 Quito to the Marañon and Amazon river.
The ancient territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru regarding sovereignty in the Amazon region, prevented visitors accessing the Amazon territories from the Ecuadorian side. After the 1995 war between the two countries, an Agreement was signed entitled the Peace and Border Agreement which defined the borders between the two countries and which at long last promoted the development of ties of friendship and trade between the two neighbours. For the first time, visitors from other countries are now able to travel along the Ecuadorian rivers in the same way as Francisco de Orellana, (explorer and discoverer of the Amazon River) and discover for themselves this majestic river, while travelling through unexplored beautiful scenery, diverse ecosystems and fascinating native cultures.
We offer the following program to discover the Marañon and Amazon Rivers. Your guides along the way include a bilingual naturalist guide, licensed by the Ministry of the Environment in Ecuador, together with two ex Special Forces jungle operations experts who will be in charge of the smooth running of the adventure.
 Day 1:
Guests arrive in Quito and spend the night in a three-star hotel in Quito.
Day 2:
• Guests have the opportunity to go on a city tour of Quito in the morning, before the “Quito to Marañon and Amazon Rivers” Tour starts.
• We begin our adventure with a flight at 14:00 (approx. 45 minutes) from the city of Quito to the small town of Macas in the south east of Ecuador. During the flight we can see how the scenery changes: from the spectacularly beautiful Andean snow capped volcanoes to the immense green carpet of the Amazon ecosystem.
• In the afternoon, we take another flight into the interior of the Amazon jungle, to Puerto Morona situated on the River Morona. (Depending on the weather conditions, this part of the trip is done by car).
• We enjoy an evening meal close to the banks of the River Morona.
• Night: camping in tents
Day 3:
• After breakfast, we start our journey by boat, following the course of the River Morona on the way to the Marañon River, picnicking along the way on the banks of the river.
• The journey during this second day allows our guests a magnificent close up view of the tropical forest and the native inhabitants who have made the riverbanks their home. We pass through five military checkpoints: one Ecuadorian and four Peruvian. The group is now in Peru. The guide will relate the background to the war between the two countries, and discuss the changes, which have taken place since the peace agreement was signed.
• We pass indigenous communities, e.g. Huambisa and Aguaruma and in the late afternoon we visit the Huambisa community of Fortaleza and camp in tents.
Day 4:
• After breakfast, we go down the river to Puerto America and then turn west in the mouth of the Marañon River, arriving in the late afternoon at the Saramiriza village, where we spend the night in cabins.
Day 5:
• Dawn breaks over the Amazon as we continue our journey. We see the spectacular sunrise and hear the early morning birdcalls, the cries of the jungle creatures and the sounds of the rainforest, and close by, we can see the unique natural phenomenon, the Pongo (or narrows) of Manseriche in the River Marañon. After the visit we go down the river and arrive at the town of San Lorenzo where we will spend the night in cabins.
Day 6:
• After breakfast, our journey along the Marañon River takes us to the Pacaya Samiria Reserve.
• Our group is now part of the jungle, we are growing familiar with its sights and sounds, its beauty - and yet, there are still a hundreds new sounds to hear, more species of birds to observe. We will pass the mouth of the Huallaga River, one of the biggest tributaries of the Marañon.
• In the late afternoon we arrive in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve.
• We enter the reserve through the mouth of the Samiria River where we can enjoy watching pink river dolphins. We get our accommodation in the community of the Cocama natives on the banks of the lake. During the next two days we explore the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, the second largest of Peru with an area of 2,080,000 hectares, which is almost half the size of Holland. It has an abundant wildlife, which includes 449 birds, 102 mammals, 69 reptiles, 58 amphibious and 256 species of fishes. The reserve comprises terra firma as well as flooded forest.
Day 7 & 8:
• Tour in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve that includes bird watching, walks in the jungle, tours in canoe and nocturnal walks. We spend the nights in the community of the Cocama natives.
Day 9:
• After breakfast we continue our journey to Iquitos. We pass the mouth of the Ucayali River and we are now on the biggest river of the world, the Amazon.
• Later in the afternoon, we arrive in Iquitos where our accommodation is reserved at a three-star hotel. End of the tour.
During our nine-day journey we have traveled 500 miles (800 km) along piranha infested waters, through dense, almost impenetrable, primary forest where long ago early explorers came to conquer an unknown, inhospitable land in search of El Dorado. This is a journey to test the fortitude and stamina of the visitor, but it is a journey which affords a never to be forgotten glimpse of a world filled with sights and sounds which awaken the primeval instincts in us and deprive the word “civilization” of its meaning.
Price and booking conditions for the “Quito to Marañon and Amazon Rivers:
• USD 1080 per person. (9 days / 9 nights)
• We only operate this tour with a minimum of six people.
• Accomodation in double rooms.
• Minimum age 15 years.
