Travelers staying at the Jamu Lodge for this 4-day/3-night Amazon jungle tour can enjoy a variety of activities – from fishing and swimming to making contact with a local indigenous community and going on rainforest expeditions. Situated on eastern Ecuador’s scenic Cuyabeno River, 15 minutes down-river from the spectacular Laguna Grande lake, the lodge is in a prime region for an authentic South American vacation.
“The trip was excellent from beginning to end. The Isabella II was a fine ship and the crew and guides were all of the highest quality. I would recommend them to others. For us, the ship was the perfect size – not too small and not too large.”
In the morning, you will fly from Quito to Lago Agrio. Upon landing, you will take a private 2-hour bus ride to the entrance of the Cuyabeno River, where you will have a box lunch. At this point, visitors have to register in the Reserve’s office. The lodge’s naturalist guide will also give you information about the reserve, as well as share important recommendations with you and give you other tips before beginning your two-hour scenic boat ride on the Cuyabeno River to reach Jamu Lodge in the afternoon.
At that time, you will be shown to your room, where you can relax a little. After a siesta, we will leave the camp for a swim and watch a beautiful sunset in the middle of Laguna Grande. You will then return to the camp for dinner. You will spend the night in your bungalow with double beds and mosquito nets.
After breakfast, we will take a trek in the primary forest for 3 to 4 hours, where your guide will explain how the complex tropical ecosystem works. You will be able to learn about medicinal plants and might be able to see some exotic birds or monkeys. We will then return to the camp for lunch and a siesta.
In the afternoon, we will go for a lagoon swim and later watch the sunset. With a little luck, you can observe the pink river dolphins or an anaconda sunbathing in a tree. You will return to the camp for dinner, and take a nighttime canoe ride to look for caimans.
After breakfast, we depart to head to the Siona Community of Puerto Bolivar, the largest ethnic group in the Reserve. The trip requires a 1-hour boat ride downriver, where on the way you can admire the existing fauna along the Rio Cuyabeno such as birds, monkeys, snakes, pink dolphins, tortoises and many others.
During this tour, you will learn their customs, traditions and way of life. You will be part of the elaboration of the Casabe – a local dish made of yucca (carbohydrates are the principal food of the community). On this full-day excursion, you will have lunch with members of the community. Also included is a visit with the Shaman, who will explain some more about life in the jungle.
After this memorable visit, we will return to the lodge to rest, have dinner, and go on a nocturnal hike. This trek will take you through the primary forest in search of insects, spiders, geckos and scorpions, while you listen to the night sounds of the jungle.
Early in the morning, before breakfast, you can go on an optional bird-watching excursion. Following breakfast back at the lodge, we will start the motorized canoe journey back up the Cuyabeno River, stopping for a boxed lunch at the bridge. The bus will take us back to Lago Agrio, where you will be assisted in catching your return flight to Quito.
Room | Double | Single | Triple |
4 Days | US$ 334 PP | US$ 501 PP | US$ 334 PP |
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“The trip was excellent from beginning to end. The Isabella II was a fine ship and the crew and guides were all of the highest quality. I would recommend them to others. For us, the ship was the perfect size – not too small and not too large.”