Veterinary Work In the Amazon - 13 Days

Upon arrival at the Quito airport, you’ll be met by your Tour Manager and head for your hotel. You'll have your first dinner in country and rest of for the action-packed days to come.

This morning you will then drive to the equator where you will get a chance to stand in both hemispheres at the same time at the true equator line at the Inti Ñan museum. You will try your hand at water experiments on the equator at the Inti Ñan museum.

Upon arrival to Mindo you will head for the zip line canopy tour located outside the village where you will try out the safety equipment and get ready for some adrenaline.

After lunch, you will have a full program orientation with your Tour Manager in which you will go through your program in Ecuador and what to expect over the coming days.

Once back in Quito, you will gather before dinner to talk about your work in Ecuador and how veterinarians work in this country. You will also discuss what to expect, details of the work sites, and what will be different from how veterinarians work back home.

You will have an early drive to Baños to the rescue center will you will be based for your service project.

Upon arrival, you will meet the veterinarians who will be supervising your projects in Ecuador. Today you will help out in the reptile habitats with check-ups and parasite medicine for the snakes and also possibly for the turtles and caymans.

After lunch, you will have an adventure rappelling down waterfalls in the Baños area. Note: The alternative to rappelling is a horseback ride.

You will then travel to Puyo where you will carry out your service project and check into your rooms.

You will meet the local staff of the rescue center in Puyo. You will learn about the diets and care of the animals at the center. You will also learn about the work to reintroduce these animals to the wild and the challenges that this presents.

This afternoon you will drive to the city of your first spay and neuter clinic. This evening you will have a seminar with the veterinarian you who will be working alongside with you.

This morning you will meet the local staff and volunteers who will also help manage the spay and neuterand set up all the equipment. You will then begin veterinary work and continue for the entire day. 

After dinner, you will have a veterinary seminar with you veterinarian.

This morning you will finish up your work at the spay and neuter clinic. 

This afternoon you will head back to Quito for your flight to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow.

After breakfast, you will take your bus to the airport for your domestic flight to the Galapagos Islands.

Your Galapagos Guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you today and during your time in Galapagos for all activities inside the National Park. Together you will travel by bus and ferry to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island.

After lunch, you will walk into town to  get fitted for snorkeling gear and explore the town.

After dinner tonight, you can enjoy the island’s famous ice cream as you take an evening stroll to further explore the town.

Today you will get up early to drive across the island to the channel between Santa Cruz and Baltra. The boat to Bartolomé Island takes approximately 2-3 hours depending on conditions. You will have breakfast on the boat. Once on Bartolomé Island, you will hike up the volcano for one of the most popular and gorgeous views and photo opportunities in the Galápagos Islands. You will walk down to the boat and get ready for snorkeling. You will then have lunch on the boat back to Santa Cruz Island. Once you reach Santa Cruz, you will board your bus to cross the island and return to your lodging. Note: The maximum capacity on the boat to Bartolome is 14 foreign passengers, plus your Program Leader and Galapagos Guide. If your group is larger, you may be split into two or more boats. If your group is not exactly 14 foreign passengers, you may share the tour with other passengers.

You will have dinner at a restaurant before an evening stroll along the harbor.

You will have breakfast at your lodging.

Today you will travel by bus to your work site at a farm in the highlands of Santa Cruz. Here you will learn about farm life and practices in Galápagos and work with your veterinarian to give veterinary treatment to the animals. This will likely mostly be check-ups for the livestock (mainly cows) including giving parasite medications, helping with tick removal, and anything else that may be needed. You will have lunch as a group near the work site. In the afternoon you will continue your veterinary work. If there is time, you will visit the highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild and a lava tunnel. You will have dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, you will drive across the island to the channel between Santa Cruz and Baltra. From there you will depart for North Seymour Island. When you arrive at North Seymour Island you will go ashore and take a hike to see the frigate birds and the Blue Footed Boobies that have colonies here. You may also see land iguanas during the hike. You will return to the boat for lunch and start out for Bachas Beach. At Bachas Beach you will go ashore to relax, and if you are lucky you might see some flamingos in the lagoon close by. You can cool down with a swim before boarding your boat again. In the late afternoon, you will head back to Santa Cruz. Once on the island, you will board your bus to cross the island for dinner and return to your lodging.

After breakfast, you will walk to the Charles Darwin Center and the National Park where you will see the giant tortoises and learn about their breeding program and its importance. You will then have some free time for souvenier shopping in town.

After lunch you will have two options. If you are tired you can take a taxi boat and short hike to Las Grietas for a swim to cool down. If you are ready for a nice hike, you'll depart for to Tortuga Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in Galapagos. Here you will find marine iguanas, pelicans, blue footed boobies and lots of finches to make the hike worthwhile.

You will return to your lodging to get cleaned up and relax before dinner.

This morning, you will travel to Baltra airport by bus and ferry to depart on your flight back to Quito.

Upon arrival in Quito, you will drive to your hotel for dinner and relaxation.

After breakfast, you will take your bus for a short ride where you will take the famous Teliferico, a cable car ride taking you up 11,000+ feet in 20 minutes, where you will have a breathtaking panoramic view over the entire city.

This morning you will you veterinarian's own small veterinary clinic to see how a typical Ecuadorian clinic functions.

This afternoon you will visit the old colonial part of Quito to see the churches and the Presidential Palace with an official Quito guide and then end up at the Panecillo, the statue of the Virgin Mary looking down over the old town.

You will visit a handicraft market to do some last minute shopping.

You will have dinner together at the hotel remenscing about your time together in Ecuador, and then head to the airport for your return trip home.