Getting serious (1 Viewer)

njlarsen · Jun 9, 2015

Hello all,
I have been in contact with Bellavista, who have room available from one day after I would like to start.

To use that time reasonably, let us say that I would like to visit Yanacocha - and that would then be with starting point in Quito. Is there a guide that could be recommended that would take us up there on a 1 day visit starting and ending in Quito -- and if so, who would you recommend? Alternatively, doing that location on your own, what would be required -- 4wd or regular rental vehicle?

If I go with the package from Bellavista, I think the price for a 4 night package sounds reasonable, especially including a transfer to/from Quito. But does anyone have experience having them deliver you to another place instead of Quito (such as Mindo)? and would such an alternative location have the option of later delivering us back to Quito -- and would I miss the vehicle at some later time? (I think I could pass the time OK at Bellavista without a vehicle).

Niels

njlarsen · Jun 9, 2015

I am too tired right now to do more searching. For a bird friendly place close to the airport, is "Ecuador Birding Garden" the place? We would return one afternoon, stay overnight and only have a flight out in the afternoon, therefore need a place that is close but not too boring.

Niels

temmie · Jun 9, 2015

just take taxis or buses if you plan to stay longer than 3 nights in a place.
I took a taxi from Bellavista to Yanacocha (2WD) and back. It's about 1 hr one way. From Quito it should be shorter.
It would make more sense to do Quito-Yanacocha-Bellavista instead of going back to Quito. From the Yanacocha-Bellavista road, you can do some good birding. I saw (amongst others) some Plate-billed Mountain-toucans easily from the road.

Once in Bellavista, you don't need a car unless you are really lazy.

njlarsen · Jun 9, 2015

Temmie, Thanks. However, I think I need to do a better job of describing why I ask:

We are ending a Galapagos tour with an overnight hotel in Quito August 17-18. Bellavista a few days ago did not have a vacancy for 18-19, which is why I got the idea of doing Yanacocha from Quito and back, and then going for Bellavista the following day.

I will continue from Bellavista to Mindo after the stay, and that is where I think a rental vehicle would make more sense. Is there a location in Mindo where one could do 4 days without a vehicle and not feel that having been able to also visit site X would have made it this much better?

Any comments to the question in post 2?

thanks
Niels

temmie · Jun 9, 2015

OK, I didn't think about that!

In any way, I will just brainstorm and offer you some other options:
1. skip the night in Quito on the way back and go straight to either Septimo paraiso in Mindo, Angel Paz, Mindo Loma or Tandayapa. Spend two mornings and get to Bellavista, where you spend 3 mornings. After this, go lower down the west slope or just take it easy and keep on birding around Mindo. There is enough to see, but for a keen birder, 5-6 days in the area should be OK to cover both the 2.200m zone (around Bellavista) and the 1.700m zone (around the first places I mentioned near Mindo) to see most of the typical avifauna. From 1.500m and lower, a whole different array of birds is waiting!
2. Do a daytrip to Yanacocha with a taxi. It takes one hour and the parking lot is a known weekend hang-out among Quitenos: https://www.google.be/maps/dir/Quit...0x91d59a4002427c9f:0x44b991e158ef5572!1m0!3e0
You can opt to have your taxi to take you all the way to e.g. Tandayapa through the backroad.

gdhunter · Jun 9, 2015

njlarsen said:
Is there a guide that could be recommended that would take us up there on a 1 day visit starting and ending in Quito -- and if so, who would you recommend? Niels

Niels: Much later this year we're spending five nights at Yellow House Trails & Lodge (http://ecuadormindobirds.com/) in Mindo. Cristina (who currently answers most of my emails & has been quite helpful) recommended a local birding guide named Julia Patiño, whom we've retained for each of our days in that region (transport & guide services). Julia has proposed Bellavista as one of our destinations, and we've discussed Yanacocha. She seems friendly, responsive & knowledgeable. Another American birder with whom I communicated was very impressed with her skills & her diligence.

Gary H

gdhunter · Jun 9, 2015

njlarsen said:
For a bird friendly place close to the airport, is "Ecuador Birding Garden" the place? Niels

Niels: Is it possible you are referring to Puembo Birding Garden (http://www.puembobg.com/)? It's operated (and I'm assuming owned) by Xavier & Mercedes, who also manage Neblina Forest. During our trip later this year we're scheduled to stay there during our first two nights and our final night. It is billed as quite near the airport, and they both assure me that some relatively rewarding birding can be found in the gardens and in the surrounding neighborhood.

Gary H

njlarsen · Jun 10, 2015

Gary,
re hotel: yes, I believe that is the one. Strangely, I thought I copied the name from their website.

Regarding "yellow house", it needs to be on my short list for Mindo. I would probably not want to have a guide every day -- there is too much of an independent streak in me (fighting to get the id correct on my own is a pleasure). But I would like to have guiding some of the time.

Niels

njlarsen · Jun 10, 2015

Temmie, I really appreciate your brainstorming! So these are some numbers I looked up:

Yanacocha 3360 m
Bellavista 2200 m
Tandayapa 1900 m
Sashatamia lodge 1650 m
Mindo town 1220 m (and from Gary's mention, Yellow house 1200 - 1700 m)
Milpe 1050-1150 m (reachable on a one day trip from Mindo, it seems)

So let us assume for a second that we would start in the morning in Quito, have a vehicle and go to Yanacocha, continue from there to Sashatamia for two nights. Then Bellavista for 3 nights, Mindo 4 nights, and the last night near the airport.
That would give us time in both the lower and the higher range that you mention.

