PARKS AND TRIBES

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Top 7 Amazon River Cruises Ecuador

Are these really the Top Amazon River Cruises in Ecuador?

YES! This is why...

When walks through the jungle, wildlife overhead in the canopy are difficult to distinguish. When you look up there is not much to see. The leaves are dark against the light sky, appearing almost black.  Along narrow rivers though, light can penetrate through the forest allowing you to see birds and other animal. This allows you to watch birds, flowers and mammals much better, from the comfort of your canoe.

So what makes Cuyabeno so special...

• The only nature reserve in the Amazon-Andean countries with plains in the near-Andes Amazon region. Slow-flowing rivers and abundant lakes can only occur in flat terrain; not in hills. This makes Cuyabeno so unusual!

• While there are some well-drained forests, you may see some land-bound animals and birds; but with such abundance of water, you will get to see lots of water-bound animals like: Dolphins, Manatees, Capybaras, Caymans, Ducks, Cormorants, Herons, etc.

• Watching animals from a boat is much more comfortable than  on foot. Your birding and mammals books, your binoculars and your camera are all easily at your disposition.

But there is more...

• Getting from Lagoagrio to Cuyabeno is (mostly) over an asphalt road. Distances over water are much shorter than to other reserves, like Yasuní National Park;

•  Our programs are organized by or in collaboration with small Indian tribes, the Cofans and Sionas;

• All programs are so child friendly, I took my grandchildren (3,5 & 6) there. Wao, did they love it!

4 DAYS CUYABENO LODGE TOUR

Amazon River Cruise, Ecuador, Day one

Our vehicle meets you in Lagoagrio to bring you to the main entrance of the park "El Puente".

Upon arrival, your adventurous Amazon journey really takes off, as we take you along the beautiful winding Cuyabeno River to reach our Cuyabeno Lodge. It's a fascinating ride on this tributary of the Amazon River, that will take you  first to the largest lake in the reserve, the Laguna Cuyabeno also known as Laguna Grande. This is the perfect spot to experience the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador, as our Cuyabeno Lodge is one of the few accommodation located on any of the seven lakes of the Cuyabeno river system.

Our canoe takes you down the winding, narrow upper Cuyabeno River.

Amazon River Cruise, Ecuador, Days 2 and 3

As birds are most active at dawn, you may start out your day with birdwatching before or right after breakfast with our experienced guide. Blue and Yellow Macaws fly noisily across the Cuyabeno Lake, while Hoatzins whisper their hoarse sounds as they brows the leaves of the Macrolobium trees. You may also hear the mysterious swelling sound of the Howler Monkeys or see a troop of squirrel monkeys bouncing through the treetops. In fact, 10 species of monkeys have been recorded in the reserve.

After breakfast experience the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador in the "terra firma" forest with your naturalist guide where you can learn about the forest's medicinal plants and traditions. There are many colorful flowers in the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve, but it takes a bit of an effort to find them. Orchids and Heliconias are among the more spectacular Amazon Forest Plants.

Some of the spectacular flowers of Cuyabeno.

One of the afternoons, you will be taken to a Siona village, where you will learn about Siona cooking and traditional food from their kitchen garden. Each time a different woman of the community will give an explanation so that they will all get a turn.

At night you will be taken on night excursions, some - by canoe - to look for nocturnal animals in the swamps, like Caymans and frogs. Other excursions are on  foot to look for the critters of the night in the forest.

Some of the fascinating wild animals of the Cuyabeno Lake area.

Amazon River Cruise, Ecuador, Day 4

On day four you will experience the feel of so many of our visitors: "It all went by too quickly". Maybe you will become one of our frequent visitors that keep coming back for a special program of one or two weeks. Anyway, you will have to leave in the morning to get back on time to catch the plane or bus in Lago Agrio. You will ride the canoe up the Cuyabeno River to the bridge, where your transport will be waiting for you to bring you to the airport or to the bus station for your return to Quito.

5 DAYS CUYABENO LAKE TOUR

Amazon River Cruise, Ecuador, Days 4 and 5

Days 4 and 5 are like days 3 and 4 if the 4 DAYS CUYABENO LODGE TOUR. The 5 DAYS CUYABENO LODGE TOUR offers a fantastic opportunity to really experience the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador and get to know the Cuyabeno Lake area more thoroughly while spending a bid more relaxation time at our wonderful lodge.

CUYABENO, GETTING THERE AND BACK

There are 3 options to travel to the Amazon Lowlands:

• Take the night bus from Quito to Lagoagrio (usually leaves at 11 at night) from the "Terminal Norte" in Quito and arrive in Lagoagrio at dawn, which takes about 7 hours. It costs about $ 25 for the round trip and you have to leave from your hotel in Quito to the terminal  an hour before departure (by taxi). Alternatively, you can take a day bus, but then you will have to spend the night in Lagoagrio. We will pick you up in Lagoagrio in combination with arriving passengers by plane, departing generally at 10:30 (depending on the arrival of the plane), to Nuevo Unión (2 hours), where we embark in our canoe at about 12:30. Between your departure from your hotel at night at 10 at night until boarding the our motorized canoe, will be more or less 15 hours. The same applies for the Lake Cuyabeno accommodations which pass through the main park entrance on the Cuyabeno River.

• Fly with Tame Quito - Lagoagrio. You can book your ticket at https://www.tame.com.ec, which costs about $ 150 round trip, but additionally you have to consider the cost of a taxi that costs 2X25; Then it actually costs $ 200. Your flight usually leaves at 9 in the morning, and takes 30 minutes to arrive. As many times the flight is delayed, count on arriving around 10, and after getting your luggage, it will be 10:30. We'll pick you up at the airport. From there it takes two hours to arrive in Nuevo Union, where we leave in our canoe at 12:30. Thus flying takes a total of 5 - 6 hours from your hotel until you can embark on the Rio Aguarico. The same applies for the Lake Cuyabeno accommodations which pass through the main park entrance on the Cuyabeno River.

• Take our Private Trans-Andean Transportation to the Aguarico or Cuyabeno River, of which you can read the details below. We will pick you up at your hotel early in the morning and take to the Aguarico River in about 8 - 9 hours depending how much time we spend on the way at the overlooks into the Cayambe - Coca Ecological Reserve, the San Rafael Falls, the Reventador Volcano and the Papallacta spas. The same applies for the Lake Cuyabeno accommodations which pass through the main park entrance on the Cuyabeno River.

	Routes from the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve programss of Parks and Tribes / Cofan Lodge: Left above: Cuyabeno Lake Area; Right above: Cuyabeno Loop; Left: Lagarto Coche Expedition with the Cuyabeno Lake area as an additional option.

PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION QUITO - AGUARICO

• It is possible to arrange for spending the night at either a Papallacta (costly) or Jamanco (friendly and much more economical) Spa, but then another day is needed.

• Many passengers who take the private transportation, chose to fly back or visa versa.

We hope will meet you in person on one an Amazon River Cruise, Ecuador and enjoy the beautiful Amazon region.

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