Ecuador - Andean and Amazon Wildlife Expedition - May 2024. ESCORTED SMALL GROUP - FULL

Day notes

WELCOME TO QUITO!

Once we have passed immigration and collected our luggage, our guide will drive us out of the city to the Hacienda La Jimenita, a hidden treasure just a short drive 20 minute drive from the airport.

The hacienda is set in 150 acres of a nature reserve with over 90 species of birds counted. There is a short (45 minute) walking trail that you can wander through, plenty of seating areas for bird observation and some feeders close to the bar and restaurant area that attract hummingbirds.

Day notes

OTAVALO MARKET; COTACACHI CAYAPAS ECOLOGICAL RESERVE AND SACHA WARMIKUNA WOMEN'S PROJECT

We will leave Quito early this morning, driving for 90 minutes through dramatic mountain scenery on the Pan American Highway northwards to Otavalo.

We will have time to stroll along the narrow cobblestone streets filled with Otavalo indigenous people wearing blue ponchos, white trousers and long braided hair, and to explore their handicraft market.  The market dates back to pre-Incan times; today, it's full of talented artisans selling wonderful textiles, native paintings, ceramics, jewellery, tapestries and more.

Afterwards, we will go to Cotacachi, a small, quiet town famous for its artisans who have been making and trading leather goods here for hundreds of years. 

Then we will visit the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve in the Imbabura Province of Ecuador. This breathtakingly beautiful protected area spans diverse ecosystems from the Andean highlands to the Choco lowlands.

As you enter the reserve, you'll immediately notice the dramatic scenery dominated by the Cotacachi Volcano.  The volcano is surrounded by páramo, a unique Andean ecosystem characterized by its high-altitude grasslands and hardy vegetation that thrives in these harsh conditions. The páramo is dotted with small, glacial lakes, such as the stunning Cuicocha Lake, in a volcanic crater. A lush carpet of greenery and colourful wildflowers frames the lake's turquoise waters.

Descending into the reserve, the landscape transitions into a dense cloud forest. This ecosystem is known for its high biodiversity and is home to many plant species, including epiphytes like bromeliads and orchids. Further down, the vegetation changes once more as the cloud forest gives way to the Choco lowlands. This tropical rainforest is characterized by its dense canopy, vibrant foliage, and towering trees draped in vines and lianas. The forest floor is carpeted with a rich understory of ferns, palms, and countless other plant species.

We will take a boat ride on the crater lake to observe the activity of this volcano, watching bubbles coming up from the caldera's centre.

Sacha WarmiKuna Womens' Project

For lunch, we will head to Pijal, a small village in the heart of the Andes, to visit a sustainable project, Sacha WarmiKuna (Women from the Mountain). This is a fantastic effort developed by our partners in Ecuador and the local women.  The project's main purpose is for the women to support their families and provide them with an income. 

Once at the project, we will have a fascinating cultural encounter, immersing ourselves in the spirit of the South-American woman and their textile skills and culinary knowledge passed down from past generations.  We will have a tasty traditional lunch using the fresh products harvested the same day from the surrounding organic fields.  Later we will learn more about the weaving process of their textiles, and we can give back by buying handmade scarfs.  They also have a rose growing business that they will show us around.

Overnight Hacienda Piman.  The historic Hacienda Piman (over 200 years old) is located in the northern Andes of Ecuador, amid 12 acres of lush gardens amidst arid mountains.   As the only irrigated green spot in the area, birds tend to fly over to Piman to soar through the trees and rest in the shade.  In the gardens, we may spot colourful hummingbirds amongst the many species of birds to be found in this oasis.

Day notes

SPECTACLED BEAR WATCHING DAY ONE

Today we will visit a little bit of paradise on earth.   Ecuador has so many unique species but one of the most amazing is the Spectacled Bear.  The canyon where we will be looking for this animal is the only place where people have been able to finally observe and understand their behaviour.  There are 45 bears that migrate from this canyon to the Cayambe-Coca reservation.

We will head to this bear sanctuary early in the morning to make the most of the day.  Once we arrive we will begin our search at the viewpoints located around the sanctuary.  This is the place to start as the bears are not very active in the morning due to a combination of the heat and their thick fur, so they look for shade in the trees.  Sightings here are at a distance of approx 400 metres so good binos will be helpful for observation.

After lunch, we will go down the valley, where the canyon is providing shade to the bears and so they start to move around.  Sightings take patience and quietness but if we see the bears down here it will be an awesome opportunity to take photographs of the Spectacled Bears at a distance of around 60 metres.

