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Amazon Cultures 7d/6n
•Listen to an unrelated language, which is unrelated to any other while with the Huaorani and experience one of the tucanoan family languages with the Secoya.
•Explore an amazon corridor sharing with 3 indigenous cultures, visiting 2 protected areas and supporting ecotourism and conservation throughout
•Admire the skills of hunting as well as the warrior nature of the Huaorani People, learn from the magic of the Secoya people and witness the survival skills of the Kichwa people.
DAY 1 Fly over the Amazon Rainforest Canopy, arrival at the Huaorani Ecolodge. Encountering with the Huaorani people, and reveal the hidden secrets of their culture. You will notice their unique language, the Huao terero. And say Waponi! (which means Hi or everything is ok)
DAY 2 Hunting training day with the locals and Huaorani Community visit.
DAY 3 Amazon river exploration on kayaks or dugout canoes, explore the Huaorani tourism reserve and the Yasuni Interpretation Center, finish your day Camping with the Huaorani people at the Nenkepare Campsite. While participating in the open fire, we will say good bye to the Huaorani People and will share our dreams looking for their meanings in the endless fire.
DAY 4 Magic Waterfall exploration, leaving the Huaorani territory. On the road, we will discover the reality of the conflict between the nature and the oil exploitation companies a pressure and conflict that all indigenous groups in the region fac, witness and share.. .After this overwhelming experience we will continue to Yaku Kawsay Interpretation center to learn about the Yasuni National Park conservation and treats presented by the Quichua people. Enter the magicians of the forest land by the end of the day. Where wearing with colorful clothes, the Secoya people will give us the welcome. There, you will listen to different words, which come from another language, the Paicoca.
DAY 5 While visiting a shaman called Delfin, we will be keeping the track of his amazing organic gardens with over 700 species of medicinal plants used by the Secoya. Delfin will share his learning about the Secoya shamans powers.
DAY 6 Today we will visit Cesar a famous painter who will teach us about his capacity to express his visions with art and his oil paintings, in the afternoon explore the ancient Secoya hunting trails at the Cuyabeno Reserve.
DAY 7 Visit the Handicraft Community Shop and return to Quito.
Your journey to the Amazon begins early in the morning after being picked up at your hotel. Leaving the bustling metropolis of Quito, you will be treated to the beautiful sceneries of the Ecuadorian countryside as transportation heads south, transitioning from the Andes to the Amazon (locally known as the Oriente). The excursion winds along the impressive Avenue of Volcanoes—a strip of 14 active, semi-active and dormant volcanic mountains—passing traditional haciendas, indigenous villages and protected natural areas, giving you a taste for the local culture.
With luck and clear weather, you'll be able to see the remarkably steep peaks in all their glory, including the cone-shaped Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, and Tungurahua, which has ongoing eruptions.
Around noon, you will depart in a small aircraft to the Huaorani community of Quehueri'ono (keh-weri-oh-noh), only to be warmly greeted by your guests after a short 45-minute flight. From here, you will start your expedition downstream in a shallow dugout canoe called a quilla (kee-yah).
Your luggage will be taken ahead separately, so be sure to keep your camera, binoculars, sunscreen and hat on-board with you. Rubber boots and rain ponchos will be distributed at this point.
Immediately, you will begin to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the Amazon. The entire paddle downstream will be filled with amazing wildlife viewing, and you'll likely catch a glimpse and photo of the many riverside birds.
After lunch, you will visit the Quehuarion'o community in order to find out their lives. Maybe, they will teach you a couple of Huao terero words.
Finally, you will arrive at Huaorani Ecolodge, your intimate and comfortable home for the next few days. You'll have the chance to settle in, listen to an introductory briefing about the Huaorani culture and their relationship with the rainforest, and eat a satisfying dinner.
After dinner, feel free to rest up for day two of your Amazonian adventure, or if you have an urge to start exploring, ask your guide to lead you on a night walk.
Accommodation in Huaorani Lodge Cabins
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 2.
Today is hunting day! And you thought this was an environmentally friendly project? Well, it is! Huaorani are hunters and gatherers and their main sources of protein are mammals (yes, including monkeys), fish and birds. The goals of this project are to preserve the traditional practices of the Huaorani culture and to protect the tropical rainforest.
After breakfast, a Huaorani guide will accompany you on a long nature hike into the forest. The local guides are also experienced hunters and they will teach you the secrets of rainforest survival without killing any of the creatures that live there.
