There are some places in the world that absolutely personify ecotourism at its best. The Sacha Lodge is one of these places. Located on an absolutely pristine piece of land in the Napo Valley Region of Ecuador, this experience is one that should not be missed. There are four rainforest regions on Earth; Costa Rica (loosely defined and not nearly as remote), Borneo, Madagascar and the Amazon. Having visited lodges in three of the four regions, the Amazon takes the cake as the most enjoyable and unique.
Although rainforest takes up only about 11% of the Earth's surface, over 50% of every species on Earth lives there. There are actually 5 countries that comprise the rainforest region known as the Amazon. Ecuador, being the most bio-diverse country on Earth for its size, is fortunate enough to lie in a region mostly unexploited by industry sans the small amount of oil production. It takes advantage of this by offering some of the best lodges anywhere on Earth.
Like most rainforest lodges, Sacha offers 3 or 4 night programs. While this may not seem like a lot, I guarantee you will see almost everything you came for and with long days of daily activities combined heat and humidity, it will feel like more. Unlike the Borneo Rainforest Lodge which is reached via a 2 1/2 hour twisty turny 4 wheel drive road, Sacha is accessible only by boat. Most people arrive from...There are some places in the world that absolutely personify ecotourism at its best. The Sacha Lodge is one of these places. Located on an absolutely pristine piece of land in the Napo Valley Region of Ecuador, this experience is one that should not be missed. There are four rainforest regions on Earth; Costa Rica (loosely defined and not nearly as remote), Borneo, Madagascar and the Amazon. Having visited lodges in three of the four regions, the Amazon takes the cake as the most enjoyable and unique.
Although rainforest takes up only about 11% of the Earth's surface, over 50% of every species on Earth lives there. There are actually 5 countries that comprise the rainforest region known as the Amazon. Ecuador, being the most bio-diverse country on Earth for its size, is fortunate enough to lie in a region mostly unexploited by industry sans the small amount of oil production. It takes advantage of this by offering some of the best lodges anywhere on Earth.
Like most rainforest lodges, Sacha offers 3 or 4 night programs. While this may not seem like a lot, I guarantee you will see almost everything you came for and with long days of daily activities combined heat and humidity, it will feel like more. Unlike the Borneo Rainforest Lodge which is reached via a 2 1/2 hour twisty turny 4 wheel drive road, Sacha is accessible only by boat. Most people arrive from Quito to the town of Coca via a 35 minute flight on Tame, a local Ecuadorian airline. You are met by a representative and given a small sandwich lunch. Then they drive you to the base of the river. Your luggage will be taken separately in waterproof bags by the satff. Coca is a funky town that popped up quickly for the benefit of the small oil industry. You can feel the local flair as you board a covered motorized canoe for the 90 minute trip upriver. Every single thing that comes in and out is taken there the same way as you and carried by hand. The ride is not particularly interesting except for a few egrets and you can nap because the time spent there is very active.
When you finally arrive, the journey is not over yet. You then hike on a mostly boardwalk trail for about 30 minutes. Even if it's been dry, I suggest hikers or Keens at the least because there will be some muddy spots. After the hike you reach a dock where you then get into another canoe and cross the beautiful lake that surrounds the lodge. You can swim in the lake during the free time with piranhas that don't bite. Upon arrival, you will be met by the staff and given a small snack and a little briefing. This lodge insists on breaking up the arriving groups into smaller groups of 6 (or less) for the duration of your stay. This can be good or bad. Our group consisted of one young and one middle age British couple and we all got along very well. But the other group had a rather boisterous and chubby single parent Aussie and his 12 year old son paired with a distinguished and slightly strange old British couple so he wasn't very happy about that.
