*(B = breakfast included, L = lunch included, D = dinner included)

Ecuador and the Galapagos April 20-May 4, 2018 15 Days – 14 Nights

We are heading back to Ecuador for an amazing tour which includes visits to the historic city of

Quito, the highlands and cloud forests of the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Galapagos

Islands in April of 2018. This private, all-inclusive adventure is for 14 people and will be led by ODC

Naturalist and Program Director Jamie Krupka along with Ecuadorian professional guide Roberto

Cedeño.

This trip includes all lodging for fourteen nights while in Ecuador and aboard a private catamaran in

the Galapagos Islands. Also included is all travel in continental Ecuador, round-trip flight to the

Galapagos Islands, and river travel in the Amazon. Delicious traditional cuisine will be enjoyed for

the duration of the trip and will highlight each region’s specialties. Also included in the trip will be

professional guide services and coordination of all trip logistics once in Ecuador. Participants will be

responsible for their own airfare to and from Quito. The Outdoor Discovery Center will help

coordinate travel as needed through a West Michigan travel agency.

April 20 – Travel to Quito, Ecuador

Our first day will involve traveling into the heart of Ecuador to the country’s capital of Quito. We will

stay the night at the Bird Garden Guest House bed and breakfast. (D*)

April 21 – Travel into the Amazon

Our first full day in Ecuador will have us

traveling down the eastern slopes of the

Andean Mountains into the Amazon basin.

Our destination is the Napo Wildlife Center

deep within the 2.5 million acre Yasuni

National Park. From the town of El Coca we

will travel by motorized boat on the Napo

River to the Añangu Reserve. The rest of the

trip will be up the Añangu Creek via paddle

canoes to the main lodge. Be on the look-out

for wildlife while traveling by boat, this can

be one of the best times to see primates,

birds, reptiles and other large mammals! The lodge at Napo Wildlife Center will treat you to amazing

cuisine while putting you in the heart of the Amazon jungle for 4 nights. (B,L,D)

4214 56th Street, Holland, MI 49423

*(B = breakfast included, L = lunch included, D = dinner included)

April 22-24 – Napo Wildlife Center

Though the Napo Wildlife Center experience

began with the trip in, the rest of your time at

this amazing lodge will be spent exploring the

rivers, trails and canopy of the immensely rich

Añangu territory. There will also be

opportunities for evening paddles in search of

nocturnal wildlife such as monkeys, bats and

caiman. Your experience wouldn’t be complete

without wildlife watching from the 36 meter

high Canopy Tower or visiting the parrot clay

licks. You are bound to see more than 200 of

the over 600 species of birds that live there.

(B,L,D)

April 25 – Rainforest to Quito

After checking out to Napo Wildlife Center, we will return to El Coca by boat. Keep your cameras and

binoculars ready for wildlife encounters! From Coca, we will board a flight on Tame Airlines to return

to Quito. We will stay overnight at the familiar Bird Garden Guest House. (B,L,D)

April 26 – City tour

Don’t forget your camera for a tour

of Ecuador’s capital city of Quito for

a personal tour from our guide

Roberto Cedeño. The picturesque

city, which sits over 9,000 feet

above sea level and is surrounded

by three snow-capped volcanoes of

the Andean Mountains, has a rich

history with buildings from the 16th

to the 20th century. We will visit a

number of sites including the Middle

of the World Monument. We will

return to Quito for another relaxing

night at Bird Garden Guest House.

(B,L,D)

April 27 – Travel to the

Galapagos Islands

Start your day in the mountains

and end over 600 miles off the

Pacific Coast on the Galapagos

Islands. Though they are on the

same longitudinal line as St Louis

and New Orleans, the Galapagos

Islands sit at the equator and

provide a completely unique

experience for exploration. Our

flight from Quito will deliver us to

Isla Baltra where we will board the

Nemo II, our private catamaran for

our 5 day, 4 night cruise. (B,L,D)

*(B = breakfast included, L = lunch included, D = dinner included)

April 28-29 – Galapagos Islands aboard the Nemo 2

Aboard the Nemo II, we will visit several islands in search of resident wildlife. Snorkeling, hiking on

the islands, and numerous memorable wildlife encounters will fill your day. You will have amazing

panoramic views from the deck in addition to wonderful meals served in the shade of its deck. There

are seven private cabins and facilities to accommodate couples or traveling companions. (B,L,D)

April 30 – Return to Quito

We will start our last day in the Galapagos Islands getting our last looks at the scenery and wildlife.

