Nature and Culture Tour

4 day tour starting on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays

Price 2022: $ 660 USD per person

Maximum 6 persons per guide

Itinerary of 5 days is also available starting on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays

Price 2022: $790 USD per person

DESCRIPTION

For most, the Amazon rainforest is just something they’ve heard about or seen in the news. Come experience this amazing region, with its remarkable beauty and diversity of life. Our tour will take you deep into the jungle, where you’ll learn about its unique flora and fauna, natural history, and the cultural traditions of its people, while gaining an understanding of the importance of protecting the remarkable biodiversity it holds.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Mandari Panga

Upon arrival in Coca (airport or bus terminal), 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 and 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, and 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 and have breakfast during the journey while we enjoy the sunrise. We'll have plenty of opportunities to observe birds and wildlife during our trip, from monkeys and other mammals to river otters and freshwater dolphins (with luck); we'll be back at the camp around 11:30.

When we return, you'll have a refreshing drink and a delicious lunch. 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), a traditional home where the founding grandmother of the community still lives. We'll learn how to make traditional chocolate, 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'll take a night walk along a short trail known as the Tucán trail near the camp; this walk is about an hour.

Day 4: 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.

Tour includes

Tour Includes:

Transportation Coca – Mandari Panga – Coca
Bilingual and native guide
Accommodation in tents complete with mattress and bedding
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