There’s nothing like a day spent in the Amazon rainforest! We’ve been privileged to have a few Amazon adventures over the past couple of years, including our trip to Ecuador this past spring when we spent two nights at the Suchipakari Amazon Lodge.
Now, if you’ve been keeping up with my Ecuador series, you know that I wasn’t 100% happy with our stay at this lodge. If you’re interested in reading my full review, you can find it here. But one of the things I absolutely adored about Suchipakari Amazon Lodge was its multitude of tours!
We had the opportunity to take 3 jungle different tours with Carlos, one of the hotel’s guides. These included an Amazon night walk, a morning trek to learn about indigenous plants and critters, and an epic all-day tour.
Today, I want to tell you about this fantastic all-day tour because it was my favorite part of our Amazon trip!
Summary of our Suchipakari Amazon Adventure!
A Jungle Trek
Our tour started out with a 45-minute hike through the lush Amazon rainforest. Our guide, Carlos, led the way with a machete to cut down any extreme overgrowth and guide us along the muddy trails. Thankfully, the lodge provided everyone with a sturdy pair of rubber boots, so no one had to worry about ruining their shoes.
We didn’t see a lot of wildlife, but we did spy a few bugs and frogs as we trekked alongside the Napo River. Carlos also took this time to point out some interesting plants in addition to what he had taught us that morning’s first tour.
The trail was still rather exciting, as we had to cross several footbridges made with tree trunks or thin planks and branches for railings!
Canoe Rides Down the Napo River
The hike led us to a small docking area where two long, motorized canoes and extra guides awaited us. The canoes had small, movable benches that we had to put into place as we filled the vessel from front to back, and everyone received a life jacket.
It took a few minutes to get everyone situated, and then we took off down the river!
This was a beautiful portion of the tour because it allowed us to see so much of the rainforest and how the locals use the river. We passed a number of small villages and resorts, saw people fishing from the bank, and sailed past large barges moving cargo along the river. It was an interesting peek into the lives of the indigenous community!
We got to take a couple of these canoe rides throughout the day, and I enjoyed each one!
A Visit to a Wildlife Rescue
One of my favorite parts of this day was our visit to the Amazoonico Animal Center. This is a wildlife rescue in the heart of the jungle that rescues and rehabilitates victims of poaching and the black market.
It was so sad to see many of these beautiful creatures recovering from untold abuse by humans. But it was also encouraging to hear about the ones that were close to returning to the wild!
In some cases, however, that can never happen because of human interference. Many of the gorgeous birds had clipped wings because people tried to keep them as pets. There was also a baby Coatimundi that was separated from its mother just after birth, so the staff is uncertain whether it will ever be able to properly learn how to survive in the wild.
Our guide did a wonderful job of telling us about each animal’s story and their rehab progress, which I really liked. She was pretty new to the rescue, but she still knew about each individual animal, and I loved seeing how much she and all the other staff genuinely cared about their well-being.
They currently have quite a few different creatures undergoing rehab, including parrots, monkeys, caimans, an anaconda, peccaries, and turtles.
Another reason I enjoyed this part of the trip so much is because of the “free” residents. Because this is a protected area of rainforest, many turtles, birds, and monkeys roam the grounds and enjoy its safety. I got such a kick out of watching the monkeys goof off in the trees.
Lunch and Indigenous Demonstrations at Caiman Lagoon
After our wildlife tour, we headed back to the canoes and landed at Caiman Lagoon. This small, indigenous village had a cluster of houses built high on stilts and a wide open-air hut where we ate a traditional lunch.
It was an incredible meal featuring rice, veggies, and meat wrapped and baked in a large leaf. We had ripe, juicy oranges for our side and bottles of Coke to drink! This was one of my favorite meals from the entire trip!
After lunch, one of the local ladies showed us a traditional dance and then led us through the process of making Chicha, a popular Kichwa drink. While the original recipe included chewing up ingredients and spitting them out, the modern version requires mashing and fermenting potatoes.
After that demonstration, our guides led us to an open area beside the houses and taught us about blowguns! He explained how locals used them for hunting and often dipped the ends in poison to take down larger prey.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without everyone giving it a try for ourselves! We each got to take a turn testing our blow gun skills at a small wooden target shaped like an owl. Some of us hit the target (including me, yay!) and were feeling pretty good about ourselves until Carlos hit the target in the eye without hardly aiming, haha.
But that wasn’t all this portion included! It was named Caiman Lagoon, after all!
Once we’d finished with the blowguns, Carlos collected a large bundle of raw meat from one of the locals and then led us back into the jungle. We trekked along another muddy trail for about 5 minutes before we arrived at Caiman Lagoon.
