Sani Lodge is truly a one of a kind eco-lodge, dedicated to ecotourism, environmental conservation, and community life in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. The wildlife at Sani Lodge is outstanding, although it is obviously not possible to say exactly what the average visitor is likely to see due to the tremendous general biodiversity and the scarcity of some particular Amazon species.

On the other hand, all the major mammals endemic to the area can be found here. There are also many types of monkeys and most visitors will be able to see at least a few varieties. Bird life is also excellent and Challuacocha is home to 5 species of Kingfishers, many species of parrots, macaws and toucans as well as tanagers, cormorants, cotingas and many others. All told, some 550 species of rainforest birds can be found in the area - making it an excellent place for bird watching.

In the lagoon Caiman, frogs, turtles and strange looking fish can all be seen. Snakes are seldom apparent, but may be encountered on night walks. Don't worry though, poisonous snakes are quite rare. Terrestrial Amazon mammals, like Jaguars, Tapirs and Capybara are all here, but are mostly nocturnal and difficult to see, but then again, you never know.

Facilities:

Clustered on the shore of a remote black water lagoon are our 8 newly constructed private, thatch-roofed cabañas. Each is equipped with twin beds, hammocks, electric lights, and modern bathrooms with showers. Our open-air dining room and bar offer exquisite views of colorful sunsets over our beautiful lake. And since the facility is powered entirely by solar panels, there is no noisy generator to drown out the magical night sounds of the jungle.

Getting There

The Lodge is located on a black water lagoon that feeds a small stream or "Yacu" that empties into the Napo. At the confluence of the Yacu and the Napo you will be transferred to a small, motorized dugout, suitable for navigating the winding black water stream. After a brief 30-minute motor up this beautiful yacu, where large blue morpho butterflies and various species of neotropical birds and monkeys are often seen, the yacu widens into a sweeping lagoon.

Staying at Sani Lodge

Once arrived at the lodge you can settle into your modern cabaña and then join your guide for an orientation talk, light snack, and a free "welcome drink" in the bar at the water's edge. After being fitted in rubber boots, it's off for an afternoon excursion into the jungle. All expeditions are guided by a bilingual naturalist AND an expert Quichua native, who will introduce you to the ecology of the tropical rain forest. Learn of medicinal and traditionally useful plants treasured by the Quichua community, observe unique birds, unusual insects, and fascinating animals. Don't worry your guides will be sure to get you back to the lodge in time for a shower and a cocktail before dinner is served at 7:30 p.m.

Relax in our comfortable dining room or bar. Take in the beautiful panoramic views of our large and mysterious lake. Enjoy a leisurely four-course meal featuring an international cuisine that is enhanced with samples of traditional forest and Quichua foods to give you a better understanding of life in the jungle. All meals are attended by a full wait staff, and bar service is available any time during the day.

Organized activities during your stay at the Lodge are customized to your interests. Our program includes early morning hikes, canoe trips around our lagoon, piranha fishing, and night walk adventures. Climb our 30-meter high canopy observation tower, built around a mighty Kapok, for a bird's eye view of the area. Our extensive network of trails provides easy access to many different ecological zones, from Tierra Firma, to aqueous swamps, ecosystems teaming with unique wild life and plant diversity. An expert bird guide is available for all who are interested in viewing the large diversity of avian species that inhabit the area.

All travelers to Sani Lodge spend a day on the opposite or south side of the Rio Napo. The Napo divides the region and segregates animal populations and plant communities. Here on the south side for example, you can find 4 different species of monkey that cannot be seen to the north, and observe geological variations in terrain. There is also a clay lick on the south side of the Napo that welcomes many species of parrots. You may observe, without disturbing these beautiful birds from a thatched blind.

The final day of your tour begins early, generally about daybreak. After breakfast your luggage is loaded, and you will embark on your final float down the Yacu. Floating quietly on this pristine stream in the early morning light offers you a last chance to view wildlife and take in the beauty of the unspoiled rainforest. At the mouth of the Yacu, you are met by the larger canoe for the trip upstream to Coca and the flight to Quito.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1:

• 10:35 Departure from Quito with ICARO Airlines
• 11:05 Arrival in Coca
• 11:30 Board passenger transport boat at the Napo River harbour in Coca
• 13:00 Lunch on the boat
• 14:45 We enter the Chaullayacu, the small stream which connects the lagoon at Sani Lodge with the Napo River, we follow the stream for about 30 – 45 minutes before arriving at the lodge
• 15:30 After arrival at the lodge and welcome snacks and drinks, we will settle down in the rooms
• 16:30 Introductory canoe ride or forest hike
• 18:15 Night canoe ride - caiman watching; or night hike – watching spiders, insects and night monkeys (both optional)
• 19:30 Dinner
• 20:30 Night canoe ride or night hike (both optional)
• (Price information below)

