A place for learning Yachana Lodge is a project of The Yachana Foundation Ecotourism is of vital importance for the conservation of the Amazon Tropical Rainforest. To meet this goal, The Yachana Foundation built Yachana Lodge on more than 405 hectares near the tiny community of Mondaña. The humid tropical forest is hot and humid. Its average temperature is of 80°F or 27°C. We receive an annual rainfall average of 12 feet (120 inches or 3000 mm) with 92% humidity.
Yachana Lodge provides:
- A window into the reality of the life and culture in the Ecuadorian Amazon
- Comfortable lodging
- Employment to local people
- Training to students and local residents in hotel administration, restaurant and environmental interpretation
- Incentives to create a conscience of the importance of true ecotourism
HOTEL FACILITIES
YACHANA LODGE has 18 cabins:
- 1 single
- 6 twins
- 8 triples
- 3 doubles
Total Capacity: 40 guests CASA QUEST is a special Housing for students with shared and external bathrooms
- 2 rooms with 4 bunk beds
- 1 room with 2 bunk beds
- 1 room with 1 bunk bed
- Total Capacity: 20 guests
SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND AMENITIES INCLUDED:
- Indigenous naturalist native bilingual guide
- 3 meals per day
- Guided excursions into the rainforest
- Community visits
- Fluvial transportation along the Napo River
- Life jacket
- Rain poncho
- Rubber boots
- Walking stick
- Hot water showers
- Biodegradable soap and shampoo
- Triple-purified drinking water
- LED lighting and ceiling fans
- Solar energy (12v) during the day and 110v energy from 6pm- 10pm
- First Aid and clinical attention
- Safety deposit box
- Artisan and souvenir gift shop
- Wine bar
- Resources and reading library
- Washer and dryer
- Wireless Internet
JUNGLE ACTIVITIES:
- Hike deep into primary and secondary rainforest accompanied by our naturalist guides
- Receive a traditional cleansing from a local medicine man and test your skills at the indigenous arts of blowguns and spears used for hunting
- Tour the Yachana Technical High School’s campus and Model Farm
- Explore the Yachana Foundation’s Protected Forest and visit our biological research station
- Learn about ceramic pottery-making from a local woman and weave your own basket from locally-collected fibbers
- Search for nocturnal species on a night walk through the forest
- Visit the local community, elementary school, and the Foundation-sponsored Health Clinic
- Observe a local family panning for gold
- Identify tropical plants and flowers in our gardens and visit our butterfly house
- Enjoy a refreshing swim in the Napo River, one of the largest tributaries to the Amazon River.
Restaurant Service Hours:
- Breakfast is served at 7 am.
- Lunch is served at 12:30 or 1 pm.
- Dinner is served at 6:30 or 7 pm.
Other Recommendations
There is no presence of malaria or yellow fever at our location, although some doctors recommend to take precautions. Don’t forget to bring medicine that you will need.
Use Light sandals when travelling in the canoe.
It is advisable to go hiking with rubber boots and long Light pants as you will find mud and insects along the trails. You can use sandals and shorts within the lodge premises.
Take a water bottle on your hikes and fill it with water. The climate can be very hot.
Photography: Use high speed films and take a flash as inside the forest it shadows can be very dark.
Laundry service: Although there is laundry services in the hotel please remember that in the humid tropical rainforest drying clothes takes a long time.
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CVC 62 |
YACHANA PROGRAM
Duration: 4 days/3 nights
Departure: Tuesday to Friday
Day 1:
Your journey into the Amazon Jungle starts in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. During the 30 minute flight over the Andes from Quito to the jungle town of Coca you'll enjoy amazing views of snow covered mountains and the endless green expanse of the rainforest as you begin your descent into the Amazon.
At the Coca airport you’ll be greeted by your Yachana guide, transported by bus to the river port and then board our 57 foot (18 meters) motorized canoe for the three hour trip up river. A box lunch will be served as we navigate the Napo River, so please let us know of any dietary restrictions in advance of your trip. Also, life vests are provided so you can fully relax and enjoy your ride along one of the largest tributaries to the legendary Amazon River. At Yachana Lodge, you’ll receive a warm welcome from our native staff who will serve you a refreshing beverage and snack while introducing you to the Lodge facilities.
After you’ve had a chance to rest and wash up, your guide will take you on a short hike to an overlook where you can see the splendor of the rainforest reach out as far as the eye can see in every direction. On clear days you can even see Sumaco Volcano rising up in the distance. If you don’t want to take the hike up the hill to the overlook, you can also choose to visit our beautiful Butterfly House.
Day 2:
After breakfast, your guide will lead you on a journey into the rainforest where he’ll explain the uses of various plants and amaze you with the diversity of birds and animals that inhabit the rainforest he calls home. You’ll return to the Lodge for a traditional Amazon lunch. After lunch you’ll have an opportunity to rest or explore the Lodge grounds on your own.
Later in the afternoon you’ll have the option of staying at the Lodge or visiting a local healer where you’ll participate in a traditional cleansing ceremony. This is an interesting cultural experience where you’ll also have the opportunity to practice your skills at using a blowgun and spear. Afterwards you’ll have time to rest and clean up before dinner. Dinner is served at 7:00.
