Plan Your Trip
In a remote Amazonian location, requiring a 2-hour motor-canoe ride from the closest road, the Tapir Lodge is in an enchanting and serene lush setting of natural rainforest. Sensitively positioned within paddle canoe distance from the beautiful and solitary Laguna Grande Lake and the Igapo flooded forest, this unique jungle lodge offers a wide range of land and river excursions through its surroundings – opportunities to spot pre-historic-looking hoatzin birds, curious spider monkeys, colorful “blow dart” frogs and other exotic creatures. This 5-day/4-night Amazon tour based at the Tapir Lodge will introduce you to the magic of the rainforest that has yet to be discovered. You will have the chance to experience day and nighttime rainforest hikes, presentations about rainforest ecology, a visit to a medicine man and a local family of the Siona people, as well as have plenty of time for swimming and fishing. Added to this is a half-day of optional activities, which will help ensure that you get the most from your South American vacation. Guaranteed to provide an incomparably memorable stay, this is an experience for true adventure seekers.
“A note to thank you immensely for all your guidance & assistance in planning & completing our South American tour, including Quito, Galapagos, Santiago & Rapa Nui. It truly was an adventure & a fitting celebration of our 60th wedding anniversary”
AM: Your tour will begin with a 30-minute flight from Quito to the Amazonian town of Lago Agrio. Once in "Lago," you’ll be picked up by the lodge's own private transportation service. On board a truck, four-wheel drive vehicle or bus, we will drive 2 ½ - 3 hours to “El Puente” (The Bridge), which is the entrance to the Cuyabeno Reserve. Throughout this drive, you will have the opportunity to view striking landscapes created by the combination of rainforest, rivers and small towns. Some 60% of this road is paved and the following 40% is open road, which means that you can expect either a dusty road or a muddy trail, depending on the weather conditions.
PM: At “El Puente,” you can enjoy a box lunch and meet your tour guide. Afterwards, we will continue our trip to Tapir Lodge via motorized canoe (12mts. / 24 ft. long). You will be provided with a rain poncho and a life vest, while your luggage will be covered in plastic to prevent it from getting wet in the event of rain. Along this narrow river, you will be able to admire the wide variety of flora and fauna that the Cuyabeno Reserve has to offer. After close to 2-1/2 hours of sailing, we will arrive at the attractive Tapir Lodge around dusk (5:00-6:00 PM).
Dinner will be served at approximately 7:30 p.m., after which time your guide will give you a briefing on the next day’s activities and the required gear. You’ll then turn in for the night at the relaxing Tapir Lodge.
After a good night’s sleep, your day begins with a delicious 7:30 a.m. breakfast. Afterwards, you will be provided with rubber boots before heading out on our first journey of the day.
Depending on the size of the group, we will take either a larger motorized canoe or a small, 15-feet-long, wooden canoe called a quilla. Accommodating up to four passengers and guide, these small vessels are nonetheless quite stable. In fact, the indigenous inhabitants use these canoes as their main source of transportation. Riding upriver to Laguna Grande (“Big Lake”), we will proceed slowly so that you can observe the surrounding plant and animal life. The trip takes about 30 minutes by motorized canoe or one hour by paddle canoe. Our destination is an Igapo, which is a seasonally flooded forest. The flora found here is unique, with an abundance of ancient macrolobium trees. These have adapted to the surrounding environment, which allows them to grow straight out of the water. These majestic trees also provide the perfect habitat for other plants such as bromeliads, orchids, ferns and Cacti.
Completing our Igapo excursion, we will begin a 3-1/2 hour hike on "terra firme" along the Red Palm Trail. This will be your first encounter with primary rainforest, which is the habitat for many terrestrial mammals such as tapirs, capybaras, jaguars, agoutis and other species native to the rainforest. You will also have a chance to see a variety of ancient trees such as Lianas and Giant Palms, as well as bird species such as woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, and toucans. With luck, we will come across two or three species of monkeys. This trek follows a path that loops around in the rainforest; bringing us back to our point of origin. Our return time should be around 1:30.