You'll learn how to set traps, make fire without matches, build a shelter in minutes, use a blowgun, practice the perfect swing of the machete and catch fish in small creeks. Your guide may also point out and let you taste edible insects, identify and explain the uses of medicinal plants, and show you which clay is used to made pottery.
The trail has two overlooks as it winds toward the community, most likely, members of the Huaorani community will join you for the swim; the river plays a central role in their lives and they love to play in the water! Shortly after, you'll fill up on a hearty lunch near the community.
The afternoon will be spent with the community, when you'll get to know the members personally. The relaxed, informal visit may lead you to share a bowl of chucula (a sweet drink made of ripe bananas) under the filtered light of the thatched houses, or admire the beautiful handmade artifacts, including woven hammocks and bags, blowguns, traps and necklaces. You'll also have the chance to visit the Bi-cultural Ecology Education project and learn how to harvest manioc, also known as yucca or cassava. Perhaps you will be invited to join in a game of soccer!
If you'd like, you can visit the community's handicraft market and purchase some of the products. The production of crafts is one of the ways the Huaorani maintain their culture, and buying crafts is way to provide direct support the Huaorani families: it provides employment in the village and another reason to protect the natural areas around the community.
You return to the lodge by canoe at the end of the afternoon to relax and have dinner, then your naturalist guide will offer a half hour discussion, or charla, on a subject of interest. Like the day before, if you'd like to extend your day and continue observing, ask your guide to bring you on a short night hike.
Accommodation in Huaorani Lodge Cabins
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 3.
After breakfast, you set off canoeing down the Shiripuno River in traditional Huaorani style, or you can choose to kayak instead at an additional cost. Today the day starts extra early in order to catch a glimpse of the many different birds out at these hours. The tranquility of the morning will allow you to appreciate the true peace and calm of the rainforest, and is the perfect time to relax and engage in intimate conversations, reflect on the past few days of the journey, or to learn some Huaorani vocabulary.
Next up is a stop at the Apaika community, which lives inside the Yame Reserve, a 55,000-hectare protected area managed by the Huaorani Association, who leads the region's ecotourism initiatives.
Here you will enjoy a quick snack and visit Apaika's mini interpretation center, where you can learn more about Yasuní National Park.
To complete the afternoon, you'll be able to join the community in some of its daily activities and share in its history, myths and magic.
Afterwards, the group continues a couple more hours downriver near the Huaorani village of Nenquepare. You will spend the night here, camping out along the Shiripuno River, sleeping with the sounds of the Amazon's animals.
Accompanied by a fire, we will share the dreams that the forest has given us during our magic stay in order to realize their meanings and prophetic messages.
The well-constructed and comfortable campsite is part of a community initiative, so you will really get to participate in and support community tourism at its finest.
Accommodation in Huaorani lodge Cabins
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 4.
Before the return journey and after being treated to a delicious breakfast, you will have the opportunity to hike the community trail to visit an impressive waterfall, one that has special importance for the Huaorani. Once there, you can take a dip in the energizing waters to recharge for the trip back to Quito. The fairly easy walk is three hours altogether, and your naturalist guide will be sure to point out any special plants and animals you may come across.
Once back at the campsite, the group will bid farewell and start the return journey downstream in canoe. This will begin the "toxic tour," an introduction to how the oil industry has impacted the Huaorani lands. The group will head to the border between traditional Huaorani territory and that of the petroleum companies, though it all used to belong to the Huaorani. Here you will see the road built by oil companies in the early 1990s, which crosses the river, and transitions from forest to "civilization."
Roads are symbols of modern deforestation, providing access and means for human populations to grow at a rapid rate. This affects indigenous peoples by displacing them from the best and most accessible agricultural soils (which aren't particularly well suited to begin with), reducing the amount of land available for their hunting and gathering practices, and encouraging them via settler example and government policy to increase their reliance on agriculture and timber extraction.
After a 2.5-hour ride down the river, you will reach the banks of the Río Napo and the town of Coca, our adventure on Ecuador biggest river starts now on a private canoe ride deep into the jungle to Puerto Gregorio by boat on the Napo river, a quick stop at the Yaku Kawsay interpretation center for lunch and continue on an overland from the Napo river to the Aguarico river, land of the Secoya people.
