Kapawi Eco Lodge in Ecuador

Description of Kapawi Eco Lodge in Ecuador

This trip provides a concentrated but diverse ecotourism adventure in Ecuador's pristine Kapawi Amazon rainforest. The region's isolation has protected both a wonderful array of wildlife and the indigenous Achuar Indian communities whose lives you will share. Your solar-powered lodge also provides economic support and jobs to the Achuar - and was built in accordance with local architectural tradition without the use of a single nail!

Your adventure begins with a drive from the capital Quito along Humboldt’s Avenue of the Volcanoes, before a 50 minute small aircraft flight into the rainforest, then a 90-minute river ride on motorised dugout canoes to the Kapawi lodge, for an introduction to your trip watching the sun go down from a river beach.

Days here begin with bird-watching forays in search of winged rainforest denizens including brightly coloured parakeets and macaws plus Hoatzin, Aninga, Speckled Chachalaca, White Eared Jacamar, Cocoi Heron, Neotropical Cormorant, and the Great Egret.

There are also day and night treks with local guides to discover local medicinal plants, rainforest ecology and Achuar hunting techniques – with a chance to show off your blow gun skills at the end of the trip! You'll also sample foraged food on a rainforest picnic, and spend time with Achuar communities close to the lodge.

There are watery forays too – again, both day and night - on the Kapawari River and its connecting lagoons, home to pink river dolphin and caiman. By night, meanwhile, you can reflect beneath the soul-stirring shimmer of countless stars.

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