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Ecuador

Sacha Lodge

Imagine yourself drifting down a narrow, winding creek surrounded on all sides by a lush, endless sea of tropical greenery. All that separates you from the deep black Amazon waters is a canoe hand-carved out of a single tree trunk. As you maneuver around a bend something unidentified crashes off into the underbrush, and you catch a glimpse of two magnificent, colorful macaws startled into flight. Suddenly, the forest erupts with a roar so loud that all you can imagine is some giant, fierce predator on the prowl. But as you turn to face your destiny, the menace is revealed as a family of furry red howler monkeys huddled together in a treetop. With a sigh of relief you continue onward, deeper into the unknown.
This is one of the many sensations you may experience at Sacha Lodge, located in the heart of Ecuador's Amazon Basin. A haven for nature lovers, birdwatchers, scientists and adventure seekers, Sacha Lodge provides comfortable accommodations, first-class meals and expert guides in order for you to fully enjoy the wonders of the tropical rainforest.

The lodging at Sacha was carefully designed to offer comfort to the traveler yet preserve the environment and rainforest ambience. Each of our 10 double cabins, with high thatched roofs and private shaded terraces, is constructed with traditional materials and nestles well concealed in the lush surroundings. In their rooms, visitors may overlook the jungle from hammocks and often report seeing wild fauna such as anacondas or capybara (the largest rodents in the world) while resting between activities! Electricity is provided by a distant, nearly inaudible generator, and the private bathrooms provide hot showers. All cabins are screened against insects, and contain ceiling fans above two comfortable double beds. Guests may use free time to enjoy a raised lookout above our main bar and lounge, which offers a scenic view of Pilchicocha Lake and excellent opportunities to birdwatch. Our meals are prepared to please the international traveler, and vegetarians are more than welcome. During one meal we will even enjoy a barbecue at our outdoor bar and dining area right on the edge of our lake! Swimming and piranha fishing are also activities not to be missed here… but don't worry! Piranhas are scavengers and the guides will prove that swimming is perfectly safe.

For excursions, Sacha Lodge's guests will be divided into small groups, each of which will be led by a native guide with expert knowledge of the rainforest's medicinal and other useful plants, and a bilingual naturalist guide educated in the biology and ecology of the area. A typical day at Sacha begins at sunrise or earlier, in order to take advantage of the cool morning hours when the rainforest's animals are most active. Each group may decide on its own wake-up and breakfast time, as well as the difficulty and duration of their morning outings.

In the afternoon, visits begin between 3:00 and 4:00 and often continue into the evening, when the nocturnal insect and frog chorus begins.

Activities are spread out over a wide area and allow visitors to explore several distinct but equally fascinating habitats. Several trails lead through pristine terra firme forest, where 150 foot kapok trees tower above and roots form huge buttresses to give trees support. Others follow strategically raised boardwalks in seasonally flooded forests, where walking on the ground would be nearly impossible during most of the year due to groundwater. One trail many choose to follow even leads across fallen tree trunks and a Steel cable zip-line through rich swampland!

One of Sacha Lodge's highlights is our 135-foot (43meter) observation tower. Situated on a hill and constructed around a giant kapok tree for stability, this tower allows guests to climb into and above the rainforest canopy for a magnificent view of the surrounding area. Be it shortly after sunrise or before sunset, from the tower's ample platform it is possible to observe toucan parrots, and dozens of other colorful bird species in the treetops. With some luck, noisy howler monkeys, foraging squirrel monkeys or the gentle three-toed sloth may also be seen, especially with the aid of a powerful telescope pro- vided by your guides.

In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favorite destinationof both professional and amateur ornithologists. Over 500 species of birds have been registered in the area, and from the tower platform our bird-specialist guides have on several occasions reported seeing over 80 species in a single morning! One of the top birding guides in Ecuador can be arranged upon request for serious birders at no extra charge.

The tower may be reached on foot via a half-hour wall through terra firme forest, which is an easy way to get there at or before sunrise. However, no one can miss on at least a one-way trip to or from the tower along Orchid Creek, Pilchicocha Lake's natural black water runoff to the Napo River. In a dugout canoe guests may follow this winding stream through untamed palm forest for about an hour, a trip that many choose to repeat.

Sacha Lodge is home of one of the largest butterfly farms in Ecuador. Designed as a live exhibition conservatory, the Butterfly House is now successfully breeding nearly 40 local butterfly species, Guests will be shown how these beautiful insects are bred and raised, and later be free to wander through "the flying room", where hundreds of colorful butterflies including spectacular blue morphos flutter from flower to flower.

At a short distance from Sacha Lodge is Ecuador's most accessible parrot lick, an exposed clay bank where brightly colored parrots of several different species gather in the early morning. In ideal conditions (sunny and dry), the parrots will often perch on and eat the exposed clay. This acts as a sort of 'antacid' for them: Parrots eat a variety of toxic and acid fruits, and the clay draws these toxins out of their bodies. On an ideal morning thousands of parrots can be seen gathering around this bank between 7:00 and 8:00 for a spectacular show of sound and color. The lick is located on the edge of Yasuni National Park, which may be reached from Sacha by a one half-hour motorized canoe trip down the Napo River. Early morning visits to the site are possible, but this activity is strictly weather permitting... The parrots won't be there in the rain!

A new addition to Sacha's activities is our 940-foot (300-meter) long canopy walkway. At approximately 94 feet (30 meters) above the ground, imagine exploring the rainforest up in the treetops! This sturdy walkway is fixed to the ground with metal towers for stability, and offers an unbelievable opportunity to spot dozens of animals and epiphytes that are seldom seen from the ground.

The journey to Sacha Lodge begins in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. From here, a 45-minute flight takes you over the Andes Mountains' majestic snow-covered peaks and down over 8500 feet (2600 meters) into the Amazon Region. The flight destination is the port town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana, locally known as Coca, where you will be met by a guide and taken to the town docks. Here, a covered motorized canoe will be awaiting you for a 2 and 1/2-hour, 50-mile (80-kilometer) trip down the sediment-rich waters of the Napo, the largest river in Ecuadorian Amazonia. During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds such as herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys between the scattered native huts as you travel steadily away from civilization. Upon arrival to Sacha Lodge's 3200-acre (1300-hectare) private reserve, guests will take their first walk along a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where several species of monkeys are often sighted. However, as you continue deeper into the forest it is easy to feel more like you are the one being watched! The path leads to Pilchicocha lake, a blackwater paradise where you'd least expect to find any sign of people, but dugout canoes (and even paddlers!) await to carry you even farther. As you cross the lake, the cries of tropical birds lead you to your final destination, which magically materializes out of the jungle at the last possible moment.

The government is now requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination for people visiting this area. No cases of yellow fever have been reported in this area, but cases on the Brazilian side of the border have been reported and they want to make sure that people from there don't cross over into Ecuador and cause a problem.

Visitors can include 1 or 2 nights camping if requested in advance.

2008 Prices per person in US$:

children age 5-12 = 30% discount, children less than 5 = free

Note: You can arrive or depart on any other day than Monday or Friday for an $80 supplement. This price is for 1 way and is per group, not per person. (example - if 1 person wants to come on a Thursday and leave on a Saturday, he would have to pay a $160 supplement. But if 2 or more people wanted to come and leave on those days, they would split the $160 price). No charge for 4 or more people. Can't travel on Sunday.

Roundtrip airfare from Quito is an additional = $120 for adults, $60 for children age 5-12 and $60 for children less than 5

Price includes accommodations, all meals, ground transportation and guides. Alcoholic beverages and gratuities are not included.