Today, we will arrive at our hotel located in the Puembo Valley, near the Mariscal Sucre International Airport and Quito, the capital city.

In the evening, we will have a welcome dinner where participants will meet, introduce themselves, and attend a brief meeting about the activities planned for the upcoming days.

In a flight of approximately 45 minutes, we will travel from Quito to Coca (Francisco de Orellana), crossing the eastern Andes.

In Coca, we will board comfortable covered canoes. During the less-than-two-hour journey, we will enjoy the beautiful view of the Napo River basin and occasional animal sightings. We will then arrive at a small river where, after a 10-minute journey, we will disembark at our home for the next few days—a beautiful and comfortable lodge surrounded by forest canopy and a nearby river. Upon arrival, visitors are warmly greeted with a refreshing drink and a briefing before being guided to their cabins.

After lunch, we will rest, enjoy our accommodations, and familiarize ourselves with the surroundings while discussing our goals for the following days.

After dinner, we will prepare our boots, flashlights, and cameras for the first night of herping. While visiting flooded areas, we will search for and photograph various frogs, such as monkey frogs (Phyllomedusa vaillanti, Phyllomedusa tarsius), milk frogs (Sphaenorhynchus lacteus), and clown frogs like Dendropsophus reticulatus. With luck, we might encounter a Pipa pipa. Additionally, lizards such as Anolis or dwarf iguanas (Enyalioides laticeps) might be found resting on branches and leaves, while snakes like the rainbow boa, Amazon tree boa, coral snakes (Micrurus surinamensis), or vipers like the Amazonian lancehead (Bothrops atrox) or the green parrot snake (Bothrops bilineatus) might appear.

These days will include relaxing daytime activities like visiting lagoons, walking through the jungle, canoeing, and birdwatching. We might see monkeys, toucans, sloths, and various herpetofauna, such as the poisonous frog Ameerega bilinguis. Sunbathing snakes, like Chonta snakes (Chironius sp.), and Dracaena guianensis resting on branches by the water, especially on sunny days, are common sights. If we are fortunate, we might spot a green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) near the rivers and lagoons we visit. Our main efforts will focus on nighttime activities when reptile and amphibian life flourishes. We hope to find the Amazonian leaf frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus).

We will leave the hotel early and travel 10 minutes to the Napo River. In less than two hours, we will reach the port in Coca. The return flight from Coca to Quito will be scheduled according to the airline’s arrangements.

Upon arriving in Quito, we will head to Mindo, about two hours away. On the way, we will stop at a site with a great diversity of hummingbirds (up to 23 species have been recorded). Orioles and colorful tanagers occasionally visit the feeders. We will continue to our lodge, where, after a warm welcome and lunch, we will head to our rooms for a rest. The lodge offers cozy spaces for birdwatching while waiting for the night. After dinner, we will search for lizards like Anolis equatorialis and Anolis gemmosus, yellow male clown frogs (Dendropsophus carnifex), torrent frogs (Hyloscirtus alytolylax), and, with luck, the Pinocchio lizard (Anolis proboscis) or glass frogs like Nymphargus grandisonae and Espadarana prosoblepon. While rare, snakes like Bothriechis schlegelii, Bothrops osbornei, or Bothrocophias campbelli inhabit these forests.

Early risers can visit a hide where Masked trogon (Trogon personatus), Rufous motmot (Baryphthengus martii), Barred forest falcon (Micrastur ruficollis), and Long-wattled umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger) might appear.

After breakfast, we will visit a reserve to see Plate-billed mountain toucan (Andigena laminirostris), Toucan barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus), and numerous hummingbirds and tanagers.

At night, we will search for dwarf lizards (Enyalioides oshaughnessyi), glass frogs, snakes, and other species, including the torrent frog (Hyloscirtus mashpi), discovered in 2015.

After breakfast, we will travel 4–5 hours to a lodge nestled between the Tropical Andes and the Chocó rainforest. This well-preserved area is a refuge for coastal Ecuadorian herpetofauna. We will explore the new ecosystem after dinner to find species like the pygmy boa (Tropidophis boulengeri), Palm tree frogs (Boana pellucens), and other endemic species.

We will walk the forest during the day to search for anoles, snakes, and other creatures. At night, we will focus on nocturnal herping to find species like lanceheads, vipers, and coral snakes.

We will visit the Jambatu Center for Amphibian Research and Conservation before returning to our hotel.

After a farewell dinner, it’s time to say goodbye and hope to meet again on another adventure.