Explore the best places for wildlife in Ecuador! In the heart of the rainforest, and near Ecuador's largest Amazon tributary, you can see hundreds of parrots at clay licks and groups of giant river otters. You'll explore the rich sights and sounds of pristine jungle from the comfort of Napo Wildlife Center's top-quality lodgings.

The trip includes a 4 night cruise on the M/C Anahi to the Galapagos Islands. Go for a walk in the Galapagos Islands and make your way around nests built by blue footed boobies and frigate birds on the trail. Imagine feeling the cool Galapagos waters as you swim with penguins at the Equator. See playful sea lions through your snorkel mask, manta rays and numerous species of colorful fish.  Enjoy close encounters with armies of marine iguanas, hundreds of seabirds including the waved albatross, flightless cormorants and the magnificent frigatebird. Visit "Lonesome George", the most emblematic of Galapagos giant turtles. 

You'll have a chance to visit colonial Quito and see Mitad del Mundo or Middle of the World, the Equatorial Monument. From colorful markets to Spanish colonial cathedrals, and from jungle monkeys to Galapagos Tortoises, you'll soak up the wonders of Ecuador in this wonderful cross-section of the country.

Day 1 – Quito
Upon arrival in Quito, we meet you at the airport for a private transfer to Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel, for your overnight stay.

Day 2 through 5 – Quito to Galapagos
Return to the airport early in the morning with a private transfer and head to the Galapagos Islands for a 4 night cruise. This famed archipelago, where Charles Darwin solidified his theories of evolution and natural selection are home to some of the most amazing - and endangered - animals in the world. After year of little contact with humans, giant tortoises, iguanas, birds and sea lions can be seen at extremely close ranges, often only a few feet away! Tropical Nature Travel offers a Galapagos cruise on the Superior First Class M/C Anahi. You'll stay in a 1st floor cabin in this new catamaran built in 2006. Your cabin offers great ocean views and private facilities. Please contact your Tropical Nature Travel specialist for the detailed cruise itinerary. B, L, D

Days 6 – Galapagos to Quito
Complete your tour of the Galapagos Islands and return to Quito to Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel. B

Day 7 – Quito to Napo Wildlife Center
In the morning, you'll have a private transfer back to the airport for a 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 Añangu 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 Añangu 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, L, D

Days 8 and 9 – 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.

Other excursions:
Take a canoe or catamaran out on pristine Añangu 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 Añangu 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 10 – Napo Wildlife Center to Quito
We depart early in the morning for Coca to catch a mid-morning flight to Quito. On arrival you will be transferred to the Hotel Rabida or a similar class hotel.  You will have the rest of the day to explore on your own. B

Day 11 – Leave Quito
In the morning, return with a pprivate transfer to the Quito airport for your international flight. B

Amazon and Galapagos Highlights
Trip length	11 days/ 10 nights
Departs	Thursday and Sunday
Per person cost	$2926.00 (price based on first floor cabin on M/C Anahi)
Single supplement	On request
Prices based on two people sharing a 3 star hotel. Rates vary depending on cabin type and season (high and low). Roundtrip airfare to Galapagos ($312 - $405) and National Park entrance fee ($100) not included. Pricing and itinerary are subject to change until booking is confirmed. Other Galapagos cruise options and cabin upgrades are available.

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.