The Yaku Kawsay or Underwater World Interpretation Center. This initiative supports the conservation of the Amazonian aquatic ecosystem by providing meaningful education to local communities, schools and travelers like you.
Conceptualized, built, and managed by the men and women of the community, the interpretative center is surprisingly thought provoking and a must-visit en-route to any destination on the lower Ecuadorian Amazon.
As soon as the journey on the Aguarico River begins your naturalist guide will start introducing you to the incredible diversity of plants and animals that call Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve home. Once we reach the lodge, the Secoya community will welcome us with fresh juice and a snack and brief us for the afternoon activities as well as the settling you into your cabin. You will admire their wonderful clothes which stand for the shining colors of nature. Additional to this you will be aware that the language that the Secoya people speak is quite different from the Huaorani people language. Its name is Paicoca.
Accommodation in Secoya lodge
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 5:
Wake up to bird songs and a nutritious breakfast of native fruits, coffee, and Yocó, "the coffee of the jungle," a natural caffeine taken from the bark of a tree utilized by the Secoyas.
The Secoya culture is deeply related to important plant knowledge. Not only utility of the plants is part of their empirical investigations, but also the secrets and magic uses of them. So, the visit to shaman called Delfin, who will leads us to his amazing organic gardens with over 700 species is the highlight of this day. Delfin will share his learning about the Secoya shamans powers. Begin the day with a 45-minute canoe ride up the Sushufindi River to visit a beautiful botanical garden. Our naturalist guide will lead us on the garden's trail, conveying the Secoya's ancestral knowledge of the forest's hundreds of unique plants. After learning about the medicinal, hunting and daily uses of native plants, you will enjoy lunch in the garden's interpretation center.
After lunch, you will take a quick kayak-training course to prepare for your next adventure, which involves hopping into a personal kayak and paddling down the legendary Shushufindi River. Relax on the water as you spot wildlife, meet local fishermen, and enjoy the magical sounds and aromas wafting from the lush jungle riverbank.
The trip ends at the mouth of the Aguarico River, from where you will head back to the lodge in a canoe. Once back at the lodge, rest in a hammock while enjoying one of the most incredible sunsets in the world before ending the day with an intimate candlelight dinner.
Accommodation in Secoya lodge
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 6:
We will then take another short canoe ride up the Aguarico River until we reach the Secoya Painting Workshop, where you will get to partake in the community's daily life and rituals.
Here you will have the opportunity to learn how the community's artisans make their handicrafts and their famous paintings; have your face painted in traditional style; or watch how Casave, the most important Secoya dish, is made.
The day will end with a traditional meal made from local products. Following dinner, we will listen to our local guide tell us the legends of the Secoya and the rainforest through tranquil bonfire flames or a hammock.
Today is all about the Cuyabeno wildlife Reserve exploration, where the Secoya used to hunt and play and nowadays work as park rangers, this afternoon we will enter the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and depart on a 3 km trek deep into the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve to experience what primary rain forest looks like.
The Reserve is boasts an impressive number of species living within its boarders. This 603,380 square kilometer area supports 494 species of birds, 450 species of fish, 96 species of amphibians, 91 species of reptiles, and an array of mammals ranging from the giant armadillo, to the majestic jaguar.
Accommodation in Secoya lodge
(Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner)
Day 7:
Today before we say good bye to the Amazon region and its locals, you will have the opportunity to buy some of the unique handicrafts made by the Secoya artisans.
We will then say our final goodbye to the community and begin the return journey to Coca Airport, which starts with a 45-minute motorized canoe ride to Puerto Gregorio, where land transportation will be waiting.
As you leave the lands of the Secoya, note the numerous threats facing the area. The lumber industry, African Palm plantations and oil pipelines are all endangering the rainforest's cultural and natural diversity. Your guide will give you a "Toxic Tour" on the way, explaining these perils in more detail and giving you the chance to ask questions until we arrive at the airport.
(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 |
| Rate per person | 1,350 | 1,745 |
| Rates Includes | Rates do not include |
| Accommodation at the Huaorani ecolodge, Secoya Lodge and one night camping, all meals, English speaking guide and guided activities described in the itinerary and camping gear. | • Entrance fee Huaorani territory $20 per person. • Transportation Quito - Huaorani Ecolodge - Coca $250 per person. • Flight Coca - Quito $72 per person roundtrip. • Airport taxes. • Additional services don't specified above, add on kayak Amazon Adventures $40 per day. |
