AMAZON STAND UP AND PADDLE
With the AMAZON SUP trip, you will have the Amazon Basin at your fingertips. It is the perfect adventure for nature lovers, jungle explorers and wildlife watchers who would like to experience the untouched Amazon. You will discover Ecuador’s Amazon in the Yasuni National Park, world famous for its tremendous biodiversity and its authentic indigenous cultures which are still very much alive. On this trip, while caoning down rivers and lagoons, you will feel as if the animals are following you. You will see displays of parrots, toucans, macaws, king fishers, herons flying across the river, as well as curious giant otters who will approach the canoe to have a look. Many different types of monkeys will be jumping on the trees and there will be chances to spot jaguars, the master cat predators of the jungle. The Kichwa native people will share their history and we will learn about their rich connection with Mother Nature.
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DepartureQuito / Ecuador
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IncludedActivitiesLand TransportationFees and entrances to parks and museumsMeals detailed in the itinerary
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Not IncludedDomestic flightsAirport tranfer in & outInternational flight
FROM OUR GALLERY
DAY 1: FLIGHT TO COCA AND ENTER THE YASUNI PARK
Let’s board a morning flight to the town of Coca town to begin our adventure. We’ll take a scenic drive to the Tiputini River, at the entrance of the YASUNI National park. While the guides prepare our gear, we’ll enjoy a riverside picnic. Our first SUP expedition will be paddling down this gorgeous river surrounded by complete nature and wildlife. Along the way, we will have opportunities to spot river turtles, monkeys, caiman and many species of birds like the Oropendola, caciques, king fishers, macaws, toucans, parrots and more.
Accommodation: Camping in Yasuni Park
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner.
DAY 2: AMAZING ENCOUNTERS WITH WILDLIFE
After a healthy breakfast, we will continue our Stand Up and Paddle exploration, heading deeper into the jungle. Every day in the Amazon is a new adventure: the more we paddle, the more pristine and wild the jungle becomes with new exciting opportunities to encounter more wildlife, such as different types of monkeys, capybara, tapir, swallows, flycatchers, herons, sandpipers and hawks. We will also take hikes to learn more about local plants and their medicinal properties. In the late afternoon, we arrive at our camp site, located on the Tiputini River side. Our chef will prepare a special gourmet dinner for us tonight.Accommodation: Camping in Yasuni Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
DAY 3: SUP ON THE ANACONDA LAGOON - FLOODED FOREST
After breakfast we will SUP down the Tiputini to reach the entrance to the Amarun – Cocha, that means Anaconda Lagoon in the native language. This is located in the most pristine forest of the area and with luck we may see the biggest and most beautiful snake of the planet. We will also enjoy breathtaking landscapes with incredible dark and clear waters in a flooded forest. Over here we will discover the mythic piranhas, caimans, boas and more. Later we will canoe back to the camp site and after a nice break at the hammocks, we will go on a night exploration to view insects, frogs and possibly some snakes.
Accommodation: Camping in Yasuni Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
DAY 4: EDUCATIONAL HIKE AND VISIT TO A NATIVE COMMUNITY
In the morning we will take a hike in the pristine forest to learn about the rich flora of the area and the medicinal plants. After lunch we will take a canoe ride to a local Kichwa community to learn about their way of life in the jungle, their stories and traditions. We will also see how they make the traditional drink called chicha. In the afternoon, depending on the weather, we will go fishing.
Accommodation: Camping in Yasuni Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
DAY 5: VISIT TO THE CLAY LICK – BACK TO QUITO
This is an early morning venture because we want to get to the clay lick the earliest possible. For the clay lick visit, we take a canoe ride of about 45 minutes, depending on the level of the river; also, we walk for 15 minutes. It is one of our best adventures in the jungle, visiting the Lamederos or Saladeros (parrot clay lick) where there is a big concentration of different species of parrots and macaws, and few predators surrounding the area. They come to feed on the clay from the mineral enriched ground, which helps them digest and detoxify from the poisons of their main diet. Such places are unique in the Amazon rainforest, because they offer a great chance to see a wide range of Amazon wildlife species. Later we will return to Coca and take the flight back to Quito.
