Your Travel Experience with Galapagos PRO
Day 1
Transfer from Quito to Sinchi Wayra
Your journey begins with a 35-minute flight from Quito to Coca, organised by Galapagos Pro. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by your Sinchi Wayra tour guide at around 10:00 a.m. Your bilingual nature guide will give you safety instructions before you embark on a two-and-a-half-hour motorboat ride to Yasúni National Park. During the trip, you will be able to observe a variety of bird species, mammals and turtles. You will be welcomed to an authentic jungle paradise. Upon arrival, you can rest in your private room and then explore the common areas and surrounding garden while your meal is being prepared.
Afternoon – Anaconda Trail Back
The Anaconda Back Trail is located in the jungle directly behind Sinchi Wayra. On this 1-2 hour hike through the jungle, we learn about the surrounding area. The forest here is very humid, so we walk over fallen palm trees. Our experienced guides help us find and identify animals. We may observe various species of monkeys, poison dart frogs, parrots, toucans, sloths, or anteaters. We return at dusk when many animals are most active, so bring a headlamp! Upon your return, our chef will prepare a delicious and artful dinner for you. Expect a fusion of local ingredients and first-class cuisine. After dinner, in the dark, we set off with torches along a winding path through the dense jungle. There we discovered numerous nocturnal species, from strange insects, exotic frogs and toads, to small snakes. Our guides told us about the animals' survival strategies and how they take advantage of the cover of darkness.
Day 2
Parrot sighting on the clay field and hike in the rainforest
Start the day with an early breakfast: juice, coffee, fruit, bread and eggs to your liking. We are setting off early today, so breakfast will be served at sunrise. We return to our canoe and travel half an hour upriver to a spot where parrots come every morning to eat clay from the cliff. This is your opportunity to watch four species of parrots and parakeets gather to lick clay from the boat. Keep an eye out for monkeys too! We then continue on a bumpy track through the rainforest. You may see some monkey species that are only found in Yasuni, such as the golden-mantled spider monkey and the Napo saki monkey. We also visit the largest trees in the rainforest, which are sacred to the Sani people, and learn about the use of native trees and plants by indigenous communities.
Afternoon excursion to explore the wildlife in the Cuyabeno area
In the afternoon, we board the motorboat to cross to the other side of the Napo River, where the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve begins. We follow narrow paths through the rainforest, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers and accompanied by the wild sounds from the depths of the forest. Together, we discover a variety of animals such as black-maned tamarins, poison dart frogs, toucans, macaws and others. At sunset, we return to the lodge with many impressions, where a refreshing drink and dinner await us.
Day 3
Visit the Sani community and the women's centre
After breakfast, we will visit the Sani Community Centre, the women's organisation and the school to learn more about the life and traditional culture of the village. We will try shooting with a traditional blowpipe and then stroll through a garden with medicinal plants and agricultural foods. After learning about their uses, we will be invited by the women of the community to learn how to prepare their traditional dishes and prepare our own traditional lunch and enjoy some drinks. We are invited to support the women's organisation by purchasing traditional handicrafts, from jewellery to ceramics. If you wish, bring a small amount of money to spend on gifts and beautiful souvenirs.
Observation tower and watching the sunset
In the afternoon, we take another short walk through the rainforest and reach the Yasuní Canopy Tower on a small hill. The tower is 40 metres high and towers above the treetops of the rainforest, allowing you to enjoy breathtaking views over the endless expanse of the Amazon and the Napo River. We observe monkeys and birds in the nearby trees and end the day with a beautiful sunset before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Day 4
Full day - Excursion to Panacocha Lagoon
This unique full day experience will bring you to Panacocha lagoon, a large blackwater lake which lies an hour and a half from Sinchi Wayra. Here is your chance to witness a density of wildlife rarely seen. The Amazon's famous pink river dolphins live in the lagoon, and there is a chance that you could see them, as well. Eat a packed lunch while observing birds, and then try your hand at piranha fishing! If you were lucky to catch one, our chef will prepare it for dinner if you will.
Day 5
Transfer to Quito
We rise at sunrise and pack our bags. After a final breakfast, we bid farewell to the family and board the motorboat that will take us back to civilisation in Coca. Your tour guide will take you to the airport in time for your return flight to Quito.