The Napo Wildlife Centre is a fabulous, luxurious eco-lodge in the heart of Amazonian Ecuador. It is part of a conservation project in the Yasunė National Park, the largest tract of tropical rainforest in Ecuador.
This conservation region is more than 52,000 acres in size, (21,400 hectares), and an important biosphere reserve of Amazon rain forest.
Itinerary
A short flight from Quito will bring you over the Eastern Andes Mountain Range. You cross the equator and look down onto snow capped volcanoes more than 5,790 metres above sea level. You descend to reach the headwaters of the Amazon Basin near the Napo River, only 250 metres above sea level.
After landing at the small town of Coca, your guide will take you to your covered motorized canoe. You embark on a 2 1/2 hours boat ride, 50 miles ( 80 kilometres ) down the rio Napo.
During this trip a good number of birds can be spotted. They include: herons, kingfishers and ospreys, with more sightings as you travel into more pristine and remote areas.
Accommodation
On arrival you take a short hike or paddle in a dugout canoe ride to reach the Anangu Lake and lodge.
The lodge has been made using traditional materials. The architecture and is designed to offer maximum privacy and comfort. Each of the 10 individual bungalows room has a lake and forest view from its private porch.
Rooms include a king size and twin size beds, private bathrooms with hot water, a ceiling fan, electricity provided by silent generators supplemented by solar panel power system, plenty of lights and 120 v outlets, screened windows and mosquito nets.
Even from your rooms you may see a group of giant otters investigating near the lodge dock, a large black caiman crossing the lake or a capybara rumaging around by the waters edge.
Activities
There is a 19 metre observation tower which you are welcome to climb at any time (great views of the wildlife in the canopy). The dock area is a nice spot to watch the equatorial sun go down and a great spot for a nice dip into the lake. The guides will jump in first and eliminate any doubts you may have because of the black caimans and piranha inhabitants!
For hikes into the surrounding forest you will be divided up into small groups. You are lead by a native Anangu guide and an excellent bilingual naturalist guide.
The excursions are tailored to take advantage of the highest peaks of activity and weather conditions in the forest. On forest trails you might see monkeys, lizards, tortoises, frogs and army ants in addition to an array of birds. These include toucans, macaws, parrots, manakins and hummingbirds. The largest mammals like jaguar, puma, tapir, giant anteater and giant armadillo have been spotted on the area also, though are certainly elusive.
Varied wildlife
One of the highlights at Napo is Ecuador's most accessible parrot clay licks. The Napo Wildlife Centre has constructed comfortable blinds at each parrot lick in order to provide the best viewing.
Species include: Mealy, blue headed, yellow crowned, orange winged and orange cheeked parrots, cobalt winged, dusky headed and white eyed parakeets, with the occasional rarities like scarlet shoulder parrotlet and scarlet macaws. In the best weather conditions at least 800 individuals of most species can be spotted.
More than 568 species of birds have been recorded at the Napo Wildlife Centre, more than a third of all of Ecuador`s birds. Agami and zigzag herons are found near the lake and creeks, as are all 5 kingfishers. The large raptors like harpy and crested eagles are sometimes seen.
Napo is also home to a total of 11 species of monkeys. You visit a large lake with two streams that can be explored from the dugout canoes. This is ideal for spotting troops of monkeys like squirrel, saddle-backed and white fronted capuchin monkeys, monk saki, spider, woolly and golden mantle tamarin monkeys.
Environmentally friendly eco-lodge
The Lodge is located by the Anangucocha lake, within the ancestral lands of the Anangu Quichua community and was built in conjunction with EcoEcuador. EcoEcuador is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation efforts in Ecuador.
The Anangu Quichua community receives half of the profits from the lodge, which allows them to be active in conservation and to work towards preventing logging, market hunting and oil extraction, all of which are actively destroying local forests.
The lodge has an environmentally sustainable sewage system and all waste water is treated to the highest standard in order to keep the swamps clean. Rubbish is kept to a minimum and they compost what they can, burn and bury what is safe to and pack out the remainder to designated landfills. Solar panels and diesel generators provide power.
Included
Meals and purified water from lunch days 1 to breakfast departure day, domestic flights, English-speaking guide, all transport and accommodation at lodge, excursions, Yasuni national park entry fees, rain poncho and rubber boots when needed.
Not included
Insurance, international flights (we can look for these for you), personal expenses, alcoholic or soft drinks, tips. |
