For travelers interested in bird watching, there are few destinations like Sacha Lodge, a 5,000-acre private ecological reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Of the 1,600 bird species registered in Ecuador, 600 have been seen at Sacha Lodge.

© Sacha Lodge

Sacha Lodge offers guests professional field guides who know the best spots to see and hear unique birds, often as many as 60 distinct species. At the lodge, there are also nighttime expeditions, visits to the Yasuni Parrot Clay Lick, a 940-foot-long Canopy Walk and 360-degree panoramic Kapok Tower.

Sacha Lodge sits between Napo River and Aguarico River, a great location to spot birds on the inlets, lakes and swamp forests, where they feast on local fruits and insects. Nearby trails and boardwalks allow guests to go deep into many parts of the jungle environment.

© Sacha Lodge

The 360-degree panoramic Kapok Tower, Canopy Walk and the Canopy Exploration Crane are wonderful spots for bird watching, and Sacha Lodge was among the first Amazon lodges to build a tower into the canopy. Even today, the lodge is the only one with a Canopy Exploration Crane, providing exclusive access to a part of the rainforest still largely undiscovered.

Some of the rarest bird species are in the vicinity of Sacha Lodge, including the Zigzag heron, Scarlet-Shouldered parrotlet, Lanceolated monklet, Collared puffbird, Rufous-headed woodpecker, and the Short-billed leaftosser. With comfortable bedding, hot water showers, ceiling fans and insect-proofed windows, Sacha Lodge has all the comfort and amenities of a luxury resort.

© Sacha Lodge

Located in the largest private reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Sacha Lodge includes 5,000 acres of pristine rainforest, and is void of mining companies, drilling, hunting and logging. Set on the Pilchicocha lagoon, the lodge is a beautiful base to also spot monkeys, river otters, three-toed sloths, and a multitude of reptiles and amphibians. For booking and price information for the Sacha Lodge Private Birding package, visit this website.