MINDO - NONO & BELLAVISTA BIRDWATCHING TOUR - 8 DAYS
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Day 01.- Arrival in Quito - City Tour
Arrival in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, which lies at 2.800m above sea level. We pick you up from the airport and take you into the hotel Dann Carlton in the modern centre of the city. After a short break you get to explore this big city and learn something about its turbulent history. You will get to experience the new section of the city in the North with its many parks and tall modern buildings, the Avenida Rio Amazonas, the Plazas Santo Domingo, Independencia and San Francisco which are in the colonial section in the South of the city. Due to its many historical architectural monuments the UNESCO declared the old part of town a world heritage site in 1978. From the Panecillo hill in the South of the old part of town, where the high monument of the Virgen of Quito stands at with 43m, you have an impressing prospect. From here you have wonderful views over the red clay tile roves of the old part of town, the skyline of Quito in the North, as well as the surrounding Andean cordilleras range with its outstanding snow-covered mountain giants. While we will enjoy a cocktail in the hotel bar in the evening, we will go over the plans for the journey. -/-/-
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Day 02.- Quito-Yahacocha-Mindo
After breakfast, around 6am, with a packed lunch we leave for the Ecological Reserve Yanacocha that is on the north east side of Volcano Pichincha at 3600m. This area is one globally known for being home to a great diversity of tanagers and hummingbirds and many other special species that we will not find anywhere else on this tour such as: Back-Breasted Puffleg, Rainbow-Bearded Thornbill, Sword-Billed Hummingbird, Buff-Winged Starfrontlet, Shining Sunbeam, Golden-Crowned Tanager, Black-Chested Mountain-Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Buff-Breasted Mountain-Tanager, Scarlet-Bellied Mountain Tanager, Giant Conebill etc. For this reason today it is important to find everything possible before descending the famous Nono route, passing Tanayapa and arriving at the Mindo Gardens Lodge for dinner and acconmodation.
Breakfast /Lunch /Dinner
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Day 03.- Birdwatching in Mindo Cloud Forest
Breakfast at 5am and ready to leave by 5:45am to bird watch in the Mindo valley at 1200m. In this area we will find a mixture of flocks including: tanagers, trepatroncos , fly catchers, toucans, and many different hummingbirds. At 1pm we will have lunch and a short break before returning to bird watch until returning to the hotel for dinner and to record the birds we have seen in the day. B/L/D
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Day 04.- Mindo-Pedro Vicente Maldonado-Mindo
Breakfast at 5am, ready to leave by 5:30am with a packed lunch for a day of birding in the Pedro Vicente Maldonado area, which is a tropical forest zone in the northeast at between 400 and 450m. This is an incredible lush forests that is home to many endemic tropical forest species found otherwise only in south Colombia, northwest Ecuador and few parts of Panama some of these are: Banded Ground-Cuckoo, Rose-Faced parrot, Choco Screch-Owl, Five-Colored Barbet, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Black-Tipped Cotinga, Choco Toucan, Stripe-Billed Aracari, Choco Woodpecker, Double-Banded Graytail, Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, many tanagers and hummingbirds. In the evening we return to the Mindo Gardens Lodge for dinner and to record the days bird list. B/L/D
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Day 05.- Mindo-Bellavista-Tandayapa-Mindo
After breakfast at 5:30am we leave with a packed lunch to bird watch around Bellavista and Tanadayapa two very prolific birding areas at 220m, for this reason the specie diversity is very abundant here especially in tanagers and hummingbirds. In one day it is possible to spot up to 20 different hummingbirds and 12 tanagers as well as: Plate-Billed Mountain-Toucan, Ocellated Tapaculo, Green-And-Black Fruiteater, Golden-Winged Manaquin, Blue-Winged Mountain-Tanager, Grass-Green Tanager,Tanager Finch etc. In the evening we return to the Mindo Gardens Lodge for dinner and to record the days bird list. B/L/D
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Day 06.- Mindo-San Miguel de los Bancos-Mindo
After breakfast we leave with a packed lunch for San Miguel de los Bancos at 850m, where we can find many endemic species such as: Moss-Backed Tanager, Glistening-Green Tanager, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Choco Warbler, Club-WingedManakin, Pacific Tuftedcheek, Stripe-Billed Aracari, Orange-Fronted Barbet, Slate-Tailed Trogon, Tooth-Billed Hummingbird, Rose-Faced Parrot. Etc. After a full day of birding we return to the Mindo Gardens Lodge for dinner and to record the days bird list. B/L/D
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Day 07.- Mindo-Pedro Vicente Maldonado-Mindo
Breakfast at 5am and leave at 5:30am with a packed lunch for Pedro Vicente Maldonado. Today we will bird watch in a unique primary tropical forest zone at 750m. Throughout the day we will remain birding in the forest looking for endemic species only found here some of which are:Rufous-Fronted Wood-Quail, Indigo-Croqned Quail-Dove, Rose-Faced Parrot, Bronze-Winged Parrot, Choco Trogon, Black-Throated Trogon, Collared Trogon, Crimson-Billed Woodpecker, White-Whiskered Puffbird, Choco Toucan, Pale-Mandibled Aracari, Esmeraldas Antbird, Rufous-Crowned Antpitta, Tanagers etc. In the evening we return to Quito, transfert to the Hotel Dann Carlton. B/L/D
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Day 08.- Transfer Out.
After the last day in Ecuador we will bring you to the airport and say good-bye hoping to welcome you another time here in the Middle of the World. B/-/-
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B= Braekfast L= Lunch D=Dinner
Price: USD 1.424- per Person
Single room Supplement USD 250.-
The price includes: All transfers, English speaking ornithologist guide, National park entrance fee, accommodation in double rooms at the above mentioned Hotels and Lodges, meals as mentioned above, free purified water. Our guides are equipped with cell phones for emergencies.
Not included: International Flights, International Airport taxes USD 25,- accommodation in Quito, Single accommodation (available up on request and with extra cost), binoculars, alcoholic beverages, tips, personal items and travel insurance!
Equipment needed for Your Trip:
Comfortable trekking Boots, warm clothes, water proof clothes, binoculars (Rain Poncho, rubber boots, we provide if you want), sun cream, sun glasses, hat, camera, film (100 ASA), and travel alarm clock, flashlight with batteries, zip-lock bags to keep clothing and equipment dry, tennis shoes, gloves, shorts, cotton clothes, long sleeves shirts, pants (but not jeans) towel and personal toilet kit.
VERY IMPORTANT:
This program can change due to weather conditions. Any changes are made in the traveler's best interest and safety.
For groups of more than four, departures can be any day, including special itineraries.
The difficulty of access to the area demands relatively long 4WD auto drives.
If you need any additional information please write us:
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