Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Ecuadorian Amazon: Natural History Photo Tour with Kathy and Gary Clark

Traveling around the Ecuadorian Amazon offers an unforgettable experience for anybody's sense. We know you will agree while you walk through the forest and meet a troop of Red Howler Monkeys moving above the canopy, or when you spot a pair of brilliantly colored Scarlet Macaws darting through the treetops, or search for a pair of piercing orange eyes of Black Caiman aboard a dugout canoe at night, or when you catch a glimpse of the Amazon Pink River Dolphin. These are all memories that you will carry long after leaving the Amazon. The country is rapidly becoming a prime destination for photographers and naturalists because the land is being wisely protected with a system of national parks and private reserves. The comfortable lodge in the midst of our photographic locations allows us to relax and enjoy Ecuador. There are close to forty community projects dedicated to ecotourism.

The size of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin, or as it is called ‘Oriente’, is 40% of the entire country. The Oriente is limited in the west by the eastern Andean range also known as Cordillera Real (Royal Mountain Range). It is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world.
Tour participants can enjoy a sense of remoteness, see numerous specialty birds found only in the Amazon Basin, and still have a comfortable and relaxing experience. We will spend a total of five evenings in the Amazon, along with time at nature reserves just outside Quito.
There will be ample opportunity to see and photograph monkeys and birds during our walks, and dugout canoe ride. During our stay we will photograph birds and other animals in the private reserves and nearby Yasuni National Park, covering a variety of habitats including waterways, lagoons, trails through varzea forest, and trails through terra firma forest. We will encounter parrot clay licks, where a variety of parrots come to ingest special mineralized clay they need to aid digestion. We should see and photograph six to seven species of parrots and parakeets at the licks. Other birds will be photographed along the trails, from the boat dock, and other observation areas.
Your Tour Leader
Kathy Adams Clark is a professional nature photographer and owner of a stock agency representing fifteen photographers. Her work has been published in a variety of national and regional publications including National Geographic Books, the New York Times, and Sierra. Kathy teaches over fifty photography workshops and classes each year.

Gary Clark writes the weekly “Nature” column for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News. The articles are illustrated with Kathy’s photos. Gary is an accomplished naturalist as well as a writer. He will be joining Kathy and participants on this wonderful tour of the Amazon.

Kathy enjoys traveling with people new to photography as well as with folks with advanced skills. She has an ability to explain complicated photographic terms in an easily understood language. She likes to teach those hungry for new information, but also understands that photography can be a solitary task. Each person traveling with Kathy is treated as an individual, but the group always has fun. She is skilled in all makes of digital cameras. www.kathyadamsclark.com

Itinerary

March 13: Home - Quito, Ecuador

Flights from the U.S. arrive in Quito this evening, where there will be a group transport time to your accommodations, in the heart of Quito. Overnight Dann Carlton (meal aloft)

March 14: Tandayapa - Quito

We will start out after breakfast today exploring the western slope of the Andes and get our first taste of hummingbird and tropical bird photography. Tandayapa Lodge was designed by birders, for birders, with the goal of saving and preserving the forest and diverse ecosystem. This day is also a chance to see the hills and valleys of western Ecuador. Opportunities abound to capture stunning images of the dense jungle, native flowers, and local culture.

The real stars of this day are the birds. Purple-throated Woodstar, Booted racket-tail, and White-necked Jacobin are the stars of the many hummingbird feeders around the grounds. Mixed flocks of tanagers often pass through as they feed on fruiting bushes. Blue-winged Mountain-Tanagers, White-winged Brush-Finches, Crimson-rumped Toucanets, and Red-headed Barbets sometimes come in close to eat the fruit put out for them outside the lounge windows.

We will have time to explore a couple of trails, photograph as a group, or wander the grounds. Our birding guide will walk with those interested in photographing forest dwelling birds such as Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Moustached, Scaled, and Ochre-breasted Antpittas, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, and White-throated Quail-Dove. Overnight Dann Carlton (B, L)