Day 2:

• 6:00 Breakfast
• 6:45 We leave for the Chorongo Trail, a 45-minute canoe ride across the lagoon enjoying the morning action (birds, caimans, monkeys, manatees, etc.) from the lagoon we make a 3 – 4-hour hike on the Chorongo Trail including a small snack break. We make a 45-minute return canoe ride
• 13:00 Lunch
• 15:00 3-hour hike on the Aguila Trail
• 18:00 Return to the Lodge
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:00 Caiman watching or night hike (both optional).

Day 3:

• 6:00 Breakfast
• 6:45 We leave for the 30-m watchtower, a 5-minute canoe ride to the old campsite, a 10-minute walk to the watchtower for bird watching, and listening to the sounds of the famous Howler Monkey
• 9:00 Departure from watchtower to the Coto Trail. A 45-minute canoe ride and a 1 – 2-hour hike including a snack break
• 11:15 Pick-up by canoes at the other end of Coto Trail and a 1 – 1 1/2-hour canoe ride back to the Lodge
• 13:00 Lunch
• 15:00 Piranha-fishing
• 19:00 Dinner

Day 4:

• 6:00 Breakfast
• 6:45 We leave for the parrot mineral licks on the southern side of the Napo River. Traveling by motorized canoe we have the chance to look up close at more than 10 species of parrots while they feed at the mineral licks. A short hike in hilly rainforest with box lunch provided
• 14:00 Return to Sani Lodge
• 16:00 Trip to watchtower, a 5-minute canoe ride to the old campsite, a 10-minute walk to the watchtower for bird and monkey watching / listening
• 18:00 Return to Sani Lodge
• 19:00 Dinner
• 20:00 Caiman-watching or night hike (both optional)

Rates per person for 2010

Included:

• Private room
• Excursions with bilingual guide
• Unlimited tree tower visits
• Use of dugout canoes
• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Boat transport from Coca to Sani Lodge*
• Boat transport from Sani to Coca Airport*

Not included:

• Transportation Quito-Coca-Quito $130 (subject to change)
• Tips and gratuities
• Optional or suggested services that are on your own
• Visit to parrot salt lick ($25)
• Yasuni Park entrance fee ($25)
• Personal expenses
• Extra beverages,soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
• Meals, souvenirs and other local and personal expenses not specified in the above itinerary are also not included

*Departures: Mondays and Fridays. Starting the program on other days incurs an extra fee for unscheduled river transport, except for groups of at least 6 passengers, which can depart at any time

For booking inquiries and further information please contact Sacred Earth

What Makes Sani Different?

Sani Lodge is an ecoturism facility owned and operated by the Sani Isla Quichua community. With a vast land holding of over 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres), Sani Lodge controls and protects the largest, privately held area of rainforest in all of Ecuador. The Lodge is an important first step toward meeting the goals this indigenous community has set for the future; first is the preservation of the land, the plants, and the animals, and second is the advancement of an improved educational system for the community. Profits generated by the lodge will be used to help further the education of the young people of the community. There are plans for an indigenous high school in Coca, where community members will be prepared for university as well as educated in traditional Quichua culture and knowledge. This means that by visiting Sani Lodge you are participating in the direct conservation of both the rainforest and its peoples.

However, the community also recognizes the need for outside guidance and assistance. Therefore, the Quichua have hired English speaking administrators and naturalist guides with extensive "five star" ecotourism experience, from outside the community, to insure the highest standards of quality valued by European and American guests.

Finally, what makes Sani truly remarkable and utterly different is the forest. In addition to being home to over 550 species of birds, Sani Lodge offers a wildlife community that cannot be found at many other lodges along the Rio Napo-or anywhere in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The area surrounding Sani Lodge supports many healthy populations of animals which are critically endangered throughout the Amazon. Several groups of Woolly Monkeys, the largest, most gregarious, and most endangered monkey species in the region, reside in the trees above the trails at Sani. Black Caiman, the largest relative of the alligator in South America, sometimes reaching 5 meters in length are rare elsewhere, but common in our lagoon and can easily be seen at night, sometimes even during the day. And waterfowl such as Wattled Jacana, Sungreb, Anhinga, and Neotropical Cormerant, difficult to see in smaller lagoons, are generally common and easy to view at Sani.