EduTour Adventures
Ceiba’s EduTours combine education and tourism for the traveler that values learning as an integral part of exploring the world. As a non-profit conservation organization, Ceiba’s trips are led by authentic conservation practitioners. You will not just see amazing wildlife in remote wilderness, you will learn how important these ecosystems are for both biodiversity and humanity. See details below for our 2020 trips to the Galapagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. These trips can be done separately or combined into one amazing adventure!
Enjoy a 5% discount on the combined Galapagos-Amazon trip!
Journey to the Galapagos
March 20 – March 29, 2020
Ready to book? Reserve your space now!
Highlights:
Explore Darwin’s enchanted isles aboard a 16-passenger liveaboard yacht.- Get up close with iconic Galapagos wildlife both above ground and in the water with daily land visits and snorkeling!
- Educational presentations on the ecology, conservation, and history of these areas by experienced biologists.
Trip Details:
The Galapagos Islands are a living museum of evolution, a World Heritage site, and Charles Darwin’s most famous destination! Share the above-ground and underwater wonders of this volcanic archipelago with Ceiba biologists who have traveled and studied in these islands for more than a decade, and a highly knowledgeable local naturalist guide (bilingual, of course), all aboard a comfortable 16-passenger live-aboard vessel that plies the seas between these world renowned islands. Besides an in-depth adventure in Galapagos, your tour offers some fun optional side-trips — read on! You may also combine your Galapagos journey with an Adventure to the Amazon.
Your trip begins in the capital city Quito, from where you may opt for a day hike into the lush Andean cloud forest at the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, led by a local guide. That evening, you’ll have the option to tour Quito’s colonial district and get to know your fellow travelers over traditional Ecuadorian food. The next morning, we fly to Galapagos and board comfortable motor-yachts for our 8-day natural history cruise. We visit new sites each day for close-up views of the islands’ unique wildlife, including Galapagos tortoises, sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins, blue-footed boobies, and of course Darwin’s finches! You’ll also have many opportunities to snorkel with the islands’ abundant marine life. Ceiba staff give engaging presentations on topics ranging from the success of giant tortoise reintroduction, to the challenge of invasive species, to modern discoveries about the theory of evolution. Don’t worry, there’s no homework and no quizzes … and plenty of time for rest and relaxation too!
Tentative Itinerary*
Day 1 (Fri): Arrival in Quito, Ecuador – transfer to hotel
Day 2: Cloud forest at El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, Quito Colonial District (optional)
Day 3 (Sun): Flight to Galapagos – Embark Yacht, Visit Bachas beach
Day 4: Visit Isla Genovesa – Darwin Bay & El Barranco
Day 5: Visit Isla Bartolomé & Isla Santiago
Day 6: Visit Isla Daphne, Black Turtle Cove & Cerro Dragon
Day 7: Visit Isla Santa Cruz – Charles Darwin Station & Highlands
Day 8: Visit Isla Floreana – Post Office Bay, Punta Cormorant & Devil’s Crown
Day 9: Visit Isla Española – Punta Suárez & Bahia Gardener
Day 10 (Sun): Visit Isla San Cristobal, Disembark – Flight to Quito
Day 11 (Mon): Depart Ecuador, or join the Adventure to the Amazon
Cost
2020 Journey to Galapagos – base rate $4675 / person (based on double occupancy)
Price includes: domestic round-trip airfare from Quito to/from the Galapagos, two nights hotel and dinners in Quito, 8-day Galapagos cruise with all food and lodging aboard, required tourist card, and airport transfers. Price does not include: optional add-ons (see below), international airfare to Quito, dinner on Day 1 in Quito (unless this option is booked), Galapagos National Park entrance fee ($100 payable in cash upon arrival to the park), alcoholic beverages, personal items, and tips. A 20% deposit is due upon reservation (see below).
Optional Add-ons:
- Cloud forest hike at the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve (includes lunch): $75 / person
- Historic Old Town Quito walking tour: $45 / person
- Third (final) night in historic Hacienda Su Merced (includes dinner and airport transfer): $135 / person – note that if you are continuing on the Adventure to the Amazon, this night is included in the price.
- Combine with an Adventure to the Amazon and receive 5% off
Note: The trip cost is based on double occupancy. This means that you will share a room in the hotel in Quito, and on the boat with one other person.
