Sacha Lodge

From Quito Airport, guests will take a 30-minute flight over the Andes to the bustling town of Coca in the Amazon lowlands. After lunch, they will head to the docks for a 2-hour canoe ride down the river. After disembarking, guests will walk through the rainforest (approx. 30 minutes) towards the shores of the picturesque Lake Pilchicocha, which will take them straight to the destination of their journey - the luxurious Sacha Lodge resort. After settling into their rooms, they will be able to take a refreshing swim in the lake, which is home to many species of fish and other animals. They will also be able to take a walk around the center, where many attractions await them. From the tower located here you can observe various birds living in the treetops growing around Sacha Lodge. It's also a great place to admire the sunset. In turn, a visit to the butterfly house accompanied by a naturalist will allow you to learn about many species of these colorful insects. After dinner, guests and their guide will go on an exciting walk through the rainforest, during which they will encounter many animals active only at night.

Today, guests will walk the Liana Chica trail. During the hike, they will be able to admire amazing views of the rainforest treetops, where many species of colorful birds live. Liana Chica is a unique hanging promenade among the treetops, one of the few of its kind in the world. Situated within a private reserve owned by Sacha Lodge, the 275-meter-long boardwalk is at an altitude of 36 meters, allowing guests to admire the charms of the rainforest from a bird's-eye perspective. After walking along this extraordinary sky-high promenade, guests will follow the Liana Grande trail through the swamp forest igapo (swampy forest) and a dry forest not flooded by river supplies dry land. Guides will show guests many species of medicinal plants that have been used in their culture for generations. Then the Liana Grande trail will turn into the Higueron trail, leading through a pristine primeval forest where you can admire the huge kapok and fig trees towering high above your heads. After lunch, guests can take a walk along the Napo River, or choose a more challenging hike along the Leoncillo Trail, during which they can look out for the elusive titi monkeys. Each of these trails will lead to the main trail that will take guests back to Sacha Lodge.

After breakfast, guests will start hiking along the Lagatococha trail, during which they will learn a lot of interesting information about the indigenous people and their relationship with nature. The natives believe, for example, that the spirits of their ancestors live in the local trees. After reaching the shores of Lake Lagatococha, guests will go on a leisurely canoe ride through a swampy area inhabited by anacondas, caimans and capybaras. Then, on the other side of the lake, they will go for a short walk, during which they will be able to watch capuchin and squirrel monkeys jumping nimbly from branch to branch. After lunch, the guides will teach how to catch the infamous piranhas. Contrary to popular belief, piranhas do not attack people, and swimming among them is completely safe and can be great fun. Guests will then take a canoe through a flooded rainforest, where they will be surrounded by flocks of squirrels, capuchin monkeys and howler monkeys. The most observant will be able to spot shy and elusive otters or perfectly camouflaged sloths. Through the flooded forest, guests will reach Sacha Lodge's wooden observation tower, built around an ancient kapok tree. Through the binoculars here you will be able to take a closer look at the colorful birds. Guests will also be able to admire the sun setting over the Sumaco volcano.

Guests will leave the observation tower just before or just after sunset. A nighttime canoe ride through the flooded Amazon forest will certainly be an unforgettable experience. Guests will be surrounded by a symphony of sounds made by frogs, insects and night birds, and various species of bats will fly over their heads. You'll also be able to spot the glowing eyes of caimans in the dark... Eventually, guests will reach Lake Pilchicocha, and the familiar lights of Sacha Lodge will appear on the horizon. The luxurious hotel is located near the Yasunί National Park, where you can see four different species of parrots in one place - so such an opportunity should not be wasted. Guests will depart the resort early in the morning. After a 30-minute speedboat ride, they will reach the national park. They will have plenty of time to observe parrots eating clay to neutralize the acids secreted when digesting the fruit and leaves they eat. Return to the hotel approx. 11.00 and free time to swim in the lake and relax before lunch is served. In the afternoon, guests will go for a walk along the Pantano trail, which leads through several diverse ecosystems - from primeval forest to flooded and swampy areas. This is an excellent trail where you can see many species of birds and monkeys, as well as learn a lot of interesting information about animals living in the jungle from naturalists and indigenous guides.

Guests will be checked out of Sacha Lodge after breakfast. Before leaving, they will have some time for a short walk along the promenade among the treetops to admire the monkeys nimbly jumping from branch to branch for the last time before leaving. Once in Coca, guests will go to the airport for their flight to Quito.