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Amazon Camping Adventures 5d/4n
• Explore the Amazon Rainforest Wildest sites
• Immerse yourself with the Huaorani indigenous culture of the Amazon, explore their trails while learning hunting and survival technics
• Explore the Amazon most biodiverse areas at the Yasuni Biosphere reserve visit lakes, bird's eye views of the Amazon Canopy at Sani birding tower, fish pirañas, spot caimans…
Day 1: From Coca, bus drive to El Puente de Shiripuno. Upstream ride until the campsite located inside the Huaorani territory and Yame Reserve. A short hike in order to learn about hunting Huaorani techniques is in the agenda. As well as a visit to an astonishing waterfall whose trail was difficult to be constructed.
Day 2: Yame Reserve exploration, inmerse to the heart of this protected area managed by the Huaorani Association Quehueri'ono, vivist the Yasuní bioreserve interpretation center and the Apaika community.
Day 3. Explore the Magical Waterfall. Leave the Huaorani territory and participate of an overwhelming reality tour. Departure to Sani Lodge. Challuacocha river. Night hiking optional. This day includes long transfers from one end to the other of the Yasuni Biosphere reserve.
Day 4. Take a glance of the Rainforest Canopy at the Sani's birdwatching tower and Tower trail. Try to find the pink dolphin by visiting to Pañacocha Lagoon and the kichwa community.
Day 5. Departure from Sani camping site to El Coca to get our flight back to Quito.
From Coca, we will drive through the jungle for two hours until we reach the Shiripuno River. Upon arrival to the Shiripuno Bridge, we will have a quick safety introduction before setting off on our journey upriver in motorized canoe. As soon as the canoe starts moving, our naturalist guide will begin to identify the different plants, birds and animals surrounding us. We will continue upstream until we arrive at the Huaorani Territory and Reserve, where lunch will be served.
In the afternoon, we will head out to the hunting trail, accompanied by our bilingual naturalist guide and an experienced local guide who will be equipped with a handmade spear and blowgun. Huaorani are traditionally hunters and gathers, and you will get a chance to experience how they interact with the forest. Overall, time is flexible here and you may learn how to set traps, build small shelters or use a blowgun, or simply identify different medicinal plants. This part of the tour is strictly a demonstration of how the Huaorani have hunted these forests for generations, and there will not be any actual hunting.
One of the major highlights is hiking to one of the region's most stunning waterfall. The Huaorani built and maintain a trail to this magnificent waterfall, which has special significance to the community. The easy stroll to the cascade and back takes about three hours, and once you arrive at the waterfall, you can jump into the clear, energizing waters to recharge for the return walk. Along the way, your naturalist guide will point out the special features of the area influenced by the humidity of the falls as well as the special plants and animals you might have the opportunity to see. A small charge will be made to cover the costs of maintaining the trail.
In the evening, our guides prepare a fresh dinner for us. Accommodation in Huaorani Campsite
(Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 2:
Yame reserve, Yasuni National Park and Apaika Community
Today we will head upriver on an hour canoe ride and stop at the Apaika community, which is set in the heart of the Yame Reserve, a 55,000-hectare protected area managed by the Huaorani Communities that inhabit this region and lead its ecotourism initiatives.
Here you will visit Apaika's mini interpretation center, where you can learn more about Yasuní National Park. You'll also be able to join the community in some of its daily activities and share in its history, myths and magic.
We will return to the campsite in late afternoon silently drifting down river without a motor so there is a better chance of spotting wildlife all along the way. As we drift downstream, we will continue taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of the Amazon. The Nenkepare community will greet us at the campsite and we will have the opportunity to learn more about the Huaorani people through their very own stories.
A night walk offers a novel perspective and focuses your senses: your vision is reduced to the narrow beams of the flashlights and which in turn enhances your other senses, specifically your hearing. Since most rainforest animals are nocturnal – especially mammals and amphibians – this is your best opportunity to see some of these elusive creatures, or at least hear them climbing through the trees or digging for food.
Besides rustling, your ears will pick up the sounds of night monkeys and kinkajous leaping, owls and tinamous calling, cicadas and katydids trying to attract mates, and frogs croaking at one another…so don't forget your flashlight.