The price includes:
• one night’s accommodation in a three-star hotel in Quito
• air travel Quito/Macas/Puerto Morona (inside Ecuador)
• camping and accommodation in cabins along the Marañon River
• meals and drinking water, vegetarian food is available
• bilingual (Spanish and English) naturalist guide
• hiking and canoe tours in the Pacara Samiria Reserve
• one night’s accommodation in a three star hotel in Iquitos
Recommended Packing List:
• binoculars (worth having in the rainforest - it's worth spending a bit of extra money to get a good pair: 8 x 40 are excellent for poor light conditions under the forest canopy)
• flashlight
• insect repellent (with DEET)
• lightweight quick drying clothes:
• swimming suit
• long-sleeved shirt
• loose-fitting, fast drying pants (no jeans);
• a light sweater (it gets surprisingly chilly in the rainforest, especially on boat trips).
• Teva-like sandals or sneakers for around camp and in the canoe
• zip lock bags
Next Departure Dates 2006:
• 10 - 18 JANUARY
• 7 - 17 FEBRUARY
• 7 - 15 MARCH
• 4 - 12 APRIL
• 2 - 10 MAY
• 6 - 14 JUNE
• 4 - 12 JULY
• 3 - 11 AUGUST
• 5 - 13 SEPTEMBER
• 3 - 11 OCTOBER
• 2 - 10 NOVEMBER
• 5 - 13 DECEMBER
Tour Quito (Ecuador) a Chachapoyas (Perú)
Ecuador and Peru are becoming increasingly joined together as a single destination for those who wish to visit the Andean Region of South America. The combined ecological, geographical and cultural diversity of these two countries is unique in the world. From the internationally known Galapagos Islands of Ecuador and Machu Picchu in Peru, two “musts” for the keen traveller, across deserts, clouds forests and immensely rich archaeological sites, this is a region which cannot be ignored by those who wish to experience adventure, culture and ecological richness in their lives.
Ecuador and Peru are sister nations who share a common history and are becoming increasingly closer. Improvements in road infrastructure and air transport between the two countries make it possible for visitors to get to know this region as a single destination.
The following is the newest itinerary from Quito, Ecuador to Chachapoyas, Peru.
Day 1:
Arrival in Quito, City tour and visit of the Middle of the World. Night in Quito.
Day 2:
Early morning departure via the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”, with an outstanding sight of Mount Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. Visit to the native market of Saquisili, one of the most picturesque and original markets in Ecuador. Overnight in Riobamba.
Day 3:
Visit to the snow capped mountain of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador. Trek to the “refugio” (base camp) at 5000 metres (over 16,000ft) above sea level. Afternoon city tour of Riobamba. Overnight in Riobamba.
Day 4:
Journey through the Ecuadorian Andes to the ruins of Ingapirca, the largest site of Inca remains in Ecuador. After the visit to the ruins, we leave for Cuenca, a city that cannot be left off any itinerary when visiting Ecuador and which has also been nominated in the past as a World Heritage Site. This city is surrounded by mountains and has a colonial quarter that rivals that of Quito in its beauty. Night in Cuenca.
Day 5:
City tour of Cuenca with visits to the most important tourist centres. Night in Cuenca.
Day 6:
Visit and trek through the National Park of Cajas, an impressive system of mountains and lakes which capture the imagination of the visitor. Night in Cuenca.
Day 7:
Journey to Vilcabamba, the “Valley of Longevity”. Night in Vilcabamba.
Day 8:
Visit to Vilcabamba and outlying districts including the National Park of Podocarpus, rich and diverse in flora and fauna.
Day 9:
Journey to the Peruvian border. Frontier crossing at Balsas. Our route follows the Chinchipe River, one the of major tributaries of the River Marañon-Amazon. Our journey takes us through picturesque countryside with rice fields and sugar cane plantations until we arrive at Jaén. Night in Jaén.
Day 10:
Journey to Chachapoyas through the River Utcubamba Gorge. Unforgettable landscapes which combine green valleys with rugged and desolate mountain peaks. We reach Chachapoyas by midday “the Machu Picchu of the North”. Night in Chachapoyas.
Day 11:
Visit to the Kuelap fortress built by the Chachapoyas Indians before the Inca Empire. The walls extend to the very edge of an abyss making it one of the mayor archaeological sites in Peru. Night in Tingo Maria.
Day 12:
Visit to the Karajia sarcophagi, another fascinating vestige from the Chachapoyas culture. Night in Chachapoyas.
Day 13:
Journey from Chachapoyas to Chiclayo. Night in Chiclayo and our journey’s end. From this point the visitor may travel on to Lima by air to continue exploring this magnificent country and such sites as Machu Picchu, or return to Ecuador via Guayaquil to visit the “Enchanted Isles”, the Galapagos Islands.
Price:
1600 US$ per Person (14 days / 13 nights)
Price includes:
all inclusive
Booking conditions:
at least six travelers, accomodation in double rooms
Next Departure Dates 2005:
• 23 JANUARY - 4 FEBRUARY
• 20 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH
• 19 MARCH - 31 MARCH
• 17 APRIL - 29 APRIL
• 15 MAY - 27 MAY
• 18 JUNE - 30 JUNE
• 17 JULY - 29 JULY
• 14 AUGUST - 26 AUGUST
• 18 SEPTEMBER - 30 SEPTEMBER
• 16 OCTOBER - 28 OCTOBER
• 13 NOVEMBER - 25 NOVEMBER
• 18 DECEMBER - 30 DECEMBER
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