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Tropic offers a tranquil Amazonian refuge at la Casa del Suizo located on the shore of Ecuador ’s majestic Napo River
and a stone’s throw away from the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains . Perched comfortably above
the riverbank and the small Quechua Indian village of Ahuano , At this Amazon lodge we will overlook a vast
expanses of the surrounding tropical rainforest environment.
A 20 minutes boat ride takes you to Cosano, a private property with primary forest on the Rio Arajuno. Walks of different lengths (1 till 3 hours) lead you through the dark world of the rain forest. Your local guide explains to you the amazing world of the plants that you encounter on your walk. Also located on the Rio Arajuno is the animal shelter AmaZoonico. Its mission is to take care of injured or confiscated wild animals and if possible to set them free later Chicha, blowgun, ceramics, and wooden crafts.
A short boat ride downstream takes you to a Quichua family living somewhat outside of the village. You will witness the production of Chicha and be invited to taste the most common drink of the region. One will explain you the blowgun, an important weapon for the people of the jungle in former times. Take the chance to have a try yourself with this difficult and special method of hunting.
Activities
There are several options. All excursions at La Casa del Suizo 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:
The butterfly farm
Designed as a live exhibition conservatory, the Butterfly House is now successfully breeding nearly 20 local butterfly species!
Misicocha
Situated 15 minutes upstream by boat there is a private reserve of the Casa del Suizo with primary forest, shore, paths of different lengths and difficulty levels start out (walking time from 1 1ž2 till 4 hours). Your local guide will introduce you to the secrets of the tropical rain forest. The routes lead you through picturesque creeks, some hills up and down, to a scenic viewpoint, always walking under the dark jungle canopy.
ITINERARY
Day 1
The trip to La Casa del Suizo will depart from Quito, Ecuador’s capital, at 8:00am in private transportation.
The first leg of our journey brings us to Papallacta, a small mountain village famous for its natural hot springs. The group will arrive here between 10:00 and 10:30am, and take some time to visit these springs for a soothing swim in their thermal waters before lunch at the Hotel Papallacta. Shortly after noon, we will continue our journey along a scenic stretch of road which takes us out of the majestic Andes highlands and down into the “Oriente”, or Amazon region. Along the way there will be several opportunities to stop for photographs, overlooking lush green valleys and beautiful sparkling waterfalls.
The road ends at Punta Ahuano, a tiny port town on the North bank of the Napo River, where canoes await for a late-afternoon 15-minute ride downstream to la Casa del Suizo. The group will arrive with time to get settled, and enjoy a sunset from our swimming pool with a refreshing welcome cocktail.
During days 2 and 3 at La Casa del Suizo, our guests will participate in several morning, afternoon and full day activities. These programs will begin after an early breakfast, and will be led by both native and bilingual guides.
Note: the activities on day 2 and day 3 may be inverted.
Day 2: Cosano
After breakfast the group will board a dugout canoe, and navigate 20 minutes down the waters of the scenic Napo River. The destination is Cosano where during an approximately two hour walk through primary rainforest visitors will have the opportunity to see actual hunting traps which were traditionally used by the local natives in the past. The guides will demonstrate how they work and explain which type of animals was caught in each one. And of course, at all times we will be on the lookout for tropical birds, and point out important aspects of the surrounding vegetation.
Just across the river from La Casa del Suizo is Amazoonico, a rescue center for wounded and displaced tropical rainforest animals. Here it is possible to see coatis, tapirs, and several species of monkey, snakes, and a variety of birds, many of which wander around freely Lunch Casa del suizo
Later, the group will continue on to the village of Ahuano, where we may learn about several aspects of traditional Quichua culture. A local host will show us how to make chicha, a typical beverage (which of course all may taste), and demonstrate the spiritual cleaning rituals still practiced today throughout the surrounding community. Finally, all may participate in a blowgun target-shooting contest – but don’t expect to beat the natives!
Day 3: Misicocha Adventure o rafting Adventure
This visit consists of a walk through primary and secondary forest trails, along which it is possible to observe distinct species of birds and insects as well as a great variety of trees and medicinal plants. The guides will explain how such plants are used not only in medicine, but also in construction and other important local activities. Along the trails guests may enjoy several opportunities for adventure, such as hanging bridges, and vines for swinging from tree to tree.
After the walk you may choose to eat lunch in the jungle, and later live the incredible experience of building and navigating a raft! On a small river island your guide will show you how to tie balsa logs together, so those who wish can float down the Napo for about an hour back to La Casa del Suizo.
The duration of this visit is around 4 hours, and from 5 to 6 hours Lunch
“The Island”: A one-hour walk along a totally flat river island, where one may observe a great variety of plants and insects.
Later will go to Mariposario (butterfly house) will have the opportunity to see variety butterfly and their metamorphosis.
Day 4
After breakfast the group will depart for the trip up the mountains and back to the city.
At Baeza the bus will stop at a lookout to stretch your legs and enjoy a lunch in a restaurant at the town before continuing on to Quito
Kayaking
La Casa del Suizo has acquired river kayaks, and we are offering, half day and full day programs on rivers class one and two. This programs are available for children 12 years old and up.
