Ecuador & Amazon | Henry Eco Tours — Attraction in Puerto Francisco de Orellana

To put things in prospective for a potential adventure seeker. My goal is to arm you with information so that you can decide your path. I would like to elaborate for someone who has little experience in the jungle or for someone who has been many times before. I will start by giving a back story. As an American who started this journey with zero knowledge of the area. I knew just enough Spanish to get by. As a kid I, was always attracted to movies about the Amazon and the jungle. I wanted to learn more about the culture there. Keeping in mind I had no personal experience. I wanted to find a big city that was close to the jungle. Eventually, my google research led me to El Coca. Upon arrival I Immediately felt the sense of adventure that my soul had been asking for. I quickly adapted to the atmosphere there. I live in a big city in the U.S. so in some ways Quito was quite similar to everyday life. El coca on the other hand was a beautiful change of pace. For a few weeks I settled into my work online and explored the area. I had two months in El coca, so I had time to focus on work and fit some adventures in on the weekend. After I acclimated, I started to ask around for jungle tour information. Covid had nearly all of the agencies shut down. The national parks were closed. I found an agency that told me they would message me back but never did. I started to think I would have to come back later in the year. One day walking through the lobby I realized that Henry Eco Tours was normally running tours out of the hotel that I was staying at. Because of Covid, life as we knew it had changed. The very helpful woman at the front desk messaged Henry for me. He called me back right away. He was very professional, friendly, and spoke perfect English. Even under these circumstances with a lot of places shut down, He went out of his way to come into town from his village to speak with me face to face. Henry was very understanding and flexible to my schedule. He showed up at the hotel at the appointed time and presented to me several detailed options of what trips were available. He was very thorough on what I could expect during my trip and what I should prepare to bring. His wife even stopped by with him to say hi. Right away I had a good sense about him that no matter what option I picked I would be in good hands. When the day came, he was prompt and on time, waiting outside with the taxi. I brought a small bag with my things. We sped off for an hour and a half to a location up the Rio Napo. It was nice to see the city from a car as I had only been on foot for the last month. We soon arrived at a small town called Limoncocha that was surrounded by jungle and had a nature reserve. First off, the sound was so rich and vibrant! So many birds, each with their unique call, all in symphony together. It is these simple things that I always dreamt about as a kid. The true sound of the jungle. Henry had reserved our sleeping quarters in a nice hotel at the edge of the reserve. It had hot water and air-conditioning. We stored our things and rested for a moment. We then talked about plans for the evening. Henry supplied me with the necessary gear: rubber boots, rain poncho, flashlight, etc. There were several places to eat with a few stores, bars, and a restaurant a few houses away. The trip was amazing. Henrys knowledge of the jungle, of the culture, and of Ecuador was beyond expectations. He has a deep calling to the conservation of his land. His enthusiasm was not hard to adopt. He is passionate about educating his own people on how we can protect the land. We took boat rides with Palo, Henrys associate. We explored the beautiful reserve night and day. There were black Cayman, huge groups of monkeys, piranhas, frogs of every shape and size, insects, and of course every time you turn your head, there was different species of bird. I especially enjoyed the nighttime boat ride. We witnessed a city of fireflies on the shore. It was truly magical. The people of Limoncocha were amazing and welcoming. Thank you to Henry,Palo,...

Words fail me when it comes to describing Henry and exploring his beloved Amazon together. Henry will soon become one of the most highly sought guides in all of South America. He's already most definitely one of the most knowledgable! From a Quichua tribe deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Henry knows the sound of every bird, frog, monkey ... and when he calls to them, they answer. Beyond the sheer delight of being led through this wild landscape by such a well-studied and engaged expert, I was personally enriched by spending time with such a kind, generous, and compassionate human being. Henry works in eco tourism for the benefit of ALL. His dreams are big and beautiful, and he has the integrity and drive to sustain them. He believes that through tourism we can together improve the world. Tourism provides financial resources to local families who would otherwise have to cut down trees on their sacred land to afford to send their children to school and to provide basic necessities. For the world that means less oxygen and less biodiversity. Henry works with local Quichua communities who invite tourists who want to experience the Amazon in a transformative, up-close way to stay in their cabañas. This way local families receive support as they drive your boat, cook your food, clean your accommodations, and in large the whole community as well as the traveler greatly benefit. This symbiosis preserves the Amazon for future generations as conservation knowledge and practical sustenance for local families simultaneously spread. Traveling with Henry is akin to having a friend take you to all the hidden, magical places and share ancestral secrets and stories as you spot countless species of wildlife. The QUALITY of experience you will have with Henry and the comfort and security you will feel with him is unmatched.

(Also worth noting is that Henry is punctual, responsible with deposits, and wizzes through all the detailed planning that goes into Amazon expeditions big and small. His attention to detail and utilization of every opportunty to provide an enhanced experience is...

We did Sumaco/Yasuni/Limoncocha and also Cotopaxi/Otavalo tour with Henry and we had absolutely amazing time all thanks to Henry. All the positive reviews written about him are true. He is an honest man with deep love and passion for the Amazon jungle and his people. He works hard to preserve nature, to show people how valuable Amazon rainforest is and to give back to his people. We have a 6 year old daughter and he had abundant patience with her. We never felt rushed, he took his time to show all the camouflaged insects, birds, plants. He went on a night walk with us, 4 hour jungle hike, climbed the bird watch tower, waited with us for hours to see the parrots and macaws, took time to help our daughter catch a piranha, made the cutest headband weaved with leaves for her, answered every question that we had with vast knowledge he has from his upbringing in the jungle. The lodges he chose were comfortable with the kindest people. Food cooked with care, clean sheets and room every time. Please do not skip Limoncocha river… one of the most beautiful place we ever saw at night with the entire water surface lighting up as if a thousand stars have fallen to the water. We saw caiman, caught and ate piranhas, tarantula, 3 kinds of monkeys all over the place, all sorts of birds including Toucan and Hoatzin which were impressive. Cotopaxi was also amazing- we had 3 hour horse ride which was absolutely beautiful with the biggest rainbow we ever saw, and he climbed Cotopaxi with us, encouraging our kid every step of the way. We have been to many countries and did many tours but we were truly impressed with Henry. He is outstanding guy who truly is an Amazon jungle expert as he grew up in it, and is authentic and passionate, honest and patient and connected with his people and give his whole heart. I don’t know what else you can ask from a guide. We were truly lucky to have him for our trip. (The guy with short hair without glasses is Henry...