DAY 1
Arriving at Napo Cultural Center, you have the outstanding chance to step onto the aboriginal territory of the kichwa Añangu community, whose members will welcome you with a traditional and refreshing ice cold“ wayusa ” , the local hotel manager will give quick instructions and immediately will take you to your comfortable room with views of the rainforest in order to get ready for the first activity in the afternoon. Hike along “Playas” trail to experience amazon wildlife for the first time in the river islands and shores amidst of one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Kayaking is also available as an optional activity for around 45 min. to enjoy an overwhelming and colorful sunset in the vastness of Napo River. Then head back to your cabin, rest a little bit and be prepared for a well-deserved dinner. After dinner sleep with the relaxing sounds of the amazon.
DAY 2
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 Yasuni.
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, r eptiles and even nocturnal mammals like the night monkeys.
DAY 3
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 to 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 pe ccaries come to this place to drink water and get vital minerals for their body.
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.
DAY 4
Wake up with the chirping of Amazonian birds, to enjoy our local and organic breakfast buffet. After this, put on your rubber boots to start hiking the terra-firma forest at “Samona” trail, where you can feel like “Indiana Jones” in the middle of century- old kapok trees, spot capuchin, woolly and saki monkeys, look under the leafs to spot bizarre insects and tune your eyes and ears for the birds, monkeys and reptiles among the dense forest.
In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch, visit our second canopy observation tower to see more of the 600 hundred species of birds with specialized telescopes for wildlife watching.
Upon arriving you will have time to settle back and prepare for a traditional typical dinner to taste local flavors of the amazon, such as “maito” which is grilled fish wrapped in a “bijao” leaf and if you have an adventurous palate try the grilled worms of the “chonta” locally k nown as “chontakuru”
DAY 5
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 past 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.
Then head back for breakfast, while our staff pick you luggage for your return to Coca town, onboard our comfortable motor boats for the last chance to appreciate the Ecuadorian rainforest landscape, until you reach “La Mi sion ”river port.
Role model of management