[Clipon]

Hi all !

For my first message on this forum I would like few informations about Ecuador.

With three belgians friends I will visit this country during three weeks in january-february 2007. This a LOW-COST trip !

Our itinery is almost made but We have a few interrogations !

amazonian low-land : we want to go at the Yuturi lodge. Is it the cheapest lodge ? Are de guide OK ? (do they speak spanish or english, Do they know all the interesting birds, ...) Is there others cheap-lodge in these area ?
Is the Loredo road Ok for a non 4-by-4 vehicle ? Where are the best spots on this road ?

We look also for a good spot near Quito. Any recommendations ?

In three weeks, we will done the next itinery :

Cotopaxi - Papallacta Pass - Guango Lodge - San Isidro lodge - Loredo road - Yuturi lodge - Yanococha - Mindo road (tandayapa - bellavista - antpitta's trail - mindo) - Pedro vicente Maldonado NP - Rio pallenque - Machahilla NP - Islas de la Plata - Salinas - Quito

If you have good informations about this sites Let me know ! All informations are welcome !

Thanks in advance !

All the best !

Christophe
Belgium

[delia todd]

Hello Christophe I see this is your first post so may I welcome you on behalf of all the staff and moderators at Bird Forum.

I'm sorry I can't help with your question, but I'm sure someone will be along before too long who can.

D

[richlindie]

Hi Christophe

I worked as a guide in the lowlands of Ecuador for 15 months at Sacha Lodge. I can tell you that should you decide to fork out a little extra you will get so much more. There is a fantastic Tower and canopy walkway, excellent bird guides that speak excellent english. 100 species in one good long morning from the tower was not uncommon. When I left around a year ago all the better lodges in the area, of which Yuturi is one, had guides that spoke good english. Many of them offer good bird guides, just ask for them in advance.
If I can think of any other lodges cheaper than Yuturi that are worth it I will let you know.
I know that there was a Harpy Eagle nesting at Gareno Lodge not to long ago,a great place that also had sites for Rufous Potoo and other greats.
I did loreto road using local buses not ideal but cheap and one way to do it if you don't have a vehicle. I have seen it in the rain at its' worst but have also seen 'ordinary' cars on that road. Sorry but I wasn't paying much attention at the time, too many birds. Asking the guys at Guango would give you the best answer.
You have some fantastic sites on your itinerary, I trust the birding will blow you away.
Must rush but I will post more if I have time.

Best wishes and birding
Rich

[cuckooroller]

Christophe,
You might also write to the site-owner of this site: http://www.steveblain.co.uk/

A BirdForum member by the way.

[Clipon]

Hi Rich !

Thanks for the answer ! We also tought that Yuturi had guide who speaks english. But when we contact them they told us that their guides only speaks spanish or even only a local language ... So we are a bit afraid that they would not understand what we look for !

Christophe

[Chris D]

My wife and I did a similiar trip in December 2002. You have quite an agenda planned for just three weeks. Please post how many species you see.

Our Amazon portion was spent at Kapawi. Our birding guide did not speak a single word of English. It didn't stop those 5 days from being the best birding experience of our lives. He knew what things were and we had the book. If the guide you have has a great rep, don't let the language barrier get you down.

[Dave B Smith]

Christophe,
First, let me welcome you to Birdforum. While you are waiting for some specific responses on this thread you might also do a forum search for titles containing "Ecuador" and you'll find a lot of additional info such as this thread that might help.

[Clipon]

Thanks for your informations !!!

Christophe

[johnraven]

I spent a month in Ecuador as a rather poor backpacker (at the end of my trip). I enjoyed some fantastic birding there.

For the last four days of my trip I stayed at Yarini Lodge, on the Rio Napo downstream from Coca. They were short of customers and I was short of money, and I haggled them down to 30 dollar per night, all inclusive. I had my own bird guide all day, he was only 19 and spoke no english, but knew all of the birds and was properly keen (when he saw a bird that was new for him, he ran off after it without much care for me - I respect that deeply!). The lack of english wasnt a problem as he knew the english family names (e.g. trogon) and he knew exactly where all of the birds are found in the ridgely bird book.

I found a very pleasant cheap hostal at Mindo, right at the end of the road, snuggled in some very productive forest. I cant remember the name I'm afraid. Birding was ace, including more hummers you can shake a stick at and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock further up into the hills.

At Parque Nacional Podocarpus I met up with my cousins and camped at the park headquarters, for free as there was no one there. The forest is quite difficult to bird and there were absolutely no facilities, but there were some excellent tanager flocks.

