Yakuma Ecolodge

Itinerary 4D/3N (BROMELIA: Blooming under the canopy)

DAY 1

Quito (or Baños) => Yacuma Jungle EcoLodge

Our Guide will be waiting for you in the city of Tena, the Capital of the Province. From here, we will drive for approximately one hour and a half more until we reach the community of Santa Rosa, a small jungle town located in the banks of the Napo River, one of the main effluents of the great Amazon River.
We will get a chance to buy the last required things at the local shop (batteries, candy, snacks, etc.) before hopping in the motorized canoe to head deep into the Yacuma Natural Reserve. A 20–30-minute boat ride on the Napo River will take you to the mouth of the small Chontayacu River, where Yacuma Ecolodge is located. Depending on the time of the year and the amount of water running through the rivers, the boat ride can turn into a fun activity, as collectively, we all push the canoe through sand banks and upriver to get to the lodge or we also will need to walk on the riverbanks.

DAY 2

Yacuma EcoLodge and the Forest Reserve

After a nice hearty breakfast, we will begin a hike deep in the primary jungle of the Yacuma forest reserve. For this activity we have various alternatives. The first alternative is a short 1 to 2 hours walk in which the native guide will show us various species of birds, medicinal plants, and their usage in shamanic healing rituals, and if we are lucky perhaps, we will see wild animals such as monkeys, tapirs, or capybaras. A second alternative of 3 to 4 hours across streams and different types of terrain will take us through various species of trees and many species of plants used for healing as well as food and shelter within the deep primary rainforest. Lots of birdlife can be observed io this walk, and with some luck, we will also be able to observe some very interesting mammals from the deep jungle such as monkeys, rodents, etc. Exploring the primary rainforest is a very gratifying and fulfilling experience for all travelers. We will return to the lodge for a delicious lunch, and after resting for a short period, we will visit the home of one of the members of the Kichwa Chontayacu community, where we can appreciate their simple and calm lifestyle. During the walk travelers can learn interact and observe the various crops that grow within the jungle of secondary forests of The Napo Basin. Crops such as Coffee, Bananas, cacao, cassava, papaya, pineapple and oranges are some of the locally produced agricultural products that provide sustenance for the inhabitants of the jungle.
Visitors can also observe and buy the locally produced handicraft such as vases, small pots, necklaces, bracelets and many more beautiful crafts. The traditional Chicha drink will also be explained and passed around for everyone to try. If time permits, we will do some fun water-based activities such as kayaking or tubing in the river. Conversely, we can head back to camp and have a nice bonfire with music and enjoyment after dinner.

Note: the lodge has 4 kayaks available for this activity; each has space for 2 people.

DAY 3

Yacuma Ecolodge and the Forest Reserve:

Chontayacu, the small river that flows next to the cabins, gives the name to the local Kichwa community that work in the Lodge. This river has a beautiful waterfall upstream that we will visit this day. This 3-hour jungle hike will take us across beautiful amazon landscapes and into the waterfall, as we ascend through difficult and complex jungle terrain. We will be able to hear the amazing calls of the “Oropendola” bird, as it tends to its nets hanging from the trees like drops of water. We will go through secondary and primary forest, viewing species of tree life that is very useful for the communities. After we get to the waterfall we return to the lodge for lunch and a well-deserved rest, after which we will go down to the river to learn the traditional ways of gold panning in the river. This fun activity will be followed by a lesson in the usage of the blow gun, as well as the creation of Chocolate with locally grown beans. We will get to produce a very fresh and high-quality cup of hot chocolate. We will enjoy a nice farewell dinner and a night bonfire to relax.

DAY 4

Yacuma EcoLodge – Tena

For those interested in bird watching, an early start is offered to catch the different species of birdlife rising for the day. At 6:00 am we will start a 20 minutes’ walk to a viewpoint close to the lodge to observe dozens of parrots arriving to the “Collpa” (Parrots Clay Lick), an impressive view of the amazon jungle wildlife event. We will return to the lodge for breakfast and after that we will say goodbye to our friends and board our canoe to go back to Santa Rosa village from where you will travel back to Tena and head along with your Ecuador adventure.

