Amazon Mushroom Chocolate Tours
-
An 8-day specialized tour geared towards adults eager to learn about the array of mushrooms that canvas this jungle, as well as the chocolate process from bean to bar.
- Our specialized staff will guide you in this unique program with live demonstrations so you can make the most of your exploration.
Cost for all-inclusive itinerary:
- $1750 shared accommodation
- $2100 private room & bathroom
Itinerary
Arrival: Quito
Day 1:
Upon arriving at the new airport located outside of Quito, you will be taken to your accommodation 45 min drive away. Your accommodation has thermal hot springs, which you will have the opportunity to enjoy the next morning.
Day 2:
After lunch you will journey by private transportation to Misahualli in the Napo Province. In Misahualli you will transfer into a motorized canoe to take a short ride on the River Napo to the lodge.
You will have dinner at Ecuador Jungle chocolate lodge (EJC); after a brief orientation Larry Evans will commence the introduction of Mushrooms of the Amazon.
Day 3:
Breakfast will be served at 8.30am.
You will take a canoe down the river Napo to a biological reserve. This is a full day tour lead by Larry Evans in search of mushrooms stopping along the way for lunch. Late afternoon you will return back upstream by canoe to the Lodge.
Dinner will be served at 6.30pm. Evening talks will surround chocolate tasting and identification of the days mushroom find.
Day 4:
Breakfast will be served at 8.30am
After breakfast you will visit the history of cacao museum at the lodge and plantation hike. Lunch will be served at 1.00pm.
This is a free afternoon to relax in the hammock beside the river or go to visit the village of Misahaulli . Early evening after a light snack you will venture out for a night hike, to look for mushrooms, see nocturnal animals, and luminous plants and insects.
Dinner will be served when you return to lodge at 9pm.
Day 5:
Breakfast will be served at 9.30am
After breakfast you will visit the Famous Caves and enjoy the poolside activities before lunch. On the return we will stop and hike into the Las Cascadas (waterfalls) hunting for wild mushrooms prolific to the area, enjoying the streams and the pools of clear water which make this hike extraordinaire.
Day 6:
After breakfast we will visit Kichwa communities were they share their rich culture of dance, chichi and food. Tubing down the napo river on the return is always a refreshing option. Chocolate will be the focus for the remainder of this day. Yum!!
Day 7:
A visit to the well-organized refuge center, down river, is a wonderful way to get to see the fauna which is being rehabilitated to return to the wild. On the return you’ll enjoy the opportunity to see displays of old hunting and fishing methods passed down through the generations.
Day 8:
Your final tour day will be traveling from Misahualli, to a popular area outside of Quito for the night. This evening you will experience a special menu created to include mushrooms and chocolate. A small specialty restaurant hidden away from the main stream will open and prepare food exclusively for this event. For those of you who would like to extend your stay we have add on options for you to enjoy more of this fabulous country.
Includes in-country transportation, meals, accommodation and tours.12% tax and alcohol not included.Minimum of 10 persons for a tour.Itinerary subject to changes.Flights, gifts, gratuities not included.
Angela & Jaime
Accomplished tour leaders with a special interest in chocolate related excursions.
Mushroom Specialist: Larry Evans
With a degree in botany and a minor in microbiology, throughout his extensive world travels has become known as “the Indiana Jones of mushrooms.”