The website says you can tell them any specific interests such as bird-watching but all we got was a small form to fill out and we think they group what looks like the most fit people together. The guide you get makes a huge difference. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Andres Holguin Naranjo. He is not always there as he lives in Quito but please ask. He is a young, highly personable and very intelligent individual that takes a real pride in Ecuador. He's lived and worked in other places around the world including Alaska and we considered him a new friend (We friended him on Facebook)
After the briefing, they will show you to your cabins and ask you to meet in about an hour for a fitting of Wellington style boots. There are some days when you can get by with Keens or hikers but the trails are muddy so the boots come in very handy. They also provide excellent rain ponchos in the event of a downpour. The first activity will be in the late afternoon. One huge advantage over other rainforest lodges is the lake and its surrounding canals which reduces the amount of hiking and allows for optimum wildlife viewing which can be difficult from the floor. Although the itineraries vary, most are probably similar so I will briefly describe ours to give you an idea:
Day one:
2-3 hour canoe ride: We spotted a green viper which Andres said was a huge plus. Every group also gets a local indigenous guide along to help spot. Although the website calls them "naturalists", they are really just locals that know the area even better than the guide and speak little or no English. Ours was Wilson. Also spotted various caimans, the boisterous local birds known as "stinky turkeys" and some interesting little colorful frogs. After dinner: night canoe ride; saw an anaconda that almost jumped into the boat and a beautiful tiger heron
Day two:
Be warned: This trip is NOT for those that hate mornings. The will give you a 5:30 AM wakeup call (a knock on the door) and you start at 6 AM when the wildlife is most active. We hiked to the canopy walk. Theirs is easily the best one I've ever seen. Once at the platform, if it's clear, you have endless opportunities for wildlife viewing. We saw squirrel, capuchin, tamarind and titi monkeys scampering about (Howlers were heard but not seen). We also saw awesome toucans and a host of unusual birds whose name slips me. Also saw agoutis on the trail. After lunch: Another hike with interesting insects and the craziest bird sounds I ever heard and then to the best and most extensive butterfly garden I've ever seen. They send specimens all over the world. Evening: Night walk ; saw the large tarantulas, scorpions and spotted a toad the size of a small dog.
Day Three:
Morning: Took a boat ride to the national park entrance to visit a "parrot lick" where thousands of beautiful green birds lick the minerals. They think it's to aid digestion. Also spotted a big boa waiting to eat one of the small birds. Website says this is $20 USD but we were never charged. Afternoon: another hike and saw an awesome little owl, some termite nests and more monkeys. Went to the "tree house" for one of the best views of the area.
Cabins:
All about the same; reasonably sized with limited furnishings but ample space. All have a beautiful deck with hammock that you can spot wildlife from. The shower is good considering everything is driven by power generators. There is a safe and the bed is reasonably comfortable but firm. There are ceiling fans and you will be too tired to do much besides sleep anyway. You can't put paper products in the toilet in most places in Ecuador due to the inability of the plumbing to handle it.
Food:
Unlike some other lodges, meals are all served at the exact same time in the small but comfortable dining area; they will tell you when to be there. Upstairs is a bar; you pay the bill at the end. There is also a small gift shop. All meals were delicious and filling with almost every meal featuring chicken, pork, beef or seafood cooked a different way along with veggies, potatoes (4 kinds in Ecuador; all delicious), cold salads and desserts. Bring your own coffee if you need a caffeine boost; most of the world drinks instant Nescafe (I brought Starbucks Via packets). Breakfast is usually eggs, sausage, bacon and an omelets option and fruit. Lunches are a soup and a one large meat with sides and dinner is buffet style. On the last night they cooked a barbeque on the deck by the lake where Andres introduced everyone (he was obviously the lead and best guide) and summarized why we should educate the world on the perils of preserving the rainforest. On the last morning you get breakfast before the journey downriver. And don't forget to use the famous Ecuadorian hot sauce served everywhere. Like Korean kim-chee everyone in Ecuador has a different recipe
Staff:
Everyone at the lodge works very hard and goes above and beyond to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Ask if you need anything at all. Regarding tips, there is no set guideline and unlike the Galapagos Island cruises, they will not give you some cheesy speech about why and how much you should tip. You will want tip because they make your trip wonderful. On our way back, heavy rain caused the cancellation of our flight from Coca so Andres bought us all to a local restaurant and bought everyone lunch. He also guided us at the airport and ensured everyone was on their way. Top notch service from beginning to end
Summary:
This is a very professionally run lodge. It was founded by a Swiss businessman almost 20 years ago and his family still runs the operation. The land is all privately owned thus no chance of exploitation. If you want a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience something very few people get to see, I highly recommend the Amazon region. Rather than booking directly with the lodge, I recommend a 5 or 7 day Galapagos cruise combined with an rainforest trip and perhaps a few days to see the Andes region or coast if you have time. My choice: Quito based company (Columbus Travel; see galapagosilands.com for details). Salo, my wonderful representative, put together a fabulous 16 day itinerary that was flawless. Have fun and feel free to email us with any additional questions.More
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