RFI: Ecuador – which lodge at Cuyabeno, Mindo, Eastern slope
Hello,
I am thinking of going independently to Ecuador for last minute.
My idea is to spend 3-4 nights at the eastern slopes, 4 nights in Cyuabeno and 4-5 nights in Mindo area.
I do not have budget for expensive lodges like San Isidro, and I might better spend it on a private guide in Cuyabeno. Yasuni is harder to get to, usually much more expensive (except for Mandari Panga and lodges west of the park, and I want to avoid all cultural programs) and most importantly, it seems Cuyabeno is better for photography angles. Maybe I am wrong.
Regarding Cuyabeno, I am trying to decide between:
1) Waita lodge (they have zero culture all wildlife 5 days programme and are more remote), but I am not sure if I will not miss out on some important species, notably the black caiman and some dendrobatidae. According to the lodge, there is lower chance only for dolphins compared to Laguna Grande.
2) Any Laguna Grande lodge, where i would choose based on price for a private guide, or, if too expensive (sometimes it is up to 250 USD/d), based on other stuff like group size, if they have a canopy tower etc.
Do you have any experience with those?
Regarding eastern slopes, most of reports I found do San Isidro, Guango etc., which are out of my reach. I would love to see the tapir and the bear, but on the other hand it does not feel like I want to spend 2-3 days dedicated to that instead of getting 40 new frog species elsewhere. As this is the last minute, I did not have much time to study this part yet (and I would probably start with it), but if you have any tips as of where to go to see species different to the Amazon proper, I will gladly hear them. I would like to focus on Dendrobatidae as well (obviously not too compatible with the bear), as I do not feel I would get as lot of them in Cuyabeno, if any at all.
For western slopes, I would go probably to Mindo, possibly stay 3 nights in Yellow house or similar establishment (if there is such), not sure if I will be able to visit Bellavista if I do not stay there, but that would probably be best for crepuscular and maybe even diurnal mammals. Some nights I would spend on herping tours, and at least once I would like to try the lake for frogs. Also there are supposedly guaranteed armadillost in Las Tangaras, not sure if that is true, iNat data do not support that, but anyway, in Mindo there are many reserves and one could probably always find something to do.
I might try to go to Maquipucuna, but for a day visit only, and not sure if it is not too early in the season to see the bears.
In the meantime, I hope to get a lot of toucans, hummingbirds and hopefully macaws as well (even though Yasuni would arguably be much beter for those).
Also, quite importantly, once again I am not sure if to bring 100 – 400 or 150 -600 (on a DX body). On Madagascar, I was quite glad I had 150 – 600, but it is heavy, not sure how slippery walks I will undertake (as opposed to October Madagascar) plus it forces me to go quite greatly over carry-on weight.
I will be greatful for any tips or corrections :).
Thank you. 🙂
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5 Comments
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Ian Thompson
I agree with Ben, Tiputini is significantly better than Cuyabeno and very reasonably priced. In Papallacta you can stay somewhere inexpensive and go out with Patricio or Mauricio to look for Andean Bears and Mountain Tapir, but you would need to allot at least two days for this, which would take away from time elsewhere. The bears are very hit-or-miss in Maquipucuna and you will see few other mammals there, although the birdlife is exceptional. If you wanted to maximize your species list, a couple of days in Mindo plus a couple of days in Canande would probably be your best bet, although you will feel somewhat pressed for time. So many great spots in Ecuador…
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Asanoth
Thank you. What do you think makes Tiputini better than Cuyabeno?
Canande is in Esmeralda, which my insurance does not cover (advise against all but essential travel), and quite importantly, there is a bit of overlap in species with Costa Rica where I have been (not seeing that much though).
I am no necessarily (only) after highest species count, I would cherish more getting good photos.My current preliminary itinerary is:
0: arrive to Quito before midnight
1: rest in the morning, go to Papallacta, walk around to antenas
2: Papallacta
3: Day visit to Guango, evening bus to Lago Agrio
4,5,6,7: Cuyabeno
8: Leave Cuyabeno, bus to Tena (possibly night tour in Tena, ideally for pygmy caiman)
9: Day in Tena and around – main motivation are poison dart frogs and red-mantled saddle-back tamarin in the city park, i am thinking of skipping this (half a day next day is enough for the park) and adding a day in Mindo area instead. In Tena-Puerto, though, there are species specific to south of the Napo area (so similar to Yasuni, even though in different density I imagine).
10: morning in Tena park, move to Quito -> Mindo
11, 12, 13 Mindo
14 – Mindo till 4,5 pm, then bus to Quito and head home
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Ian Thompson
Tiputini has historically had much less poaching and less pollution from oil extraction than Cuyabeno, although that may be changing. On two visits to Tiputini I had all 10 possible primates both times, along with both peccaries, both sloths, tamandua, acouchi, agouti, paca, mouse opposums, etc. on at least one of the two visits. By pygmy caiman do you mean Paleosuchus trigonatus? These are easily seen at Tiputini, although I imagine this might also be the case at Cuyabeno or Tena.
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Andrea Ghidoni
Hi Asanoth, please contact me on whatsapp +39 3755899449, I’m organizing an ecuador trip rn in collaboration with Photo wildlife tours.