Ecuador wildlife tours
Price depends on your party size (couples and private solo tours can be arranged).
Please contact us for a quote specific to your party size and requirements.
Description of Ecuador wildlife tours
Travel into the depths of the Amazonian Rainforest in Ecuador and come face to face with giant otters, river dolphins, dozens of monkeys and possibly the elusive jaguar. This wildlife tour is definitely going to be one to remember.
Throughout the itinerary suggested below you'll be accompanied by expert full time guides, often including: professional zoologists, English speaking local naturalists and a local driver for all transfers. Being in the company of a zoologist or naturalist is the best way to learn more about rainforest ecology and animal behaviour and will help you identify different species and interpret behaviours. For example there are very subtle differences between some of the small primate species, such as marmosets, and many people see mixed foraging groups of primates without ever knowing the difference.
Ecuador is home to one of the highest concentrations of life and one of the highest biodiversities in the world. Wildlife rich Andean cloud forests and Amazon rainforest are literally teeming with life and different species. The numbers of animals and plants in Ecuador is truly mind blowing, with over half of all South American birds and twice as many species that live in Europe; there are also more mammals per-square-metre than anywhere else on earth.
During the proposed itinerary below (which can be amended and tailored to suit your ideal requirements) you will be taken to three of the best wildlife watching lodges in the world, two in the famous Amazon rainforest and one in the stunning cloud forest. The main focus of this tour will be tracking some of the more elusive mammals, such as: spectacled bears, giant otters, Brazilian tapirs, dozens of primate species and maybe even a puma, jaguar, ocelot or jaguarondi.
The outlined itinerary below can be undertaken at any time of the year. The climate in Ecuador is remarkably stable (being right on the equator) however we recommend the months from August to November as spectacled bears come out of hiding to take advantage of fruiting trees.
Fitness Level:
There is a fair amount of walking involved in this tour, but it is all on pathways and not excessively taxing. There are no strenuous activities included and guests can decide on how much or how little they wish to commit to.
Equipment:
When you book onto the tour we will send you a comprehensive pre-departure pack which will include a full packing list of recommended equipment; but as a rule of thumb we recommend you bring along your own binoculars or spotting scope (although scopes are not great in the dense rainforest) as well as appropriate clothing; which should be everything from swimming gear and light and airy hot weather clothing to warm underwear and waterproofs for the cloud forests. The nights up in the cloud forests can be chilly so a fleece, long trousers and woolly hat are a good idea. Comfortable walking shoes are a must. Insect repellent is needed. Any medication, books or other items of a personal nature is of course up to you to bring along. Oh and please bring plenty of memory cards or film for your camera. Also do not forget sun cream, sun hat and sun glasses as the sun can be very strong here during the day.
Minimum age: 18 Years old
Price information
Price depends on your party size (couples and private solo tours can be arranged).
Please contact us for a quote specific to your party size and requirements.
Departure information
Travel guides
Holiday information
Reviews
1 Reviews of Ecuador wildlife tours
Reviewed on 19 Sep 2022 by Robert Hussey
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The rain forest lodge at Napo was excellent, as were the guides throughout.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ensure you have a hat, sun cream, bug spray and waterproofs.
Learn a little Spanish.
Take binoculars.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, particularly at Napo Lodge
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Overall it was a very enjoyable holiday but I would have reduced the number of nights at Puembo as there is little to do there.
Responsible Travel
Planet
All the lodges and resorts that we use on this tour are careful with their waste management and they are very aware of their ecological responsibility. The lodges all use sustainable energy sources and conserve water where possible. We also donate to the World Land Trust which is focused on purchasing large amounts of rainforest to protect from deforestation throughout the world but particularly in South and Central America.We also donate money to the Andean Bear Project (a project that our director and zoologist escort for this tour holds close to his heart as he has worked on this project at grass root level in the past). This project is concerned with the rescue, rehabilitation and release of bears that have been orphaned or captured for the pet trade, as well as research and conservation of this magnificent species to ensure their continued survival in the rapidly developing Andean mountains.
Wildlife Promise:
We monitor the rare and endangered wildlife we see whilst on the trip and hand this information over to the park and reserve authorities. We also donate annually (depending on how many tours and how many guests we have) to the Andean Bear Project and actively help the project find volunteers for their radio tagging and tracking projects in the Andes. We also donate our pictures to the researchers to aid in their photo identification studies.
People
The local community benefits from this tour as we employ local guides in all the lodges we use. This ensures that the money we pay these guides, is invested directly back into the local economy. Thus generating a great financial option against illegal poaching and logging which used to be seen as a quick way to earn large amounts of money. The lodges we use are all eco-friendly which conserve their water use, only use locally produced food and other products look to employ as many local people as possible.By participating in the cultural activities whilst at Napo and Sacha lodges you will be contributing to the income of the local people and helping to keep alive the traditional practices of the Amazonian peoples. Many of these cultures and traditions could be lost without people paying to see them and experience the wonderful way in which local people live in harmony with the forest that provides them so much.
We promote using locally produced foods and handicrafts in the Amazon and encourage our guests to participate in cultural tours and other community programmes.
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