Following a 30 min flight over the Andes to Coca and a 2 hour trip in an open-sided motorised canoe on the River Napo (a tributary to the Amazon River) we arrived at our dropping off point for a 4-day adventure in the Amazon Rain Forest. A short hike and another canoe ride took us to a beautiful lake deep in the forest, where Sacha Lodge is located. Before we even arrived we understood what ‘rain’ meant, as we rode through a violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, which reduced visibility to zero. Fortunately the operators are used to this and supplied us with heavy-duty rain ponchos – the two photos below give you some idea of the experience.

Amazon Rainforest – Napo River Storm

Amazon Rainforest – Protection from the storm with a Ponco!

Sacha Lodge is a luxury reserve. A group of 5 of us were allocated to two local guides who looked after us throughout our visit. It was a 5-star hotel in the heart of the jungle, all built on stilts in the marshy area near the lake. Walkways connected each lodge to the main facilities such as the dining room, bar and lakeside open-air lounge. This may sound like an interesting place to stay for a few days R&R, but in reality it was a place like no other we have ever stayed at. The walkways were lit at night, but you still had to make sure you didn’t stand on the Tarantula spiders that shared these paths! The resort featured a swimming area in the lake that was surrounded by a security mesh that kept out Piranha fish and Caiman (a type of alligator).

During our stay our two guides took us on several hikes and canoe trips around the reserve. We learnt about the forest, its dangers and its marvels, and viewed a fantastic collection of animals and exotic birds. We also visited a local village to see how people live in the forest.

Sacha Lodge has a number of walkways high above the forest floor. A couple of the photos below show these structures, as well as pictures of a Vulture, Yellow Tufted Woodpecker, Yellow-Rumped Cacique and an Amazonian Poisoned Frog all viewed from these structures.

Amazon Rainforest – Canopy Walkway

Amazon Rainforest – Canopy Walkway – Canopy Top

Amazon Rainforest – Tree Top Platform

Amazon Rainforest – Canopy Walkway – Vulture

Amazon Rainforest – Canopy Walkway – Yellow Tufted Woodpecker

Amazon Rainforest – Tree Top Platform – Yellow-Rumped Cacique

Amazon Rainforest – Tree Top Platform – Amazonian Poisoned Frog (size of a thumbnail!)

Here are some pictures from canoe trips and hikes, including a Tarantula, Squirrel Monkey and a couple of our favourites; the Bullet Ant, as when it bites it feels like you have been shot, and the Hoatzin bird. This is known as the ‘Stinky Turkey’ as the Hoatzin gives off an unpleasant odour due to what it eats and how it digests it! This unusual pheasant-sized tropical bird dates from pre-historic times and is generally left alone by predators. Even the monkeys don’t like to eat their eggs.

Amazon Rainforest – Canoe Trip – Tarantula

Amazon Rainforest – Canoe Trip – Squirrel Monkey

Amazon Rainforest – Night Walk – Bullet Ant

Amazon Rainforest – Canoe Trip – Stinky Turkey

Tomorrow we head out on a tour of southern Ecuador with more adventures to follow…

< Read Part 1 | Read Part 3 >