15 days from £4,395
(Inc flights)
Land only price from £3,745
Ecuador offers a mouthwatering variety of habitats within a small area. We visit the best of these during this tour, with a detailed look at the tanager and hummingbird-rich cloudforests of the Mindo area, the high Andean birdlife of the Papallacta pass, and the Ecuadorian Amazon during a 5-night stay at the world-renowned Sacha Lodge. At this wonderful lodge we’ll watch cotingas, tanagers and toucans from canopy towers and walkways, photograph the bizarre Hoatzin as we explore tranquil oxbow lakes by dug-out canoe, and search for antbirds, foliage-gleaners and woodcreepers in the understorey. Six primate species are also common at Sacha, while night walks may reveal some of the rainforest’s best kept wildlife secrets.
- Experience the Amazon rainforest during 5 days at Sacha Lodge
- Visit Angel Paz's famous Antpitta reserve at Mindo
- Superlative Neotropical birding. Tanagers & hummingbirds galore!
- Wonderful cloudforest & mountain scenery
- High altitude birds at Papallacta include Seedsnipe & Andean Condor
- Expertly guided by one of our outstanding Ecuadorian ornithologists
- Extend your holiday with a visit to the Galapagos Islands
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Highlights
Andy Tucker
Andy is an Aquatic Biology graduate (Aberystwyth) and worked in fisheries consultancy for a year after graduation before travelling to south-east Peru to work as a guide in the Amazon rainforest. During his year there he balanced guiding with his fisheries research and, after a brief spell back in England, returned to a full-time guiding post at Sacha Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Andy has travelled widely in Central and South America and his fluent Spanish is a huge advantage during our tours both across the Atlantic and in Spain. Andy has birdwatched for as long as he can remember and counts himself lucky to have seen so many fantastic bird and wildlife spectacles around the globe. He joined the Naturetrek team in 1998 and, while now kept busy as General Manager, is involved in the operations of a wide variety of tours in Latin America, Western Europe and North Africa.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Quito
Day 2/5
Mindo
Day 6/10
Amazon lowlands
Day 11
Yanacocha
Day 12/13
Papallacta, High Andes
Day 14
Depart Quito
Day 15
Arrive London
This was a wonderful trip, stretching from both eastern and western slopes of the Andes to the Amazon basin. We covered so many different habitats and saw over 400 different species of birds in two weeks. Manuel our guide was superb - his skills in calling and recognising so many different birds were second to none. We stayed in charming rustic lodges and ate excellent food. All in all a holiday to be recommended and an unforgettable experience.
J.P. Kent, Nov 18
Food & Accommodation
All included in the price except main meals in Quito.
Comfortable lodges and hotels with private facilities.
Tour leaders
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Manuel Sanchez Tour leader
Manuel Sanchez
Manuel is a field ornithologist, birder and tour leader who has been working for national and international NGOs in South America, Scotland and Turkey for more than a decade. He is a research associate of the National Institute of Biodiversity in Ecuador and council member of the Neotropical Bird Club. His recent work includes research on vocalizations and the evolution and speciation of birds in the Andes. In 2017 he was part of a field-research team that supported the creation of a new National Park (31,000 h) in the southern Andes and subtropical Amazon of Ecuador to protect endangered ecosystems and endemic bird areas. Manuel speaks excellent English and leads many of our Cock of the Rock and Andes & Amazon holidays in Ecuador.
Andy Tucker
Andy is an Aquatic Biology graduate (Aberystwyth) and worked in fisheries consultancy for a year after graduation before travelling to south-east Peru to work as a guide in the Amazon rainforest. During his year there he balanced guiding with his fisheries research and, after a brief spell back in England, returned to a full-time guiding post at Sacha Lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Andy has travelled widely in Central and South America and his fluent Spanish is a huge advantage during our tours both across the Atlantic and in Spain. Andy has birdwatched for as long as he can remember and counts himself lucky to have seen so many fantastic bird and wildlife spectacles around the globe. He joined the Naturetrek team in 1998 and, while now kept busy as General Manager, is involved in the operations of a wide variety of tours in Latin America, Western Europe and North Africa.