Niels

Edit: you seem partial to Septimo paraiso, any specific reason?

temmie · Jun 10, 2015

Hi,

supposed that you like Sachatamia (I stayed at Mindo Loma, which I think is a bit similar in birds / altitude / location along the road but far enough off so no noise from the road), it is perfectly feasible to start in Quito in the early morning, bird around Yanacocha (from the parking, there is a level path with hummingbird feeders, the path will go up after some time but the first few 100 meters is already very rewarding + level), and after that, go slowly and at ease along the back road. You will end up at a crossing with the main Quito-Nanegalito road at Rio Alambi (feeders are worth a stop). Especially the last stretch of this back road is rewarding.
You could get at Sachatamia around 3-4PM at ease, unpack stuff and bird around for the odd hour.

Sashatamia should arrange your transport to Bellavista (I reckon 1 hour at most). Same for Bellavista - Mindo.

gdhunter · Jun 11, 2015

njlarsen said:
I would probably not want to have a guide every day -- there is too much of an independent streak in me (fighting to get the id correct on my own is a pleasure). But I would like to have guiding some of the time. Niels

Niels: For the most part we're using guide services once for each of our destinations in Ecuador, but with so many outlying destinations in the northwest we decided to retain Julia as much for the transportation services as for the guiding. However, her rate for guided services around Mindo without transport is quite affordable.

Gary H

njlarsen · Jun 12, 2015

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

I have gone ahead a made the reservation for Sashatamia (2n) and Bellavista (3n). That leaves 4 night at lower elevation such as Yellow House in Mindo, but I would like to have input on which other alternatives in the around 1000-1200 m elevation I should consider. We probably will not cook ourselves (we do that when at home), so a good room within walking distance of at least one place to eat and preferably with feeders and forest right outside the door.

Niels

njlarsen · Jun 16, 2015

So Yellow House is also reserved, for 4 nights. That leaves the one night near Quito. I sent an email to two different addresses that should both reach Puembobg about 3 days ago, but I have had no answers. Gary, were there problems communicating for you?

Niels

Edit email received from also Puembo, so no problem

gdhunter · Jun 17, 2015

njlarsen said:
I sent an email to two different addresses that should both reach Puembobg about 3 days ago, but I have had no answers. Gary, were there problems communicating for you? Niels
Edit email received from also Puembo, so no problem

Niels: I'm guessing you heard from Mercedes (or possibly Xavier). They are the principals in what is purportedly the original native Ecuadorian birding tour company, Neblina Forest (http://www.neblinaforest.com/). According to Lelis Navarrete (http://birdsinecuador.com/en/chapter-1/item/12-15-information-for-the-birder) Neblina Forest has been offering birding tours since 1994. Each of them has answered more than a few questions from me and has done so graciously and patiently, and their advice has extended well beyond our stay at Puembo.

Gary H

njlarsen · Jun 17, 2015

Thanks Gary,
Mercedes answered and explained she had been in Brazil with unexpectedly bad wifi.

Niels

njlarsen · Jun 17, 2015

Several of you have mentioned just hiring a taxi for whenever transportation is needed. So before I make final decisions on that, what would for example the following cost:
Pickup at hotel in Quito early morning, up to Yanacocha for the first half of the day, then going to Mindo for checking in at Sashatamia Lodge mid to late afternoon (depending on how much birding is done along the way). Essentially that would be the entire day for someone.

thanks
Niels

temmie · Jun 18, 2015

I have been there in 2010. Price won't be the same.
What I would do: email your hotel about this, and also Sachatamia, as this is your end point, and a taxi driver from there would be more eager to do this kind of trip.
I reckon you should get it for around 50-60 dollar, but as said, I could be totally wrong with current pricing in Ecuador unknown to me! I remember taxis in most big cities in S-America have a daily rate, but most simply won't do it, as they can make more money driving around the capital.

njlarsen · Jun 18, 2015

I had my doubts because I was told a transfer from airport to hotel in Quito would be $20.

Niels

jimforjim · Jun 27, 2015

Hi all,

I stayed at Puembo Birding Gardens a couple of months ago, for the first night after we arrived, and our last night before leaving. We liked Mercedes quite a bit, and the gardens are pleasant ... but you are in a suburb. For me, unless I'm leaving the next morning very early and want to minimize my time to the airport, I wouldn't stay there ... and it's relatively expensive for what you get. You can do a lot better spending more time birding in and around Mindo, or try to go up to Papallacta Pass. If you do go for PBG, it's divided into two parts, one of which also has the eating area. I'd try to stay in the part that doesn't have the eating area, as it's quieter if groups come for dinner in the evening. Also, you're next to the place that you can see the Black-tailed Trainbearer and Giant Hummingbird. A taxi to the airport was normally $15, I think, but we paid $20 because it was early.

Also, if you do want a guide who has his own vehicle and isn't too expensive, PM me.

Jim

njlarsen · Jun 27, 2015

Thanks Jim,
We do have reservations now at the PBG. I realize that this is in a suburb, so I will not have too great expectations. Still, I will not otherwise be in the central valley area, so I think that is OK (I am not even sure how much of a difference that makes re birdlife). I am really thankful for the note on the two parts of the place, I will contact them to see if we can be slotted into the quiet area ahead of time.

We ended up going for the option of having our own vehicle. I realize that is more expensive, but hopefully it cuts down on some waiting time we otherwise would have had.

Niels

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