JAMU LODGE ITINERARY

 

Day 1:Reception in Lago Agrio at 9:00h, from where we will take private transportation to the entrance of Cuaybeno, where we will have a box lunch. At this point the visitors have to register in the Reserve’s office and pay the entrance fee. Here our Naturalist Guide will give information about the Reserve, important recommendations and other tips to begin the two hours navigation on the Cuyabeno River to Jamu Lodge. During the canoe ride you will get a first look at the jungle and will be able to observe different kind of birds like Caciques, Oropendolas and the prehistoric bird Hoatzin. You may also be able to see a variety of monkeys and other jungle animals, depending on the time and weather conditions. We will arrive at Jamu Lodge at around 4:30pm. At that time you will be shown to your rooms and you can relax a little. After a siesta we will leave the camp for a swim in the lagoon and to watch a beautiful sunset in the middle of the Laguna Grande. You will then return to the camp for dinner, and can finish your first day in the jungle, relaxing in a hammock or having a drink at the bar.

 

Day 2: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 piranha fishing, have a swim in the lagoon and 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 canoe night ride to look for caimans.

 

Day 3: After breakfast, we depart to head to the Siona Community of Puerto Bolivar, the largest ethnic group in the Reserve. During this tour you will learn their customs, traditions and way of life. You will be part of the elaboration of the Casabe; local dish made of yucca (carbohydrates are the principal food of the community). The trip takes 2 hours navigation downstream to get there, in the route will be possible to admire the existing fauna along the Rio Cuyabeno such as: birds, monkeys, snakes, pink dolphins, tortoises and many others. A visit to the Shaman, is also included. This is a full day excursion with Lunch in the Community. After that we return to the lodge to go for a short nocturnal hike through the primary forest in search of insects, spiders, geckos or scorpions, and listen to the night sounds of the jungle. Dinner.

 

Day 4:Early in the morning before breakfast a bird-watching excursion is optional. Back at the lodge we have breakfast and then transfer to Lago Agrio to take the bus or flight back.

 

In the 5 days 4 nights tour, a visit to the Laguna Canangueno for bird-watching by native

dugout canoe, called “quilla”, and another hike in the forest are the activities for the 4th day. While paddling you have a better opportunity to see more fauna and flora, and you can get a good idea of what a flooded forest looks like. You can observe a variety of different birds and monkeys. Because this activity is about 4 – 5 hours long, we take a box lunch with us.