CUYABENO NATURAL RESERVE - TAPIR LODGE

Total capacity: 32 passengers
- 1 bungalow with 6 double rooms with private bathrooms, 2 of them can also be used as triple room.
- Our 15 m (49.2 ft.) tower with 4 rooms equipped with 2 twin size beds, private bathroom, hammock, balcony and a spectacular view to the Amazon jungle
- Our new tower with 6 rooms equipped with twin size beds, private bathroom, hammock & balcony. The 6 rooms in this tower can be used
as double, triple or quadruple rooms.
- Hot water at all rooms
* All the facilities count with electricity (110-115 V), provided by Siemens Solar Panels

Other facilities:
- Dining room (capacity 32 passengers)
- Bar offering: Juices, wine, beer, cocktails, hard and soft drinks

Itinerary 4D/3N

DAY 1. Meeting point is at Mariscal Sucre International Airport, at 08:00 AM in the national departure information booth. A Nomadtrek assistant will help you checking in and giving you box lunches. The flight takes about 30 min (on a Boeing /Embraer Plane with capacity for 90 passengers) to Lago Agrio city. The airport is located outside the city; therefore you are not spending any time in Lago Agrio itself. Our private transportation (4x4 vehicles or buses) will drive (2 ½ - 3 hours) us to “El Puente”, which is the entrance of the Cuyabeno Reserve. On this way you will have the chance to see a colorful landscape combining rainforest, rivers and small towns; a 40% of this road is paved and the other 60% is an open road, this means that depending on the weather conditions, we could expect a dusty or muddy road.
On “El Puente” we’ll enjoy our box lunches and continue our trip on canoe (12mts. or 24 ft. long); the entire luggage will be covered in plastic, so it won’t get wet in case it rains. We provide rain Ponchos and life vests as well. This narrow river allows us to admire the wide variety of flora and fauna. After close to 2 ½ hours driving, we´ll arrive at the lodge around dusk (06:00 PM). Dinner will be served around 19:30. After dinner the guide will give a short explanation of the next day activities, and the needed gear. Overnight in our cozy Tapir Lodge.

DAY 2. Depending on the weather conditions, we can wake up early at 06:00 AM and drive with our canoe, looking for birds and other animals. We would return to the lodge around 8:00 AM. Breakfast (this consisting of eggs, bread, coffee / tea, fresh fruits and Juice) will be served around 08:30 AM. We´ll leave the lodge at 9:30 AM. We´ll provide our passengers with rubber boots. For bigger numbers than 45 EU shoe size, please bring your own boots.
We will take our canoe (the passengers should carry life vests and rain ponchos all the time we are leaving the Lodge, this will be the only responsibility they get during the tour) and depending on the size of the group (at least in the morning) we´ll take the motor canoe or take the paddle boat (small wood canoe of 5mts or 15ft. long which the indigenous people call Quillas. These small vessels can accommodate up to 4 people + guide. They are very stable). We´ll drive upstream to the “Laguna Grande” (Main lake) enjoying a slow drive in order to catch sight of animals and plants. Usually to get to the lake takes close to 30 minutes (paddle boat 1 hour). Once we get there, we will appreciate this flooded forest also known as Igapo. The trees are growing straight in the water, and many of them, real ancient; offer a perfect habitat for other plants, like Bromeliads, Orquids, Ferns and Cactuses.

We will leave the lake in order to reach solid ground. The path where we will walk today is called Palma Roja “Red Palm”, and used to be part of the scientific Station of the Catholic University. These will be our first encounter with primary forest. This type of forest is the habitat of many terrestrial mammals; these are usually shy or active during the night.
Before we begin walking, there is going to be a speech regarding basic ecology of the rainforest.