After we disembark the Nemo II, we will board an afternoon flight to Quito aboard Tame Airlines. We

will spend the night at Bird Garden Guest House. (B,L,D)

May 1 – Travel to Cabañas San Isidro

After a restful night in Quito, we will travel

approximately 75 miles east of the city to San Isidro.

The trip will have us traveling through the Paramo

region which is a type of alpine tundra below the

permanent snowline. Along the way, we will stop at

Guango Lodge for lunch and exploration with Roberto.

This unique ecosystem hosts 14 species of

hummingbirds, Andean condor and tyrant flycatchers.

We will end our day in the cloud forest at San Isidro to

stay two nights at Cabañas San Isidro. (B,L,D)

May 2 – Explore San Isidro

Our exploration of the San Isidro will be punctuated by the massive trees draped in moss. This cloud

forest region has a number of interesting residents including abundant epiphytes like orchids.

Insects like the Hercules beetle, fruit bats, black agoutis, giant anteater and mountain tapir make

their homes here in addition to over 330 species of birds such as Black-banded Owl, Torrent Duck,

Green-fronted Lancebill Hummingbird, and Chestnut-crowned Antpitta. (B,L,D)

May 3 – Return to Quito

After a morning of exploring, we will take the approximately 2 ½ hour drive back to Quito for

another night at Bird Garden Guest House.

May 4 – Explore Mindo and the Andean Western

Slopes

Our last day in Ecuador will start with a drive west of the

city to the Mindo Valley. This cloud forest region

surrounded on all side by mountains is home to over 450

species of birds and numerous butterflies, mammals,

reptiles, and amphibians. We will take in lunch on the

western slopes but before long need to head back to

Quito to catch our evening flight back home.

*(B = breakfast included, L = lunch included, D = dinner included)

Trip Pricing: $7,200 per person (based on double occupancy) ($1500 single supplement)

Payment: $1,200 deposit due at time of booking and required to hold a place on the trip; deposit

plus $2,500 1st payment due by January 1, 2018; Final payment of $3,500 due by March 1, 2018. All

payments may be made at one time if desired.

Cancellations: Full refunds will be made until January 1, 2018. After January 1, 2018, up to 50% of

money received may be forfeited by the participant. No refunds will be given for cancellation after

March 1, 2018. If the ODC Explorer Network cancels the trip, 100% of all deposits and payments

received will be refunded to prospective travelers.

Included: 14 nights lodging; all meals in Ecuador; all transportation within Ecuador including group

bus and intra-country flights; bilingual, professional naturalist guide; group entrance to museums,

parks and attractions; taxes; gratuities for full time guide and driver; all gratuities for porters, maids

and all staff of the locations visited. Some accommodations have free Wi-Fi for guests.

Not included: Flight to and from Quito International Airport; alcoholic beverages; and personal

items during the trip. (Flights for the group will be coordinated through Travel Leaders in Jenison.)

Please contact trip leader Jamie Krupka to learn more or to make a payment: 616.393.9453 or

jamie@outdoordiscovery.org.

Suggested Pre-trip Reading

Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the

Unchartered Tributaries of the Western Amazon –

March 2014; by Paul Rosolie

Naturalists in Paradise: Wallace, Bates and Spruce in

the Amazon – March 2015; by John Hemming

Understanding Galápagos: What You’ll See and What

It Means – January 2013; by Randy Moore and Sehoya

Cotner

Voyage of the Beagle – abridged edition 1989; by Charles

Darwin