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Adventure Tours |
 P8 ANDES - AMAZON On this 2-week roundtrip we get to know the most interesting regions of the Amazon rainforest and Andes mountains. On this trip you get to know beautiful nature sites, various distinct ecosystems with emphasis of tropical rainforests and high altitude paramo regions with their distinct flora and fauna. But also cultural attractions await you with visits of old colonial towns like Quito and Cuenca, both world cultural heritage sites, a train ride down Devil's Nose and Inca ruins. Day 1 We start our trip right here and explore Quito and its surroundings. We start by driving up to Panecillo, the hill in the middle of the city. From there we have a great view of the town with the old colonial center just lying at its feet, which we visit next. After a walking tour of the old squares and churches of the center we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we visit Mitad del Mundo, famous equator line monument, 1 hour north of Quito. There we visit museums and you take the famous pictures, straddling the meridian. Rumicucho, an old Inca fortress site is our last stop on the tour before heading back to Quito. Day 2 On this day we visit the famous Indian market in Otavalo. The indigenous people of the region offer many wares, especially beautiful textiles for sale. We shop around the Plaza del Poncho, the heart of the trade. In the afternoon we drive to Cuicocha crater lake, beautiful water-filled volcanic caldera located at 3300m. We undertake a boat ride on the water circling the islands in the middle of the lake. Those islands are actually the tops of lava domes and are presently overgrown with vegetation and house a spectacled bear, which with luck we might get to see. We return then to Quito with a short stop at Cotacachi town, famous for its leather articles. Day 3 We leave Quito in the morning and head south on the Pan-American Highway to Machachi, where we take the road leading into Cotopaxi National Park. We spend the day in the National Park, exploring the different sites which offers the area, like the pre-Inca site of El Salitre, Limpiopungo lake and the Park museum. In the afternoon we head to Riobamba, where we get ready for next day's train ride. Day 4 At 7 am the train leaves for Alausi and from there you go down the famous Devil's Nose and return later to Alausi by the same way. After that exciting adventure, which lasts till 1.30 pm we continue on towards Cuenca, with a stop at the Inca ruins of Ingapirca, Ecuador's most famous Indian heritage site. Day 5 We spend the whole day in Cuenca, Ecuador's most charming colonial town, visiting the old colonial center with its churches and old grand houses. In the afternoon we visit a Panama Hat factory to learn about the production and marketing of this world famous hat. We stay a second night in Cuenca. Day 6 Today we visit the National Park of El Cajas, a high mountain region with many small lakes dotting the paramo. We hike to some small lakes passing through a small forest, where birds can be observed. In the afternoon we return to Cuenca and drive up to El Turi, from where we have a great view of the city. Day 7 In the morning we turn back north again and our first stop is Chordeleg, a small town famous for its silver jeweler work. After doing some real or window shopping, we continue on north and before Alausi we head to Achupallas, a small Andean town. From there we head to the paramo lakes of Ozogoche, where we spend some time enjoying the high Andean surroundings. We spend another night again in Riobamba. Day 8 Early in the morning we head up to the refuge of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador, where we arrive at an altitude of 5000m in this adventure. From there we have the mighty glacier just in front of us and a great view to the valleys below. Later on we head by way of Guaranda to Ambato and finally to Baņos, where we spend the next two nights. Day 9 In the morning we hike 2-3 hours on trails above Baņos with great views to the town and Tungurahua, an active volcano. Fumaroles and other volcanic activities can be observed from closer up. In the afternoon we relax in the hot springs, from which this tourist town got its name or visit the zoo, where most animals found in Ecuador can be observed close up. Day 10 In the morning we drive down the Pastaza valley to Puyo, visiting on the way many waterfalls and take a ride in a cable car across this mighty gorge. After lunch in Puyo, a larger town located already in the Amazon basin, we drive on to Puerto Misahualli, where we spend the next night. In the afternoon we enjoy the sandy beach on the river and get to know the band of capuchin monkeys living there in the trees along the river. Those monkeys although wild, come often down and check out the belongings of the human visitors. Day 11 Today we leave for the rainforest lodge, which is located downriver on the river Napo. There we explore the primary rainforest with its bountiful fauna and flora. The native guides give us explanations about the medicinal and other uses of the plants. The night is spent in a rainforest lodge. Day 12 In the morning we float down on Balsa rafts downriver and reach the the other side of the Napo. There we explore a lower lying rainforest with its own unique plants. Afterwards we visit a native family, where we get to know about their life and an old woman shows us the traditional making of ceramics. Day 13 Early in the morning we head to a small river for bird watching and return then for breakfast. Later we head to the other side of the Napo to explore a low lying rainforest with its own unique plants. After lunch at the jungle lodge, we return to Misahualli, where we spend the last night of our tour. Day 14 After breakfast we leave the town and passing Tena, drive on by jeep to Baeza, where we stop for lunch. On we continue and drive to Papallacta, where we visit the hot springs and take a relaxing bath. From there over a high pass of 4000m, it is a two hour drive to Quito, our final destination of the two week long excursion.
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