Itinerary 5D/4N (KILLA: Moon Goddess of the Night)

DAY 1

Quito (or Baños) => Yacuma Jungle EcoLodge

Our Guide will be waiting for you in the city of Tena, the Capital of the Province. From here, we will drive for approximately one hour and a half more until we reach the community of Santa Rosa, a small jungle town located in the banks of the Napo River, one of the main effluents of the great Amazon River. We will get a chance to buy the last required things at the local shop (batteries, candy, snacks, etc.) before hopping in the motorized canoe to head deep into the Yacuma Natural Reserve. A 20–30-minute boat ride on the Napo River will take you to the mouth of the small Chontayacu River, where Yacuma Ecolodge is located. Depending on the time of the year and the amount of water running through the rivers, the boat ride can turn into a fun activity, as collectively, we all push the canoe through sand banks and upriver to get to the lodge or we also will need to walk on the riverbanks.

DAY 2

Yacuma EcoLodge and the Forest Reserve

After a nice hearty breakfast, we will begin a hike deep in the primary jungle of the Yacuma forest reserve. For this activity we have various alternatives. The first alternative is a short 1 to 2 hours walk in which the native guide will show us various species of birds, medicinal plants, and their usage in shamanic healing rituals, and if we are lucky perhaps, we will see wild animals such as monkeys, tapirs, or capybaras. A second alternative of 3 to 4 hours across streams and different types of terrain will take us through various species of trees and many species of plants used for healing as well as food and shelter within the deep primary rainforest. Lots of birdlife can be observed io this walk, and with some luck, we will also be able to observe some very interesting mammals from the deep jungle such as monkeys, rodents, etc. Exploring the primary rainforest is a very gratifying and fulfilling experience for all travelers. We will return to the lodge for a delicious lunch, and after resting for a short period, we will visit the home of one of the members of the Kichwa Chontayacu community, where we can appreciate their simple and calm lifestyle. During the walk travelers can learn interact and observe the various crops that grow within the jungle of secondary forests of The Napo Basin. Crops such as Coffee, Bananas, cacao, cassava, papaya, pineapple, and oranges are some of the locally produced agricultural products that provide sustenance for the inhabitants of the jungle. Visitors can also observe and buy the locally produced handicraft such as vases, small pots, necklaces, bracelets, and many more beautiful crafts. The traditional Chicha drink will also be explained and passed around for everyone to try.

Note: the lodge has 4 kayaks available for this activity; each has space for 2 people.

DAY 3

Yacuma EcoLodge and full day in Rio Bueno

After a nice hearty breakfast, we will begin a hike deep in the Jungle near the “Rio Bueno where we are going to spending all the day learning about the different animals, plant and in special watching the birds and some species unique in this area of the Jungle, to recover our energies of this fascinating hike in the jungle we are are going to eat a traditional box lunch or also called “Cucayo” for the kichwas communities.Then we will continue to other fascinating activity at the jungle and we will have the opportunity to catch a piranha. After all these activities we are going to return at Yacuma Ecolodge to rest and an enjoy a nice dinner.

DAY 4

Yacuma EcoLodge and the Forest Reserve

Chontayacu, the small river that flows next to the cabins, gives the name to the local Kichwa community that work in the Lodge. This river has a beautiful waterfall upstream that we will visit this day. This 3-hour jungle hike will take us across beautiful amazon landscapes and into the waterfall, as we ascend through difficult and complex jungle terrain. We will be able to hear the amazing calls of the “Oropendola” bird, as it tends to its nets hanging from the trees like drops of water. We will go through secondary and primary forest, viewing species of tree life that is very useful for the communities. After we get to the waterfall we return to the lodge for lunch and a well-deserved rest, after which we will go down to the river to learn the traditional ways of gold panning in the river. This fun activity will be followed by a lesson in the usage of the blow gun, as well as the creation ofChocolate with locally grown beans. We will get to produce a very fresh and high-quality cup of hot chocolate. We will enjoy a nice dinner and a night bonfire to relax.

DAY 5

Yacuma EcoLodge- Tena

For those interested in bird watching, an early start is offered to catch the different species of birdlife rising for the day. At 6:00 am we will start a 20 minutes’ walk to a viewpoint close to the lodge to observe dozens of parrots arriving to the “Collpa” (Parrots Clay Lick), an impressive view of the amazon jungle wildlife event. We will return to the lodge for breakfast and after that we will say goodbye to our friends and board our canoe to go back to Santa Rosa village from where you will travel back to Tena and head along with your Ecuador adventure.