Our Experience At Napo Wildlife Center: A Luxury Rainforest Experience

For our trip to the Yasuni National Park within the Ecuadorian rainforest, we did not know what to expect but we knew that we wanted to see a variety of plants and animals (and experience the ecosystems within a zoo in their natural habitat). We wanted to experience the true density of the rainforest, which is why we opted for an ecolodge located within the rainforest on land that has been heavily protected. The added bonus would be a lodge that supports and promotes the local indigenous communities within the rainforest. And when it came to picking a company to visit the Yasuni National Park, there was one company that floated to the top for us: Napo Wildlife Center. Napo Wildlife Center is owned and operated by the local Kichwa Añangu community, an indigenous community who has fully dedicated themselves to conserving their land and the rainforest property that has been dedicated to them. We like to support local companies because our money goes directly to the people who own the land that we visit and support a community’s efforts to better conserve their environment.

Contents

The Napo Wildlife Center Itinerary The Napo Wildlife Center Staff The Napo Wildlife Center Ecolodge Other Articles About Visiting Ecuador

This community lodge has been operating for 25 years. With the dedication to an ecolodge, the community has completely stopped hunting within their land and they have seen an incredible regrowth and rehabilitation of the ecosystem within their land. For example, today there are otters swimming in their waters, something that had disappeared before their environmental efforts.

Their first lodge was the Napo Wildlife Center, a luxury ecolodge located deeper within the Yasuni National Park. They built the lodge using their own building techniques and with the natural resources within the rainforest. In fact, you have to take a two hour motorized canoe to a 2 hour paddled canoe to get to the lodge. Because of its remote location, it is easier to spot some incredible animals within the rainforest.

With the profits that they acquired from their first lodge, the Kichwa Añangu community built their second lodge within their own community. The Napo Cultural Center is an ecolodge that focuses on the rainforest nature while connected with the Añangu indigenous community. To get to this lodge, you just have to take the two hour motorized canoe to the lodge. It is also more approachable in price than the Napo Wildlife Center.

Each of these lodges employ their community, bringing in a sustainable income and creating jobs for a community that did not want to sacrifice their natural resources. In addition, they have been able to invest in the education of their children with an elementary and high school, which teach the students English and other tourism skills to prepare them for their future careers within the lodge. They even have community members who are official tour guides at the different lodges, a job that requires a university degree in Ecuador. And with the profits from both of these lodges, the community is planning a third lodge to continue to grow the employment opportunities for their community.

You can read more about picking the best ecolodge here.

A few scarlet macaw parrots in the Amazon Rainforest

The Best Way To Visit The Amazon Rainforest Of Ecuador

Looking to explore the Amazon Rainforest? Let’s talk about the most sustainable and appropriate way to do that, while seeing the most that the Amazon Rainforest has to offer.

Why Should You Visit the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and considered the lungs of the Earth. It is spread across 9 countries, including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana and is anchored by one of the largest rivers in the world, the Amazon river. While the rainforest can be visited from any of the countries listed, it is important to do research into how you are visiting this incredible ecosystem. This article discusses the environmental impact that travel has, especially when discussing a rainforest, the cultural impact of visiting remote destinations, and finally, the lodge that we recommend using when visiting the rainforest of Ecuador.

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world. It is dense with a variety of flora and fauna, much of which is endemic to this ecosystem. The rainforest is full of life in a carefully balanced ecological environment. It must be protected both because of its importance to the survival of the Earth but also because it is overflowing with delicate life. There are more species of animals in the rainforest than anywhere else in the world; however, there just aren’t many of each species. So no matter where you choose to visit the rainforest, if you go to an ecologically sustainable area, you will see a large variety of flora and fauna!

The Napo Wildlife Center Itinerary

We opted for the 4-day/3-night experience with Napo Wildlife Center, their shortest option. You can always extend your stay, allowing you even more opportunities to see a diversity of animals. The first day and last day of the experience are dominated by transportation to and from Quito. In fact, to get between Quito and the lodge, it takes a flight, a 2 hour long motorized canoe ride, and a 2 hour long paddled canoe ride.

With the 4-day experience, we got to see monkeys, parrots, sloths, snakes, cayman, frogs, toucans, other birds, otters, and more! Staying for longer allows you more time and chances to see different animals. You can also hire specialized guides to help you if you are interested in bird-watching or wildlife photography. These additional guides can help support your goals in your travels to the rainforest. You will attend the different tours and experiences with the other people who arrive at the lodge on the same day as you, unless you choose a private experience.

Our Sample Itinerary

Day 1

AM

Flight from Quito, Ecuador to Coca, Ecuador

Transfer from airport to Napo River

Motorized canoe into Yasuni National Park – lunch is provided on the canoe

PM

Transfer to paddled canoe

Search for animals from the paddle canoe

Arrive at Napo Wildlife Center + Welcome

Get settled in your accommodation

Briefing about the Napo Wildlife Center experience

Dinner

Get fitted for rubber boots

Day 2

AM

Breakfast

Paddled canoe to transfer point

Transfer to motorized canoe to the first parrot salt lick

Walk to the second parrot salt lick and wait for parrots to arrive

Visit the Kichwa Añangu community

Return to transfer point with motorized canoe

PM

Lunch

Paddle canoe back to the Napo Wildlife Center lodge

Relax

Dinner

Night walk behind the lodge to see the rainforest’s night animals

Day 3

AM

Breakfast

Paddled canoe to a landing to hike into the rainforest

Wait at observation deck to watch all the animals waking up in the morning

Walk through the rainforest and learn about different medicinal plants

Paddle canoe back to the lodge

PM

Lunch

Relax at the lodge

Paddle canoe exploration of different creeks around the lodge to see more animals

Watch move about the history of the Napo Wildlife Center

Dinner

Day 4

AM

Early wake up

Paddled canoe to the transfer point

Transfer to motorized canoe – breakfast is provided on the canoe

Transfer from Napo River to the airport

Flight from Coca, Ecuador to Quito, Ecuador

Visiting the Kichwa Añangu Indigenous Community

By visiting the Napo Wildlife Center, you are committing to supporting and uplifting the Kichwa Añangu indigenous community. No matter how much time you spend at the lodge, you will always have the opportunity to visit the Kichwa Añangu community. Here, the women of the community will show you different parts of their culture, diet, and lifestyle. When the lodge was initially constructed, both men and women from the community would work at the lodge. However, they found that there was no one in the community to watch their children. Today, it is mostly the men of the community who work at the lodge.

