Sacha Lodge — Hotel in Parroquia Limoncocha

Our trip to Sacha lodge was simply amazing. Starting with their guides meeting us at the Coca airport, then a 2 hr motorized canoe ride down the Napo river. Then, a 20 minute hike, then a 30 minute canoe ride to the lodge. We saw 2 different types of monkeys just on the canoe ride to the lodge!

At the lodge, the rooms were nice. one wall was a giant window looking out on the rain forest. There is purified water throughout the lodge (but don't drink the tap water.) The food is all prepared with purified water, so everything is safe. Some of their literature warns you not to flush toilet paper, but the plumbing must have been updated, as we weren't told that and never had a problem.

As for excursions, they were all a mix of walking and canoeing. The Lodge provides rubber boots and you'll need them pretty much every time you go on a hike. They also have ponchos, if needed. Our guide, Luis, was also our naturalist. He could explain literally everything about the forest. Identifing birds by their calls and unerringly pointing the telescope he always brought in the perfect direction and finding a 3 inch high bird 100 meters away in a tree. He could also discuss the plants the indigenous peoples used as medicines.

We saw about 30 different types of birds, especially beautiful toucans, macaws, and parrots. We saw 4 different species of monkeys, as well as sloths. Luis was a pro at taking pictures from our phones through the telescope. We got some truly amazing pictures of wildlife. We also did a night walk and found humongous spider webs, stick insects, and more. Not to mention massive kaipok trees, but Dragon's Blood trees, and massive Royal Palms that look like they are straight out of jurassic park.

A true highlight was the canopy walk in A series of three 130 foot high towers, spaced about 100 yards apart, connected by two (very safe) metal suspension bridges. If you're afraid of heights, maybe skip this, but we had a beautiful view of the forest. A thunderstorm started when we were up there and watching and listening to the rain was magical, followed by the forest coming back to life once it stopped.

We happened to have a guide just for the two of us, but in general groups are no bigger than 6 people, so you have lots of attention. The experience at Yasuni National Park where 2 indigenous women discussed their life and offered us roasted yuca, hearts of palm, plantains, and roasted grubs(if you dare. (I didn't)) was wonderful.

The parrot lick cliff was very cool, as well. Nearly a hundred parrots, parakeets, macaws all in the same place.

The food was also excellent at the lodge, especially at dinner.

All-in-all, Sacha Lodge was a truly remarkable experience. We spent the 3 nights (2 and a half days) there, which...

Wonderful lodge. One of the best in the Amazon. I recommend 2-3 days. The lodge recommends 3, but I think 2 is enough for most people as the heat, humidity, and insects can still be overwhelming even if you’re staying in a really nice place.

The lodge has 3 daily activities. The morning one which is 3+ hours and usually you wake up at 5am (4am if for sunrise). The afternoon one which starts around 3:30-4:30 and lasts 2-3 hours. And the night time one which is 30-45 min usually starting past 8pm. Breakfast is as early as 5am, lunch is at 1pm and dinner is at 7pm. You’ll have a few hours mid day when it’s the hottest to nap (also less likely to see animals as they are hiding from the heat too).

I’d recommend day 1 when you arrive, for afternoon, do the triple metal towers for sunset followed by a night walk. Day 2, do the indigenous culture visit (gets back at 1pm), an afternoon jungle walk/canoe, and a night canoe. Day 3 do a sunrise hike to the tree house tower, you’ll finish around 7-7:30am and can head out to your flight. (While we did 4 days 3 nights, I actually recommend the above 3 days 2 nights, as we repeated the tree house twice and afternoon walk/canoe twice in different trails but unless you specialize in jungle, you can’t tell anyway. Some of the other people started to skip activities by then as the jungle is inherently overwhelming, so 3 days 2 nights is just perfect.)

The room itself is nice with open air windows with bug screens (you can’t close the windows as the airflow is a must). There is no AC, only fan. The evening can get more cool but midday is still very hot. Took lots of showers to cool down. They said they were in the process to upgrade the rooms to have AC so check when you book!

Everything is included in the price except WiFi and drinks. Food is phenomenon.

Note after the Coca airport, you’ll take a 2 hour speed boat and then switch to a hand rowed canoe so plan for 3 hours to get from Coca airport...

We had the pleasure of spending 3 nights in a beautiful rainforest resort on the Napo River. Access from Coca was by motorized boat, the a 1 mile hike, ending with a canoe ride through the forest. You arrive at a lake where you get your first look across the lake. As you dock you see the main dining room in front with a second building to the right. This open air structure is where you have your breakfast and lunch. It also has a small bar as well as a small sun deck net to the river pool. This small pool is a double net system to protect you from any of the nefarious creatures such as piranha. I did not use it but a number of our group did and said it was a fun experience. |The rooms are large one room and a bath units, two units together. The rear of the rooms have a full window with deck door. There are two comfortable looking hammocks and two chairs. The bathroom is large with a huge glass enclosed shower, including the outside wall. At least in our room there is a drop down curtain. It has a single sink with enough room for me and my wife.|What makes this resort special though are the staff starting at the very top with the Lodge Manager, Julio Z. He was always there be it to let you know about the resort amenities, to stop to inquire about your meal or any experience you are having. It definitely was not the same as the restaurant hostess stopping to ask about your meal as she’s looking for the next table. This quality attention rolls down the chain and is maintained by every staff member we had contact with.|Food was very good. I am a finicky eater and I was always satisfied by what was offered. If you see red fruit cobbler on the menu make sure to try it.|As to what you can do, they have guided canoe rides. A 200 step tower takes you above the rainforest canopy. At the top is a walkway bridge. There is another stairway up a giant kapok tree. |Count yourself lucky if...