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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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THE AMAZON, ECUADOR
Ecuador's Amazon region is called El Oriente. The main towns/cities in the Orient are Coca, Lago Agrio, Tena, Puyo, and Macas. There are daily flights from Quito to Coca and Lago Agrio which take about 30 minutes - as compared to bus rides which can take 9-12 hours. There are tons of Amazon tours. I suggest that you stroll up and down Amazonas to collect brochures and then go to SAEC to read corresponding trip reports. Your best bet for getting to primary forest and seeing the most wildlife is to start from Coca or Lago Agrio. There are basically 3 ways to see the rainforest: 1) Lodge, 2) Indigenous Community, and 3) Hire own Guide. Some lodges are luxurious and some are basic, some hire locally and some don't, some are in primary forest and some are in secondary...the list goes on and on.
The most popular indigenous community Amazon tours are run by the Cofan community and by the Achuar community. The Cofan community created the Cofan Social Center, in which tourists see a traditional Cofan dwellings, demonstrations of hunting and cooking, and hike the jungle with a Cofan guide who identifies medicinal plants and their uses. The Achuar community operates the Kapawi Lodge and Ecological Reserve. A Quichua community runs the Amarongachi Jungle Trips (arranged by Safari Tours).
The Yuturi Lodge is located east of the town of Coca, 180 km downriver of the River Napo and then a few kilometers up the River Yuturi. The camp consists of 15 cabins, built in the traditional style of the Quichua Indians, who populate that area. The cabins offer accommodations for 2 to 3 people and have a private bathroom with toilet, sink and shower (warm but not hot water). A larger main building with an upstairs viewing room serves as the dining area and for meeting fellow tourists. Electricity is provided by a diesel generator and you have light in your cabins till 10 pm. |
There are still from 10-80 million species living in the Amazon that have yet to be discovered. One study found 3,000 different types of beetles in a 12 square meter area. The average temperature falls between 76 and 78 F and the average rainfall is between 118 and 157 inches. December through February are usually the driest months.
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Hiring your own guide is a good option if you have a lot of time - it's cheaper than other options and you have more freedom. It's important to research tours carefully once you are in Ecuador. I caution you AGAINST booking anything from your home country - as it is usually more expensive and when you get to Ecuador you will probably find a tour you like better! Basically, the further into the rain forest your tour goes, the better. Make sure to ask the tour office to show you where their lodge is on a map! 
I selected the Yuturi Lodge after talking to a lot of travelers and reading reports. I HIGHLY recommend this lodge - as you see a lot of wildlife and the guides are extremely knowledgeable. Not to mention the great food and honor-system beer! You also get a 20% SAEC discount - cost was $300 for 5 days/4 nights including meals, rubber boots, shared cabin with private bath, local guide and English interpreter, and transportation from Cocato Yuturi.