Huaorani Ecolodge Ecuador

4 Day / 3 Night Itinerary – Download als pdf

The award winning Huaorani Ecolodge is situated at the headwaters of the Amazon and run by the Huaorani, one of the most isolated ethnic group on earth. This is a life changing experience where you will learn how to use a blowgun, climb trees, smear your face with red achiote, and take a two day meander down the Shiripuno river in kayaks or dugout canoes watching tropical birds and monkeys and listen to an indigenous leader relate the tribe’s fight against oil exploration and with luck meet Moi Enomenga a conservation hero honored by National Geographic and the Buffett Foundation.

Day 1 – Journey to Huaorani Territory

Volcano Avenue – An adventurous day that starts with beautiful mountain scenery and ends with a memorable trip down a remote, lowland jungle river. A morning pick-up at your hotel followed by a drive through the Avenue of the Volcanoes. After leaving your hotel and the bustling metropolis of Quito, you will be treated to the beautiful scenery of the Ecuadorian countryside on a drive through the impressive Avenue of Volcanoes. This is an area of 14 majestic volcanoes, some of them active and others dormant. The scenery also includes views of old colonial haciendas, indigenous villages, and natural areas. On days with good weather, you may see the huge, cone-shaped volcano known as Cotopaxi Volcano, and the active Tungurahua Volcano.

Driving through beautiful Baños – Baños (bah-nyos), named for thermal baths that draw thousands of visitors per year and known for its adrenaline-pumping adventure sports and melcocha taffy, is the first major town on the way. Your journey will continue past Baños through a lush green landscape punctuated by tree ferns, patches of cloud forest, waterfalls, and rushing rivers.· Heading into the Amazonian lowlandsAfter Baños, the road winds its way down into the steamy lowlands of the Amazon basin. As the air grows warmer, you’ll start to notice changes in vegetation with bananas and tropical palms dominating the countryside.

Four or five hours later, you will arrive to the town of Shell, named after the oil company. This hosts the third busiest airport in Ecua- dor, with frequent flights in and out of the Oriente to facilitate easier travel to the region for military personnel, missionaries, vari- ous aid groups and charter companies. Around noon, you will de- part in a light aircraft to the Huaorani community of Quehueri’ono (keh-weri-oh-noh), only to be warmly greeted by your guests after a short 35-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, including the Yellow-rumped Cacique, the Greater and Lesser Kiskadees, and any of the four Amazonian kingfishers. You won’t want to put your camera down as you tra- verse the mighty Shiripuno River (shire-puno) sandwiched between thick tangles of rainforest vegetation on either side.

Finally, you will arrive at Huaorani Ecolodge, your intimate and com- fortable home for the next few days. You’ll have the chance to settle in, have lunch listen to an introductory briefing about the Huaorani culture and their relationship with the rainforest at the discovery trail. 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.

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 mon- keys), 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 make pottery.

The trail has two overlooks as it winds toward the community. There are tree trunk seats for some much-needed rest and will al- low you to enjoy the view over the forest canopy, where you may see vultures soaring and trees in bloom.

Afterwards, you’ll have time to change into your swimsuit and take a dip in the fresh river water, swimming beside the creatures of the Amazon. Do not worry, though, the animals won’t bite; humans are the only true threat in the jungle! Most likely, members of the Hua- orani 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 ecua-volley!

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 em- ployment 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 re- lax 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.

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 tran- quility 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 interpreta- tion 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. The well-constructed and com- fortable campsite is part of a community initiative, so you will really get to participate in and support community tourism at its finest.

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 impor- tance 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 Hua- orani 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 1970s, 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 agri- culture and timber extraction.

On this short tour, you will witness the crude reality of our collective thirst for oil as you ride 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 brief journey through oil territory illustrates the reality of the threat facing the rainforest and the Huaorani people. You will also realize why your visit to Huaorani Ecolodge was so important!

After a 2-hour overland ride down the auca road, you will reach the banks of the Río Napo and the town of Coca, where you will catch your flight to Quito.

Flight Back To Quito – After a 2 hour overland ride on the Auca Road, you reach the town of Coca and the place where you catch your flight back to Quito.

