Amazon cruises - Ecuador rainforest tours - river cruise

Overview

Amazon cruises in Ecuador take place at the Napo Basin where we will explore the Napo River and its tributaries. The Manatee Amazon Explorer our riverboat in the Upper Amazon  navigates in Ecuadorian territory through the Napo and Aguarico Rivers.

Traveling around Ecuadorian Amazon offers an unforgettable experience for anybody's sense. Our expedition is based around Limoncocha wildlife reserve and Yasuni National Park. Yasuni is Ecuador´s largerst protected area with such exceptional diversity of species that is has been classified by UNESCO as a World Biosphere reserve.

Over a million hectares of low-relief rainforest drained by countless tiny rivers that join the Rio Napo, twisting through patches of varzea forest and black water swamps. Significant portions of the park have remained undisturbed by humans and sightings of larger mammals and birds are commoner here than in other parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin.

MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER PROGRAM PREVIEW

Itinerary

REFERENCIAL PROGRAM FOR 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS AMAZON CRUISE

Day 1 - Amazon river expedition cruise
Quito / Manatee Amazon Explorer / Natural & Cultural Scenario
Morning flight from Quito over the Eastern Cordillera and down into the airstrip at the town of Francisco de Orellana, a hub for sustainable oil production and named after the discoverer of the Amazon River back in 1541.
The Manatee will be pulling up to dock in time for you to board this exciting adventure vessel, ready to take you on a rare journey packed with nature study, cultural interaction and even more of the magical wonders of the largest unexplored wilderness on earth. Navigation starts promptly during lunch until mid-afternoon to disembark for our first encounter with the rainforest and its people, featuring 478 species of birds and thousands of botanical wonders. We meet our vessel at the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.
(L,D).

Day 2 - Amazon river expedition cruise
Monkey Island & Flood Forest Habitats
Visit Monkey Island at a nearby Indian community and eke your way through a network of black water streams to a flood forest habitat. Enjoy a jungle barbecue and Amazon hammock siesta and back to our vessel. After dinner, enjoy caiman watching and other nocturnal activities. (B,L,D).

Day 3 - Amazon river expedition cruise
Rainforest at Yasuni Biosphere Reserve
After breakfast, get a great terrace view of the jungle before disembarking to admire a superb parrot salt lick and trek into the interior rainforest. Lunch at a native campsite. Refreshing afternoon swim at a lake and return by paddle dugout through blackwater creeks to our vessel or optional overnight in the jungle cradled by unbelievable sounds and a star-filled sky. (B,L,D).

Day 4 - Amazon river expedition cruise
Observation Tower & Rain Forest Trek
Terrace breakfast for early-birds. Trek through the understory of gargantuan kapok trees packed with bromeliads and tangling vines. After lunch reach an observation tower. Evening farewell cocktail and dinner on board. (B,L,D).

Day 5 - Amazon river expedition cruise
Francisco de Orellana / Quito
Arrival to Francisco de Orellana and a visit to this quaint town before our flight over the immense rainforest and midday landing in Quito. (B).

(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)

Possible activities Amazon cruises - Ecuador rainforest

• Hike on terra firmae forest (Ecuador rainforest)
• Swimming (Ecuador rainforest)
• Night excursions (Ecuador rainforest)
• Short or medium Length walks (Ecuador rainforest)
• Canoe trips (Ecuador rainforest)
• Paddle native canoes (Ecuador rainforest)
• Explore small rivers (Ecuador rainforest)
• Bird watching (Ecuador rainforest)
• Observation Tower (Ecuador rainforest)
• Jungle camping (Ecuador rainforest)
• Conferences by naturalists (Ecuador rainforest)

Sightings Ecuador rainforest

Wildlife and nature are undpredictable and they are secretive, yet the area we are visiting is pristine and virgin, getting to see animals and birds is a matter of chance.  Every step of the way is an adventure and we will rely on what nature wants to show us.

Unthinkable events may occur while you walk through the forest and meet a troop of Red Howler Monkeys moving above the canopy, or when you spot a pair of brilliantly colored Scarlet Macaws darting through the treetops, or when you seek for a pair of piercing orange eyes of a Black Caiman aboard a dugout canoe at night, or when you catch a glimpse of the Amazon Pink River Dolphin. These are all memories that you will carry long after leaving the Amazon.

From our experience Capybara, Brazilian tapir, and three toed sloth are relatively easy to spot on the river banks, red brocket deer roam the humps and hollows of the dry forest, and nowhere in the country is more likely to produce a jaguar sighting (one or two times a year). The rivers teem with fresh water dolphin, and several species of caiman.

Trip planning (Ecuador rainforest)

When travelling to Ecuador for your cruise additional plans should include:

- 1 hotel night in Quito pre-cruise
- Roundtrip airfare between Quito and Coca (Francisco de Orellana)
- 4 airport transfers
- 1 hotel night in Quito post -cruise

Since you will be in Ecuador, you may also consider in taking a pre or post trip extension:

- Galapagos tour and cruise
- Andes travel & Devils nose train
- Otavalo Indigenous market and cultural visits
- Papallacta hot springs and Spa
- Quito and Cuenca colonial cities
- Mindo cloudforest and birdwatching
- Machalilla park beach vacation