Instead, the women started their own efforts within the community to highlight their culture to visitors. They have even constructed a few structures in the center of the community to support this mission. The first structure shows traditional building techniques and is a large space where the women invite you to participate in a traditional welcome dance with them. The second building is a recreation of a traditional home where the women show how they have used the resources of the rainforest to support their lives, from making cookware and baskets to the weapons that they used to hunt before becoming an ecological center. As they show us these different skills, the women prepare some of their traditional foods. Finally, the last structure is a small boutique where the women sell their own artisanal crafts, including pottery and jewelry. Make sure to bring some cash because this is a great opportunity to get local souvenirs and support the beautiful crafts of this community. Overall, these efforts allow them to continue to raise their children while contributing to their goal of preserving their community and environment.

When Is the Best Time to Visit the Ecuadorian Rainforest?

There really is no bad time to visit the Ecuadorian Rainforest. The temperature and rainfall has very little variance throughout the year and there are no migration patterns within the rainforest that would affect your experience. The “rainier” season of the rainforest falls between March and July (although it often rains in the rainforest). The temperature typically maintains around 77°F (25°C) around the year but can reach 104°F (40°C) during the dry season. No matter when you go to Ecuador, you can always visit the rainforest and see the plethora of wildlife in this part of the world.

The Napo Wildlife Center Staff

No matter what experience you choose, you will have a wildlife guide, a cultural guide, and a paddler to support your trip. The wildlife guide is an English-speaking national park tour guide and is specialized in knowing the different species of flora and fauna in the region. These guides are often from different indigenous communities within the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest and understand the culture and lifestyle within this ecosystem. They are also incredibly skilled and knowledgeable in finding hidden animals in the forest.

The cultural guide is someone from the Kichwa Añangu who adds a layer of cultural knowledge to the experience. The guide that we had was a former hunter prior to the commitment to preserving the environment. As a hunter, he developed and honed his senses to detect, see, and hear different wildlife. Today, he can continue to use these impressive skills to spot wildlife for visitors and he is passing down these skills to his children so they too can continue to maintain the skills of their ancestors while providing for their future as guides in the rainforest. He also helps explain the medicinal and practical use of different plants throughout the rainforest for his community. (While they have a doctor today, thanks to the efforts of the ecolodge, they continue to use the ancient medicinal practices of their ancestors.) On our trip to the Napo Wildlife Center, our cultural guide was able to spot animals that were impressively far away, and then showed them to us through the binoculars that every guide has. On one occasion, we had learned that the giant otters of the rainforest were nearby. He used his keen hearing to find them in the network of creeks around the lodge. Finding these unique and rare animals was a special experience we will never forget.

The paddler is also a member of the Kichwa Añangu community. They both paddle the canoe (along with the wildlife and cultural guide) and help spot different wildlife along the different creeks around the ecolodge. They are a vital part of the team that helps make the experience incredibly unique and special.

The Napo Wildlife Center is an all-inclusive experience (except for alcoholic drinks) and the staff helps make sure that the experience is truly wonderful. Every meal is provided by chefs of the community, typically in a buffet style that includes a soup, different proteins and vegetables, and some fruit and dessert. The lodge also continuously maintains the rooms, even helping pull down the mosquito nets around the bed to sleep (even though we did not find that there were many mosquitos during our time in the rainforest).

It is really all the people of the Napo Wildlife Center that make the experience in the Amazon Rainforest truly one-of-a-kind and extraordinarily special.

The Napo Wildlife Center Ecolodge

The Napo Wildlife Center Ecolodge comprises three different sections on the property. When you first arrive, you will get off the canoe at the dock at the base of the lodge. At this dock, you will be greeted by the lodge’s bartender with some fresh and refreshing juices. You can also sit in the different hammocks and lounge chairs and take in the beauty of the lake.

The next structure that you will be taken to is the watchtower and dining center of the ecolodge. This is the tallest structure of the ecolodge and is the anchor of the property. At the base floor of this building is the dining area where you will eat breakfast, dinner, and sometimes lunch with your group. The second floor includes a small gift shop and a lounge where you will attend a few briefings. Finally, on the 6th floor of the structure is the observation platform where you can see the rainforest that surrounds the property and watch for animals in your free time.

The final section of the property includes two different types of lodges for your accommodations during your time at the ecolodge: the standard cabin and the suites. The standard cabins are scattered around the property and many have views of the lake. The suites are larger cabins that are propped above the edge of the water of the lake. These include a glass floor with a seating area so you can watch the fish and animals below from your room, a private hot tub in the back of the cabin with views into the rainforest, and hammocks on the front of the cabin where you can relax and look out over the lake.

Overall, the ecolodge was beautiful, using the building techniques of the local Kichwa Añangu community to maintain the cultural identity of this location. There was a sense of peaceful yet environmentally-friendly luxury that was truly perfect for our 4-day/3-night experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest.