Cacao reis naar Ecuador !
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Itinerary
Day 1 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Pick up from airport. Transfer to hotel located in the Old Colonial Downtown in Quito. After checking inn and a quick rest we will head towards the Middle of the World Monument, and on our way we will have lunch at a restaurant located inside an extinct volcano.
After lunch we will enter the Monument and visit the famous ethnographic museum which will introduce you to the different indigenous tribes and cultures of Ecuador. We also have the opportunity to stand on the Equator line and take a picture with one foot on the south hemisphere and the other one on the north hemisphere. Then you have some time to walk through the town they have created in here to get some souvenirs or have some coffee or snack. Finally we will visit the Intiñam Museum, where you will be fascinated by the experiments they run (with our help) to prove that you are located in the 0 latitud. Drive back to Quito for dinner and rest of the evening to rest.
An early dinner will be the great opportunity to have an introduction/overview of the tour, by our tour leader.
Day 2 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we travel north towards Otavalo market. We will visit one of the most famous handicraft markets in South America (Otavalo). After a 2 hour visit to the market, we will enjoy a typical lunch and continue our trip towards the Esmeraldas province located in the north coast of Ecuador. On our way we will observe the changes in vegetation between the highlands and the coast. We will arrive to San Lorenzo area at dinner time. After we check in the hotel, we will enjoy a tasty seafood meal. Rest of the evening to relax and enjoy at the lodge gardens.
Day 3 (includes breakfast, box lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will travel approx. 30 minutes to a town called Maldonado, where we will take a boat/canoe to reach villages where native black communities grow cocoa plants. Here we will interact with them and learn how cocoa plants play an important role social, cultural and economically. Of course we have the opportunity to open the cocoa fruits and try the raw cocoa almonds. We will learn the main techniques for growing cocoa and understand why this is a product which helps preserve the environment. Most of the villages are located near on the edge of protected areas. After we visit the crops, we will return to Maldonado to get to know the APROCANE Association, which is the local association where the producers deliver their cocoa beans. We will always have APROCANE staff joining us at all times, to explain how they coordinate and work with its members. At the end of the day, we travel to Tonsupa area for dinner (approx. 2 hours drive). Arrive to Tonsupa for dinner and rest of the night to enjoy at the hotel.
Day 4 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Today we will enjoy at Tonsupa beach. We have a day to enjoy the Pacific ocean, spend it a the beach, and/or visit the town local stores and/or get to see the natives prepare for their fishing trips….. We will enjoy the delicious food from this area of the country.
Day 5 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will visit APROCANE collection center located in San Mateo. Here we will witness the process of buying, collecting, fermenting, drying and stocking the cocoa beans. Most of their production goes directly from here to the port for export to final clients in Europe and some of the production goes to Quito to chocolate factories. We will have the opportunity to smell and taste the fermented cocoa beans. Also, we will learn from the experts the main techniques to obtain a first class fine cocoa. After lunch, we will drive back towards Quito. Early in the evening we will take a night walk through colonial downtown, take a horseback carriage around its narrow streets, and later enjoy dinner.
Day 6 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will have a visit to some residential neighborhoods in Quito. Then we will get deeper into colonial downtown where we will walk through the biggest and best preserved colonial center in South America (declared World Heritage by UNESCO). We will go inside the most representatives and beautiful churches in the colonial downtown and learn the most interesting facts of each location we will visit.
After lunch we will visit the skylift of Quito, where we will reach an altitude of 4100 meters. From this altitude we will observe the Andes surrounded Quito. If it is a clear day we can observe 3 snow capped volcanoes around Quito. Dinner at a typical restaurant overlooking the illuminated downtown.
Day 7 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will to the Amazon region in Ecuador (4 hours drive). We will cross the Andes and admire the beautiful change in vegetation between the 2 regions (7 different climate floors). Arrive to Huasquila Amazon Lodge at lunch time. Check inn at Huasquila. You will love the bungalows, built by local people in kichwa style and in harmony with nature. The bungalows are equipped with all facilities and you can rest a little or just enjoy the view of the Amazon from your hammock. After lunch you can enjoy a quick visit to an animal rescue center and/or stay at the lodge´s pool and enjoy the afternoon.
Day 8 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Today we will discover the Amazon region rafting down its rivers. It is an amazing and secure experience. We will be in the river for approximate 4
hours, surrounded by flora and fauna. We will have lunch at a side of the river and then continue our raft down to the Napo river (biggest affluence of the Amazonas river). At the end of the raft, we will visit the city of Tena, to have time to experience the atmosphere of this town, interact with the locals and see get to know a bit more of the culture. Dinner at Huasquila, and rest of the evening to relax.
Day 9 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Today we will have a hike through secondary rain forest. During the hike a native guide will join us and show us many uses for medicinal plants that grow in the rainforest (at least 15 medicinal plants). The hike is also the opportunity to try some of the rain forest specialties such as lemon ants.
After the hike, we will have lunch at Huasquila Lodge and in the afternoon we will visit a local indigenous community called Rukullacta, where we will observe typical dances, prepare their typical food, do a shaman “cleansing” process for the guest and in general interact with them. Return to Huasquila for dinner and rest of the night.
Day 10 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will travel to 2 different local kychwa indigenous communities, where local farmers that belong to KALLARI Association will host us and show us their cocoa plants, how they work in their farm, try some of their specialities such as chicha, and interact with them. To reach these communities we will have to take boats through some of the Amazon rivers, and we will always have KALLARI staff joining us at all times, to explain how they coordinate and work with its members. At the end of the day we will drive back to Huasquila for dinner and a well deserved rest.
Day 11 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
After breakfast we will visit the city of Tena, from where we will travel to the Collection of Cocoa Center operated by KALLARI. Here we will learn the process of how the Center operates, meet their staff and learn the most interesting facts about KALLARI. We will also spend part of the afternoon visiting with this fascinating organization. The experts at Kallari will explain and demonstrate the different “taste” of cocoa beans, depending on the region is cultivated, the variety that is used, the fermentation process and more.....then we can distinguish between the different aroma and flavour of cocoa. After lunch we will travel back to Quito. We have a quick stop for coffee/hot chocolate at a location famous for hummingbirds observation. Arrive to Quito early in the evening. Check inn at hotel and dinner.
Day 12 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Today we visit a chocolate factory, which buys cocoa beans from APROCANE as well as KALLARI association. This factory processes the cocoa beans and produces a very fine quality chocolate bar which is exported to several European countries. We will go through every step of the process, observing how the cocoa beans convert to fine chocolate.
After lunch we will have time to visit parks, museums, do last minute shopping or relax in Quito district area. For dinner we will enjoy a delicious typical dish at a restaurant overlooking the illuminated downtown. Also we will have a presentation of the pictures taken during the trip. Each guess will receive a CD with these pictures.
Day 13 (includes all meals before departure)
Transfer to airport for departure
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