This walk shall take close to 3 ½ hours of hiking. On the way you will find a swampy area. Do not worry, the guide will lead you trough the right way. There is an opportunity to admire a big variety of ancient trees, long lianas, giant palms. We’ll also hope to catch sight and hear lots of birds such as woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, and toucans; and with luck we’ll come across two or three species of monkeys. This hike makes a loop in the forest; we´ll return to the same place the canoe left us. We´ll arrive there at around 01:30 PM. We get in the canoe or boat and drive back to the Lodge. Lunch will be served at the lodge around 2:20 PM, and it’ll be followed by a short resting period of approximately. 2 hours. During this time the guest will have the chance to relax in the hammocks, read, to sleep or try some Piranha fishing. We´ll meet again at 17:00 hours at the dock, to take the canoe and drive to “Laguna Grande” again. Once we get to the lake we will make a small drive in the surrounding area to look for birds and other animals. There is the chance as well for swimming. Swimming is perfectly save and relaxing. During all this years we have not heard of anyone (passenger or native) that got attacked by an animal while swimming. Depending on the weather, we can admire a wonderful sunset. We´ll wait in the lake until it gets dark enjoying the voices of the forest. Then with the aid of our flashlights we will look for animals on the shores of the river. Usually in very bright nights (full moon) the chance of finding caimans is very low, but there are other animals that can be found such as birds and snakes. Once more this drive shall take close to 30 minutes. We will get to the Lodge around 07:00 PM. This free period before dinner can be used to take a shower, to have refreshing drink or to talk with the guide about the animals found during the day. Dinner will be served at 07:45 PM. After dinner depending on weather conditions we can take a small night walk around the lodge looking for frogs and other night wanderers.

DAY 03. Early breakfast at 07:30. After this, we´ll meet in the dock again, once more carrying all the gear (LV, RB, RP). Today we´ll go downstream. We will enjoy a 2 hour-navigation looking at Morphos (giant blue Butterfly), Toucans, Macaws and with some luck monkeys. We will get good glimpses of the surrounding forest. On the way we shall pass the village of Puerto Bolivar where the inhabitants of the area the Siona have chosen to live. After 20 minutes we´ll arrive to a small settlement. There we will get to know the Shaman, Alberto and his family. This people belong to the Cofan ethnic group. Nowadays Alberto conceals his time to cure and treat people with his vast knowledge of the medicinal plants. The visit to this place will be used also to walk inside the forest. This forest is the habitat of the tiny Ecuador poison Frog (Ameerega bilinguis). We´ll begin our Trekking on the river bank. There, a marvelous ancient Kapok tree will meet us. This magnificent specimen is at least 800 years old, and the roots of it are as big as a small room. The path in the forest leads us trough small creeks. In the end (after close to 2 hours) we arrive to the backyard of Alberto’s house. A superb box lunch will be served.
After lunch, Alberto will share some of his time with us. This man carries upon his shoulders more than 50 years of knowledge of the rainforest and the use of medicinal plants. He will explain us his experiences with the forest, other shamans and process of healing people. This short “healing” ceremony should last 40 min approximately. There will be some free time for asking questions to Alberto or simply take some pictures of him. Some handicrafts are available, all of them done by hand and materials of the rain forest.
We say goodbye to the family (close to 3:00 PM) and drive back to Puerto Bolivar. There awaits a Siona family for us. We will take part in the preparation of the cassava bread (Manihot esculenta).This root has always been an essential food supply, and perhaps the main supply of carbohydrates, for the indigenous communities of the rainforest. After gathering the Yuca (cassava), it will be peeled off, and grinded. This “paste” is pressed to eliminate the humidity and the starch.
The remaining dried product will be cooked in a pan. After some minutes, we obtain a “pancake” of neutral taste.
We say goodbye to the village and drive back to the lodge arriving there usually before dusk. Dinner will be served at around 20:00. After dinner the passengers will be introduced to the crew members who did work during those days. We will be joined by a Goodbye - Passion fruit cocktail.
Overnight.

DAY 04. The passengers will be waked up by somebody of our Staff. Waking up and departure time of the Lodge, will be scheduled according to the river, road conditions, the decision of the guide and of course the fight. This information shall be given to the passengers the day before.
Breakfast will be served while our staff takes care that the luggage is carried to the canoe.
We will leave the Lodge and head our way back to the bridge. Our private transportation is waiting for us. This time, the drive to Lago Agrio should take less. Arrival at the airport.