Tag Archives: Coca

Bus Travel Through Eastern Ecuador

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When I was planning this trip, the one thing that worried me was that it was really hard to find information on bus transport along the road between Coca & Quito that would pass by Wildsumaco, Cosanga (Cabanas San Isidro) and Guango Lodge.  It turned out to be as easy as standing on the roadside (or sitting at a bus stop) and hailing the next bus to pass which never took longer than 20 minutes (that could have just been good luck).  None of them were full, in fact they were mostly empty enough that we could each claim a bank of 2 seats and stretch out.  The buses were also very cheap, between $3-8 for each leg.  In the next few photos you can see what the buses were like and see some of the scenery along the way.  It was cool to see signs promoting conservation!

WILDSUMACO TO COSANGA

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Since our bus was headed to Tena, we had to jump out at the crossroads and hail a Quito bound bus-which pulled up just as we were crossing the street!DSCN2279 DSCN2281 DSCN2280 DSCN2282 DSCN2284 DSCN2285 DSCN2286

It was pouring rain as we pulled over by the Cosanga bus stop.  We had been told to go to a small restaurant and call the lodge when we arrived, so braved the rain to walk along the road back towards the town to find the restaurant.DSCN2287 DSCN2288

COSANGA TO GUANGO LODGE

After leaving the lodge, they dropped us at the same bus stop and we hailed a bus after a few minutes.  This trip took place the day after the earthquake and since we had no internet, we were yet unaware of how much damage was done elsewhere in Ecuador.  As you can see, these roads were perfectly fine, you would never know the earthquake had been felt in the region.DSCN2445 DSCN2446

This bus was featuring a Bollywood film of all things!DSCN2447 DSCN2449

The weather was still rainy and glum as we took the hour long ride to Guango Lodge.  Coming from the Amazon, the lodge is on the right side so keep an eye out if the driver doesn’t seem familiar with it.DSCN2451 DSCN2452 DSCN2453 DSCN2454 DSCN2455

GUANGO LODGE TO QUITO AIRPORT

Since Guango Lodge is best known for hummingbirds, we only stayed there for a couple hours before heading back out to the main road to get another bus.  There was no shelter from the rain this time and we waited around 20 minutes before we were finally rescued by a bus.

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We gradually came out of the mountains and started descending into Quito.  The bus would go all the way into the city bus terminal but for people headed to the airport, you need to jump out at Pifo and take a taxi.  Tell the bus driver you are going to El Aeropuerto and you probably won’t be the only one going there.

I don’t remember exactly how much the taxi was, it was around $10-ish and we probably got ripped off but you are pretty much a captive audience and they know you probably have a flight to catch.  It’s less than 10 minutes from Pifo to the airport – easy!  The best thing is that you don’t need to schedule a day in Quito to make a flight the next morning.  In fact it’s probably easier to get to the airport from Guango or Cabanas San Isidro since there is only one road and no traffic!  So why not spend your last night in Ecuador in a beautiful eco-lodge?DSCN2593 DSCN2595 DSCN2596

Wildsumaco’s Hummingbird Feeders

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Rain or shine (and you’ll get plenty of both) Wildsumaco’s hummingbird feeders are extremely busy all day with some amazingly brilliant hummingbirds darting around daring you to take a photo while they are in motion.

My eBird list of hummingbirds

I never would have been able to identify all these but after sitting down with our guide, we scored 15 species of hummingbirds!  I didn’t get photos of them all as I was confused about which ones I already photographed but I tried!

Fork-tailed Woodnymph

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Brown Violetear

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Gould’s Jewelfront

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Booted Racket-tail

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Booted Racket-tail  (not sure who the “ghost” is)!

