La Casa del Suizo
-
Sacha
Lodge
6 days / 5 nights
La Casa del Suizo
is a tranquil Amazonian refuge, located on the
shore of Ecuador's majestic Napo River
and a stone's throw away from the eastern slopes of the Andes
Mountains. Perched comfortably above the
riverbank and the small Quichua Indian village
of Ahuano, La Casa del Suizo overlooks vast
expanses of the surrounding tropical rainforest environment. With
a magnificent panorama of the Napo, our guests
may enjoy our swimming pool, outdoor dining area and pool bar,
which offers an array of delicious tropical drinks.
By following the river farther downstream, where the Napo
becomes wider and wilder as one travels steadily away from
civilization, one can reach Sacha Lodge. Located
on a 1300 acre private reserve, Sacha is a haven
for nature lovers and birdwatchers as well as a refuge for the
rainforest's diverse wild animals.
Each of our modern rooms at La
Casa del Suizo and Sacha Lodge provides
electricity, hot water and ceiling fans to make your stay more
comfortable, and memorable views of the rainforest which may be
peacefully absorbed from the privacy of one's own terrace. Our
kitchens offer a wide variety of both Ecuadorian
and international dishes, with buffet meals that
cater to vegetarians.
During excursions and other
activities, our guests will be divided into groups. Each of which
will be led by a native guide with expert knowlege of the
rainforest's medicinal and other useful plants, and a bilingual
naturalist educated in the biology and ecology of the area.
ITINERARY
Day 1
The trip to La Casa del Suizo
will depart from Quito, Ecuador's capital, at
7:30am via private transportation.
The first leg of our journey brings us to Papallacta,
a small mountain village famous for its natural hot springs. The
group will arrive here between 9:00 and 9:30am and take some time
to visit these springs for a soothing swim in their thermal
waters before lunch at the Hotel Papallacta.
Shortly after noon, we will continue our journey along a scenic
stretch of road, which takes us out of the majestic Andes
highlands and down into the "Oriente"
or Amazon region. Along the way there will be
several opportunities to stop for photographs, overlooking lush
green vallleys and beautiful sparkling waterfalls. The road ends
at Punta Ahuano, a tiny port town on the North
bank of the Napo River, where canoes await for a
late-afternoon, 15 minute ride downstream to la Casa del
Suizo. The group will arrive with time to get settled,
and enjoy a sunset from our swimming pool with a refreshing
welcome cocktail.
Day 2
Today our guests will have a choice
between several morning, afternoon and full day activities at La
Casa del Suizo. The program will begin after an early
breakfast, and will be led by both native and bilingual guides.
At all times these guides will be on the lookout for tropical
birds, and point out important aspects of the surrounding
vegetation. Below are some of the activities available:
Pangavacu
After breakfast, the group will
board a dugout canoe and navigate 20 minutes down the waters of
the scenic Napo River. The destination is Pangayacu,
where during an approximately three-hour walk through primary
rainforest, visitors will have the opportunity to see actual
hunting traps which were traditionally used by the local natives
in the past.The guides will demonstrate how they work and explain
which type of animals was caught in each one.
The trail leads to the home of a Quichua Indian
family, whose garden contains many medicinal plants still
commonly used today. Your guide will explain how they are
prepared, and afterwards serve lunch (which will be sent from the
hotel) near the bank of the Napo.
Misicocha
Adventure
This visit consists of a walk
through primary and secondary rainforest trails, along which it
is possible to observe distinct species of birds and insects, as
well as a great variety of trees and medicinal plants. The guides
will explain how such plants are used, not only in medicines, but
also in construction and other important local activities. Along
the trails guests may enjoy several opportunities for adventury,
such as hanging bridges and vines for swinging from tree to tree.
(Do your best Tarzan imitation!) After the walk, you may choose
to eat lunch in the jungle, and later have the incredible
experience of building and navigating a raft! On a small river
island, your guide will show you how to tie balsa logs together,
so that those who wish can float down the Napo
for about an hour, back to La Casa del Suizo.
The duration of this visit is about 4 hours, up to 5 or 6 hours
if you choose to have lunch in the forest.
