Magic Cloud Forest Tours

5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS

This trip offers a visit to the Cloud Forest an ecosystem with many waterfalls, crystalline rivers, birds, butterflies, orchids, ferns and great variety of flowers. Besides this nature magic place is considered one of the best places for birdwatching.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO QUITO, ECUADOR

Arrival in Quito and transfer to Hotel Café Cultura.

CAFÉ CULTURA HOTEL is a delightful mix of English tradition and contemporary trend. Some sixty years ago, the hotel was home to one of Quito's oldest families and it was carefully restored over a period of four years, with special detail given to maintaining the unique characteristics of the original interior. The house is hemmed by a beautiful garden, with secluded seating areas for relaxing.

DAY 1: QUITO – MINDO

Breakfast and travel to the northwest of Quito, arrival to Pahuma reserve where we will follow a trail full of Orchids. Box lunch on route and then we will continue to the west crossing the west slope of the Andes range to the famous Tony's House, where with a cup of coffee and accompanied by Tony, we will see a great variety of birds, especially hummingbirds with more than 30 species recorded. Green-tailed Trainbearer, Shining Sunbeam, Tyrian Metaltail, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Buff-rumped Starfrontlet, Buff-tailed Coronets, Collared Inca and White-tailed Hillstar, Choco Endemics here may include Brown Inca, Violet-tailed Slyph and Gorgeted Sunangel. Whilst on Tony's Balcony we will look skywards for the rare Spot-fronted Swift in amongst the common Chestnut-collared Swift and we will seek raptors such as Plain-breasted Hawk and Barred Forest-Falcon. Then we will continue our trip to arrive Sachatamia Lodge where we will diner and overnight.

Sachatamia Lodge is a marvelous, private, ecological reserve exceeding 120 hectares of cloud forest. Other areas include recuperates forest, as well as, forest undergoing processed of reforestation. Sachatamia has the privilege of being located next to the Protected Forest of Mindo Nambillo. The zone is renewed as one of the foremost in terms of the wealth of biodiversity that is rich in flora and fauna. It has attained first place in the annual count of bird spaces on a global level.

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DAY 3: THE AMAZING CLOUD FOREST

After breakfast we will go to Mindo Nambillo Reserve where we will hike through its trails learning about this ecosystem and looking for bromelias, orchids, insects and if we are lucky mammals, also we can find some bird species whose highlights are likely to include Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Crested Quetzal, Masked Trogon, and Powerful Woodpecker, Moss-backed Tanager, Toucan Barbet, Sunbittern, and Cloud-forest Pygmy-owl; the trails finishes in a beautiful waterfall where we will have time to swim and if you want some adventure you can jump from a big rock into the water. Then we will enjoy of the Canopy Tour, this is an amazing journey that makes you travel through 10 cables of different sizes that permit you to fly from tree to tree like a bird and enjoy of the amazing land escape. After lunch we will visit the butterfly farm, here the local guides will explain you about the metamorphosis of this insect and will introduce you to a different world, the butterflies' world where they can eat from your hands. The butterfly exhibition has 25 varieties flying freely in a greenhouse that is approximately 644 square meters. This is one of the biggest exhibits in Ecuador due to its size and amount of species. Late in the afternoon return to Sachatamia Lodge where we will diner and overnight.

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DAY 4: SACHATAMIA LODGE – QUITO

We will enjoy a delicious breakfast while enjoying great views of the hummingbirds at the feeders like Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Speckled Hummingbird, and Purple-bibbed Whitetip. After that we will walk through the trails of this private reserve around the lodge. This is an excellent area for birding and we will likely encounter a great deal of bird activity. Exciting birds we hope to encounter include Palm Tanager, Golden Tanager, Orange-billed Sparrow, Andean Solitaire, Masked Trogon,Golden-headed Quetzal, and Crimson-rumped Toucanet. After lunch we will go back to Quito to Café Cultura Hotel place where we will overnight.

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DAY 5: QUITO – HOME FLIGHT

After an unforgettable expedition in Ecuador full of culture and nature we will be transferred to the airport to catch our flight.

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END OF THE SERVICES

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY: Itinerary subject to change based on local conditions. It could be flexible according to the client's interests.

B- Breakfast; L-Lunch; BL- Box Lunch; D-Dinner

PRICE PER PERSON

PRICE INCLUDES: Private transportation, bilingual naturalist guide, accommodation based on double room in all the hotels and haciendas detailed in the itinerary; meals as described on the itinerary, entrance fee to Pauma Reserve, Tony's House, Mindo Nambillo Reserve, Canopy tour, butterfly farm.

NOT INCLUDED: International departure taxes (US$ 41.00), meals not specified, alcoholic drinks, tips, and personal expenses.