Amazon, Cloud Forest and Andes

Welcome to Ecuador! Arrive Mariscal Sucres International Airport and transfer to your accommodation.

From Quito, you’ll fly to Coca on the banks of the Rio Napo in eastern Ecuador. A two-hour motorboat journey downstream takes you deep into the rainforest on this tributary of the Amazon. The Rio Napo is home to the elusive pink, Amazon River dolphin. From the confluence, you’ll trade the speed and noise of the motorboat for the tranquil serenity of a canoe paddled up a side channel by your expert naturalist guide. For several hours, you’ll be paddled upstream to the source of the channel, a secluded black water lake completely surrounded by unspoiled Ecuadoran rainforest. Lucky guests may spot a giant otter or tree sloth en route, and you will likely hear the distant roar of howler monkeys echoing though the forest around you.

You’ll spend the next few days exploring this biodiversity hot spot on foot, by canoe, and from the top of the rainforest canopy. You’ll awake at dawn to the deep-throated yells of the howler monkeys before heading out to one of the four, 30m viewing towers. The long stair climb is totally worth it when you peer out across the expanse of the upper forest canopy and scan for parrots, toucans, and eagles. Several nearby clay licks attract scarlet and blue and yellow macaws who come for the minerals. Canoe excursions through the labyrinthine channels get guests close up to a dozen species of primates like the monks saki and golden-mantled tamarin. Visit the nearby village, whose members own Napo, and learn about how traditional customs like cooking and dance still play a role in the Anangu community. After dark, your guide will again lead the way on a walk back into the forest to look for nocturnal species like armadillos, leaf cutter ants, and tree frogs.

You’ll reverse your arrival journey by paddling down the tributary back to the Rio Napo. A motorboat ride brings you back to Coca and your flight to Quito. On arrival you’ll quickly leave the city behind, bound for the Choco region. This is the part of the Amazonian rainforest that was cut off from the rest by the rise of the Andes. It’s now an isolated cloud forest ecosystem that is renowned for its prolific birdlife, with over 400 species cataloged in this valley alone, 35 of which are endemic. Retire this evening to your glass-walled room with unobstructed views into the surrounding rainforest.

Each day, you’ll choose from naturalist-led hikes along the network of trails and nature paths around the lodge into the rainforest and past waterfalls for encounters with rare birds, hundreds of species of orchid, and dozens of amphibians and reptiles. Primates, peccaries, and pumas all make their home in this verdant cloud forest. Excursions from the lodge also include a visit to the hummingbird feeding stations where you can see 19 of the 32 species that live here. Take to the skies and pedal through the canopy on the tandem Sky Bike or ride the cable-guided Dragonfly over and through the canopy to get a whole different perspective and opportunities to get close to other bird species like the cock-of-the-rock and moss-backed tanager.

Depart the cloud forest today bound for the Andean highlands northeast of Quito. Located in the heart of Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes, Hacienda Zuleta is a colonial-era working hacienda that has belonged to the family of a former president of Ecuador, for more than 100 years. Zuleta exudes history, from mysterious pre-Inca mounds to colonial Spanish roots, this is the perfect place to immerse yourself in Ecuadorean culture and traditions. On arrival, you’ll be met and greeted as family by the owners and hosts of the hacienda.

After settling in and an orientation, enjoy a three-course dinner full of ingredients sourced directly from the farm: freshly caught rainbow trout, melt-in-your-mouth homemade cheese, and seasonal organic produce freshly harvested year-round. Retire to your unique and beautifully appointed room and drift off to the sound of the crackling fireplace.

The next few days are your to explore this amazing place. Hike some of the miles of winding mountain trails, where soaring Andean condors and spectacled bears make their home and volcanoes rise on every side. Step back in time with a horse-drawn carriage ride or go for your own mountain bike ride through the valley and grassland nearby the hacienda. Families and couples alike enjoy the opportunity to learn how to cook Andean specialties with the local chef or try your hand at embroidery with the help of a friendly local expert. This is a wonderful place for children, with immersive activities like milking cows, treasure hunts, straw house building, and learning how to become a proper Zuleta cowboy. After a full day of exploring this amazing place, relax by a bonfire and experience traditional Andean music and culture.

Depending on the time of your international departure, you may have time for another morning activity like touring the gardens, visiting the Otavalo market, or stopping at Cuicocha Lake before heading to Quito in time to catch your departing international flight.