After lunch, you’ll have a couple of hours to try a little Piranha fishing or just relax in one of the lodge’s hammocks.
Later this afternoon, we will take the canoe to a new area of “Laguna Grande” in search of birds and other animals. As an option, you can go swimming, which is perfectly safe here. Depending on the weather, we may be able to admire a breathtaking sunset, as we pass the time enjoying the surrounding symphonies of the rainforest until nightfall. This evening, you can join in on a nocturnal safari to look for caimans, birds, frogs and tree snakes on the shores of the lake and river.
AM: Depending on the weather conditions, we will make an early start and head out on a birdwatching excursion (an optional activity). We will leave the lodge at around 6:00 a.m. paddling the canoe downriver and admiring the flora and fauna found along the river while searching for exotic birds native to the region. We should return at around 7:00 to enjoy a delicious breakfast at 8:00. Our regular excursion will start at 9:00 a.m. with a 2-hour canoe ride downriver to the local indigenous community. Throughout wildlife-watching boat ride, we will search for giant blue Morphs butterflies, monkeys and more. On the way, we will pass the village of Puerto Bolívar, which is inhabited solely by members of the Siona people.
PM: After passing Puerto Bolívar, we will continue downriver for an opportunity to visit an indigenous community and the local shaman who belongs to the Cofan ethnic group. The shaman, Alberto, spends most of this time curing and treating the local inhabitants with his vast knowledge of medicinal plants. (If Alberto is not available, we will meet with a different shaman). Upon our arrival at Alberto's house, we will take a break to enjoy tasty box lunches in his backyard. After eating, Tomas will share his experience with us about life in the rainforest as well as the processes for healing people. For those interested in taking part in a spiritual healing ceremony, the option is available and should take about 40 minutes. Handicrafts are available for purchase, all of them crafted with materials provided by and obtained in the rainforest. At around 3:00 p.m., we will start our canoe trip back to Puerto Bolívar, where we will be greeted by a local Siona family who will show you how they prepare cassava bread – an essential food supply and perhaps the main source of carbohydrates for the indigenous communities of the rainforest. We will then head back to the Tapir Lodge, where we will have dinner at around 8:00. Later, you can have a refreshing drink at the lodge’s bar and chat with the guide about the day´s events. After this, the staff members who worked for you over the past several days will be introduced, and we will all share a freshly prepared traditional drink.
After spending the last few days relishing the delights of Tapir Lodge and Cuyabeno National Park, prepare to take the journey back to Quito via Lago Agrio Airport.
Following breakfast, served at 8:00 a.m., we will coordinate and schedule your departure from Tapir Lodge. Departure from the lodge is generally between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., depending on flight times, river and road conditions as well as the guide’s decision. The lodge's staff will attend to the luggage, making sure that all of your belongings are loaded onto the canoe. We will depart Tapir on a scenic boat ride back to Agrio Lago and make our way back to the bridge, where private transportation will be waiting for us. You will then be driven to the airport in Agrio Lago, assisted with checking in for your return flight to Quito and wished a fond farewell.
AM: Breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m. After breakfast, you can check out of your room and prepare for your departure from the lodge. Departure is generally between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., depending on flight times, the river’s water level and the weather conditions. The lodge’s staff will attend to your luggage and make sure it is all loaded onto the canoe. We will depart and take a relaxed 2-hours motorized canoe trip back to the bridge, looking forward to catching our last glimpse of the last species on our visit. Private transportation will be waiting for you and will drive you back to Lago Agrio with plenty of time to check in at the airport for your return flight to Quito.
[If you are taking the early flight back to Quito, breakfast will be served between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., and departure should be at around 5:30 a.m. (depending on the river’s water level)]
| Room | Double | Single | Triple |
| 5 Days | US$ 881 PP | US$ 1,146 PP | US$ 881 PP |
| Days |
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“I was very happy in every way with your booking and Cuyabeno Lodge. It surpassed my expectations in every way. No hitches with flights and transportation. The lodge was beautiful. The staff was professional and friendly.”
