Questions and answers

Yes. Sinchi Wayra is a family-run lodge and every outing is led by an experienced local guide. Life jackets are provided for all canoe rides, and we brief you on the rules for jungle walks before we set off (stay behind your guide, stay on the trail, wear the rubber boots).

The lodge is remote, but our local manager is reachable by phone and can organise help if anything happens.

Health authorities recommend yellow fever vaccination for the Ecuadorian Amazon, and some countries require the certificate when you arrive from here or travel on. The malaria risk in this area is low; protecting yourself from mosquito bites (long sleeves, repellent) matters more than pills.

Requirements differ by country and person, so please check with a travel doctor well before your trip.

Yes — purified drinking water is free at the lodge, so bring a refillable bottle.

You can swim in the Napo River when your guide says conditions are safe. There is no pool.

Refunds for booking cancellations will be made as follows:

• Free cancellation up to 60 days before the start of the tour (100% refund)
• 50% refund for cancellations 30–59 days before the start of the tour
• No refund for cancellations less than 30 days before the start of the tour

The cancellation policy is effective regardless of the reason for cancellation.

During the booking process we will ask you for your credit card payment (Visa or Mastercard), processed through Stripe as payment provider.

If you prefer wire transfer, reach out to us to find a solution.

Tipping is a completely voluntary gesture toward your guide and the hospitality team. If you enjoyed your tour with us, you are welcome to tip your guide directly — preferably in cash or, alternatively, via credit card using a secure payment link. A tip jar is available in the dining area for tips for the hospitality team. All of our staff greatly appreciate it.

Included:

• Accommodation in a private room with private bathroom
• All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and purified drinking water
• Canoe transfer Coca – lodge – Coca
• All activities and excursions with a naturalist guide
• Rain ponchos and rubber boots

Not included:

• Travel to and from Coca (flight or bus)
• Bottled and alcoholic drinks
• Laundry
• Tips
• Optional extra activities that are not part of your itinerary

Prices are per person and shown on each tour page; the booking widget calculates the exact total for your dates, room and group. Children aged 0–11 pay 50% of the adult rate.

There are no high-season or weekend surcharges. Prices are set per calendar year, and the price you book at is the price you pay.

Choose your tour, date, room and guests on the tour page and pay the full amount by credit card (in USD) to secure your booking. You receive a confirmation email right away — your booking is confirmed once you have it.

If something goes wrong at checkout, write to us and we will send you a secure payment link.

To prepare your stay we ask for:

• Full name, nationality and passport number of each guest
• Age of each guest
• Rubber-boot size
• Dietary needs and allergies
• Your arrival and departure times in Coca (flight or bus)

Unfortunately, our power supply does not currently allow us to prepare hot water and the clear shower water is at ambient temperature. With the warm temperatures in the rainforest, a refreshing shower is very welcome for most of our guests and therefore you won't freeze when showering.

No, our power supply does not allow this, unfortunately. There is no electricity after 10 PM, but the temperatures are not so stifling and absolutely okay for a restful sleep for most of our guests. Unless you are particularly sensitive, we recommend you take a battery-powered fan with you.

We leave the lodge at sunrise in our motorised canoe and are back in Coca at around 9:00 AM. From there we take you to the airport or the bus terminal.

Don't worry about your flight: we know the schedules, we plan the departure from the lodge around your flight time and we make sure you are at the airport on time. Just send us your flight details when you book.

We pick you up as agreed, around 10:00 AM in Coca: at the airport if you fly in, or at our office and tour meeting point in the town centre (Camilo de Torrano y Chimborazo, open in Google Maps).

We agree the meeting place and time with you right after you book, based on your flight or bus. That arrangement stands: we don't get in touch again before the tour starts. From the office it is a short ride to the river, where the canoe to the lodge leaves.

Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana, airport code OCC) is about 40 minutes by plane from Quito or 6 to 8 hours by bus. From Coca we take you down the Napo River to the lodge, about two and a half hours by motorised canoe.

LATAM and the Ecuadorian airline Aeroregional fly daily from Quito (UIO) to Coca (OCC). Book a morning flight that lands before 10:00 AM; your guide waits for you at the airport.

Buses leave from Quito's Quitumbe terminal several times a day and through the night; we recommend Cooperativa de Transportes Baños (WhatsApp or cooperativabanos.com.ec). A night bus gets you to Coca in the morning, in time to meet your guide. Transport to Coca is not included in the tour.

All the details, including the meeting point and the trip back: Getting to Sinchi Wayra.

Yes we do have Wi-Fi available at the lodge, powered by Starlink (100+ Mbit/s Download / 30+ Mbit/s Upload). It is available at the main building and at the most rooms.

Yes, from about 6 AM to 10 PM. Each room has several standard US outlets.

In this case, our standard 5-day/4-night tour is the best option for you, as it includes a variety of activities that give you a comprehensive experience of the Amazon. The tour features wildlife and bird watching from a boat, rainforest hikes, and an introduction to our local Kichwa culture.

Yes. There is no minimum age. Children aged 0 to 11 pay 50% of the adult price and we adapt the activities to their pace.

The only exception is the 9-day Waorani tour, which is for adults only.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals are possible if you tell us in advance. The lodge is remote and supplies are planned days ahead, so please let us know when you book rather than on arrival.

It is a rainforest: rain is part of the experience. We provide ponchos and rubber boots, and the activities usually continue in the rain. If conditions are not suitable, your guide swaps the activity for another one.

Yes. There are no fixed departure dates — every tour can start on any available day of the week.

The number of nights is one less than the number of days: a 4-day tour has 3 nights. Day 1 starts with the morning pick-up in Coca, and on the last day you are back in Coca in the morning.

Of course. Solo travellers get their own private room — we never pair strangers in a room. A single supplement applies; the booking widget shows the exact price when you select one guest.

For the activities you join our small group, and your tour runs even if you are the only guest.

All rooms are private with a private bathroom and real beds with mosquito nets. Regular rooms are in the main building; the Premium Cabins are free-standing, raised cabins with more space — ideal for families and small groups.

Twin beds are possible: just tell us when you book.

Activities run in small groups with a naturalist guide who speaks English and Spanish.

A private guide — your own schedule and a tailored itinerary, ideal for photographers and birders — is available at an extra cost; ask us for a quote. The Birding tour already includes a private guide.

Wildlife is never guaranteed — the animals are wild and free. Very likely are several monkey species, macaws, parrots and toucans, caimans, river dolphins and countless frogs and insects; sloths are often seen. Giant otters, tapirs or a jaguar are rare highlights.

Keen birders get the most out of the Birding tour.

Yes. Our guests range from small children to travellers in their seventies. Walks are on mostly flat jungle trails at a slow pace, and much of the exploring is done by canoe.

Tell us about any mobility limits when you book — your guide will adapt the activities.