John

[Clipon]

Thanks John !

It could be a good solution the Yarini lodge !

Few more questions :

Does anyone knows if Rio pallenque is still OK because I know they cut lot a trees there ...

Where is the best spot at machahilla NP (ouest coast, dry forest)?

Does Anyone know if the albatrosses are already back mid-february at Islas de la Plata ???

All the best !

Christophe

Originally Posted by johnraven

I spent a month in Ecuador as a rather poor backpacker (at the end of my trip). I enjoyed some fantastic birding there.

For the last four days of my trip I stayed at Yarini Lodge, on the Rio Napo downstream from Coca. They were short of customers and I was short of money, and I haggled them down to 30 dollar per night, all inclusive. I had my own bird guide all day, he was only 19 and spoke no english, but knew all of the birds and was properly keen (when he saw a bird that was new for him, he ran off after it without much care for me - I respect that deeply!). The lack of english wasnt a problem as he knew the english family names (e.g. trogon) and he knew exactly where all of the birds are found in the ridgely bird book.

I found a very pleasant cheap hostal at Mindo, right at the end of the road, snuggled in some very productive forest. I cant remember the name I'm afraid. Birding was ace, including more hummers you can shake a stick at and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock further up into the hills.

At Parque Nacional Podocarpus I met up with my cousins and camped at the park headquarters, for free as there was no one there. The forest is quite difficult to bird and there were absolutely no facilities, but there were some excellent tanager flocks.

John

[Vectis Birder]

I have decided to go to Ecuador in May next year (I've got a budget of £2000 left over from a bank loan I took out to buy a new car, and this has to include the air fare) so I'm watching this thread with interest. I was originally considering Trinidad and Tobago or Costa Rica but Ecuador appeals to me more.

[Clipon]

We are now three weeks before our departure !

If anyone have recent news (birds, road problems, ...) about the Mindo area include yanacocha, the highlands, the eastern slope, Yuturi lodge, Ecuasal lagoons and Islas de la Plata ... Theyr are welcomes !

A few more precise questions :

Are the roads to Yanacocha drivable with a normal car ? Is there a cheap hostel on the way (quito - yanacocha) ?

What is the cheapest company to go on the Islas de la Plata ?

I don't manage to contact Ben Haase to go on Ecuasal Lagoons. Can anyone help me ?

Is Rio Sillanche stil OK ?

Is the malaria a real problem ?


Sorry for all this questions and thanks for the answer !!!!!!

Happy new year to all !!

Christophe
Belgium

[sclateria]

Hi Christophe,

I birded at Yuturi Lodge in August 2003 for a couple of days. It was a last minute thing as I managed to negotiate a decent price to tag along with a general ecotourism program. Obviously this was not the ideal way to see birds, but there happened to be two Spanish birders who had done the same thing as me and we made it clear we were interested in birds. There was a good bird guide at the lodge then, but his services had been secured by a couple of birders who had pre-booked him. I can't remember his name. Yuturi offers some nice varzea forest, as well as an excellent terra firme trail that was quiet during my visit. The best bird was Orange-crested Manakin in the varzea, which even the "non-birding" guide knew where to find. The biggest drawback was the fact that their canopy tower had collapsed - I don't know if they have repaired it.

Have you read Frank Rheindt's trip report? He visited Yuturi and many other localities in your itinerary:

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/triprepor...uador-2001.htm

Should be a good trip. Let us know how it goes.

cheers
Brad

[Neil Glenn]

[quote=Clipon]We are now three weeks before our departure !

Are the roads to Yanacocha drivable with a normal car ? Is there a cheap hostel on the way (quito - yanacocha) ?


I was there in November 2006 and the road was very muddy thanks to a new pumping station that appeared to be leaking! We managed it in a Hiace 9-seater minibus: JUST!


Is Rio Sillanche stil OK ?

Yes, excellent.



Is the malaria a real problem ?

Didn't see many mosquitoes on my trip but better be safe than sorry. None of the western guides out there that I spoke to take maleria tablets though!

Hope this helps,
Neil.

[forthbirder]

Hi Christophe. For a site near Quito try Hosteria San Jorge Botanica. Maybe a little expensive though. I am planning a trip to Ecuador later in the year and hope to visit Bellavista, Guango and San Isidro. Would be really interested to learn what you think of these places when you visit. I am also on a tight budget and would also like to know the best affordable amazon lodge you find. Cheers, Mark.

