General Tour Information
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.
ECUADOR MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Ecuador in the University of Texas series here. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Ecuador here.
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: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommend a malaria preventative; travelers to Ecuador should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam®), doxycycline, or Malarone®. You should contact your doctor as to which of these drugs would be best for you.
Further, the CDC currently recommend the following vaccines: Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG); Typhoid; Yellow fever vaccination (although this is not required to enter the country); as needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. See your doctor at least 4—6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.
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, is currently recommending yellow fever vaccination for travelers to Ecuador who plan to be outside of urban areas. You can review the latest CDC advisories here.
Please note that Yuturi is an isolated lodge. There are no local doctors and emergency evacuation procedures are certain to be slow and expensive. Please be sure you are in good physical condition before scheduling this trip.
PACE OF THE TOUR: This is not an intensive, ist-orientated trip. Rather, it is intended as an introduction to the richest avifauna on Earth, with a view to simply birding, seeing what we see, and learning as we go.
While the pace of the birding is intended to be manageable, days can still be tiring. Daylight on the Equator lasts only 12 hours a day and birds are most active in the early morning. Thus, early starts are imperative to make the most of our days, although these may be countered on some days by siesta periods after lunch. For the die-hard birders there are always birds around the cabins, so siestas are a personal option. Some trails may be muddy, but we’re in no hurry.
The condition of the trails at Yuturi varies. Some are flat, others are hilly. When they’re dry, the trails are not difficult, although at Yuturi there are a couple of short swampy stretches that we may cross, and a modicum of balance is helpful. When the trails are wet, they can be difficult. If we have a rainy period (which is more than likely at sometime during the tour), the trails will be muddy and hill climbing will be difficult for the less agile. Please be prepared.
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. At Yuturi in the Amazonian lowlands, we can expect frequent rain and hot, humid days with cooler nights. Days with sun at Yuturi can be hot, and sunburn is possible.
OUR LODGE: Yuturi Lodge is rustic. The cabins are constructed of bamboo and have thatched roofs. Each has two single beds with good mattresses and mosquito netting. Each has its own bathroom with sink, flush toilet and shower. There is no hot water, and water is pumped directly from the lake into the cabins. Thus, your showers will be at ‘lake temperature,’ which can be fairly cool. The cabins are all separate and are connected by a common walkway to the bar and dining room. We should note that occasionally spiders, crickets, mice and/or tree frogs find their way into the bathroom. The forest is right outside the cabins. Yariña is much like Yaturi but can have hot water.
Meals at Yuturi are very good, with lots of vegetables, great soups, and various salads to accompany the fresh meat, chicken and fish. Vegetarians can be accommodated (but please let us know in advance!!).
Almost every day at Yuturi we use small wooden canoes. It can be a bit awkward getting into or out of the canoes depending on water levels. It may be useful to bring an inflatable cushion to sit on in the canoes. The larger canoes have seat backs of wood, the smaller canoes which we use on for short trips, simply have flat wood slats to sit on.
SMOKING: We request that you do not smoke 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, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group, if possible.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & 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. Please note that except as noted in the tour descriptions, meals are not included in the cost of our tours in the United States and Canada.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Eastern Ecuador will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their 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.
Updated: July 2006