Accommodation in Huaorani Campsite
(Breakfast/Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 3:
Magic Waterfall and reality tour
Feel free to ask our guides to repeat the waterfall experience, this is a moderate hike of about 90 minutes, beginning with a short steep ascent after which you walk along the ridges of undulating hills allowing you views midway into the canopy, where you may see such birds as toucans, piping guans and hawks. Listen for the incessant call of the Screaming Piha, a loud but small bird that is rarely spotted.
We will leave the campsite to begin our return journey to Coca and onward to Quito. This revealing route is also known as the "toxic tour," which will expose you to the harsh reality of how oil companies have impacted Huaorani territory. We will drive back on the road constructed by Texaco in the 1970s as a way to access the oil fields and then continue alongside miles of pipelines, which go from the Huaorani community of Tihuino to Lago Agrio, the oil hub of el Oriente, to be pumped across the Andes to the port of Esmeraldas. This will allow us to see and experience the the oil industry's impact and what their brochures don't show. It also helps put in prospective the importance of indigenous people who protect their lands such as the Huaorani.
At El Coca, a new camp adventure begins. Representatives of Sani Lodge will carry you through the Napo river to the Challuacocha lake. Then of your arrival at the lodge, you will be welcomed with snacks and drinks.
Accommodation in Sani Campsite
(Breakfast/Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 4.
Early in the morning we will start our exploration towards the Canopy Tower. Up to 1500 species of lianas and trees are waiting for us to be seen. After 30 minutes canoe ride, we get the Tower Trail from which we will walk to the canopy tower. While admiring the astonishing rainforest canopy at the top of the tower, we will be listening to the sounds not only of birds but also of the Howler Monkeys.
Afterwards, we will continue our expedition by the more than 90,000 acres of primary lowland rainforest, which is part of the conservation initiatives of this project. There the Pañacocha lagoon will be waiting for us in order to take a glance (with an additional $ 15 USD payment) of the pink river dolphins, which live in the Pañacocha's sweet waters. There is a possibility to see other mammals and birds as well.
Back to the lodge, we will enjoy our dinner and will be accommodated in our cabins.
Accommodation in Sani Campsite
(Breakfast/Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 5.
Leaving the Kichwa people and their blessed territory. After 30 minute boat ride on the Challuayacu river, we will get the Napo river. After, a couple of hours of navigation we reach El Coca from which we will take our flight to Quito.
(Breakfast/-/-)
These ecotourism programs are the result of partnerships between Waponi's parent company Tropic Journeys in Nature and the indigenous communities that live in protected areas in the Andes highlands and the Ecuadorian Amazon. Waponi means Joy, chevere, cool, everything that is positive and beautiful in life in the Huaorani language, and you are bound to realize why ecotourism is so cool once you return from one of these trips!
When you go with Waponi, you get locally owned Amazon lodges and Adventure campsites, bilingual naturalist guides, specialized itineraries, and the opportunity to travel to the most remote corners of Ecuador while improving the standard of living of the people who live there.
Waponi's low-impact, small-sized community tours do not compromise ones safety, hygiene or comfort. You will always enjoy filling meals made with local ingredients, sleep in cozy lodges or spacious clean tents, and be led by people who have lived off of these lands their entire lives.
Weather
This region's climate is classified as Tropical and Humid, with annual temperatures between 23-25.5° C/ 73-78° F, humidity between 70-90%, and annual rainfall up to 3000 mm/118 in! Though it can rain on any given day, in general the months from November through February are defined as the "dry" season and the months of March through October as the "wet" season; around here, the months of May to July are the wettest.
During a stay as brief as a few days, the odds of seeing larger animals such as monkeys, peccaries, or agoutis are low; to help increase them, try the following tips:
• DRESS in dark clothing, since light colors stand out and give away your presence.
• MOVE slowly and quietly; if you move like a predator, you may be rewarded with a "prey" sighting.
• STOP, listen and look, from the ground up to the canopy. Often a rustle of leaves or a slight movement gives away the presence of a lizard, bird or small mammal.
• BINOCULARS are essential to see high into the canopy and deep into the foliage, though the level of light at any given time makes a huge difference in what can be made out.
• With PATIENCE AND LUCK, you never know what you may discover.