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Wire-crested Thorntails

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A group of Singaporean birders showed up with some very impressive camera gear!  It was hilarious when we were all in a row focussed on the poor little hummingbirds who must have thought they were in a war zone, that’s what it sounded like with all those bursts!DSCN2156 DSCN2154 DSCN2158

It’s cool to see different species sharing the feeders!DSCN2160

Brown Violetear

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More hummingbird feeders down the road from the lodge.DSCN2270 DSCN2272

Many-spotted Hummingbird

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Black-throated Brilliant

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Napo Sabrewing

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Golden-tailed Sapphire

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Booted Racket-tail

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Fork-tailed Woodnymph

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Lodge Review: Wildsumaco Lodge, Ecuador

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Although most people fly in and out of Coca when they visit the Ecuadorian Amazon, I strongly urge you to plan at least one way by bus so you can visit some beautiful and birdy eco-lodges such as Wildsumaco.  Ask the bus driver to let you out at the road to Pacto Sumaco and make sure you have called the lodge to let them know which bus you are on so they can send someone to meet you.  There is a good map on their website so you can visualize it.  We didn’t have a local phone but a friendly bus passenger kindly phoned on our behalf.

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The road is fine and you don’t need a 4×4 if you have a rental car.DSCN2114 DSCN2115 DSCN2116

We were given a nice room near the hummingbird feeders. DSCN2117 DSCN2118 DSCN2119 DSCN2120 DSCN2121

The verandah on the main building overlooks a valley so you have a good chance at fly-bys, with Military Macaws being the most desired species.DSCN2127 DSCN2124 DSCN2125

A view of the rooms from the verandah.DSCN2146

This is where you kick back and relax with a drink while waiting for birds or hiding from the rain.DSCN2126

It started raining pretty heavily around 4pm so we did a lot of hiding with our cameras!DSCN2155

Even during meals, you still have a great view!DSCN2153

The bar and a small gift shop.  Cash only, no credit cards accepted which put a damper on my shopping.  There are lots of cozy chairs to relax in after birding.DSCN2149 DSCN2147 DSCN2148 DSCN2150 DSCN2151 DSCN2152 IMG_4472

The food was excellent, just like home-made!  Meals are served with delicious fruit juices and very yummy desserts!

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An enticing view of the hummingbird feeders…………more details in the next post!DSCN2128 DSCN2129

We LOVED Wildsumaco and are happy to recommend it especially for birders.  Although we could only stay one night, we would have liked at least one more night.  The rates are around $340 for 2 people including 3 meals a day and use of all their trails.  The lodge is actually the birding destination.  You have the hummingbird feeders, verandah & outlook and more birding up and down the road which leads from the lodge to the main road.  This lodge doesn’t participate in online travel agencies but you can book direct via their website.  It’s a good idea to hire their guide for at least one morning as they know the best places to see the local birds.  I told them that my priority was parrots, especially Military Macaws and they took us to the best places and we did see a lot of parrots!

Lodge Review: Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador

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When you are visiting the Ecuadorian Amazon area including Yasuni National Park via Coca you will be in a very remote area so choosing the right eco-lodge is very important.  After I researched all the options, I decided on Napo Wildlife Center because of the birding opportunities and the fact that they own the land the parrot clay licks are located on.  I also like that the lodge is run by the local Anangu tribe so all the profits go back into the community.

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After the long journey down the river, it’s very exciting to get your first glimpse of the lodge, it’s spectacular!DSCN1673

We were greeted with a cool towel & glass of juice by the friendly bartender.DSCN2083 DSCN1674

Then we walked upstairs to the main lodge and were given an orientation to the property.

Pro Tip:  Buy the booklet “Birds & Common Mammals of Napo Wildlife Center” right away.  I would even ask the guide on the boat to set one aside for you.  They tend to sell out.  I didn’t realize this so I didn’t put up a fight when one man from our boat grabbed the booklet shown as an example and I almost didn’t get one but luckily a new supply came a few days later.  It’s an excellent little book for $20 with pics of all the birds to help you identify all the photos you will take.DSCN1675 DSCN1676

Delicious welcome drinks and snacks!DSCN1677 DSCN1678

Our cabin was fairly close to the main lodge.DSCN1680

It’s a gorgeous little cabin with beautiful furnishings!DSCN1679 DSCN1681 DSCN1682 DSCN1683 DSCN1686 DSCN1687 DSCN1691

We had a nice deck overlooking the garden down to the river.DSCN1689 DSCN1690 DSCN1705

