GUEST COMMENTS

PINK DOLPHIN HOTSPOT 6 DAYS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE ROB / MEGAN - Denver Colorado - USA My 21-year-old daughter and I just arrived home after spending 5 nights / 6 days on the Pink Dolphin Hotspot. We camped at Zancudo Lake (2 nights) and Lagarto Cocha River (2 nights) followed by one night at lodge (owned by friends of Fabian) – Fabian, our guide, was kind enough to arrange the last night at this lodge so we didn’t need to travel as long on the last day to return to Lago Agrio as we had to get back to Quito that evening. Fabian, was our guide for the tour but my understanding is that he isn’t commonly the primary guide – due to COVID he served as our guide. We also had a boat captain (he went by four names – William, Darwin, Charles, Paco), chef (Tamara) and an assistant ; two of whom are also guides. So in total we had four “staff” for only the two of us as we were the only guests. Let me start by stating emphatically that the tour itinerary, tour personnel, and camping accommodations exceeded our expectations in every way. Fabian is a master organizer and wonderful person. Before the tour, Fabian was responsive to my e-mails and provided answers to many questions (best way to get to Lago Agrio, where to stay before the tour, what would be provided for camping, etc.). As a result, I felt well prepared. Fabian is genuinely interested in educating guests about the Ecuadorian Amazon, the animals, and its many people and cultures. He always addressed every question with honesty and openness and didn’t shy away from more controversial issues like local politics. As for the tour, it was fantastic. Having four expert spotters helped tremendously to find the animals. We saw five species of monkeys, many pink dolphins, two species of Caiman, birds birds birds and more birds (my favorite being scarlet Macaws and toucans), bats, baby scorpions, beautiful butterflies, and spiders (including a tarantula living in one of our bathrooms). Unfortunately, we did not see any snakes, frogs, or otters. It seemed that the deeper down river we went the more animals we saw so I highly suggest taking this tour that puts you on the border with Peru. Other highlights included fishing piranha (we managed to catch three different species), searching for the red eyes of Caimans at night, visiting a Secoya village where we made Yuka bread from scratch, navigating narrow channels with a motorized canoe too large to fit but somehow it did, and trading coca cola for cooking oil with the Ecuadorian border patrol. Most activities require the boat so be prepared for lots of canoe rides. The food was terrific and plentiful. Tamara is an excellent cook and often provided local dishes for us to try. You won’t go hungry. Fabian brings plenty of gear so you are pampered while camping (e.g. French press for coffee, drinking water beside our tents, the occasional beer or “pina colada”). He also will let you know what to wear and provides rubber boots for you to use. The captain is an expert navigator and safety is his primary concern. The campsites are open-air structures with excellent roofs so you don’t get wet when it rains. They are spacious and comfortable although most days you won’t spend much time at the camp sites. Both sites had working toilets and one site (Lagarto Cocha River) had a functional shower with hot water – this site is only six months old and has a care taker and his family living there so it’s well taken care of. I should also mention that I was initially a bit leery of swimming in the water so Fabian made a makeshift shower at the first campsite (Zancudo Lake). I felt bad because we ended up swimming and didn’t use the shower – luckily the crew did. A few considerations: 1) The water was quite high when we went (early July). This means that navigating the rivers is easier but spotting water animals is more difficult. We did one night hike and I would have liked to do another but between rain storms and high water it was difficult to find opportunities to do so. 2) Immediately before this tour, we were in the Galapagos where animals are plentiful and easy to see. Don’t expect this in the Amazon. The animals are not accustomed to people so spotting them is difficult and often from afar (bring good binoculars). You may only get a short glimpse so be ready. 3) While Fabian makes every effort to provide you with comfort, this is still camping in the wilderness with lots of travel. The tour may not be for everyone – I’m 50-something and I hadn’t camped in a decade and I felt comfortable but expect to be sweaty, somewhat dirty, and ladened with repellent and sun screen. 4) What you see and do is governed by the elements of the outdoors. If it rains, there isn’t much to see – one morning we were going to adventure out when the skies opened up so we had to delay our start to that day. 5) You will spend time setting up and taking down camps. But listening to the sounds of the jungle in a tent with no one else nearby is an amazing experience. When travelling between sites you are still looking for animals so this didn’t feel like you’re missing a day. 6) We brought plenty of bug spray but I only found the mosquitos to be plentiful the last night at the lodge – sand flies were bad everywhere but bug spray isn’t effective for preventing their bites – expect to be itchy. 7) Tipping is appreciated but with only two of us and four crew, it was more than I anticipated yet they all deserved gratuities. 8) Getting to Lago Agrio isn’t easy. We rented a car partly because we spent a few days near Cotopaxi before driving to Lago Agrio. Fabian provided secure parking. The drive is windy, the road will have sudden sections of gravel / potholes, and some drivers are crazy but the scenery is beautiful. On the way back, the highway was closed for several hours because of protesters. My understanding is that the road closes frequently for various reasons. 9) Speaking Spanish helps to interact with the local communities and the boat captain. Luckily, my daughter is fluent but I wish I was so I could have interacted more. 10) Make sure you bring extra chargers (all the sites have power for a few hours each evening but don’t rely on this as you may be out doing an evening event), good binoculars and strong flash lights (aka torches).