March 15 - March 19: Amazon

The journey to Sacha Jungle Lodge begins with a twenty five minute flight taking you over the Andes Mountains' majestic snow-covered peaks and down over 8500 feet into the Amazon Region. The flight destination is the port town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana, locally known as Coca, where you will be met by a bilingual guide and taken to a private dock. Board a covered motorized canoe, for a three hour trip down the sediment-rich waters of the Napo, the largest river in Ecuadorian Amazonia. During the ride it is easy to spot handsome shore birds such as herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys between the scattered native huts as you travel steadily away from civilization. Upon arrival to the 5000-acre private reserve, you walk along a raised boardwalk through dense flooded palm forest where several species of monkeys are often sighted. But don't worry… the lodge staff will carry your luggage for you! The path leads to Pilchicocha Lake, a blackwater paradise where you'd least expect to find any sign of people, but dugout canoes wait to carry you even farther. As you cross the lake, the cries of tropical birds lead you to your final destination and home base for an exciting jungle experience.
This site is a nature lovers paradise. In recent years Sacha Lodge has become a favorite destination of both professional and amateur ornithologists. So far there have been an incredible 587 different species of birds found here. In only 4 or 5 days, it is not uncommon for even the most casual birder to see over 250 species here. With only minimal effort you can expect to see dozens of colorful parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, tanagers, hawks and oropendolas. There are enough species to keep avid birdwatchers and photographers occupied for days.
See parrots and parakeets at Yasuni National Park, from special viewing blinds within camera range of the brilliant green, squawking birds. They arrive by the hundreds to eat the clay that aids in digestion of some of the unripe seeds and fruits they eat. The first blind, accessible by a fifty meter boardwalk, hosts Mealy, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged and Blue-headed Parrots, as well as Dusky-headed and, occasionally, Cobalt-winged Parakeets. A second blind, reached by a twenty minute trail-hike through the forest, is typically visited by Cobalt-winged Parakeets, with Orange-cheeked Parrots joining them October through April. Visitors to this blind also have the opportunity to see the rare Scarlet-shouldered Parrot, and sometimes even Scarlet Macaws stop in for a visit. Since the birds come to eat the clay at different times, both viewing blinds can be visited in a single day.
There is plenty of wildlife as well, ranging from eight species of monkeys, bats, 3-toed sloths, ocelots, lizards, snakes, and caimans. The lodge also has a butterfly farm, 135 foot observation tower, and a 940 foot long canopy walkway. Overnight Sacha Lodge (B, L, D all days)

March 20: Amazon - Coca - Quito

Today we transfer back to Coca for a flight to Quito, checking back in to our hotel for the evening. Overnight Dann Carlton (B)

March 21: Antisana Ecological Reserve - Quito

We will have a leisurely start this morning, followed by photography at the Antisana Ecological Reserve, with its lagoons transformed into immense mirrors, it is an opportunity to view a unique landscape that gradually turns into forest. In this reservation we find the Antisana Volcano as a backdrop. Antisana gives us an opportunity to photograph the Andean condor as well as the Carunculated Caracara, Andean Hillstar Hummingbird, and Stout-billed Cinclodes.

The reserve, created in July of 1993, is located on the edge of the Amazon prairie and it is considered as a corridor or nexus between the Ecological Reserve of Cayambe-coca and the Sumaco Napo Galeras National Park. Overnight Dann Carlton (B, L, D)

March 22: Quito – Home

We depart early this morning for flights home. (B)

Accommodations

The accommodations in Quito will be at a lovely four star hotel in the city center. You will be taking a domestic flight to the Amazon region. With limited baggage limitations you can leave a bag behind at the hotel in Quito. For your convenience you can also use laundry service at either of your accommodations, for a fee. In the Amazon you will be staying in cabins at Sacha Lodge, with high thatched roofs and private shaded terraces, constructed with traditional materials and nestled into the lush surroundings. Each room provides a private bathroom with flushing toilet and hot shower. All cabins are screened against insects, and contain ceiling fans above two comfortable double beds. During free time, visitors may overlook the jungle from hammocks and often report seeing wild fauna such as toucans, agoutis and monkeys right from their own cabin. Guests may also enjoy a raised lookout above the main bar and lounge, which offers a scenic view of Pilchicocha Lake and excellent opportunities to bird watch.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Food and water are generally safe in Ecuador; however we do recommend taking precautionary medicine with you in case you are affected while traveling. Your local guide can offer guidance if you have concerns. Ecuadorian food is not spicy. Menus are usually simple, but the food is always good and plentiful. Breakfast menus are much like those in North America. Rice, meat, beans, and vegetables are usually served at lunch and dinners. Local cheeses are quite good. Delicious fruits and juices are abundant. Accommodations are clean, comfortable and pleasant, but not luxurious.

Notes

FITNESS & HEALTH
The trip is designed to be fun and adventurous. Photo opportunities can be around the lodge or on the many trails surrounding the lodges. It can be moderately strenuous if you take advantage of the walks each day, sometimes uphill in the heat, mud, cold, amazon forest, or high altitude (7000 -10,000 feet). You should discuss this altitude with your physician. Anyone who is reasonably fit should be able to participate in optional walks, but if you have questions about how much activity is involved, please inquire further. At present, no inoculations are required for entry from the United States.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $3,295 US Dollars based upon minimum of 9 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $300 if 5-8 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $845; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)