As dusk approaches, they light up the buildings.DSCN1692

They have a small gift shop at the lodge and more handicrafts are available at the village which you visit on clay lick day.DSCN1693 DSCN1694 DSCN1695

Library with bird guide books.DSCN1700

The first day we saw a film about NWC and the local community.DSCN1699

Stairs leading to the observation tower.DSCN1696

All meals are served buffet style with a couple main choices, veggies, rice and a dessert.DSCN1701 DSCN1702 DSCN1703 DSCN1704

Blue lights at night.DSCN1697 DSCN1698

Map of the whole property.DSCN1896 DSCN1897

The views from the top of the lodge’s canopy tower.  They even have an elevator so you don’t have to walk up the stairs!DSCN1898 DSCN1899 DSCN1900

We booked a 4 day/3 night package minus the flights as I used Avianca Lifemiles to get to Coca and the bus when we left.  This ends up being only 2 full days in the lodge as both the first day and last day are taken up by traveling down the river.  It’s still not cheap and came to just over $600 a night for the 2 of us but it did include everything except drinks, tips, internet, laundry & shopping.  Credit cards are accepted for everything except the tips.

Since we were traveling independently but unable to afford a private guide, we were put with several others and assigned a naturalist guide-Lena, local guide-Vladimir and a canoe paddler.  We were the only dedicated birders in our group so this did result in a few compromises as the guides attempted to keep birders and non-birders happy.  For example on the clay lick day it was raining lightly which usually keeps the parakeets away but I wanted to try anyways since we wouldn’t get another chance whereas the others wanted to spend more time on cultural activities so Lena took the others and had Vladimir take me and my husband to the 2nd clay lick.  The guides are all superb and highly skilled at spotting and identifying birds and other wildlife.

We aren’t big drinkers, so we didn’t use the bar at all.  Drinking water is provided in a few places and they give you refillable bottles to carry with you on the excursions.

They supply boots and rain ponchos if weather requires them.  We both have huge feet so struggled to find boots that fit.  I finally gave up and used my own boots.  I didn’t care if they got muddy and/or ruined as I planned to chuck them out anyways after the trip.

Be prepared for very early wake up calls.  This is nothing new for birders but came as a bit of a shock to a few non-birders!  Breakfast is served before you head out, around 5am so I was setting my alarm for 4am just so my stomach would have woken up enough to tolerate food!

The food was pretty good and they did accommodate my request for non-spicy food in at least one of the choices.  The fruit juices were really good!

Since we are on a tight budget, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience but was well worth it for the many birds we got to see!

Trip Advisor Reviews

Napo Wildlife Center – Getting There Is Half The Fun

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Visiting the eco-lodges in the Ecuadorian Amazon & Yasuni National Park involves a journey of several hours down the Napo River.  You begin at Coca and the first part is on a wide section of the river so you don’t see any wildlife but it’s still an interesting trip.  The guides give a safety briefing and point out the sights along the way.  Our bilingual naturalist guide was Lena and she did a fantastic job of spotting wildlife.

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We encountered a storm about an hour into the trip and plastic covers were lowered to protect us from the rain.DSCN1620

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Everyone gets a small pouch with a few snacks inside.DSCN1617 DSCN1618 DSCN1624 DSCN1625 DSCN1626 IMG_3843

This is the transit area where you change from the motorized boats to the smaller paddleboats.  There are restrooms and you can stretch you legs.  From here, it’s about 90 minutes-ish to Napo Wildlife Center depending on how many stops along the way to see wildlife.DSCN1627 DSCN1628 DSCN1629 DSCN1631 DSCN1632

PaddleboatsDSCN1633 DSCN1634 DSCN1635

We saw lots of spider monkeys along the way.DSCN1639 DSCN1645 IMG_3850a IMG_3863

Lots of birds too!  My bird checklist on eBird.IMG_3887a IMG_3895a IMG_3899a IMG_3902

Here you can see the “black water” of the Anangu Creek.DSCN1651

Caiman lying in wait!DSCN1648

I was really excited to see Hoatzins!  These cool-looking birds are called “stinky chickens” by the locals which doesn’t do justice to these awesome birds.DSCN1655 DSCN1654 DSCN1656 DSCN1666 IMG_3891a

