Ecuadorian Jungle Information

ONE OF THE HOT SPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE WORLD, THIS HUGE PRISTINE AND REMOTE ECOSYSTEM IS HOME TO MORE SPECIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH. MACAWS, HARPY EAGLES, ALLIGATORS, ANACONDAS, GIANT CATFISH, DOLPHINS, MONKEYS, THREE-TOED SLOTHS, AND JAGUARS LIVE HERE AND ARE PART OF THIS UNEXPLORED WORLD.

Sani Lodge:

Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon you will find a mysterious lake called Challuacocha, where floating water hyacinths and grasses obscure the shores. And if you venture out on this lagoon in a dugout canoe early in the morning when it is quiet and the light is still low, you just might see, somewhere out there, lying hidden in the vegetation a rare and wild Manatee or Anaconda. Float here for a while, scanning the horizon and you would probably notice the yellow banded chest of an Aracari or hear the hoarse whisper of the Hoatzin. Eventually, the day would pass and you could peer out across the shimmering black water towards the setting sun, and almost certainly see the gleaming orange eyes of the Black Caiman. Come to Challuacocha and feel the mystery. Come to Challuacocha and experience the world of Sani Lodge.

Sani Lodge is truly a one of a kind Ecuador ecolodge dedicated to ecotourism, environmental conservation, and community projects in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. Sani Lodge is owned and operated by members of the Sani community, meaning that with their extensive knowledge of the Amazon wildlife and biodiversity they can give Sani Lodge guests the true experience of the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. In addition to providing excellent service to its guests, Sani Lodge participates in community ecotourism - profits from the jungle lodge are reinvested into the community, improving the lifes of all who live there.

Sani Lodge accommodates only 40 guests, between the cabins and the camping, emphasizing quality rather than quantity, and thereby offering you a more intimate experience with the rainforest. The lodge itself consists of ten, private, thatch-roofed cabanas, each with a modern bathroom. The cabanas are spaciously designed for double or triple occupancy, and have screened in windows to guard against insects while you sleep.

Dolphin Lodge:

The Amazon Dolphin Lodge is located in the Pañacocha protected forest reserve, (56,000 has) and is central to a biological corridor linking Yasuni National Park and the Cuyabeno Wildlife Refugee. Pañacocha is classified as a Humid Tropical Forest. Wildlife is in abundance everywhere in the reserve. A short list of possible observations includes: Howler, Squirl, Capuchin and night monkeys along with the Black-mantled Tamarin and Pigmy Marmosets, and of course the Amazon Pink River Dolphin.

Thanks to our central location in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, our professional local guides, our multilingual staff, and our motivation we offer a hands-on experience of the jungle. We are able to achieve a wide range of possibilities to explore the plants, animals and cultural diversity of the area and provide the adventure that, without a doubt, you have been looking for.

Amazon Dolphin Lodge is a member of YUTURI CONSERVATION GROUP, an organization involved in rainforest conservation projects helped by San Carlos Foundation.

Yuturi:

A magical shelter of nature.

Welcome...to the fantastic world of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Yuturi Biological Reserve, a true paradise locate 180 km east of Coca city, next to the Yasuni National Park, inside the primary Amazon basin. The adventure begins with a 45' minutes flight from Quito to Coca crossing the majestic Andes, flying over and enjoying the beauty of the Ecuadorian rainforest. Later you will navigate with a motorized canoe along the Napo River – a major tributary of the Amazon River – up to the confluence with the Yuturi River.

The crossing from Coca to the Yuturi Nature Reserve takes round about five hours. In our comfortable and covered motor canoes you will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the banks and the houses of the Quechua indigenous people, who still care about their traditions such as the preparation of “chicha” out of Manioc and “vinillo de plátano”.

The lodge complex is surrounded by three lagoons and is situated in the midst of a charming jungle landscape, where the guests are able to enjoy the innumerable sounds of nature as well as the magic, tranquility and silence of the jungle. In order to preserve the harmony of the surroundings, all huts with private bathrooms were built out of typical materials taken from the nature of that region. The word “Yuturi” comes from the Quechua language and refers to the Conga- ant, which is abundant in that area.

The personal attention we offer at Yuturi allows us that every guest is able to choose the activities he likes – in accordance with the respective programs. To the most fascinating adventures we offer at Yuturi rank at any rate the night cruises with a canoe to spot caimans, the piranha- fishing as well as the visit to a monkey island and much more.

Siona:

The Siona Lodge is idyllically situated in one of the last unspoiled native jungles in the Amazon, the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. Ecuador designated the 603.380 square kilometres (2,329.7 sq mi) a protected wildlife zone since July 26th, 1979. This positive step forward towards the preservation of part of the Amazon River Basin has allowed us to develop our lodge around the idea of low impact eco-tourism. Our hope is that, by exposing you to the untouched natural beauty surrounding the lodge, you will understand and share that these resources should be enjoyed and preserved for future generations to come.
The Siona Lodge has the best and one of the single most distinctive locations in the reserve, allowing for picturesque sunsets viewed across the large freshwater lake. Much of the wildlife you will see is dependent on the unique ecosystem the lake supports allowing for some rare viewing opportunities.

"YARINA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE" 3*

LOCATION:

The Yarina E. R. is located 25 Km in straight line (down river) from Puerto Francisco de Orellana (El Coca). Our motor boats take 1 hour of fluvial navigation on the Napo river to reach the Yarina lodge. All 20 huts with private bathrooms are made with typical materials of the zone and there is a private reserve to show the animals in their natural enviroment.

NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER 4-5* (Lodging & Research)

The Napo Wildlife Center, NWC Amazon Lodge, is the greatest and ultimate alternative luxury Eco-Hotel in Amazonian Ecuador. NWC Lodge is located by the Anangucocha lake (black water lagoon), into the unique ancestral territory of the Anangu Quichua Community. Thanks to their own initiative and supported by the Tropical Nature Conservation System, we have built in partnership the most carefully designed first class Amazon lodge in Ecuador.

Each of our 10 individual large luxury cabanas include a king size and twin size beds, private bathrooms with on demand hot water, a multi-speed ceiling fan, electricity provided by silent generators supplemented by solar panel power system, plenty of lights and 120 v outlets, screened windows and mosquito nets.