Ecuador Wildlife Holiday » Itinerary

Fly from the UK to Quito today. Please note that international flights for this holiday are quoted separately. You should arrive in the Ecuadorian capital early this evening. Settle in to your charming and very comfortable hotel.

Today usually starts slowly to give you time for a lie in and to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Your local guide comes to find you and take you on a tour of the city, including a walk around the newly renovated colonial centre.

Travel into the Amazon to stay at a remote lodge. The lodge sits within its own reserve, part of the Yasuni National Park. This park has the highest documented tree diversity in the world.

Wake up to the sounds of the rainforest. There are blinds at two of the nearby parrot clay licks. Clay licks are basically river cliffs where parrots and macaws congregate at dawn and dusk to literally lick the clay.

The jungle is an amazing place but it is worth being prepared for what can be a hard environment.

Remember that the Amazon is primarily a nature rather than wildlife destination – wildlife can be very well hidden and quite hard to spot.

Don’t expect to spend all of your time looking at monkeys and parrots. Instead be prepared to enjoy watching colourful frogs, possibly wild pigs, incredible butterflies and caterpillars.

Remember that the jungle is always hot and humid and insects are a fact of life. Wear light coloured clothes as biting insects are less attracted to these (avoid dark blue in particular).

Most days will start very early as the best time of day to see wildlife is at dawn so expect to set off as early as 5am. Don’t worry, it usually gets dark by about 6pm so often bed time is at 9pm.

Because this lodge is so remote, the quantity and variety of wildlife is amazing. The terrain around the lodge is terra firme but also has small hills which provide a variation of habitat which means that a wider range of species can be seen.

The Añangu people are active participants in the conservation and management of a large part of the National Park. You have the chance to accompany an Añangu family on their daily activity such as harvesting bananas or manioc.

Travel out of the Amazon and into the cloudforest.
Cloudforest is basically high level rainforest – the canopy derives its moisture from the drifting clouds. It is particularly good for birdlife.

Lodge guides look after you while you are here. There is a menu of optional excursions such as guided walks to observe the cloudforest canopy as it comes to life, as well as more active pursuits.

You may like to head out again with your guide for a walk this morning. This afternoon, your guide will collect you for the two hour drive back to Quito.

Fly to the Galapagos early this morning. After lunch, set sail the short distance to North Plaza where you walk close to the fearless wildlife: Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions and land iguanas.

Visit the giant tortoise breeding and conservation project at the Charles Darwin Centre this morning. After lunch on shore, continue to the highlands to look for giant tortoises in the ‘wild’.

Start today with a landing on ‘sea lion beach’. All along the sand are sea lions basking in the sun. This afternoon walk to the rugged cliffs of Punta Suarez to see spectacular bird life.

Walk across Floreana Island to see flamingoes and sea turtles. Continue to the Devil’s Crown where you can snorkel. After lunch, visit Post Office bay and learn something about the human history of the islands.

Walk across a lava flow this morning on Isabela Island. There is very still little sign of life on these fairly new flows. Carry on to Urbina Bay where you should see penguins and turtles.

Start today with a walk on Isabela to see if you can see giant tortoises in the wild. You will almost certainly see land iguanas along the way. Swim in the bay before crossing to Fernandina Island to see marine iguanas.

Walk along the shores of Santiago Island to see the relatively rare fur seals. Snorkel offshore for some of the most abundant marine life of the week. Sail round to pinnacle rock from where you walk to the top of Bartolome Island for beautiful views.

Get up early this morning to paddle through mangroves in the dawn light. Fly back to the mainland and connect through to your flights home. Please note that international flights for this holiday are quoted separately.

Arrive back home.