[sclateria]

Originally Posted by register

Hi Christophe. For a site near Quito try Hosteria San Jorge Botanica. Maybe a little expensive though. I am planning a trip to Ecuador later in the year and hope to visit Bellavista, Guango and San Isidro. Would be really interested to learn what you think of these places when you visit. I am also on a tight budget and would also like to know the best affordable amazon lodge you find. Cheers, Mark.

Hi Mark,

If truly on a tight budget I would suggest you consider options other than the three places you listed. I have birded (and stayed) at all three, and found each excellent, but prices for accomodation are a bit steep. You can visit San Isidro as a daytripper and pay a fee to walk their trails and watch the hummer feeders; moreover some of the best birding can be along the road itself. Also spend some time on the Guacamayos Ridge. Bellavista is nice, and cheaper than the Tandayapa Bird Lodge lower down, but you can see many of the good species around the village of Mindo as well where you can find cheaper accomodation. You can visit Guango from the village of Papallacta by public bus- probably paying a fee to watch the feeders and walk the property.

As for the Amazon. A location rich in birds with trails and a canopy tower which won't break the bank is the Jatun Sacha biological station near Puerto Napo and hour from Tena. Arrange a visit through the Fundacion Jatun Sacha. More expensive, but a notch below the prices of Sacha, La Selva and Napo Wildlife Centre (not sure about their prices, perhaps more affordable?) is the Yuturi Lodge mentioned above. I now remember the name of their birding guide (to 2003 at least), Jaime. Another option is the biological station of the Universidad Catolica in Yasuni National Park - make arrangements through the university in Quito.

hope this helps a little

Brad

[forthbirder]

Many thanks for the advice Brad. I think I'll try a cheap hotel in Mindo for the West Slope and treat myself to one of the Cabins at San Isidro for the east slope. I was wondering, how extensive is the trail system at san Isidro, and particularly Guango, as the website has very limited information regarding this? Also, I've been hearing a few nasty stories about rising levels of violent crime in Ecuador in the past couple of years. Did you have any bother with the locals when you were there? Cheers, Mark.

[sclateria]

Hi again Mark

San Isidro is quite nice, and Carmen's food is excellent. Don't forget to look for the "mystery owl" (an undescribed or aberrant form of Ciccaba owl) which is usually found in the evenings around the cabins and restaurant. My three days (in late June) at San Isidro were, at the time, the wettest three days of my life. Some birders who had a guide and car managed to go lower to the Guacamayos ridge to avoid the rains and see some terrific birds. The trail system is pretty good, but in wet weather the once-famous Log Trail can be extremely treacherous. At the right time of year, one can probably find Cock-of-the-Rock on the trail with the same name - a lek. The trails at Guango are not extensive; I birded a trail across the road from the lodge which cut through pastures and secondary forest. Walking along the river by the lodge can be good with mixed flocks including several mountain-tanager species and White-capped Dipper on the river itself. Try for Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan up the road toward Papallacta a distance from Guango.

Violent crime: I've spent around 3 months in Ecuador in 2003 and 2004 and never had the slightest problem. However one always hears rumours of problems. Most of these problems are centred in Quito, particularly in the favourite neighbourhood of foreign tourists, the Mariscal. Most of these problems can be avoided by behaving yourself (I sound like my parents) and using some common sense. I've read elsewhere that the town of Quininde and some areas in the the NW can be dangerous, but these aren't on your itinerary so nothing to worry about.

Let us know how you get on, it should be a great trip.

Brad

[forthbirder]

Much obliged for the reply Brad. I've heard that the birding on the Guacamayos ridge is incredible, not to mention the beauty of the forest itself, fabulous old growth, bromeliads, and in good weather, great views. I hope to go in November or December, which I gather is a hot time to see the Cock of the Rock Lek at San Isidro, so I hope to take a few photosof that as well as the eponymous owl, and will post a trip report on this thread when I get back.Happy birding wherever you go this year yourself. Cheers, Mark.

[Clipon]

Thanks all for the informations !!

Departure in 10 days now ...

I will make a report of our trip with a link on this forum !

All the best !

Christophe

[Chris D]

After a morning's birding stroll --- stop in a small shop and have a bag of "Chiff-lay" and a "Pony Malta". Slightly spicy banana chips that are made from starch bananas and an ice cold 7 oz bottle of non-alcohol sweetness the kids drink. One is enough, although I filled my luggage with the chips. Have fun.......

[Chris D]

Guyacomos ridge was our greatest birdwave experience.............of many.