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Ecuador Expeditions

Birding paradise
TWITCHERS NIRVANA

Ecuador is a haven for bird-lovers from around the world due to its sheer diversity of habitats, incredible number of recorded bird species, and excellent year-round spotting opportunities. Ecuador is home to an astonishing 1600 species of bird, that is twice the number found in the entire continent of North America or Europe, and it is highly likely that new bird species exist in Ecuador that have never even been documented by scientists.

This minitour visits two distinct ecosystems - the Amazon rainforest and the Andean cloudforest.

The Sacha Lodge, set in a 5000acre private reserve, offers the very best specialist birding guides available in the Ecuadorian Amazon, a spectacular 290m long canopy walkway / 43m high observation deck, and potential to see 37% of the birds that have been recorded throughout Ecuador.

The Tandayapa Lodge is a specialist lodge built and run by birdwatchers on the western slope of the Andes with access to many trails through the pristine cloudforest. The area is particularly reknowned for hummingbirds with over 30 species having been recorded at the many feeders located at the lodge.

ITINERARY
Day	Activities	Meals
1	Quito Arrival - our driver will meet you in airport arrivals and transport you to the cosy Cafe Cultura hotel in the comfortable and modern newtown district of Quito. Free time to relax after your long journey and acclimatise to your new surroundings.	-
2 to 5	Sacha Lodge - 4 days/3 nights at the Sacha Lodge with a specialist birding guide. All transfers by minibus, plane and canoe are carefully organised and scheduled by us so all you have to worry about is enjoying the first-class rainforest lodge and the excellent birding facilities that it offers! Trips usually start before sunrise in order to take advantage of the morning peak, and are to a variety of habitats where mixed flocks are common. Note - night 5 you will be in Quito (Cafe Cultura)	BLD at lodge
6 to 8	Tandayapa Lodge - 3 days/2 nights at the Tandayapa cloudforest lodge. You will be able to visit a different part of the reserve with your guide each day - Yanacocha, Tandayapa Valley and Milpe. Again we organise all transfers for you and the final night you will be staying in Cafe Cultura, Quito.	BLD at lodge
9	Tour end - after breakfast our driver will transfer you to Quito airport for your flight home.	B

• Days 2 and 5 involve a long journey to get into and out of the rainforest reserve at Sacha.

• The tour is designed to start on a Thursday, departures on any other weekday may include a small surcharge for private canoe transport at Sacha.

RECORDED SPECIES SACHA - zigzag heron, whote hawk, ornate hawk-eagle, black-banded owl, huatzin, fiery topaz, yellow-billed jacamar, chestnut-eared aracari, spot-breasted woodpecker, ornate antwren, lunulated antbird, white-plumed antbird, ochre-striped antpitta, whote-crowned manakin, rusty-belted tapaculo, amazonian umbrellbird, paradise tanager.

TANDAYAPA - streakcapped treehunter, tricolored and white-winged brushfinches, white-winged becard, dusky-capped flycatcher, thre-striped warbler, blue-winged mountain / golden / metallic green / golden-naped tanager, red-headed barbets, crimson-rumped toucanets, black and chestnut eagle, golden-headed quetzal, andean cock of the rock, sickle-winged guan, rufous-breasted antthrush, plate-billed mountain toucan, toucan barbet, golden-winged manakin, russet-crowned warbler, white-capped dipper, western emerald / rufous-tailed / andean emerald / purple-bibbed whote-tip / fawn-breasted / buff-tailed coronet / booted-racketail / violet-tailed sylph / purple-throated woodstar hummingbirds.

Note that this only a subset of species for demonstration purposes only - you will most likely see many more species than those listed above, and may not see the exact ones listed of photographed here.

PRICES (per person)

# OF PASSENGERS	2013 PRICE
2	$2295
3	$1985
4	$1835
5	$1760
6 or more	$1735

Inclusions:

Accommodation in twin/double rooms or triples for groups who would like to avoid paying any form of single supplement.
All transfers throughout trip
Airfare Quito/Coca/Quito
Meals as listed in itinerary (3meals per day at lodges, breakfasts in Quito)
Guided activities as listed in itinerary with english-speaking specialist birding guide

Exclusions:

International flights
Tips
Meals and activities not listed as part of itinerary
Local entry fees
Single supplement (applies for a single room for somebody travelling within a group). If you are travelling alone then please ask our staff for a solo traveller price quote.

RECOMMENDED ADD-ON TOURS

Clients on this tour may also be interested in the following add-on trip options:

Galapagos cruise - many past honeymooners have recommended a visit to the Galapagos islands as part of their trip. The islands are perfectly suited for a honeymoon trip because they are such a unique world destination and offer the combination of a relaxing yacht cruise with unforgettable wildlife. We offer a great range of luxurious motor-sailing yachts and modern catamarans for the perfect add-on trip.

Ecuador Expeditions

Birding paradise TWITCHERS NIRVANA

Birding paradise
TWITCHERS NIRVANA