On one of your evenings, you’ll have a chance to take a night walk to discover a totally different side of the forest. On this walk, you’ll experience the small insects, amphibians, reptiles and other animals that only come out at night.
Day 3:
You have the option to start your day early by participating in a bird watching excursion before breakfast, or you can sleep a little longer before enjoying another splendid breakfast, the first of the day’s Amazon culinary delights. After breakfast, your guide will lead on a hike in search of the endemic hoatzin, a prehistoric bird found only in select areas of the Amazon, and then to the Yachana Technical High School, where you’ll have a chance to interact with the region’s next generation of leaders. This will take most of the morning and will give you an opportunity to see how a meaningful education is making a difference in the lives of many young people from the Amazon region. If you want, you can return to the Lodge before lunch and participate in an Amazon cooking class led by our chefs. After lunch, there’s time for a siesta before you try your hand at making a natural fiber basket and a traditional ceramic bowl from Amazon clay. After dinner there’s free time for your own leisure activities or optional activities scheduled by the Lodge.
Day 4: You’ll have a hearty breakfast and then travel by canoe from Yachana to the city of Coca for your flight back to Quito. As you navigate downstream you’ll have one last opportunity to appreciate the vastness of the Amazon rainforest and reflect on your experience at Yachana.
*Please be aware that Yachana Lodge cannot guarantee that you see wildlife because
of the unpredictable nature of animals and due to the fact that the area around the Lodge has been impacted by human presence.
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CVC 63 |
YACHANA PROGRAM
Duration: 5 days/4 nights
Departure: Friday to Tuesday
Day 1:
Your journey into the Amazon Jungle starts in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
During the 30 minute flight over the Andes from Quito to the jungle town of Coca you'll enjoy amazing views of snow covered mountains and the endless green expanse of the rainforest as you begin your descent into the Amazon.
At the Coca airport you’ll be greeted by your Yachana guide, transported by bus to the river port and then board our 57 foot (18 meters) motorized canoe for the three hour trip up river. A box lunch will be served as we navigate the Napo River, so please let us know of any dietary restrictions in advance of your trip. Also, life vests are provided so you can fully relax and enjoy your ride along one of the largest tributaries to the legendary Amazon River. At Yachana Lodge, you’ll receive a warm welcome from our native staff who will serve you a refreshing beverage and snack while introducing you to the Lodge facilities.
After you’ve had a chance to rest and wash up, your guide will take you on a short hike to an overlook where you can see the splendor of the rainforest reach out as far as the eye can see in every direction. On clear days you can even see Sumaco Volcano rising up in the distance. If you don’t want to take the hike up the hill to the overlook, you can also choose to visit our beautiful Butterfly House.
Day 2:
After breakfast, your guide will lead you on a journey into the rainforest where he’ll explain the uses of various plants and amaze you with the diversity of birds and animals that inhabit the rainforest he calls home. You’ll return to the Lodge for a traditional Amazon lunch. After lunch you’ll have an opportunity to rest or explore the Lodge grounds on your own.
Later in the afternoon you’ll have the option of staying at the Lodge or visiting a local
healer where you’ll participate in a traditional cleansing ceremony. This is an
interesting cultural experience where you’ll also have the opportunity to practice your skills at using a blowgun and spear. Afterwards you’ll have time to rest and clean up before dinner. Dinner is served at 7:00.
On one of your evenings, you’ll have a chance to take a night walk to discover a totally different side of the forest. On this walk, you’ll experience the small insects, amphibians, reptiles and other animals that only come out at night.
Day 3:
You have the option to start your day early by participating in a bird watching excursion before breakfast, or you can sleep a little longer before enjoying another splendid breakfast, the first of the day’s Amazon culinary delights. After breakfast, your guide will lead on a hike in search of the endemic hoatzin, a prehistoric bird found only in select areas of the Amazon, and then to the Yachana Technical High School, where you’ll have a chance to interact with the region’s next generation of leaders. This will take most of the morning and will give you an opportunity to see how a meaningful education is making a difference in the lives of many young people from the Amazon region. If you want, you can return to the Lodge before lunch and participate in an Amazon cooking class led by our chefs. After lunch, there’s time for a siesta before you try your hand at making a natural fiber basket and a traditional ceramic bowl from Amazon clay. After dinner there’s free time for your own leisure activities or optional activities scheduled by the Lodge.
Day 4:
Before breakfast you have the chance to participate in a second bird watching excursion, and after breakfast you’ll enjoy a forest hike to a different area of our 4,300-acre Protected Forest. Your guide will show you native flora species which have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds if not thousands of years and also for building homes, making baskets, twine, weapons, clothing and food. After lunch you’ll have time to relax and then you have the option of visiting a local family doing gold panning in the river or you may float down the Napo River in an inner tube or return to the high school for further interaction with the students.
Day 5:
You’ll have a hearty breakfast and then travel by canoe from Yachana to the city of Coca for your flight back to Quito. As you navigate downstream you’ll have one last opportunity to appreciate the vastness of the Amazon rainforest and reflect on your experience at Yachana.
*Please be aware that Yachana Lodge cannot guarantee that you see wildlife because of the unpredictable nature of animals and due to the fact that the area around the Lodge has been impacted by human presence. |
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