Emerald Forest Expeditions

Location
Ecuador

Tour Operator

By Dawn Wohlfarth Arteaga

Emerald Forest Expeditions sells package tours to the Amazon rainforest. The shorter packages – three days, two nights – go to the town of Misahuallí, where travelers stay at Sinchi Runa cabins. From there, guides will lead tourists on jungle hikes, visit the local Quichua community and an animal shelter. Misahuallí is about an hour from Tena, which in turn is about a five to six hour bus ride from Quito.

There is an option for longer expeditions to Pañacocha Lodge, deep in the Amazon rainforest. To get to Pañacocha, a traveler from Quito must first arrive to Coca from Quito – either a 45 minute flight ($120 round-trip) or an eight to 10-hour bus ride. The bus ride is scenic, but grueling.

Pañacocha is a scenic lodge on the Pañayacu river. It is surrounded by primary tropical rainforest, and it is possible to see a number of wild animals there, including monkeys, bats, jaguars and river dolphins. Of course, as with any remote jungle lodge, the birdwatching is phenomenal: toucans, parrots and tanagers are simply a few of the many birds the visitor can expect to see. Guides take tourists on hikes, birdwatching trips, canoe rides and caiman watching expeditions at night.

Package prices are all-inclusive: rates include meals, guide, transportation, park fees, rubber boots, etc. What is not covered is alcoholic beverages at the lodge, tips for guides and other hotel staff, and souvenirs.

Contact Information:
Phone: 593-9-730-1413
URL: www.emeraldexpeditions.com

Traveler Reviews of Emerald Forest Expeditions

Beware of Emerald Forest Expeditions! It's a rip-off!!

Rating: 0%

Don't trust Luis Garcia (the manager of Emerald) and his secretary Andrea Yepez. Eventhough they were nice to us at the beginning they hoodwinked us in the end. Me and my girlfriend went with them on a jungle trip on the 11th of November. We booked their 5 day trip to Panacocha lodge. What happened was that we arrived at a halfwise destroyed and scruffy lodge (we took some photos!). They told us that we had to sleep in the hammocks in the dining room (without mosquito nets!), and with around 20 Tarantulas hanging in the roof above us. Luckily we had our own nets, but we spent a horrible night on the dining room table. Then there was no gas to get a hot meal after it had rained all day. The toilets weren't working and the caretaker disappeared. And one of the most important things also concerning the security, the guide (Eduardo, 20 years old) they assigned to come with us, was totally inexperienced. All this persuaded us to return to Coca (the town where we started) directly the following morning. Luis Garcia was astonished himself about all that and he apologized for that and assured us to give us at least a part of our money back. But we never got our money back. Here is some additional information that completes the dubious story of Emerald Forest and the way they treat their clients: -they didn't have their own office in Quito (we met Andrea at a street corner and went then into an office of her friend) -they started to organize the tour (buying food, setting up the canoe, etc). only after our arrival in Coca -our canoe driver told us that the permission for operating the lodge expires by the end of the year 2005, so in about 6 weeks from the time we were there, this means that they normally have to rebuild all of the lodge and ask for permission at the tribal chief and the province government to build a new lodge somewhere else, so this made sense to us that they let the lodge go to rack and didn't make some improvements So my advice is: Be careful with these guys, even though they have a good reputation in the Lonely Planet

By Thorsten Amft, Dec 16, 2005

I've been on great tours with Emerald Forest Expeditions

Rating: 100%

I have been on quite a few rainforest trips with Luis Garcia and was always thoroughly pleased with them. However, the last time was about 3 years ago and they did have an office in Quito then. But Luis has a true love of the La Selva where he grew up and his genuine enthusiasm rubs off on everyone who goes to the jungle with him. The food was excellent, and accommodation clean but obviously basic - it is the jungle, not a hotel resort! If things have changed them I'm very sorry but hope it's just a one off bad day that sadly does happen in the jungles of Ecuador or anywhere I guess! I would always recommend Luis and Emerald Forest to anyone still and hope to take a group of people there myself later this year. Jeanna Photographer

By V!VA User from London, UK, May 05, 2006

Love it. Went twice.Luis Garcia is excellant

Rating: 100%

nothing

By V!VA User from Montreal,Canada, Jul 20, 2006

4 time guest of Luis Garcia

Rating: 100%

I have taken tours with Luis Garcia on 4 different occassions and they all have been great. Not that there has been problems, what do you expect, this is a jungle tour. Yes alot is done on the spur of the moment, alot changes in the jungle moment to moment. This is really what you call roughing it. Luis is well educated and is depply involved in the enviorment. His jungle trips are always very educating, I would do it again. Comment about the review from Thorsten Amft, this is not a Hilton hotel adventure. In the jungle there will be spiders and bugs everywhere. Even with deet we walk out with 50 to 70 bites. Yes Poop happens! but that is what the whole adventure is sometimes about! Peter

By V!VA User from Los Angeles, Jan 25, 2006