Meals included: Breakfast.
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What's Included?
- Transportation: private and comfortable land transportation, motorized canoe, dugout canoe.
- Accommodation based in double occupancy: 4 nights in comfortable camping in Yasuni National Park.
- Meals: 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners.
- Activities: SUP on tiputini River, Anacanda lagoon, Visiting the Yasuni National Park, Animals clay lick (Saladero), Hiking, Visiting the native Kichwa communities, Piranha fishing, Wildlife spotting, Night hikes.
- Gear: NRS tribe SUPs, NRS paddles, dry bags, life jackets, dugout canoe with outboard motor, rubber boots, tents, mattresses, banquets and pillows, Eco showers, Eco toilet, social kitchen.
- Trip Leader: Certified AJ expert English-speaking Adventure Trip Leader and local guides
What is not included?
- International flights.
- Airfare Quito-Coca round trip, to Coca, make sure you book the earliest flight to have enough time to SUP to the campsite one, and to flight back to Quito make sure you book the latest possible so you have time to visit the parrots clay lick on that morning.
- My Own Room supplement & Tent supplement - estimated budget USD $310.
- Airport transfers to/from Quito airport.
- Travel insurance (mandatory).
- Travel insurance (mandatory).
- Required immunizations (mandatory).
- Meals not described in the itinerary- estimated budget USD $50.
- Personal expenses.
- Tips for guides and drivers - estimated budget USD $125
IMPORTANT DETAILS
FLIGHT TIME: 30 min. flight each way (Quito-Coca-Quito).
SUP TIME: From 4 to 6 hours per day.
DRIVING TIME: 1 hours driving each way to river.
SEASON: All year.
PROVINCE: Pichincha, Orellana and Pastaza provinces.
TERRITORY: Yasuni National Park.
ALTITUDE: 220m (700 ft).
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. This program is located in an undeveloped remote area, the kayaking is not difficult, because both Tiputini river and Amarum - cocha Lagoon have no big rapids, the hiking is in irregular terrain sometimes muddy and wet.
ADVENTURE GEAR: Paddles (NRS) lifejackets, dry bags, rubber boots, tents (EUREKA & COLEMAN ) matresses.
ACCOMODATION: All prices are based on double-occupancy. If you are traveling solo, you will be matched with another participant of your same sex. If you prefer to have a single room, please contact AJ prior to your departure to arrange your accommodation at an extra cost.
MEALS: Traveling with Adventure Journeys you will have the possibility to experience and taste local food and snacks. Your guide will help you identify typical food and suggest the best places to enjoy it. Some meals are not included in order to give you some flexibility about where, what and with whom to eat. You have the option to share these meals with the group, however there is no obligation to do this. If you have any allergies or food restrictions, please inform AJ prior to your departure.
YOUR TRIP LEADERS AND GUIDES: All AJ guides and trip leaders are highly experienced, licensed from the Tourism University to operate in Ecuador and certified as Wilderness Adventure First Aid respondents. They all have approved several extra training courses for kayaking, rafting, biking and horse riding, besides this they all are Ecuadorian and have a fantastic personality. We always carry a complete first aid kit in our trips.
SUSTAINABLE ECO AND CULTURAL TOURISM: Clients receive interpretation and education about the ecology and conservation of the Andes, Amazon rain forest and Galapagos Islands, and learn about the factors that threaten it. We aim to promote long-term conservation of both local people cultural identity and the environment. We transport out and recycle all non-organic garbage and we prefer to work with local suppliers. Your visit will encourage the local communities to support responsible eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative for their living.
HEALTH INFORMATION: Please inform AJ of any existing medical conditions (i.e. pregnancy, diabetes, etc). Yellow fever, Hepatitis B vaccination and Malaria Medication are mandatory for this trip. We strongly recommend to ensure that routine immunizations such as tetanus and diphtheria are up to date and to consider Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccinations. Please ask your doctor for advice.