Welcome to Sacha Lodge!

We are found within a 5000-acre private ecological reserve in Ecuador's Amazon region, an accessible yet pristine rainforest sanctuary where you and your family may enjoy a true jungle adventure in safety and comfort.

Getting to Sacha Lodge

The journey to Sacha Lodge begins in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. From here, a 25-minute flight takes you over the Andes Mountains' majestic snow-covered peaks and down over 8500 feet into the Amazon Region. The flight destination is the port town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana, locally known as Coca, where you will be met by a bilingual guide and taken to a private dock. Here we will pause for a snack and to use the rest rooms before boarding our covered motorized canoe for a 2-hour, 50-mile trip down the sediment-rich waters of the Napo, the largest river in Ecuadorian Amazonia.

During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds such as herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys between the scattered native huts as you travel steadily away from civilization. Upon arrival to Sacha Lodge's 5000-acre private reserve, out guests will take their first walk along a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where several species of monkeys are often sighted. Don't worry...we will carry your luggage for you!

The path leads to Pilchicocha lake, a black water paradise where you'd least expect to find any sign of people, but dugout canoes (and even paddlers) await to carry you even farther. As you cross the lake, the cries of tropical birds lead you to your final destination and home base for an exciting jungle experience.

Activities

A typical day at Sacha Lodge begins at sunrise or earlier, in order to take advantage of the cool morning hours when the rainforest's animals are most active. Each group may decide on its own wake-up and breakfast time, as well as the difficulty and duration of their morning outings. In the afternoon, visits begin at around 3:00 and often continue into the evening, when the nocturnal insect and frog chorus begins. Wherever the destination, our excursions proceed slowly in order appreciate the fascinating details that our guides point out around you.

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 fallen 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 black water creeks and lakes, where luxuriant lianas, orchids, 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.

During free time at the lodge, swimming and piranha fishing are also activities not to be missed...but don't worry Piranhas are scavengers and the guides will prove that swimming is perfectly safe.

For adventurous souls, the day does not necessarily end with dinner. Night walks and canoe trips, with the aid of flashlights, often reveal creatures seldom seen during daylight. Caimans (of the alligator family) and giant insects rule the jungle after sunset...Do you dare search for them?

Wildlife

Anyone who has ever planned to visit the rainforest has at least once asked: "What animals will I see there?" There is an incredibly high diversity of species found around Sacha Lodge, and we are sure that you will have the opportunity to see many fascinating creatures here. However, the wild is unpredictable and no two visits are ever the same! Monkeys are seen quite frequently, but how many of the eight species found here will cross you path? They range in size from the tiny half pound pygmy marmoset to the noisy 17 pound red howler monkey, and night monkeys can be found in groups of more than 150. And besides monkeys, there may be as many as 60 other species of mammals within our reserve (not including up to 50 species of bats)! so keep you eyes open, and maybe you'll spot an anteater, a 3-toed sloth, or even an ocelot as you explore their natural habitat.

As for reptiles, be sure to take advantage of our night activities to look for one of Pilchicocha's resident spectacled caimans. Member of the alligator family, caimans are often seen from canoes out on the lake, and sometimes the babies even come to hide under our dining room! A variety of lizards and snakes can also be found along our trails, if you move quietly and keep your eyes peeled. Several different boas, vine snakes and even the giant anaconda have been seen during many of our excursions. There are a few poisonous snakes as well, but not to worry - they try to stay out of people's way and no one have ever been bitten here.

Frogs, on the other hand, are much more common to see, from bulgy-eyed tree frogs to camouflaged leaf frogs to tiny colorful poison-dart frogs. So watch your step, day or night! And then, of course, there are birds.

In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favorite destination of both professional and amateur ornithologists.

So far there have been an incredible 587 different species of birds found here! This is a staggering number, especially if you consider that approximately 900 species have been registered in the entire Continental United States and Canada. In only four or five days, it is not uncommon for even the most casual birder to see over 250 species here. With only minimal effort you can expect to see dozens of colorful parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, tanagers, hawks and oropendolas, and of course there are plenty of elusive "LBJ's" (little brown jobs, of course) to keep the avid bird enthusiasts occupied for days. Our guides will carry telescopes along to bring your bird watching experience close-up, and be sure to keep your binoculars handy at all times!

Hardcore Bird watching

Of the incredible 1600 bird species registered in Ecuador, 587 (37%) have been seen at Sacha Lodge. That is almost seven percent of the species found in the entire world!

Some of the birds highlighted that our guides have frequently spotted during our programs are the Zigzag Heron, White Hawk, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Black-banded Owl, Hoatzin, Fiery Topaz, Yellow-billed Jacamar, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Ornate Antwren, Lunulated Antbird, White-plumed Antbird, Ochre-striped Antpitta, White-crowned Manakin, Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Amazonian Umbrellabird and the Paradise Tanager.

For avid bird watchers, we provide bird specialist guides upon request. These guides know the best spots for the hard-to-find species, and can easily identify species by both sight and sound. Oscar Tapuy, our local expert who has been at the Sacha Lodge since 1995, estimates 60 species per day (sighted, of course) to be his average tally.

Your guide will lead you through a variety of habitats where mixed flocks are common, and generally begin before sunrise to take full advantage of the morning peak. You may even take a box lunch along if you wish to stay out all day, and return only for dinner before heading out again in search of owls and other nocturnal species. We will keep groups as small as possible (consider 5-6 people ideal), and recommend a minimum of five days to cover as much ground as possible. However, stays of a week or more are easily arranged in order to take full advantage of the local diversity!

If ornithology is to be the focus of your trip, please request your bird specialist guide in advance to make sure he is there when you arrive. We provide each of our bird guides with a telescope to use for the duration of your stay.

5-Days/4-Nights Monday-Friday

• Accommodation in the lodge
• All meals during the tour
• Aquatic transportation
• Excursions with native and bilingual guides

• Drinks
• Tips
• Extras
• Personal expenses

It is possible to operate tours on non-operations days (Monday/Friday), however there is an extra cost for the canoe service.

It is not possible to operate tours on Sunday.