Included:

• Accommodations
• All meals
• English speaking guide
• Guided activities (incl camping)

Not included:

• Entrance fee to Huaorani Territory $20
• Full day Kayak US$40
• Alcoholic and not alcoholic beverages
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Airfare tax $ 5.10 per person

5 Day / 4 Night Itinerary – Download als pdf

The award winning Huaorani Ecolodge is situated at the headwaters of the Amazon and run by the Huaorani, one of the most isolated ethnic group on earth. This is a life changing experience where you will learn how to use a blowgun, climb trees, smear your face with red achiote, and take a two day meander down the Shiripuno river in kayaks or dugout canoes watching tropical birds and monkeys and listen to an indigenous leader relate the tribe’s fight against oil exploration and with luck meet Moi Enomenga a conservation hero honored by National Geographic and the Buffett Foundation.

Day 1 – Journey to Huaorani Territory

Volcano Avenue – An adventurous day that starts with beautiful mountain scenery and ends with a memorable trip down a remote, lowland jungle river. A morning pick-up at your hotel followed by a drive through the Avenue of the Volcanoes. After leaving your hotel and the bustling metropolis of Quito, you will be treated to the beautiful scenery of the Ecuadorian countryside on a drive through the impressive Avenue of Volcanoes. This is an area of 14 majestic volcanoes, some of them active and others dormant. The scenery also includes views of old colonial haciendas, indigenous villages, and natural areas. On days with good weather, you may see the huge, cone-shaped volcano known as Cotopaxi Volcano, and the active Tungurahua Volcano.

Driving through beautiful Baños – Baños (bah-nyos), named for thermal baths that draw thousands of visitors per year and known for its adrenaline-pumping adventure sports and melcocha taffy, is the first major town on the way. Your journey will continue past Baños through a lush green landscape punctuated by tree ferns, patches of cloud forest, waterfalls, and rushing rivers.· Heading into the Amazonian lowlandsAfter Baños, the road winds its way down into the steamy lowlands of the Amazon basin. As the air grows warmer, you’ll start to notice changes in vegetation with bananas and tropical palms dominating the countryside.

Shell Airfield and Flight to Huaorani Territory – The drive eventually ends at Shell, a principal Amazonian town named after the oil company with the same name. Shell also hosts the third busiest airport in Ecuador and this is where you will depart for the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon.· A flight and boatride into a remote jungleAround noon, you will board a light aircraft for a quick, 35 minute flight to the Huaorani community of Quehueri’ono (keh-werioh- noh).

Landing in Huaorani Territory – After being warmly greeted by the Huaorani, people from the community will take you downstream in a shallow dugout canoe called a quilla (kee-yah). Keep your camera, binoculars, sunscreen and hat with you because your luggage will be taken to the lodge in a separate boat. Rubber boots and rain ponchos will be given to guests at this time. As you travel down the beautiful Shiripuno River, keep binoculars and camera ready for such birds as striking Yellow-rumped Caciques, kiskadees, kingfishers, and egrets among other species.·

Arrive at the Huaorani Ecolodge – Upon arrival at the intimate, safe, and comfortable Huaorani Ecolodge, you will get the chance to settle in and have lunch before taking a guided, introductory hike on the rainforest Discovery Trail. On this walk, you will learn about the Huaorani culture and the surrounding Amazon rainforest. After dinner, you have the option of resting up for the next day of your adventure or going on an exciting night hike with your local guide.

Day 2 – Hike through the beautiful rainforest. Cool off in the pristine jungle river.

Learn hunting and survival techniques – This second day of the tour is hunting day! Huaorani survive in the forest by hunting monkeys, birds, other animals, fishing in the river, and gathering fruits, tubers, and vegetables. While you will learn about basic hunting techniques, don’t worry, no animals will be killed. One of the main goals of this project is the preservation of traditional Huaorani practices to keep Huaorani culture alive and protect the rainforest.