To book your space on this EduTour, contact Ceiba. When you book:
- You will receive an invoice for a 20% deposit payable by check to Ceiba Foundation
- Please pay your deposit by the due date on the invoice to confirm your reservation
- Please pay your balance by February 1, 2020
You may mail us a check, or pay with a credit card online, however there is a 3% sucharge for credit cards. Ceiba is a non-profit organization, so we thank you for your understanding.
You will receive final details (what to bring, where to meet, what to read, and much more) in early February.
Mailing address:
Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation
301 S. Bedford Street, Suite 7A
Madison, WI 53703
608-230-5550
Questions? Contact Us!
Adventure to the Amazon
March 29 – April 4, 2020
Ready to book? Reserve your space now!
Highlights:
- Immerse yourself for 6 days and 5 nights in the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth — the Amazon rain forest
- Amazing wildlife viewing potential, including spider monkeys, toucans, macaws, river otters, river dolphins, and the elusive jaguar
- Learn about the world’s most vasts tropical forest from experienced biologists and naturalist guides
Trip Details:
The western Amazon basin in Ecuador is definitively the most biodiverse place on planet Earth. There are more species of birds than in all of North America, a dozen species of primates, and some of the iconic large mammals of the rainforest: tapir, capybara, peccary, puma, and jaguar. This ultimate 7-day educational adventure takes you to an enormous and pristine wilderness at the doorway to the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. You’ll stay at the world-class Tiputini Biodiversity Station, providing you access to the best rain forest on Earth without sacrificing comfortable accommodations and excellent food.
Arrival at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station requires a short flight over the Andes from Quito to Coca, followed by a motorized canoe trip down the Napo River, a bus ride along the Maxus oil company road into the heart of Yasuní National Park, and another canoe ride down the meandering Tiputini River. You’re rewarded by the sights and sounds of the primeval Amazon forest, largely untouched by humans, that few people ever get to experience. Wake up in the morning to Red Howler or Dusky Titi monkeys roaring in the distance, and the cries of toucans and macaws. Local guides, their uncanny ability to find elusive wild animals honed by years in the forest, will lead you quietly through the forest to some of the diverse sites available near the lodge. A canopy tower provides world-class birding, and a chance to see parrots, toucans, and perhaps even a Harpy Eagle, the world’s “most powerful bird of prey.” Canoeing through nearby lagoons offers an opportunity to spy Giant River Otters, an anaconda and perhaps a caiman or two. River trips also may yield sightings of capybara or tapirs enjoying a swim, or glimpses of pink river dolphins. And of course, at all times we’ll have our eyes peeled for the secretive king of the jungle, the mighty jaguar. You’ll end your trip by reversing your tracks back to Quito.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 (Sun): Arrival in Quito, Ecuador – transfer to hotel
Day 2: Travel to the Amazon rainforest
Day 3: Canopy tower birdwatching; River float
Day 4: Morning hike; Evening wildlife presentation
Day 5: Hike to lagoon; Sunset on the canopy tower
Day 6: Travel to Quito – transfer to hotel
Day 7 (Sat): Departure from Ecuador
Cost
2020 Adventure to the Amazon – base rate $1980 / person (based on double occupancy)
Price includes: Two nights hotel in Quito, domestic travel from Quito to the Amazon, and a 4 night stay at a world-class rainforest lodge with three meals a day and daily guided hikes. Price does not include: international airfare to Quito, dinner on Day 1 in Quito, alcoholic beverages, personal items, and tips. A 20% deposit is due upon reservation (see below).
Note: The trip cost is based on double occupancy. This means that you will share a room in the hotel in Quito, and a cabin in the Amazon forest lodge with one other person.
To book your space on this EduTour, contact Ceiba. When you book:
- You will receive an invoice for a 20% deposit payable by check to Ceiba Foundation
- Please pay your deposit by the due date on the invoice to confirm your reservation
- Please pay your balance by February 1, 2020
- Combine with an Journey to Galapagos and receive 5% off
You may mail us a check, or pay with a credit card online, however there is a 3% surcharge for credit cards. Ceiba is a non-profit organization, so we thank you for your understanding.
You will receive final details (what to bring, where to meet, what to read, and much more) in early February.
Mailing address:
Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation
301 S. Bedford Street, Suite 7A
Madison, WI 53703
608-230-5550
Questions? Contact Us!