Amazon (Ecuador)
From Wikitravel
Contents
The Amazon is a region of Ecuador.
[edit] Regions
The amazon region is divided into 6 provinces:
[edit] Cities
- Tena, the provincal capital of Napo
- Coca, the provincal capital of Orellana, officially named Puerta Francisco de Orellana after the spanish explorer who was the first to cross the south american continent traveling down the amazon river in 1541-42.
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] Understand
Ecuadorian amazon is mainly tropical rainforest elevated 400 m above sea level.
The Amazon region of Ecuador is one of the few places in the world where its probably best to travel with a group, with a guide or through a jungle lodge. Unless you are studying, teaching English or consulting on a project in the Amazon, you are unlikely to have enough knowledge about the area to stay safe and, most importantly, to learn about the plants and animals that make the area so special.
If you have more than a few days and you're not a super tight budget, staying and traveling with a jungle lodge can be very rewarding. You're based right in the midst of the jungle, and, at the better lodges, you're in an area that's protected from farming, logging and drilling. You usually have 2-3 activities per day including birding hikes, canoe trips and fishing for piranhas. Again, at some of the better lodges, you usually have a guide that speaks English, French, etc and an indigenous guide. This ensures that you really get to see some amazing things like five different species of monkeys, caimans, tarantulas and lots and lots of birds.
For hard-core birders, most of the lodges offer special sight-seeing activities with much earlier wake-up calls.
Typically, you pay one daily fee that includes transportation to/from the airport, accommodations, meals and guides, and then snacks, alcohol and tips are over and above the fee.
Fees range from under $100USD to well over $250USD/night depending on how you booked your stay. If you book directly with a lodge or if you book through an Ecuadorean travel agency, you generally get a better deal than one in your home country.
[edit] Talk
[edit] Get in
Tena is the main entrance point by road to Ecuadorian amazon about 6 hours by bus from Quito. From there it is another 5 hours to get to Coca, the province capital of Orellana.
There are two daily flights between Coca and Quito, except on Sundays. Flights take about 25 minutes.
[edit] Get around
This depends mostly on how much money you have to spend. If you're staying at one of the jungle lodges, you'll be picked up at the airport (either Quito or Coca). Depending on how deep you're going, your boat ride will be anywhere from 3-6 hours long...or more.
If you're not staying at a jungle lodge, you can usually hitch a ride on one of the boats plying the rivers. Just be sure to bring a rain poncho to protect against frequent afternoon storms. If boating's not your thing, there is a system of buses to get into the interior, but the trips are very long.
[edit][add listing] See
[edit][add listing] Do
I've made it a point to visit a number of lodges along the napo and you have the benefit here of my opinion as a birder and my wife's, a non- birder who has come to love the neotropics even though we experience these trips in different ways. Here then is a distillation of our experiences at one lodge La Selva Jungle Lodge, far superior to Sacha,and Napo Wildwife Center where we have also stayed. La Selva is a birders' paradise in that they have this deal called "Free Birding" (Check their website) which is the bargain of a lifetime. As Ned Wheatley the Bird Tour Book Writer said "La Selva is simply one of the best birding spots on earth" I can't improve on that. Now as to the food , service, general interest tours- they are at such a high level of fun and professionalism that they beguile the guest causing(Mywife says) life changing experiences. You feel like you are part of the family there and the food is an art form so delicious and inspired you anticipate the next meal after each one is finished.THis place is a real standout and with the comparative experience we can offer- our first choice. We will return. La selva's website: www.laselvajunglelodge.com
[edit][add listing] Sleep
The Sacha Lodge; URL is: http://www.sachalodge.com/; email is: reservas@sachalodge.com. One of the first jungle lodges in Ecuador, the Sacha Lodge is a 3-hour ride down the Napo and boasts its own lake, two birding towners and very friendly staff.
[edit][add listing] Eat
[edit][add listing] Drink
[edit] Get out
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