Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival and Welcome in Quito

   • Welcome to Quito!
   • Depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. Can help you to organise a day trip (please request in advance).
   • In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel’s lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00 hours.
   • At this time, we will discuss the details and questions you may have regarding the adventure.
   • Our first day is an acclimation and information day.

2. Day 2: Jungle Exploration and Añangu Stream Paddle

   • Enjoy the sunrise at breakfast. Visit the sustainable community projects.
   • Talk about the worldview Kichwa Addition to medicinal and walk in the Mama-Kuna road.
   • Excellent opportunity to see more wildlife, ceiba trees, strangler, bamboo cane, vines and shrubs endemic from Yasuní.
   • In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch paddle around “Añangu” stream, a black water ecosystem where you can spot monkeys jumping from tree to tree, caiman and sometimes even giant river otters trying to catch fish.
   • After dinner, prepare your flashlight for a night walk around the lodge to see different kind of insects, reptiles and even nocturnal mammals like the night monkeys.

3. Day 3: Parrot Clay Lick and Rainforest Hike

   • Early breakfast and then head in the motor boat to one of the highlights of Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, the parrot clay lick in the riverside of River Napo, bring your binoculars and camera lenses to see flocks of blue-headed, yellow-crowned parrots and even dusky-headed parakeets, from the boat.
   • Then walk around 30 min, through “pericos” trail to reach the blind in the forest with a direct view of the amazing parakeet clay lick, which brings visitors face to face with up to 11 species of parrots and parakeets (including parrotlets and macaws), sometimes even mammals like howler monkeys, tapir, and peccaries come to this place to drink water and get vital minerals for their body.
   • We end this morning with a visit to the intercultural interpretation center "Kuri Muyu" which means golden seed in native language, handled by the women of the community also knows as “mamakuna” learn about the kichwa culture, crafts, customs and traditional use of natural resources directly from the people of the aboriginal community.
   • We return to the center of the community to have lunch at the dining hall and take a break in the lodge before hiking one hour in order to climb up the observation tower reaching 35 meters above the surface with high chances to spot a variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, toucans, parrots and sloths.
   • Time for dinner followed by a unique activity at Napo river, onboard the ancestral catamaran to know more about their legends and traditional chants, while women grill some delicious snacks in the fire.

4. Day 4: Towering Views and Jungle Wildlife

   • Today you have the chance to climb on the almost 40 meters high observation tower!
   • From its top you have a spectacular view over the jungle canopy and you can keep your eyes open for monkeys hopping from tree to tree or for different tropical, colorful birds.
   • Enjoy one last quiet afternoon and a delicious dinner in the Lodge.

5. Day 5: Sacred Wayusa Ritual and Farewell

   • To close with a flourish, take part on the optional “wayusada” ritual, in which at dawn around 4:30 am is the time when the Kichwa family share together the sacred “wayusa” and has been a way to pass their ancient knowledge to the new generations.
   • Here you also share traditional chants and have the chance to “interpret dreams” with the wisest “mamakuna” at the community, a mystique experience indeed.