Sani Lodge

The experience starts with a 30-minute flight from Quito to the Coca airport. Upon arrival, the guide takes you all on a short bus ride to the Napo River pier. From there, a three-hour motor canoe trip down the largest Ecuadorian tributary of the Amazon.

During the journey, you will catch a first glimpse of the Amazonian ecosystem, including ancestral communities, crops, local fruits, Kaypok trees, giant fig trees, along with islands of different age and vegetative succession. Various bird species, such as herons, egrets, and vultures can be spotted, all while enjoying a packed lunch.

The journey continues with a short walk to Challwacocha creek, where you will board paddle canoes for a trip through primary flooded forest of black tea-colored waters teeming with wildlife. Don´t get surprise to see black-mantled tamarin & squirrel monkeys on the way to the lodge. Upon arrival, you will be served a welcome cocktail and snacks, followed by an introductory talk about the lodge and its facilities before settling into your cabin.

The guide will explain the activities for the rest of the day. One option is to walk along the nearby trails or take a canoe ride. During these activities, you will have the opportunity to observe primates, endemic birds, black caimans, and the Amazonian flora, which includes giant Kapok trees, cedar, orchids, bromeliads, and palms. At dinner time, our chef offers various national and international cuisine options that cater to celiacs, vegetarians, and vegans.

The lake is a refuge for the endangered black caiman. After dinner, the naturalist and local guides lead a canoe excursion in search of these large South American alligators, which can measure up to 6 meters (18 feet).

Experience the upper canopy from our 36-meter (118-foot) tower built around a millennial Kapok tree. In the early morning, take a paddle canoe to cross the lake and observe the first signs of wildlife. Hundreds of parrots and macaws fly nearby, searching for their first meal. Meanwhile, the endemic Stinky turkey perch placidly on tree branches, as if waiting for the guests’ first morning photo. On the background, a Donacobious can be heard singing something resembling a car alarm.

Upon reaching what appears to be the end of the lake, a small channel opens up, allowing navigation through a unique forest of ‘elephant ear and freshwater mangrove.’ This area is the habitat of howler, capuchin, and squirrel monkeys, as well as some species of kingfishers, capped herons, woodcreepers, woodpeckers, and anis. Finally, reach the mainland and continue with a short 10-minute walk through a terra firme forest trail that leads to the tower.

The canopy is a haven for wildlife viewing. Colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, parrots, honeycreepers, tanagers, and cotingas fly by, while monkeys and sloths forage in the treetops. The tower provides a unique perspective, offering a glimpse into the diverse world of the Amazon that is impossible to appreciate from the forest floor.

After returning to the canoe, we will go piranha fishing, one of the symbolic creatures of the Amazon. Following the fishing, we will head back to the lodge for lunch.

During a break from guided activities, you can enjoy the lodge’s facilities, such as wildlife watching from the three-story dock overlooking the forest, having a cold beverage at the bar while enjoying the lagoon view, or simply relaxing in the hammocks with a book.

Take an afternoon nature walk through the primary forest to discover the intrinsic relationships between living creatures and their roles in this complex tropical ecosystem. The flora is rich and includes orchids, lianas, fig trees, and valuable species such as cedar and mahogany, as well as medicinal and useful plants used by local people. You will also see ancient trees adorned with lianas and bromeliads.

After dinner, a different world awakens. It’s time for a night walk to listen to and enjoy the chorus of bats, frogs, and crickets, while observing dozens of insect species, tarantulas, tree frogs, and, with a bit of luck, snakes, armadillos, and night monkeys.

In the morning, return to the Napo River to board a motor canoe and visit the Parrot Clay Lick in Yasuní National Park. This is a visible landslide from the river where clay is exposed for parrots and parakeets to digest as part of their nutrition-detoxification process. You can spot five species: Mealy-Amazon, Blue-headed, Yellow-crowned parrots, Dusky-headed, and White-eyed parakeets.

The adventure continues with a walk in the foothills of Yasuní, which scientists consider the most biodiverse area in the world. The flora is spectacular, with centenary trees and traditional medicine, including species that can only be found in the south of Napo, such as the Golden-mantled tamarin, spider monkeys, and Scarlet Macaws. The hike in this unique ecosystem offers much to be discovered; footprints of jaguars, pumas, and encounters with deer, white-lipped peccaries, or white-collared peccaries.

Leave Yasuní Park and head to the Sani Isla Community Center. Here, the women of the Sani Warmi Organization will share the customs and teach the use of medicinal plants of the Amazonian Kichwa culture. This unique experience will help you understand why this way of life is environmentally sustainable. Experience an amazonian cooking class at midday, just follow their instructions to prepare your own lunch using local ingredients. Additionally, guests have the opportunity to support the local economy by shopping for handicrafts made by local women using natural fibers and forest products. This income allows them to invest in education and further boost the local economy. After a full day of adventure, wildlife, and culture, return to the lodge to enjoy the Amazonian sunset from the bar or the dock.

