Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Ecuador. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING AND LEAVING ECUADOR: Ecuadorian authorities require a passport that is valid for at least six months after the date of your arrival in Ecuador. Visas are not required for U.S. and Canadian citizens. Tourist cards are prepared by your arriving airline. At present there is a $40.80 departure tax in Ecuador, which is often included in your airfare.
HEALTH: Ecuador is quite clean, and we will be exploring places that have been visited by Americans for some time. We suggest the following precautions:
Important note: The Napo Wildlife Center (NWC) is an isolated jungle lodge. There are no local doctors, and emergency evacuation procedures cannot be done quickly. Please be sure that you are in good physical condition before scheduling this trip.
Malaria is present in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention currently recommend one of the following anti-malarial drugs for visitors to Ecuador: mefloquine (Lariam®), doxycycline, or Malarone™. Please check with your physician to determine which is best for you. We suggest you have an up?to?date tetanus booster, and protection against hepatitis A. Please consult with your physician. Certification of yellow fever vaccination is not required unless you are entering Ecuador from a country where yellow fever is present (check with your local public health agency or the Centers for Disease Control for this list); if you are entering Ecuador from the US, this is not required. The CDC, however, currently recommends yellow fever vaccination for travelers to Ecuador planning to be outside of urban areas.
Biting insects such as mosquitoes are occasionally a minor problem. We recommend using insect repellents with a high concentration of DEET, or alternatives containing natural products.
PACE OF THE TOUR: We will have early starts at NWC, usually with a full buffet breakfast at 5-5:30 a.m., then depart 30 minutes later by canoe to our destination for the morning. Most days we will return to the lodge for lunch and a siesta before some mid- to late-afternoon birding. On one or two days we may take a box lunch into the field or eat catered food at the welcome center. On one or two evenings we will be out after dark, but will get back in time for dinner.
The condition of the trails varies. Some are flat, one is even paved, and others are hilly. When they’re dry the trails are not difficult, although some of the bridges require more than a modicum of balance – the local guides are very helpful here. When the trails are wet some can be slippery. July is supposed to be the rainy season, but our previous weeks at lodges along the Napo at this season have rarely encountered more than a cumulative day of rain, much of which falls at night. If we do have a rainy period, the trails will be muddy and hill climbing will be difficult for the less agile. Please be prepared.
We use small canoes every day, for trips ranging from 15-minute commutes to a few hours of birding along creeks. The canoes have seat and seat-back cushions and are quite comfortable. It can be a bit awkward getting into or out of the canoes, depending on water levels.
ELEVATION: Quito is at about 9,000 feet in elevation, whereas the Napo Wildlife Center is around 900 feet. We’ll bird at elevations as high as 14,000 feet (albeit briefly, and with an option to stay on the bus if it’s snowing!) on our day trip out of Quito on Day 2.
CLIMATE: Quito has been called the city of eternal spring, and the climate there is crisp and cool with chilly nights and pleasantly warm days. Rain is possible, but sunburn is more likely. Our day spent in the eastern Andes may be cool or even downright cold in the morning, warming up by midday. Any cold-weather clothing can be left at our hotel in Quito rather than taken needlessly down to Amazonia. At NWC in the Amazonian lowlands, we can expect occasional rain and warm, muggy days with cooler nights.
ACCOMMODATIONS: NWC is a very comfortable jungle lodge with 24-hour electricity, ceiling fans in the rooms and even wireless Internet available at the bar. The cabins are constructed of local wood, are well-thatched and well-screened. Each has two beds with good mattresses and mosquito netting. Each has its own bathroom with sink, flush toilet and hot-water shower. Water is pumped directly from the lake into the cabins and is heated by electricity in the bathroom. The cabins are separate but connected by a common walkway to the bar and dining room. We should note that occasionally spiders, crickets or tree frogs find their way into the bathrooms. If something really neat shows up in your cabin, please alert your leader! There is a spacious dining room and also a small observation tower at the lodge.
FOOD: Meals at NWC are wonderful, with lots of vegetables, great soups every night, various salads and splendid deserts to accompany the fresh meat, chicken and fish. Vegetarians are easily accommodated.
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read about WINGS General Terms and Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to La Selva will be sent to each registrant on receipt of booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Created: 18 August 2011