International group Ecuador & Amazon jungle: Rainforest & volcanoes

Verlauf:

1. Tag: Quito
Unterkunft: Hotel Rio Amazonas (oder ähnlich)
Individual arrival in Quito. Welcome by your guide and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore on your own.

2. Tag: Quito
Unterkunft: Hotel Rio Amazonas (oder ähnlich)
Breakfast in a local restaurant. Start with a presentation of the historic center of Quito, a remarkable and lively area, to discover its architectural heritage. Start of the walk with the colonial district of San Marcos, Santo Domingo, La Ronda. Continue to Independence Square, La Compañia (Church of the Society of Jesus), a Baroque "Mudejar" jewel, whose interior is covered with gold leaf. Discover the San Francisco Church of Quito, built on the foundations of an Inca palace whose interior houses masterpieces of sacred Latin American art, and that is surrounded by pretty colonial houses. Equinoxial line: departure to the "Mitad del Mundo", 30 minutes north of Quito, where the site was established with precision through the passage of the line of Ecuador in 1735 by the French Geodesic Expedition.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück

3. Tag: Quito – Cotopaxi – Lasso
Unterkunft: Reec Latacunga by Oro Verde Hotels (oder ähnlich)
Drive along the Pan-American Highway to the base of Cotopaxi volcano, approximately one hour and a half from Quito. From here we observe this magnificent peak with its summit at an elevation of 5897 metres above sea level, where is also found the highest active volcano in the world.  This mountain is part of one of the country’s National Parks. The Cotopaxi Volcano is one of the most important features of this park and it is the highest active volcano in the world. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Lasso, a small village, 33km south of Aloag, with a milk bottling plant and two recommended cafes serving dairy products, entrance to the Cotopaxi National Park. Visit to a culture and nursery of Roses. Ecuador is a country that exports large quantities of beautiful roses. Dinner included. Overnight at Latacunga.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück, 1x Mittagessen, 1x Abendessen

4. Tag: Lasso – Pujili – Quilotoa – Quito
Unterkunft: Hotel Rio Amazonas (oder ähnlich)
Breakfast at the hotel and road to Quilotoa lagoon (2 hours) along which you will enjoy the most beautiful landscapes. Quilotoa Lagoon is located 66 kilometers south of the city of Latacunga, in the parish of Zumbahua and is part of the ecological reserve, the Ilinizas. Located at 3,800 meters above sea level, has become a way of life of its inhabitants, who benefit from its advantages. The pond water has an emerald green color and varies according to season, with bluish-green or almost yellow resembling the shadow and light. Visit of the market of Pujili or Zumbahua according to the market days. Return to Quito city (about 3 hours).
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück

5. Tag: Quito – Baeza – Amazon jungle
Unterkunft: Suchipakari Amazon Eco Lodge & Jungle Spa (oder ähnlich)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Amazon Forest. The emotion continues in this journey. This is a great experience, among the most fascinating ones, to leave the Andes highlands to find itself a few hours later at 300 m of altitude, oneself in the exuberant tropical forest. The fact of traversing the Amazon forest has always told the story of e of a legend with some secrets hidden. Lunch at Gina´s Restaurant. It is a plentiful, lovely and roadside restaurant that is clean. We continue our journey along a scenic stretch of road which takes us out of the majestic Andes highlands and down into the "Oriente", or the Amazon region. Along the way there will be several opportunities to stop for photographs, overlooking lush green valleys and beautiful sparkling waterfalls. The group will arrive with time to get settled. Stop in the town of Archidona to visit a small market of typical food. Possibility to taste the famous chontacuro (beetle larva). Dinner at hotel.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück, 1x Mittagessen, 1x Abendessen

6. Tag: Amazon jungle
Unterkunft: Suchipakari Amazon Eco Lodge & Jungle Spa (oder ähnlich)
This programs will begin after an early breakfast and will be led by both native and bilingual guides.
Here some activities you can do:
Activities
All excursions at Suchipakari will be led by a native guide with expert knowledge of the rainforest’s medicinal and other useful plants. A typical day begins after an early breakfast, and there are a variety of trails and activities to choose from: Walks may range from full day hikes through primary rainforest to short, easy walks along river islands, depending on each group’s interests and physical abilities. Most outings begin with a short canoe ride along the Napo River or one of its many tributaries, during which it is possible to observe a variety of shore birds on the way to our trails. Once in the forest, where giant trees and tangled vines tower above, the guides will point out important aspects of the vegetation while on the lookout for tropical birds and other jungle creatures. Stay alert and you may find some yourself!
Hunting traps
On each trail, our native guides have built model-hunting traps to represent those traditionally used by the local people in the past. But this is only one aspect of the Quichua culture you may learn about here:
Quichua Family
There will be an opportunity to visit a local Quichua Indian family as well, whose garden contains many medicinal plants still commonly used today. They will explain how such plants are used and demonstrate other aspects of their traditional culture such as the spiritual cleaning rituals still practiced today throughout the surrounding community. Learn how to make chicha, a typical beverage (which of course all may taste)., Finally, all may participate in a blowgun target-shooting contest – but don’t expect to beat the natives! Box lunch included, Dinner at the hotel.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück, 1x Mittagessen, 1x Abendessen

7. Tag: Amazon jungle – Papallacta – Quito
Unterkunft: Hotel Rio Amazonas (oder ähnlich)
After breakfast, departure to Papallacta, located 40 miles east of Quito. Perched on a high Andean valley at the entrance route to the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, the Termas Papallacta spa-resort offers its visitors a mixture of health, recreation, adventure and rest. Whether relaxing in the thermal baths, indulging in pampering spa treatments, or embarking on adventure walks at the Rancho del Cañón (Canyon Ranch) or Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, you are sure to enjoy the Papallacta experience. Lunch included. Departure towards Pichincha province.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück, 1x Mittagessen

8. Tag: Quito - Departure
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport and individual departure.
Verpflegung: 1x Frühstück