Getting to Sinchi Wayra

Most guests fly. LATAM and Aeroregional fly daily from Quito's Mariscal Sucre airport (UIO) to Coca's Francisco de Orellana airport (OCC). The flight takes about 40 minutes and crosses the Andes into the Amazon.

• Arrival day: book a morning flight that lands before 10:00 AM. Your guide waits for you at the airport.
• Departure day: we are back in Coca at around 9:00 AM and take you to the airport in time for your flight. We know the schedules and plan the departure from the lodge around them, so there is no need to worry.
• Schedules change with the season. Book on the airline's website and send us your flight times, and we plan your pickup around them.
• Flying in from abroad? Plan a night in Quito before the tour (hotels near the airport in Tababela save you the drive into the city), and ideally one after it in case a flight is delayed.

Buses to Coca leave from Quito's Quitumbe terminal several times a day and through the night. The ride over the Andes takes about 6 to 8 hours. A night bus gets you to Coca early in the morning, in time to meet your guide; from the bus terminal in Coca it is a short taxi ride to our office.

Driving yourself? The paved road runs from Quito via Papallacta, Baeza and Loreto to Coca. You can leave the car in Coca while you stay at the lodge: ask us where to park safely.

Your guide meets you around 10:00 AM at the airport or at our office and tour meeting point in the town centre (Camilo de Torrano y Chimborazo, open in Google Maps). Bring all your luggage if you like, the canoe has plenty of space; or leave what you don't need in the jungle at the office and pick it up on the way back.

Coca is the last town with ATMs before the river: bring some cash for tips and for anything you would like to buy from the communities.

Arriving by bus or on an afternoon flight? Spend the night before in Coca: there is a good choice of hotels near the river and the centre, and we are happy to recommend one when you book. That way the 10:00 AM start is an easy one.

From Coca it is about two and a half hours down the Napo River in a covered motorised canoe, with life jackets for everyone. For this long ride we bought a new canoe: faster, with a stronger engine and comfortable full seats. On the way you will likely see herons, kingfishers and river turtles.

Keep a rain jacket, sunscreen and water at hand. A dry bag or a plastic liner inside your backpack keeps your things dry in a tropical downpour.

• Passport numbers and boot sizes: we need them for every traveller before arrival. You can add them any time with the link in your booking confirmation email.
• Rubber boots: we lend you boots at the lodge in your size. The trails are wet, so they are the most important piece of gear.
• Vaccinations: yellow fever vaccination is recommended for the Amazon region. Ask your doctor or travel clinic in good time.
• Packing and weather: see when to go and what to pack.