Sanilodge

After breakfast, experience the bird life on the tree tops from the 36-meter (118 ft.) observation tower. Your leaders will paddle on the Challwacocha Lake for 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute walk to get there. Over 590 species of birds have been registered so far, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honeycreepers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, and the rare Harpy Eagle.

Mixed groups include

• Turquoise, Flame-crested, Opal-rumped and Opal-crowned tanagers
• Golden & Orange-bellied euphonias
• Green & Purple honeycreepers
• Lemon-throated barbet
• Spangled & Plum throated Cotinga
• Great potoo
• Great jacamar
• Crested eagle

Once the treetop activity is over, we head down to spend the rest of the day in the understory, searching for antbirds and manakins.

• Lunulated antbird
• Fulvous antshrike
• Long-tailed potoo
• Wire-tailed manakin.

Lunch will be served at the lodge
More birding spots: The bar & three-storey dock
Have your binoculars handy to spot Silver-beaked tanager, Long-billed woodcreeper, Masked – crimson tanager, the infallible Hoatzin besides Yellow-rumped cacique, White-throated Toucan, Many- banded aracarí We will walk on the Chorongo trail in the afternoon with the possibility to watch

• Brownish twisting
• Chestnut- belted gnateater
• Black-tailed leaftoser
• Thrush- like antpitta
• Wire-tailed manakin
• Blue-crowned manakin
• Screaming Piha
• Rusty- belted tapaculo

After breakfast, depart to the Napo River to board the boat and visit the parrot-clay lick at Yasuní National Park for a beautiful view of hundreds of parrots searching for a gap to land to eat the earth. You will see Mealy Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged, and Blue-headed parrots, besides Dusky-headed parakeets.

The other clay-lick is a cave where hundreds of Cobalt-winged parakeets ingest dissolved minerals in the water accumulated on the ground with the companion of Scarlet Macaw and Orange-cheeked parrot.

Another alternative is a hike south of the Napo inside Yasuní National Park, considered by scientists the most biodiverse area in the world; here, some species that cannot be found in the north might be spotted.

• White-plumed antbird
• Lunulated antbird
• Blue-backed Manakin
• Ochre-striped antpitta
• Chestnut-headed crake
• Yellow-billed jacamar
• Purplish jacamar
• Ash-throated gnateater
• Rio Suno Antwren
• Rufous-tailed Antwren
• Brown-backed Antwren

Another option is birding in the islands, searching for the outstanding

• Orange-backed troupial
• Olive- spotted hummingbird,
• Fuscous flycatcher,
• Black and White antbird,
• White-bellied & dark-breasted spinetails
• Orange-headed tanager

Return to the lodge in the late afternoon for dinner.

After an early breakfast, take a final canoe ride through Chawllacocha Creek, accompanied by the Amazonian wildlife and the sunrise. Board the motor canoe on the Napo River to depart this magical land and arrive on time for the flight to Quito.

End of services! The operator reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather, regulations or unforeseeable circumstances.

Experience the upper canopy from our 36-meter (118-foot) tower built around a millennial Kapok tree. In the early morning, take a paddle canoe to cross the lake and observe the first signs of wildlife. Hundreds of parrots and macaws fly nearby, searching for their first meal. Meanwhile, the endemic Stinky turkey perches placidly on tree branches as if waiting for the guests’ first-morning photo. In the background, a Donacobious can be heard singing something resembling a car alarm.

Upon reaching the lake’s end, a small channel opens up, allowing navigation through a unique forest of ‘elephant ear and freshwater mangrove.’ This area is the habitat of howler, capuchin, and squirrel monkeys, as well as some species of kingfishers, capped herons, woodcreepers, woodpeckers, and anis. Finally, reach the mainland and continue a 10-minute walk through a terra firme forest trail leading to the tower.

The canopy is a haven for wildlife viewing. Colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, parrots, honeycreepers, tanagers, and cotingas fly by while monkeys and sloths forage in the treetops. The tower provides a unique perspective, offering a glimpse into the diverse world of the Amazon that is impossible to appreciate from the forest floor.

After returning to the canoe, we will go piranha fishing, one of the symbolic creatures of the Amazon. Following the fishing, we will head back to the lodge for lunch.

During a break from guided activities, you can enjoy the lodge’s facilities, such as wildlife watching from the three-story dock overlooking the forest, having a cold beverage at the bar while enjoying the lagoon view, or simply relaxing in the hammocks with a book.

Take an afternoon nature walk through the primary forest to discover the intrinsic relationships between living creatures and their roles in this complex tropical ecosystem. The rich flora includes orchids, lianas, fig trees, valuable species such as cedar and mahogany, and medicinal and useful plants used by local people. You will also see ancient trees adorned with lianas and bromeliads.

After dinner, a different world awakens. It’s time for a night walk to listen to and enjoy the chorus of bats, frogs, and crickets while observing dozens of insect species, tarantulas, tree frogs, and, with a bit of luck, snakes, armadillos, and night monkeys.

In the morning, return to the Napo River to board a motor canoe and visit the Parrot Clay Lick in Yasuní National Park. This is a visible landslide from the river where clay is exposed for parrots and parakeets to digest as part of their nutrition-detoxification process. You can spot five species: Mealy-Amazon, Blue-headed, Yellow-crowned parrots, Dusky-headed, and White-eyed parakeets.

The adventure continues with a walk in the foothills of Yasuní, which scientists consider the most biodiverse area in the world. The flora is spectacular, with centenary trees and traditional medicine, including species that can only be found in the south of Napo, such as the Golden-mantled tamarin, spider monkeys, and Scarlet Macaws. The hike in this unique ecosystem offers much to be discovered: footprints of jaguars, pumas and encounters with deer, white-lipped peccaries, or white-collared peccaries.

Leave Yasuní Park and head to the Sani Isla Community Center. Here, the women of the Sani Warmi Organization will share the customs and teach the use of medicinal plants of the Amazonian Kichwa culture. This unique experience will help you understand why this way of life is environmentally sustainable. Experience an Amazonian cooking class at midday; just follow their instructions to prepare your own lunch using local ingredients. Additionally, guests have the opportunity to support the local economy by shopping for handicrafts made by local women using natural fibers and forest products. This income allows them to invest in education and further boost the local economy. After a full day of adventure, wildlife, and culture, return to the lodge to enjoy the Amazonian sunset from the bar or the dock.

This day is ideal for nature enthusiasts who wish to experience the Amazonian environment fully. Experience the hidden areas of Sani Lodge with a full-day adventure that includes a two-hour canoe ride through the lake and flooded forests, followed by a 6-hour hike on the Chorongo Largo trail. This trail is home to wildlife, including Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, Capuchin monkeys, Woolly Monkeys, Tapirs, and even Peccaries.

The canoe glides through the habitat of giant river otters, anacondas, and large caimans, surrounded by the magical landscape of the Amazon. It is a truly unique experience.

Lunch is served amidst the forest’s towering centenarian trees, lush ferns, climbing vines, and exquisite flora. The return trip to the lodge by paddle canoe provides another opportunity to spot wildlife.

After an early breakfast, take a final canoe ride through Chawllacocha Creek, accompanied by the Amazonian wildlife and the sunrise. Board the motor canoe on the Napo River to depart this magical land and arrive on time for the flight to Quito.

End of services! The operator reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather, regulations or unforeseeable circumstances.