Some suggestions:
•DRESS is informal. Footwear is recommended for any time you are out of your cabin; the rubber boots provided are best for the trails as there can be substantial mud (and ant columns). Depending on how sensitive you are to heat and insect bites, lightweight long- or short-sleeve cotton shirts and trousers or shorts are appropriate for the trails or canoe trips.
•PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS Avoid tripods! If not using digital, high-speed film is recommended, e.g., 400 ASA, together with a flash (it's dark beneath the rainforest canopy). A wide-angle and a large telephoto lens are useful for birds; for best results with insects, a lens with macro facility is handy. Have some plastic bags available to protect your equipment and an anti-fogging cloth.
•BINOCULARS are essential to fully appreciate the birdlife don't forget to bring yours.
Once you book you will get our full pre-departure information package with many other details.
CODE OF CONDUCT
•Be open to different appreciations of what is "normal". For example, punctuality is not a rainforest concept, so please be flexible and patient while visiting the local communities.
•Only take photos of people with permission and don't be offended if they refuse.
•Do not be ostentatious with wealth and material possessions.
•Do not share alcohol or give away cigarettes at the community.
•Do buy locally-made handicrafts as this is an important source of income for the community, especially for women, but don't buy those made from feathers or animal parts. There's no need to haggle, everything tends to be inexpensive by Western standards.
•Gifts are welcome, but preferably of scholarly material for the children and given to the Administrator for distribution through the Conservation in Action Foundation.
•Be polite and respectful with the locals. Use por favor, gracias, buenos días, i.e., treat them the same way in which you wish to be treated.
•Use the garbage system properly and please hang on to any trash you generate like plastics, dead batteries etc. until you get back to Quito.
•Ration the use of resources, e.g., keep your showers short, don't run water when brushing teeth/shaving.
•Please tell your guide if you don't wish to partake of the food or drink during your visits to the local communities.
•During your walks, never extract or disturb the vegetation, and for your own safety never stray off the trails.
•Please follow your guides' instructions; they know the surrounding area and are here to look out for your safety.
FOR THE LONG RUN
These ecotourism programs are the result of partnerships between Waponi's parent company Tropic Journeys in Nature and the indigenous communities that live in protected areas in the Andes highlands and the Ecuadorian Amazon. Waponi means Joy, chevere, cool, everything that is positive and beautiful in life in the Huaorani language, and you are bound to realize why ecotourism is so cool once you return from one of these trips!
When you go with Waponi, you get locally owned Amazon lodges and Adventure campsites, bilingual naturalist guides, specialized itineraries, and the opportunity to travel to the most remote corners of Ecuador while improving the standard of living of the people who live there.
Waponi's low-impact, small-sized community tours do not compromise ones safety, hygiene or comfort. You will always enjoy filling meals made with local ingredients, sleep in cozy lodges or spacious clean tents, and be led by people who have lived off of these lands their entire lives.
Waponi is a Long Run Supporter.
This means that we share the Zeitz Foundation's drive to support sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible projects around the world, and have demonstrated our commitment by signing The Long Run Charter, a declaration of intent and commitment to promote more sustainable lifestyle choices to build a better future.
To find out more, visit:
Foundation on:
@ZeitzFoundation
/zeitzfoundation
Join the effort to preserve forests, culture and a way of life that is open and willing to share secrets of local cultures throughout Ecuador's diverse ecosystems.
Tailor Made Amazon programs
These programs were specially developed to meet our client's specific interests, these are private excursions and rates vary according to the number of people on your group and travel date.
One of our sales experts will contact you to re-confirm travel, plans and design the program for you. Final rates and any questions or special requests you may have will be discussed with you.
| Price per person | Double/twin/triple Accommodation | Single Accommodation |
| 2-3 people | 1,090.00 | Subject to availability |
| 4-6 people | 940.00 | |
| 7 – 10 people | 795.00 |
| Rates Includes | Rates do not include |
| Accommodations in tents in raised platform at Huaorani Adventure Camping and Sani Lodge camping, shared facilities with running water, camping gear, all meals, English speaking guide and guided activities described in the itinerary. | • Entrance fee Huaorani territory 20 USD per person. • Pañacocha lake entrance fee 20 USD per person • Flight Quito- Coca - Quito 174 USD per person roundtrip. • Airport taxes. • Additional services don't specified above, add on kayak Amazon Adventures US$40 per day. |
