Amazon Rainforest Lodge: Sani Lodge

Welcome to Sani Lodge, a unique holiday lodging experience in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Our eco-friendly cabins are nestled in the lush jungle of the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and explore the rich culture of the local indigenous community, all while enjoying comfortable accommodations and personalized service.

At Sani Lodge, we believe that sustainability and responsible tourism go hand in hand. As a community we strive to promote the conservation of our traditional ways of life in the rainforest. Our eco-friendly cabins are built using traditional techniques and local materials, and are designed to minimize our impact on the environment while providing a comfortable and authentic experience for our guests.

Whether you’re an adventure seeker, a nature enthusiast, or simply looking for a peaceful retreat, Sani Lodge offers you a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Join us for an unforgettable holiday lodging experience in the Amazon rainforest, and discover the magic of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve.

Activities in the jungle are very weather-dependent. This is the lodge’s standard 4-night program which is always subject to change:

Day 1 – Your journey will start with a 45-minute flight from Quito to Coca where a chauffeur will pick you up and transfer you to a local hotel located on the banks of Napo River. There, your bilingual guide will give you a safety introduction before embarking on a 3-hour boat trip on the largest Ecuadorian affluent of the Amazon, the Napo River. During the journey you’ll get a taste of the Amazon; ancestral communities, birds such as: herons, egrets, vultures, while enjoying a packed lunch. The canoe ride is followed by a 5-minute walk and 20-minute paddle canoe across the Challuacocha creek. The lodge staff will welcome you with refreshing drinks and snacks before you settle down in your cabins.

Later, you’ll have the option to take a short walk on nearby trails or take a canoe ride with the chance to observe primates, Amazon birds and black caimans in their primitive setting. You’ll also have a close encounter with the amazing flora represented by cedar trees, orchids, and bromeliads. Upon your return to the lodge, our chef will be happy to offer a wide variety of national and international cuisine.

After dinner you’ll have the chance to explore the black-water Oxbow Lake, a haven for one of the increasingly endangered species, the black caiman. This lake supports a healthy population of these large South-American crocodiles, which can measure up to 6 meters (18ft.) long. Later, you’ll return to the lodge.

Day 2 – After breakfast, you will experience life on the tree tops from the 36 meter (118 ft.) observation tower. To get there, you will paddle on the Challuacocha Lake and then through the beautiful Igapo Forest for about 30 minutes, followed by a short 10-minute walk. Over 565 species of birds have been registered so far, including colorful birds such as macaws, toucans, honey-creepers, tanagers, flycatchers, hummingbirds and with a bit of luck you’ll get a close view of howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys and sloths resting on the canopy. The tower gives you a unique perspective, opening up a whole new world of Amazon biodiversity that is often difficult, if not impossible to see from the understory. The journey continues exploring the nearby trails searching for more Amazonian creatures. You’ll then return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, there will be many alternative activities for your enjoyment such as birdwatching from the dining hall or simply relaxing in the hammocks. In the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to hike Chorongo or Coto trails for about 3 hours to the fantastic terra-firme forest to discover the relationships among the different living creatures and the role they play in this complex ecosystem. Orchids, vines, strangler figs, ancient trees and bromeliads are all part of this fabulous tropical rainforest. After this hike you’ll return to the lodge for dinner. After dinner you’ll have the option to take a night walk to see how myriads of insects, spiders and frogs come alive.

Day 3 – After an early breakfast you’ll head back to the Napo River to board the motor canoe and visit the parrot clay lick at Yasuní, a natural landslide where hundreds of parrots search for a gap to land and eat the clay. Here you will see Mealy-Amazon, Yellow-crowned, Orange-winged and Blue-headed parrots. You will continue with a walk in the Yasuní National Park for a wonderful view of flora and fauna of this area, considered by scientists to be the most biodiverse area in the world. Here you can spot some species that cannot be found to the north of Napo River, like the golden-mantled tamarins, spider monkeys, blue-and-yellow macaws and with a bit of luck a close encounter with white-lipped or collared peccaries. You’ll then head back to Sani Community Center to visit a native house to get a taste of how a typical Kichwa family lives. You’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the food, drinks, customs, and culture of the Sani community and learn how the lifestyle of the locals is environmentally sustainable. Later, you’ll return to the lodge for piranha fishing and a well-deserved dinner.

Day 4 – You will explore the hidden corners of Sani Lodge during a 6-hour hike on Chorongo Largo Trail for a close encounter with stunning wildlife represented by wooly monkeys, troops of squirrel monkeys, white-fronted capuchin monkeys, parrots, macaws, toucans and with a bit of luck tapirs and even peccaries. Discover the magic world of untouched, virgin forest in a once in a lifetime experience. Lunch will be served in the middle of the forest, surrounded by tree ferns, ancient kapoks, palms, and tons of magical energy at all levels. You’ll return to the lodge in the afternoon for dinner. Your physical capability may influence your ability to undertake this activity. You will have the option to change the longer trail for shorter ones as well as longer canoe rides, so there is less physical exertion.

Day 5 – On the final day of this epic adventure, you’ll depart from the lodge at 5:00 a.m. for the last canoe ride and encounter with the flora and fauna of the Amazon jungle. Then you board the motorized canoe back to Coca, where you will arrive on time for your flight back to Quito. A packed breakfast will be served on the way.