Join us for an epic trip to two bucket list destinations-the Amazon and the Andes!
On this Ecuadorian adventure, we will visit historic Quito, spend two nights in a jungle lodge, take a day trip to an indigenous community in the Andes and explore colorful Baños.
That's right! Two amazing bucket list locales wrapped up in one trip to Ecuador.
If you have always dreamed of going to the Amazon, but you don't like roughing it, this trip is for you! Like all of our trips, this will be a mix of deep cultural exchanges mixed with pops of elevated experiences throughout.
✓ Float on balsa rafts down the Río Napo in the Amazon.
✓ Try your hand at blow dart guns with an Amazonian family and try local chicha.
✓ Learn about centuries’ old medicinal use for plants in the jungle and make your own chocolate in the birthplace of cacao.
✓ Swing (literally on a swing!) with backdrop of the majestic Tungurahua volcano and stand atop a 265-foot waterfall.
✓ Stroll the colorful and lively streets of Baños.
✓ Go to a local home in the beautiful indigenous community of Salasaka high in the Andes.
✓ Share pampa mesa, a traditional lunch, with an indigenous community on their land.
Our trips are affordable because of group rates we are able to guarantee through contracts and commitments, as well as pre-paying trip fees and lodging. Therefore, our trips are non-refundable. You may transfer your trip with approval. As noted, travel insurance is mandatory for this trip. Please note allotted reasons for cancellation as well as the force majeure of the policy you choose with your travel insurance company.
Bree Schumacher 414-350-4612
Bree@besomewheresunny.com
To and from the airport and to all excursions
For the duration of the trip
2 nights in Quito, 2 nights in a jungle lodge in the Amazon, and 2 nights in Baños
As outlined in the itinerary
(2) Live mini orientations via Zoom
Optional FAQ via Zoom the week prior to departure
Somewhere Sunny Group Experiences leader for the entirety of the trip
Any meals no noted within the trip overview
Alcohol and non-alcoholic to be paid separately
Mandatory
Cash tips
Optional day to arrive early.
Many women choose to do this, especially with the elevation in Quito.
Welcome to the captivating capital of Ecuador.
Quito, the second highest capital city in the world, is a UNESCO designated city steeped in culture, history and natural beauty. Private transportation will meet you at the airport to take you to our traditional local hotel in the historic city center.
Note: Free day for early arrivals.
Evening: Welcome to Ecuador! Enjoy a welcome dinner and get to know your fellow travelers.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Breakfast at the hotel.
8am Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as we depart for the magnificent AMAZON. Along the way we will stop for snacks and to take in the grandeur of the Ecuadorian landscape at a breathtaking lookout.
We will then ride long canoes down the Río Napo, a tributary of the Amazon that stretches over 600 miles, where we will be greeted by our hosts at our Amazonian sanctuary.
After a buffet lunch at the hotel, we’ll embark on two incredible, immersive experiences. A cacao farm will be our first stop where we’ll learn how to spot, collect and harvest chocolate right from the jungle. The oldest recorded use of cacao was in the Ecuadorian Amazon!
An indigenous woman will then show us how she molds and creates bowls out of materials from the riverbed and forest. Will you be brave enough to try chicha? This fermented alcohol drink has been part of the Amazonian culture for thousands of years. We will learn about the ancient process and even have an opportunity to try it.
After a busy afternoon, we’ll head to the hotel to enjoy some free time. Relax on your patio listening to the sounds of the jungle, pool time, or siesta time. Your choice!
7pm: Meet at the restaurant for dinner together.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
7am-8am breakfast buffet at the hotel at leisure.
8:30am Canoes will take us to a private jungle reserve where we will learn the wonders of the rainforest on an easy hike. (Don’t worry, no paddling required!) From here we will embark on a more exhilarating adventure- a basket-like cable car will “swing” us from one part of the forest to another. So fun!
Our group will work together to construct a balsa raft, as the indigenous peoples have done for centuries. We’ll then take a short ride on the raft down the river.
1pm-2pm: Lunch buffet at the lodge.
Meet at 3pm, as we will be taking the canoes to a small island where members of an indigenous community will share with us the wonders of medicinal plants that the Amazon provides. Then we will all try an ancient hunting tool-blow dart guns!
After an adventure-filled day, enjoy some down time at the hotel or pool.
7pm: Meet at the restaurant for a buffet dinner together with our new friends.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
7am-8am Breakfast buffet at the hotel.
9am: Checkout
We’ll make our way to the adorable town of Baños, located at the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano and home to over sixty waterfalls, where you can enjoy a free afternoon.
In the evening, we will head out for a fun dinner and a rooftop with lively vibes and great views.
Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
After a casual breakfast at the hotel, we will head out to Pailón del Diablo, a magnificent 265-foot waterfall in the Andes. The largest single drop waterfall in Ecuador! A spectacular view awaits us after climbing up the hand carved stairs.
Get ready because we are now going to “swing to the end of the world!” We will visit perhaps the most famous treehouse in the world and have the opportunity to swing over a breathtaking valley with views of the volcano at la casa del árbol. Swinging is optional, but even if you choose not to swing, the pictures from up here will be amazing.
Enjoy an afternoon/evening in the lively and colorful town of Baños where you can shop, relax or even visit one of the famous hot springs.
Meals included: Breakfast
Breakfast at leisure at the hotel. Check out.
Our group will have the incredible opportunity to visit the indigenous community of Salsaka, experts in living from the land, making handicrafts, and producing beautiful textiles. There are about 12,000 Salasaka in this mountain community. We’ll meet with members of the community to learn about their customs and culture, including a visit to a local family’s home. We’ll also take part in a traditional Salasaka lunch outside on their mountainous land. Fun fact: The Salasaka are said to be a matriarchal society.
We will arrive back to impressive Quito where we will check into our hotel and have some free time before coming together for one final dinner in the hip neighborhood of La Floresta with our new friends.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Say goodbye to beautiful Ecuador and all our new friends before transfers to the airport.
Meal included: Breakfast