Ahuano
Cultural Visit
A favorite afternoon activity
of our guests is go to the village of Ahuano to visit with the local shaman, where we may learn
about several aspects of traditional Quichua
culture. Our host will show us how to make chicha, a
typical beverage (which we can taste), and demonstrate the
spiritual cleansing rituals still practiced today throughout the
surrounding community. Finally, all may participate in a blowgun
target-shooting contest. Don't expect to beat the natives!
-
Before returning to the
hotel, it is also possible to visit a local animal
rescue center where several wounded and
displaced rainforest animals are cared for. Several
species of monkies wander about freely here, while
others are maintained in semi-captivity until they are
fit to return to their natural environment.
-
For our more physically
limited guests, who do wish to or ar unable to
participate in all of the activities listed above, we
have alternatives such as "The
Island". This is a one hour walk along a
totally flat river island, where one may observe a
great variety of plants and insects.
-
It is also possible to
visit an artisan in the village of Ahuano,
who will demonstrate how the traditional Quichua
ceramics are created, painted and hardened.
Day 3
After breakfast the group will
board a motorized canoe for the journey down the Napo,
taking us farther and farther away from the Andes
and deeper into the pristine Amazon rainforests.
During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds
such as herons, kingfishers, ospreys and spoonbills
between the scattered native huts as the river slowly widens to a
kilometer across! At a little more than halfway, we will stop
along the riverbank for a break, and enjoy a box lunch before
continuing on to Sacha Lodge.
Upon arrival at Sacha Lodge's 3200 acre (1300
hectare) private reserve, guests will take their first walk along
a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where
several species of monkeys are often
sighted. This path leads to Pilchicocha Lake, a
black water paradise where you'd least expect to find any signs
of people, but dugout canoes (and even
paddlers) await to carry you across the lake to the Lodge. The
cries of tropical birds lead you to your final destination, which
magically materializes out of the jungle at hte last possible
moment. You will arrive in time to settle in, birdwatch, swim or
take a walk under the canopy before dinner.
Days 4-5
Once visitors arrive at Sacha
they will be divided into small groups, and the naturalist guides
will organize an itinerary to fit each group's specific interests
and physical abilities.
A typical day at Sacha begins at sunrise (or
earlier!), and each group may decide on its own wake-up and
breakfast times. In the afternoon, visits begin between 3 and 4pm
and often continue into the evening, when the nocturnal insect
and frog chorus begins. Activities are spread out over a wide
area and allow visitors to explore several distinct but equally
fascinating habitats. Several trails lead through pristine terra
firme forest, where 150 foot kapok trees
tower above and roots form huge buttresses to give trees support.
Others follow strategically raised boardwalks in seasonally
flooded forests, where walking on the ground would be nearly
impossible during most of the year, due to groundwater. One trail
many choose to follow even leads across tree trunks and a steel
cable zip-line through rich swampland!
A favorite activity of our guests is to paddle dugout
canoes along tannin-rich blackwater
creeks and lakes, where luxuriant lianas, bromeliads
and palm trees thrive. And wherever an outing may
lead, the possibilities of spotting animals, from the tiny
pygmy marmoset to the feared ocelot or
puma, are endless.
One of Sacha Lodge's highlights is our 135
foot (43 meter) observation tower. Situated on a hill
and constructed around a giant kapok tree for stability, this
tower allows guests to climb into and above the rainforest canopy
for a magnificent view of the surrounding area. Visits to our own
on-site butterfly farm and the parrot
clay lick at Yasuni National Park are
also options not to be missed.
For adventurous souls, the day does not necessarily end with
dinner. Night walks and canoe trips, with the aid of flashlights,
often reveal creatures such as caimans
(picture an alligator with a skinny snout) that are seldom seen
during daylight.
Day 6
After breakfast we will walk
back out to the Napo River along the boardwalk,
where with some luck, the local wildlife will appear to see you
off. The motorized canoe will be waiting at the
shore of the Napo for the trip to Puerto
Francisco de Orellana, and from there it's a 40 minute
flight back to Quito.
|