After an early breakfast, take a final canoe ride through Chawllacocha Creek, accompanied by the Amazonian wildlife and the sunrise. Board the motor canoe on the Napo River to depart this magical land and arrive on time for the flight to Quito.

A three-hour motor canoe trips down the largest Ecuadorian tributary of the Amazon, the Napo River. During the journey, various bird species, such as herons, egrets, and vultures, can be spotted, all while enjoying a packed lunch. The journey continues with a short walk to Challwacocha Creek, where you will board paddle canoes for a trip through the primary flooded forest home of these specialties:

• Cocha antshrike
• Dot- backed antbird
• Silver antbird
• Plumbeous antbird
• American pygmy kingfisher
• Rufescent tiger heron
• Capped heron

Upon arrival, you will be served a welcome cocktail and snacks, followed by an introductory talk about the lodge and its facilities before settling into your cabin.
The guide will explain the activities for the rest of the day. One option is to walk along the nearby trails or take a canoe ride. During these activities, you will be able to watch:

• Wattled jacana
• Least bittern
• Agami heron
• Green and rufous kingfisher
• White-chinned jacamar
• Hoatzin
• Red-bellied, Chesnut-fronted, Blue & yellow macaw
• Cobalt-wing parakeet
• Mealy Amazon
• Capped heron
• Neotropic cormorant
• Anhinga
• Ringed kingfisher
• Orange-winged parrot
• Pale-vented pigeon
• Lesser kiskadee
• Least bittern
• Cream-colored woodpecker
• Spot-breasted woodpecker
• Red-capped cardinal

For dinner, our chef offers a wide variety of national and international cuisine. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available.

The last activity of this busy day is a canoe ride to watch:

• Common pauraque
• Common potoo
• Black-crowned night heron
• Boat-billed heron

After breakfast, experience the bird life on the tree tops from the 36-meter (118 ft.) observation tower. To get there, your leaders will paddle on the Challwacocha Lake for 30 minutes, followed by a short 10-minute walk. Over 590 species of birds have been registered so far, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, and, with a bit of luck, the rare Harpy Eagle.

Mixed groups include

• Turquoise, Flame-crested, Opal-rumped and Opal-crowned tanagers
• Golden & Orange-bellied euphonias
• Green & Purple honeycreepers
• Lemon-throated barbet
• Spangled & Plum throated Cotinga
• Great potoo
• Great jacamar
• Crested eagle

Once the treetop activity is over, we head down to spend the rest of the day in the understory in search of antbirds and manakins.

• Lunulated antbird
• Fulvous antshrike
• Long-tailed potoo
• Wire-tailed manakin.

Lunch will be served at the lodge.

More birding spots: The bar & three-storey dock.

Have your binoculars handy to spot Silver-beaked tanager, Long-billed woodcreeper, Masked – crimson tanager, the infallible Hoatzin besides Yellow-rumped cacique, White-throated Toucan, Many- banded aracarí.

We will walk on the Chorongo trail in the afternoon with possibilities to watch

• Brownish twisting
• Chestnut- belted gnateater
• Black-tailed leaftoser
• Thrush- like antpitta
• Wire-tailed manakin
• Blue-crowned manakin
• Screaming Piha
• Rusty- belted tapaculo

After breakfast, depart to the Napo River to board the boat and visit the parrot-clay lick at Yasuní National Park for a wonderful view of hundreds of parrots searching for a gap to land to eat the earth. Here, you will see Mealy Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged, and Blue-headed parrots, besides Dusky-headed parakeets.

The other clay-lick is basically a cave where hundreds of Cobalt-winged parakeets ingest dissolved minerals in the water accumulated on the ground with the companion of Scarlet Macaw and Orange- cheeked parrots.

Another alternative is a hike on the south of the Napo inside Yasuní National Park, considered by scientists the most biodiverse area in the world; here, some species that cannot be found in the north might be spotted.

• White-plumed antbird
• Lunulated antbird
• Blue-backed Manakin
• Ochre-striped antpitta
• Chestnut-headed crake
• Yellow-billed jacamar
• Purplish jacamar
• Ash-throated gnateater
• Rio Suno Antwren
• Rufous-tailed Antwren
• Brown-backed Antwren

Another option is birding in the islands, searching for the outstanding

• Orange-backed troupial
• Olive- spotted hummingbird,
• Fuscous flycatcher,
• Black and White antbird,
• White-bellied & dark-breasted spinetails
• Orange-headed tanager
Return to the lodge in the late afternoon for dinner.

After an early breakfast, take a final canoe ride through Chawllacocha Creek, accompanied by the Amazonian wildlife and the sunrise. Board the motor canoe on the Napo River to depart this magical land and arrive on time for the flight to Quito.