Day 1 Sani Lodge (L,D)

Our journey starts with a 35-minute flight from Quito to Coca where Sani Lodge’s staff will pick you up and transfer you to a local hotel located on the banks of the Napo River. After your bilingual guide gives a brief safety talk, you embark on a two and a half hour motorized canoe trip along the largest Ecuadorian tributary of the Amazon, the Napo River.

During the journey you get a taste of the Amazon, passing ancestral communities and observing birds such as herons, egrets & vultures, while enjoying a delicious packed lunch. The canoe ride is followed by a 15 minute walk through flooded forest and a 20-minute paddle canoe ride across the beautiful Challuacocha Lake. On arrival the staff welcome you with refreshing cold drinks and snacks before you settle down in your cabins.

Later in the afternoon, you will have the option to take a short rainforest trail walk or a canoe ride to look for primates, Amazonian birds & black caimans in their natural setting. You will also have a close encounter with the amazing flora represented by cedar trees, orchids and bromeliads.

Upon your return to the lodge, our chef will be happy to offer a wide variety of national and international cuisine that caters for all including vegetarians and vegans.

After dinner explore our black-water oxbow lake, a haven for one of the increasingly endangered species in the Amazon, the black caiman. This lake supports a healthy population of these large South-American crocodiles, which can measure up to 6m long.

Overnight at Sani Lodge.

Day 2 Sani Lodge (B,L,D)

After breakfast, climb our 36m observation tower to experience life in the tree tops. To get there your will enjoy a 30 minute paddle canoe ride across the Challuacocha Lake, followed by a short 10-minute walk

Over 565 species of birds have been registered so far in the reserve, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, flycatchers and hummingbirds. With a bit of luck, we may get a closer view of howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys and sloths resting in the canopy.

The tower gives you a unique perspective, opening up a whole new world of Amazonian biodiversity that is often difficult, if not impossible, to see from the forest floor. The morning’s activity continues with time to explore the nearby trails searching for more Amazonian creatures. Return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, there are many alternative activities for your enjoyment, such as bird-watching from the dining hall or simply relaxing in the hammocks.

In the afternoon, hike the Chorongo or Coto trails for 3 hours. These hikes take you through a fantastic terra-firme forest where you can discover more about the relationships among the different living creatures and the role they play in this complex ecosystem. Orchids, vines, strangler figs, ancient trees; bromeliads are all part of this fabulous tropical rainforest.

Dinner at the lodge.

After dinner take a night walk to see how a myriad of insects, spiders and frogs come alive after dark.

Dinner and overnight at Sani Lodge.

Day 3 Sani Lodge (B,L,D)

After breakfast, we depart for the Napo River, where we board a boat to visit the Butterfly Garden in Yasuní National Park, a wonderful experience with hundreds of butterflies.

Afterwards we hike on the south side of the Napo River, within the Yasuní National Park, considered by scientists to be the most biodiverse area in the world. Here we are on thelook out for some species that cannot be found on the north side of the river like the golden-mantled tamarins, spider monkeys, blue and yellow macaws and with a bit of luck a close encounter with white-lipped or collared peccaries.

Head back to Sani Community Center to visit a native house and get a taste of how a typical Kichwa family lives. Enjoy their food, drinks, customs and culture and learn how the lifestyle of the locals is environmentally sustainable. Return to the lodge late in the afternoon for a well-deserved dinner.

Overnight at Sani Lodge

Day 4 Sani Lodge (B)

After breakfast head back to the Napo River to board the boat and visit the parrot clay lick within the Yasuní National Park for a wonderful view of hundreds of parrots searching for a gap to land and eat the earth. Here you may see Mealy Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged and Blue-headed parrots.