ANDES TO THE AMAZON OVERLAND A
(3 Days, any day)
Sample itinerary, small variations depending on selected lodge
Day 1, Quito – Papallacta – Upper Napo – Amazon lodge:
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 9:00 and 9:30am, and take some time to visit these springs for a soothing swim in their thermal waters. We then continue on our way into the Amazon lowlands. Optional stop for lunch en-route. Shortly after noon, we will continue our journey along a scenic stretch of road that takes us out of the majestic Andes highlands and down into the "Oriente", or Amazon region. 
Arrival to the Lodge in the afternoon. After the long drive we can relax for a while in our beautiful spacious bungalow built in a rustic native design surrounded by gardens full of amazing jungle plants and flowers. A delicious dinner will be served in a romantic candlelight setting at the attractively decorated restaurant. Afterwards we will enjoy a special welcome drink, relaxing ourselves around the elegant fireplace, to coordinate and discuss next day's activities with the local crew. We'll feel absolutely comfortable in this lovely peaceful setting filled with nightly sights and sounds of the Amazon jungle.
Overnight at Amazon lodge.
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Day 2
After breakfast, we depart by canoe upstream for ten minutes, arriving to a sma
ll shore where we begin a fun and thrilling one hour walk, marvelling ourselves with the jungle's secondary forest diverse flora and fauna. After our short hike, we'll find ourselves in a breathtaking cascade "La Cascada de Latas" where we will take a refreshing bath in its clear crystal waters and enjoy the surrounding views, which, mixed with the jungle sounds, makes it a unforgettable experience. We return along the same way to have lunch at the lodge.
After lunch we put on our "wet gear" (rubber boots & rain poncho) to start an exciting walk in the jungle's primary forest ready to find the secret wonders of the mysterious hidden jungle, finding amazing plant species with medicinal properties, which will
be explained in detail by our expert native guide: their characteristics and how the jungle inhabitants used them in ancient times. We'll also observe a great variety of insects, small groups of monkeys weaving around the giant trees; though we will need some luck to observe them, we must stay very quiet to admire these beautiful creatures. Dozens of curious colourful birds tag along with us during our walk whistling enchanted notes delighting our senses. After about three hours of walking we come back and arrive to the Lodge. At night, dinner and gathering around the fireplace. It's time for a good and peaceful rest delighted by the nightly sounds of the jungle.
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Day 3. Amazon lodge – Quito:
After breakfast the group will depart for the trip up the mountains and back to the city. About halfway there, the bus will stop at a spectacular lookout to stretch your legs and enjoy a box lunch before continuing on to Quito.
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