Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DUGOUT CANOES
With most jungle trips, especially the more remote ones,
dugout canoes are a staple part of the journey and the
adventure. A great way to see the sky - when you're
trekking on the forest floor you won't even be able to see the
sky, for the dense canopy - canoes are the primary mode of
transportation here. The Napo and its tributaries are
among the widest rivers in Ecuador.
On Foot
Hiking & Birding
For hiking and nature-based travel (birding, jungle excur-
sions, canoeing, learning about medicinal plants), this is
the region to visit. Plenty of outfitters and ecolodges oper-
ate in the upper Napo region based out of Quito and
Baños, as well as the gateway jungle towns of Tena and Misahuallí.
Private reserves in this area offer the best chance at birding andwild-
life viewing without heading too deep into the jungle.
Spelunking
The area near Tena has excellent limestone caves, the
most popular of which are the Cuevas de Jumandí or
Jumandí Caves
(page 364). There are other, more re-
mote options, but the native Quichua culture is very sensi-
tive about entering these sites. For the more adventurous traveler
interested in some serious caving in conjunction with visiting local
Quichua communities, see
Ecotourism with RICANCIE
, page 363.
Trekking & Backpacking
One wouldn't normally associate volcanoes and the high
country with the Amazon Basin, the largest intact rain-
forest in theworld. But the Andes created this sea of green,
which actually was once part of the Pacific Ocean millions
of years ago. And some of these peaks poke up as islands in the sky
along the western fringes of the Oriente, offering great opportunities
for the serious trekker.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search