Double-toothed KiteDSCN1669 IMG_3901

A lizard, well-spotted by our guide.DSCN1662

Even though the journey was interesting, we were happy to see Napo Wildlife Center come into view, the seats in the paddleboats aren’t the most comfortable.DSCN1667 DSCN1668

Coca – Gateway To The Ecuadorian Amazon

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A trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon will be one of the highlights of any birder’s trip to Ecuador!  Since Ecuador is a relatively small country, it is especially easy to get to.  Most package tourists will have flights from Quito to Coca built in to their Amazon package but you can save a couple hundred dollars if you use miles for this route.  Avianca Lifemiles only charges 3000 Lifemiles each way which is a fantastic deal!  You can also reach Coca by bus, its about a 6 hour journey straight through but there are interesting stops along the way.  In the map below, Coca is in the middle, the purple line on the right indicates where the eco-lodges are in Yasuni National Park like Napo Wildlife Center.  You can also see my recommended stops for the journey back – Wawa Sumaco for Wildsumaco, Cosanga for Cabanas San Isidro and that purple dot indicating Guango Lodge which is on the highway but not near a town.

Ecuadorian Amazon

The Aerogal plane which is what you will be on if you use Lifemiles is a small one but it’s only a 35-40 minute flight.

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We didn’t have checked bags but if you do, they are brought to this window.DSCN1602

If you are being picked up by your tour operator, they will have a sign with your name on it.  Otherwise, just get a $3 taxi to the La Mision Hotel.DSCN1603

Driving through the town of Coca.  Not really much here to look at so we didn’t jump out anywhere.DSCN1604 DSCN2105 DSCN2104 DSCN2103 DSCN1605 DSCN1606

Some nice bird art on a building.DSCN1607 DSCN2102

This is the car park of La Mision Hotel and where you get the river boats that take you to your lodge.DSCN1609 DSCN1610 DSCN1611

If you are on the early flight, I suggest getting breakfast here and asking for the wifi password to kill time.  Some lodges do have wifi but it isn’t cheap so be prepared to be unplugged for your adventure!  Let the hotel staff know which lodge you are booked with, everyone knows everyone and they will tell your guide that you are waiting in the restaurant when he/she arrives.  They start arriving around 9:30ish.DSCN1612

Typical river boat that the lodges use.DSCN1613 DSCN1614

View of the La Mision Hotel as our boat pulled away from the pier.DSCN1615 DSCN1616

When you are ready to leave Coca, get a taxi to the bus station on the outskirts of town.  If you are going to Wildsumaco, you can use a bus that is headed to either Quito or Tena.

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For Wildsumaco Lodge, have the driver let you out at the road to Pacto Sumaco and call them so they know when to pick you up.  It’s a long walk up hill so you do need a ride.  Details will be in my report on Wildsumaco Lodge.  We didn’t have a phone but a kindly fellow passenger made the call for us to let them know which bus we were on.DSCN2111

Domestic Flights In Ecuador With TAME

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TAME is not part of any airline alliance so you have to buy these tickets online with a credit card.  Luckily, they are not expensive!   TAME flies to certain destinations like Loja (closest airport to Podocarpus & Buenaventura) and other eco-tourism hotspots like Coca for the Amazon and the Galapagos.

Keep an eye out for sale fares like this one.  Would you rather take a one hour flight or a 10 hour bus ride with prices like this?

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It’s a pretty user-friendly airline.  I printed our boarding passes the night before at the Holiday Inn in Guayaquil and the flight actually left on time!  The planes are small but I prefer smaller planes with 2×2 rows rather than larger planes with 3×3 rows where a couple has to sit with a stranger.

When you buy your ticket, you may see a notice that you have to show the original credit card you use to purchase the ticket.  On our flight, no one asked us.  We didn’t have checked bags and they just compared our passports to the printed boarding pass.  It’s probably a good idea to bring the credit card along just in case though!

The overheads were a tight squeeze for our backpacks which are normal carry-on sized but we managed to squish them in as they weren’t full anyways.

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