4 nights rainforest, 3 nights cloudforest and 2 nights Highlands
13 days / 12 nights
From $2,445 per person, double occupancy for 2011

Day 1: Quito
Airport reception and transfer to your hotel. The Cafe Cultura is a colonial-style hotel with 24 rooms individually decoratedThe ground floor offers a library, cafe and 3 stone-carved fireplaces which are lit every night along with an abundance of candles.

Day 2: Quito – Kapawi (Monday departure only)
Fly to Kapawi Ecological Reserve. You'll set off in a motorized dugout canoe for a two-hour ride down the Rio Pastaza and up the Rio Capahuari to Kapawi Lodge. The Lodge accommodates 40 guests in single and double luxury cabins. All the buildings were constructed in the Achuar Indian architectural styles. As a result, not one metal nail was used and fast-growing forest products make up the roof, floors and walls. But far from roughing it, you will be provided with the comforts you would expect of a first-class hotel such as modern bathrooms with hot running water and flush toilets, large rooms with views of the rainforest and excellent international cuisine that incorporates delicious tropical fruits of the region. The Lodge’s flexible programs let you tailor your excursions to your particular interests. Options include birding, hiking, herpetology, canoeing, photography, relaxing and swimming. The local Achuar community is evident in every field trip, and all excursions are accompanied (B,L,D)

Day 3 – 5: Kapawi
The opportunities for birding, botany, hiking, herpetology, canoeing, photography, relaxing and swimming at Kapawi Lodge are endless. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Kapawi – Quito
Fly back to Quito. Overnight accommodations at the Café Cultura. (B)

Day 7: Quito – Maquipucuna
Drive north of Quito to Nanegalito. Maquipucuna Reserve, a place of beauty and tranquility, is at the heart of the Ecuadorean rain forest. The Reserve has around 15,000 acres of primary and secondary forest and is located within the Choco Andean Bioregion, considered to be one of the 18th biodiversity "hotspots" in the planet, according to "Conservation International." More than 325 bird species and 45 species of mammals, including armadillo, agouti and spectacled bear make this reserve their home which encompasses three different life zones in this cloudforest. The Lodge is an open and comfortable construction, built in accordance with its natural surroundingsThe nearby Umachaca River can be heard from the rooms. The Reserve has a Research Station that provides basic laboratories and accommodation for 20 scientist, naturalists and volunteers. (B,L,D)

Day 8 – 9: Maquipucuna
While at the Reserve, enjoy birdwatching, swimming, mountain biking in surrounding areas, exploring archeologic sites and trails built by the Yumbos (pre-Incas), visit nearby sustainable communities and a sugar cane factory. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Maquipucuna – Otavalo
Ride through the Ecuadorian Highlands to Otavalo. Take the ancient road to Ibarra, passing by spectacular landscapes close to the snow-capped Cayambe, stopping along the way to meet local peoples and observe their way of life. Hacienda Cusin. (B,L)

Day 11: Otavalo
Visit to the renowned market of the Otavalo Indian, industrious makers of the handicrafts for which Ecuador is famous. You'll have plenty of opportunities to bargain for your purchases. Hacienda Cusin. (B,L)

Day 12: Otavalo – Quito
Hike around Cuicocha Lake, a flooded volcanic crater and Ecuador's deepest lake. Visit the town of Cotacachi, where fine leather goods are made, and where you may buy leather jackets, handbags, suitcases, wallets and clothing. Café Cultura. (B,L)

Day 13: Int'l departure
Hotel pickup and transfer to the international airport. (B)

Ask about dates for Kapawi specials! Sale prices occur frequently for set dates.