 

    July through December see a decline in the amount of rain that falls each month. The average temperature in the jungle remains around 25°C (77°F) year-round, but during the dry season, daytime temperatures can reach 40°C (104°F).

    ELECTRICITY:
    There is limited electricity at the camp; there is a charging station for electronics which functions from 6 pm to 10 pm. There is electric lighting at the camp during these hours.

    LUGGAGE:
    There is no luggage limit weight that you can bring to the campsite

    VACCINATIONS AND HEALTH TIPS:
    Full Covid-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test is required to enter the Yasuni National Park.

    Yellow fever and Malaria are the usual concern of our visitors. We haven’t had any cases at our campsite, but it is always recommendable to have a shot and bring medication for this, as well as a type of anti-biotic for Traveler’s diarrhea (TD).

    Consult your doctor for the most current recommended health precautions for your time visiting the Amazon rainforest. The US Center for Disease Control is an excellent source for detailed information on preventing travel-related illnesses.

    TRAVEL TO AND FROM COCA

    • On the first day of the tour, passengers are met in Coca in the morning (approx. 10 AM).
    • At the end of the tour, passengers will be in Coca by about 10 AM, and can take a flight or bus to their next destination. This may change upon flight availability.
    • To get to Coca, there are currently flights departing from Quito on our operation days. There are currently 2 airlines flying this route, please ask us for options. If there are no early flights, passengers traveling to Coca should arrive the day before the tour. Exceptions can be made if necessary, please contact us. Regular bus service to/from Coca is also available, the trip is about 6 hours.
    • Passengers beginning their tour in the morning will have the option to stop at a local restaurant for breakfast (not included). This restaurant is operated by a Kichwa women’s association to benefit community conservation projects.
    • For those traveling by bus, there are day, evening and overnight buses departing at 11 PM or 11:30 PM.
    • We can assist with purchasing flight or bus tickets.

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    Mandaripanga Yasuni Jungle Expeditions