Wilds of the Orient (EEX)
Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest Extension
5 days/4 nights or 4 days/3 nights, Start/End Quito day1/day 5

The Amazon rainforest of the Ecuadorian Orient has an impressive diversity of wildlife and is a fascinating part of the country. Our Amazon extension takes you into this entirely different world.

We travel by plane to the oil frontier town of Lago Agrio. From here we board our motorised canoe to travel downriver to the Cuyabeno Reserve, an elaborate system of lagoons, rivers and flooded forest.

The reserve encompasses over 655,000 hectares of primary rainforest and boasts an incredible variety of neo-tropical wildlife including river dolphins, tapirs, capybaras, caiman, anacondas, ocelots, and monkeys.

The bird life is particularly spectacular: over 580 species have been recorded such us the prehistoric-looking hoatzin, umbrella bird, blue-headed parrot, white eared jacamar, scarlet macaw and the awesome harpy eagle with its eight-foot wing-span. Additionally, over 12,000 species of plants have been identified in the region.

The Siona, Secoya and Cofan, indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon Basin for thousands of years, also call Cuyabeno their ancestral homeland. At the lodge we work with local indigenous guides together with bilingual naturalist guides and have a close relationship with the local community.