After this, we will head to a homestay where we will enjoy our dinner and rest. 

Day notes

SPECTACLED BEAR WATCHING DAY 3

On our last day here, we will wake up early in the morning, enjoy our breakfast and head down a path to get close to the bears (up to 100 metres).  We hope to watch them eat, climb trees and watch their daily activities for a few hours before heading out.

We will then drive to one of the most beautiful haciendas in Ecuador, where the second part of our wildlife experience will begin and we will learn about the Andean Condor.

Overnight Hacienda Zuleta.   This hacienda dates back to the 17th century and has been the working farm of former Ecuador President Galo Plaza Lasso and his family for over a hundred years.

Day notes

ANTISANA RESERVE

We will leave the hacienda early in the morning to head to the Antisana Ecological Reserve.  This protected area is located in the eastern Andes of Ecuador, named after the Antisana Volcano, which is the fourth-highest peak in Ecuador and is part of the reserve. The reserve is home to diverse flora and fauna, and our focus will be the Critically Endangered Andean Condor which is amongst the 400 species of bird to be found here.  We will look out from a viewpoint located near the base of the Antisana Volcano and observe the condors as they ride the thermal currents that rise from the mountains.

As well as Condors, we may see Mountain Tapir, Andean Fox, Peregrine Falcon and Curiquingue (a bird of prey in the Falcon family, considered sacred by the Incas).   This is a great way to finish our wildlife sightings here, learning and watching the most important species of the Ecuadorian Andes.

We will return to Hacienda La Jimenita tonight to be close to the airport tomorrow morning for our flight into the Amazon Rainforest.

Day notes

FLIGHT QUITO – TO COCA – NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER

Our journey to the rainforest starts with a lovely 30 minute flight over the Eastern Andes mountain range to Coca, "Gateway to the Amazon"

After landing, a short 5-minute drive to the port of La Misión on the Napo River.   A covered motorboat will take us on a comfortable 2.5-hour ride from the port to the Napo Wildlife Centre welcome station in Yasuní National Park.  A packed lunch is provided for the boat journey and we will look out for water birds such as herons and kingfishers.

From the welcome centre, we transfer to dugout canoes operated by expert guides in order to quietly paddle up Añangu Creek.

This peaceful leg of the trip will lead us through undisturbed habitat to allow us our first glimpses of incredible wildlife. There are great chances to spot various species of monkeys and large birds like Toucans, Parrots or even Macaws.

Late afternoon arrival at the lodge for a welcome drink and briefing.  Our home for the next four nights is situated in Yasuni National Park, the most biodiverse place on Earth, spanning nearly 2.5 million acres of lush rainforest with more than 600 bird species. 

We will stay in comfortable cabins, each with a porch that looks out onto the lake

Day notes

FLIGHT TO QUITO - SAN ISIDRO LODGE

Early breakfast and last excursion canoeing back to the Napo River and the motorboat will take us back to Coca for the flight back to Quito.

A two-hour drive to our last lodge - Cabanas San Isidro.  Set in the lush Cloudforest reserve, the lodge rooms are en-suite and widely spaced about the sprawling gardens, and all have direct access to the outdoors from the open-air front porches.

We plan to start with birding around the lodge, and we may find it hard to tear ourselves away.... Some regulars include Montane and Olive-backed Woodcreepers, Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher, Black-billed Peppershrike, Inca Jay, Bluish Flowerpiercer and Subtropical Cacique....

We will visit the Antpitta feeders, where we are likely to see White-bellied Antpitta only feet away, and maybe even the very rare Peruvian Antpitta (with a lot of luck!). The rest of the day will be spent birding the trail system and forested roadside at Cabañas San Isidro, where Long-tailed Antbirds, Plain-tailed Wrens and Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonias await.

Later afternoon we can choose any of the trails that sprawl out from the lodge (or even the roadside) for another crack at flocks and other bird activity.  The true beauty of the day is that we do not need a vehicle and we bird slowly on foot in this rich habitat.  We may even want to try a spot near the lodge for Andean Potoo and Rufous-banded Owl.

Day notes

Back to Quito for international flights home.

Extension ideas

Stay in Quito and take the time to explore the largest, best-preserved colonial city of America, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America.  We can arrange a city tour.

Add on a six-night Galapagos extension (not escorted) for only $2210 per person sharing (includes return domestic flights).  One night at the start and end in Quito and four nights on the islands.