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In the chapter Champions
we offer you a variety of tours on special interest.
Champions’s Highlights:
Ecuador and Galapagos
This Special Interest
Tour is tailor made for biologists, ornithologists and nature enthusiasts.
It combines Mindo, a bird’s paradise, Montalvo, in the jungle
of the Amazon and a Galapagos cruise on board of the Lobo de Mar
III.
Saturday: Transfer in to the hotel, welcome cocktail
and briefing to your tour.
Every evening the guide
explains to you the programme for the next day.
Sunday: After a short city tour in Quito you
head on north to Mitad del Mundo
on the Panamerican
Highway. There you visit the equator monument and the ethnological museum
and get lunch. Further north you reach Mindo for dinner.
Monday: Early in the morning you start a walk into
the jungle for bird watching.
After lunch you visit a
butterfly farm and later on an Orchid garden.
Tuesday: From Mindo once more you go on an
early morning jungle walk for
bird watching. After
lunch you get an afternoon tea at a hacienda and enjoy
colorful colibris. Later
you go back to Quito.
Wednesday: This morning you head on the Panamericana
south and follow the Avenue of the Volcanoes up to Banos. There you
get a small city tour and lunch.
In the afternoon you
reach Puyo and visit a Quichua Indian Workshop.
After diner you get a
night city tour and come back to the hotel.
Thursday:
Here you
visit Fatima a silvester life farm and the Orchids Botanic garden. After
lunch you get an introduction to Ecuadorian Indian communities at Omaere
botanic park. Rest of the afternoon free
Friday: Early morning flight from Shell
to Montalvo, your jungle lodge.
You
visit the Pucayacu Quichua community with an interview of the
shaman.
In the
afternoon you raft to the lagoon for some sport fishing. At night you
assist
to a
traditional bonfire with Quichua dances, music and Chicha drinking.
Saturday: All day long you go on
canoeing on the Bobonaza river. Watching
fauna
and flora. You stop for lunch at the Tarchipaya Quichua community
and
reach
the La Boca base camp in the afternoon. Dinner and camping.
Sunday: On a jungle walk to Camungicocha
Lagoon you observe alligators
and lots
of birds. At Ishpingo base you get a box lunch and on a river ride
you reach the estuary of Bobonaza and Pastazza river to see
river dolphins.
After
diner you leave once more to a night jungle walk.
Monday: Departure to Montalvo
upstream the Bobonaza river with a stopover for lunch at Morete
beach. In the late afternoon you reach Montalvo. Rest.
Tuesday:
After a
flight from Montalvo to Shell you head on back to Quito. On
the way
you make a stop over in Banos and enjoy a great view to the Cotopaxi.
Wednesday:
After your flight from Quito
to Baltra Airport you go aboard to
the Lobo de Mar
boat with full accomodation. There you get your cabin and instructions
about the procedures and life aboard. After lunch and a short rest
your guide explains the
Galapagos National Park rules and in the afternoon you
visit Bachas
beach. On a walk along the shore you see the Galapagos animals
and you can go swimming
from the beach. Back on board you get some snacks and a hot shower. Before
dinner the guide introduces the crew to you.
Thursday: After breakfast you visit Rabida island
with a red sandy beach. On
a walk along the shore, a
laidback lagoon and up a small hill you see typical
Galapagos vegetation. On
the beach you can relax or swim or snorkel with sea lions. Back on board
you get lunch and may have a small siesta. Later on you
visit Puerto Egas with
its wild coast line and natural pools with Fur Seals, marine iguanas and
seabirds. From the beach you can swim or snorkel along the rocks.
Friday: In the morning you climb up Bartolome
with incredible lava formations
to get a wonderful view
to the Pinnacle Rock and all over Galapagos Islands.
After a dinghy ride along
the coast and swimming/snorkeling you go back aboard.
In the afternoon you
visit Sullivan Bay to see more lava formations and to get
a refreshing bath in the
sea.
Saturday: Early in the morning you visit South Plazas
Island with its wonderful landscape and unique vegetation. You see land
iguanas, sea lions, red crabs
and sea birds. Going on
to Santa Fe you enjoy great swimming and snorkeling
with sea lions, sharks
and with good luck marine turtles and manta rays.
On the visit in the
afternoon you watch a sea lion colony, land iguanas and the typical Opuntia
Cactus. In the late afternoon you sail to Puerto Ayora.
Ther you can enjoy a cold
beer in one of the bars in town.
Sunday: In the highlands of Santa Cruz you
visit the Gemelos, a very good
place for bird watching.
Later on you visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see giant
turtles. At night you can explore the small town.
Monday: Today you visit Floreana at the Post
Office Bay with the old whalers'
post barrel. After a
dinghy ride along the shore you get great snorkeling at Devil’s Crown.
In the afternoon you can observe flamingos at Punta Cormorant and on
a white sandy beach maybe marine turtles.
Tuesday: The visit of Punta Suarez on Espanola
island is one of the highlights
of your Galapagos trip.
You see breeding seabirds and from April to December,
the famous Albatross and
a very colorful subspecies of marine iguana.
At Gardner Bay
with its white sand you have your last chance for great
swimming,snorkeling and
relaxing on the beach.
Wednesday: Very early in the morning you visit Seymour
island, the breeding area of the frigate birds and the boobies. After a
short ride to Baltra you catch
your flight back to Quito.
Afternoon free.
Thursday:
Today you
visit the Indian Market in Otavalo famous for its handmade
handicrafts made by local Indians. In the surrounding areas you see the
indian colonial village Cotocachi, known for its leather goods and
make a walk along the lagoon of Cuicocha and in the evening you go
back to Quito.
Friday:
Today you
make a big tour to Quito city to the old colonial centre and
Quito
new town. In the afternoon shopping and in the evening you get a farewell diner. Last accommodation.
Saturday:
Transfer
out and end of services.
Tour
Facts:
Interest: Wildlife & Natural History, Bird
watching
Difficulty: All abilities
Activities: Guided excursions, Jungle Hiking and Camping,
Boat rides, Swimming, Snorkeling, Kayaking
Group size: min. 5, max.16
Duration: 20 days, 21 nights
Departure: Sunday from Quito
Price: $ 3985,- High season, $ 3885,- Low season
Price includs: Accommodation and cruise, 3 meals a day,
Transfer in/out,
Transport and guided
excursions, bilingual guide and local native guide
Not included: Flight to Ecuador, NP Entrance Fee, Bar
consumption, Tips for crew/guide
Note: The program is subject to change due to NP rules,
weather or seasonal changes !
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