 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||||
 |
||||||||||
 |
Galapagos Islands Birding the Highlands :: Ecuador: A Birding Miracle :: Family Birding Adventure :: The Magic Birding Circuit All Ecuador Itineraries Hotels and Transportation Book your Flight Newsletter Travel Resources Client Testimonials Carbon Offset Calculator Nature Store |
 Peter Oxford |
In the highlands, see the famed Avenue of Volcanoes with a visit to Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. And soak up the vibrant Andean culture of Quito and the colorful markets of Otavalo.
Day 1 – Quito
Upon arrival in Quito, we meet you at the airport for a private transfer and take you to Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel, for your overnight stay.
Day 2 – Quito to Napo Wildlife Center
In the morning, return to the airport for the 35-minute flight east over the Andes to the town of Francisco de Orellana (known locally as Coca). This flight takes you from the heights of Quito, at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet in the mountains, down to the headwaters of the Amazon Basin at just 820 feet above sea level! We'll drive through town to meet our motorized canoe and driver on the Napo River, Ecuador's largest Amazon tributary. As we travel downriver, we'll have the chance to see a number of birds, including Large-billed and Yellow-billed terns, a variety of hawks and maybe even an Amazonian Umbrellabird!
After approximately two hours, we'll arrive at the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, in which the Napo Wildlife Center is located. Transfer to smaller, dugout canoes and your native guide will paddle you up a small stream as you enjoy the array of wildlife in the lush rainforest surrounding you. At the end of the paddle, Napo Wildlife Center awaits you across Aņangu Lake. You'll be able to settle into your cabin, and there might even be time for a late afternoon walk.
For all of your excursions at Napo Wildlife Center, you'll be in a small group and accompanied by both a native guide from the local community of Aņangu as well as a bilingual naturalist guide who together will show you the forest, from its birds and monkeys to medicinal plants used for centuries by local people. B, D
Days 3 & 4 – Napo Wildlife Center
On your first morning your guides will take you to two of the most accessible clay licks in Ecuador – both within the 82-square mile Napo Wildlife Center reserve. Travel back down the stream to the first lick, near the Napo River, where activity kicks off early in the morning. Watch brightly-colored parrots arrive by the hundreds to eat the clay that detoxifies certain seeds and nuts they eat. Mealy and Orange-winged as well as Blue-headed parrots squawk and flap as they all vie for the best clay-eating position. A specially-designed viewing blind allows for proximity and complete concealment – so you can even have a coffee while the birds are performing their morning ritual.
When the activity at the first lick dies down, head over to the second lick, located in the forest. Here, Cobalt-winged Parakeets, Orange-Cheeked Parrots and Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlets fly down to the ground at the entrance to a small cave to eat the clay and sip water from a pool. Birds begin arriving here in the late morning, so you can have lunch in the viewing blind as you watch the spectacle.
 Elyssa Kellerman |
Take a canoe or catamaran out on pristine Aņangu Lake. Giant Otters inhabit the lake and surrounding streams, and you may encounter a family fishing in the morning or resting in the afternoon. You may see a 12-foot-long Black Caiman cruise across the lake, and you'll see many birds and monkeys in the trees around you – from the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin to Monk Sakis and Spider Monkeys.
Explore the forest trails around the lodge area with your guide. Rich terra firma rainforest, this area is filled with wildlife, including the golden-mantled tamarin, found only on the south side of the Napo. You might even spot a Jaguar or a Tapir!
From a canopy platform located near the lodge, experience the parallel world of the tree-tops. The 120 foot platform is built within the canopy of a huge, emergent tree and offers spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. Wildlife includes Spider Monkeys, Aracaris, Toucans, Blue and Gold Macaws, numerous species of Tanagers, and the Red-rumped Cacique.
Learn about the local culture from the people for whom these lands are home. The Quichua people of Aņangu community are active participants in the conservation and management of their private reserve within the park, as well as partners in the ecotourism project. You can join some families in their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coconuts, and manioc, and watch as they use items from the forest to create crafts such as woven bags and baskets. B, L, D
Day 5 – Napo Wildlife Center to Quito
We depart early in the morning for Coca to catch a mid-morning flight to Quito. In the afternoon, take a guided city tour of Quito. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the old part of the city is filled with Spanish colonial buildings. Churches and cathedrals dominate the narrow streets of the Old Town and are built atop the ruins of the former Inca capital. On Plaza Independencia, you'll see the Presidential Palace as well as two sixteenth-century churches filled with baroque-style artwork typical of the Quito School that evolved here during colonial times, blending European and native influences. You'll stay in the Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel. B
Day 6 – Cotopaxi
A very special day awaits you! Set out early to Cotopaxi National Park, enjoying breathtaking views of The Avenue of Volcanoes. Here your guide leads you on a walk around Lake Limpiopungo at the base of the volcano Cotopaxi and shows you some the area's interesting vegetation and wildlife. We may see hawks, hummingbirds, ducks and even the Andean Condor!
With good weather, we will enjoy a grand view of Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world at over 19,000 feet. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant not far from the entrance of the Park. We return to Quito in the afternoon. Stay in the Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel. B,L
Day 7 – Otavalo
Drive through Andean passes and valleys to the town of Otavalo, two hours north of Quito. This scenic drive takes you over the equator and past gems such as the snow-covered Cayambe volcano and Lake San Pablo. If there's time, we'll visit the busy animal market on the outskirts of Otavalo. Here, locals trade pigs, cows, sheep, goats and farm produce. They'll gladly pose for photographs and let you know the going rate for their animals.
 Peter Oxford |
In the afternoon, we'll visit some smaller towns with their own cultural significance, such as Cotacachi, which produces high-quality leather goods, and San Antonio de Ibarra, the home of Ecuador's finest wood sculptors. We'll return to Quito in the late afternoon.You'll stay in the Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel. B,L
Day 8 – Leave Quito
We'll take you by private transfer to the airport in the morning for your international flight. B
| Amazon and Highlands | |
| Trip length | 8 days/7 nights |
| Departs | Sunday |
| Per person cost |
$1300.00 |
| Single supplement | On request |
|
|
| Prices based on two people sharing in 3-star accommodations. Four and 5-star accommodations available on request. International airfare not included. Pricing and itinerary are subject to change until booking is confirmed. | |
Staying on in Ecuador? Whether your interest is wildlife or culture, in a short extension tour you can experience more of the living heritage of this vibrant country. Day trips are also a great way to see Quito and the nearby sites. We can even arrange hotels and transportation.
 |
|
 |
|||
 |
| © 1995-2005 Tropical Nature Travel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
Registered in the State of Florida as a seller of travel. Registration # ST-34614 |