Now, if you don’t know, caimans are small cousins to alligators. They only get about 4-5 feet long, but they can still be vicious, so always keep your distance!
The particular pond we visited houses a number of adult caimans that the locals keep fed so that they can use them for food later. Carlos used the raw meat to get their attention and brought a couple of them close to the dock so we could see them. However, we got a kick out of the process because a couple of greedy turtles kept stealing the meat right from under the Caimans’ snouts! Apparently, they were well-fed enough that they didn’t care too badly.
A Kichwa Pottery-Making Demonstration
The final stop on our tour was down the river at another local village. Here, we all gathered in a small wooden hut while a young woman showed us how they made traditional pottery using clay from the river. We watched her mold the clay into a bowl as she explained how they prepare and decorate their pottery.
Once the vessels are shaped, they’re baked in fires to harden. Then, they’re ready to decorate. The potters have access to several kinds of minerals, which allow them to paint their bowls with red, black, and white colors and create festive designs, often using traditional symbols or motifs from their culture. The paintbrushes are actually crafted from their own hair and small pieces of wood. The final step is to coat the bowls with resin from a local tree. This seals in the design and gives the pottery a glossy look.
After the demonstration, we went into an adjoining building where they had a large selection of pottery and wooden items for sale. We came away with a small bowl decorated with an owl and an authentic blowgun, complete with darts.
An Exciting Return to Suchipakari Amazon Lodge
As we exited the pottery shop, a storm began to roll into the area. Our guides gave us the choice to return by canoe, plus the 45-minute hike, or take a taxi back to the lodge. We all opted for the taxi, although that option only kept about half of us dry!
Our taxis were actually three pickup trucks that had room for four in the cab and four in the back. I got a seat in the cab, but Daniel chose to brave the elements in the back, which was apparently quite the adventure! It took about 30 minutes to get back to the lodge along roads full of potholes and construction. Not to mention the full-on storm happening outside! Everyone in the truck beds made the most of it with good attitudes, but boy, it was wild!
As it turned out, it really didn’t matter that any of us sat in the cab because we all got soaked in the final part of our journey. You see, the road ended across the river from the lodge. So one of our guides called ahead to get a lodge worker on our side of the river with a pole boat! It could only fit a few of us at a time, so we took turns waiting in the rain to get across.
I honestly felt bad for the poor guy poling us all back and forth across the river, but he did it all with a big smile. It was an insane end to the day, but I had a blast. I mean, what’s an adventure in the Amazon Rainforest without a giant rainstorm? It was far from “comfortable,” but it was one of the most authentic and wild parts of our trip!
See the Action on My YouTube Video!
Closing Thoughts on Our Suchipakari Amazon Tour
Despite my disappointment with our rooms at the lodge, I couldn’t be happier with how this tour went. We had an incredible time learning about the people at creatures of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Plus, I’m pretty sure the tour only cost about $80 per person, which was a great deal for food, transportation, an English-speaking guide, and experiences.
If this is the kind of experience you’re looking for in the Amazon, you should definitely check out this lodge. Again, they offer tons of other experiences, from whitewater rafting to waterfall hikes to building your own balsa raft.
If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like or comment and share it with your travel buddy! You can also easily save it to your Pinterest board with the image below.
And if you want to read more adventures like this in the future, don’t forget to sign up for the blog newsletter before you go.
Sign Up for Updates from Carried Away Travels
Thank you for taking the time to check out Carried Away Travels, and I hope you’ll be back next week for the newest post.
Happy travels!
More Ecuadorian Adventures
- Quito, Ecuador – 9 of the Best FREE & Cheap Things to See and Do!
- A Complete Guide to Packing for Ecuador: All 4 Regions!
- Quilotoa Crater–Ecuador’s Famous and Beautiful Volcanic Lake!
- I Booked an Ecuador Trip with Exoticca–Here’s What Happened
- Why I Didn’t Want to Visit Guayaquil & What Changed My Mind
- The Ultimate Day On San Cristobal In The Galapagos Islands
- Suchipakari Amazon Eco Lodge: The Good, Bad, And Ugly
- 11 Essential Things to Know Before You Visit Ecuador
- Dive Into the Galapagos with a 360 Snorkeling Tour!
Ready for More? Check Out These Recent Posts!
- How to Spend 3 Days in Dublin & Northern Ireland
- 11 Essential Things to Know Before Visiting Iceland
- My Top 12 Travel Tools For Saving Time & Money
- Dublin Exploration Hack: Big Bus Tours
- The Best 5-Day Colorado Itinerary
- How to Maximize Your Next Workcation: Top Tips
Make Vacation Planning Easier
Download my Vacation Planner or Travel Blogger’s Planner today!