After breakfast, a Huaorani guide will take you on a long nature hike into the forest.The local guides will teach you how to set traps, make fires without matches, build a quick jungle shelter, use a blowgun, swing a machete, and catch fish in small creeks. Your guide may also show you which insects can be eaten, identify medicinal plants and explain their uses, and show you where they find clay for making pottery.

A swim and visit to the local Huaorani community – While hiking through the rainforest, you will enjoy views over the vast jungle canopy before eventually reaching the cool waters of a jungle river. While taking a dip in the river, local community members may join you to cool off in the waters.

Lunch – After going for a swim in the heart of the Amazon, you will be treated to a tasty lunch before a relaxed, informal visit at the Huaorani community. You will probably be invited to enjoy a bowl of “chucula” (a sweet drink made from ripe bananas) and may get the chance to admire such beautiful handmade artifacts as woven hammocks and bags, traps, blowguns, and necklaces made from jungle seeds.

Handicraft Market Visit – You will also have the chance to visit the Bi-cultural Ecology Education project and learn how to harvest manioc, a Huaorani staple. If you like, you can visit the community’s handicraft market to purchase some of their hand-crafted products. Hand-crafted goods help the Huaorani maintain their culture, and buying such crafts provides direct support to the Huaorani families who make them.

Canoe Ride – At the end of the afternoon, a pleasant canoe-ride takes you back to the lodge. After dinner, your naturalist guide will give a half hour talk on a subject of interest. Or, if you would prefer to go on a night hike, just let your guide know!

Day 3 – Take a canoe ride around the oxbow lakes. Catch a glimpse of our elusive nocturnal wildlife during our night hikes.

An exciting day of hikes through pristine rainforest, canoe rides on oxbow lakes, and chances to see exotic rainforest wildlife!·

A guided hike through primary rainforest – The day starts out with breakfast or an optional early guided walk in the forest followed by breakfast. This is followed by a three hour walk through primary forest with immense towering trees, crystal clear streams, and a myriad of bird calls from the jungle. The trail leads to a hilltop crowned by a massive Ceibo tree over 40 meters (131 feet) tall.

Peccaries, Leaf-cutter Ants, and a canoe ride – The trail then follows a path that parallels the Shiripuno River and crosses small tributaries, including one that occasionally hosts groups of White-collared Peccaries. You will probably see tracks of these wild, rainforest hogs, may smell them, and might even glimpse them. You will also see a huge Leaf-cutter Ant nest before reaching a small oxbow lake. A walk along the lake leads to a river where a canoe will take you back to the lodge.· Another canoe ride, a visit to a salt lick, and nocturnal animals.

Lunch – After a delicious lunch at the lodge, you will canoe back downstream to an oxbow lake known as the “Cocha Pequeña”. At the lake, you will have a very good chance of seeing the extraordinary Hoatzin (one of the few birds that feeds almost exclusively on leaves), Squirrel Monkeys, Capybaras (the world’s largest rodent), Caimans, and might even see an Anaconda.On the way back to the lodge, you will watch a salt-clay lick that is often used by various animals and birds. This is an excellent site for viewing rare wildlife and birds as many animals gather here to feed on the mineral-rich clay.

The return trip from the clay lick offers a chance at seeing nocturnal animals. Since many of the rainforest animals are nocturnal, this is your best opportunity to see some of these elusive creatures. You may spot various snakes, frogs, bizarre bugs, kinkajous, owls, and other animals.

Day 4 – Canoe down the Shiripuno River in traditional Huaorani style. Visit to the Huoarani community of Apaika. Camp outdoors in the Amazon.

After an early breakfast, you can canoe down the Shiripuno River in traditional Huaorani style, or for an additional cost, head down river in a kayak.

Birdwatching – This day starts early to give a better chance at seeing a variety of colorful Amazonian birds. 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.

A stop at the Apaika Community – The next main stop on your ride downriver is a visit to the Apaika community, a Huoarani community found inside the Yame Reserve. This is a huge, 55,000 hectare, protected area managed by the Huaorani Association, an organization that leads ecotourism efforts in Huoarani territory.

Snack – At Akaipa, you will enjoy a quick snack and visit a small interpretation center to learn more about Yasuní National Park. The afternoon is topped off by getting together with the local community to share in some of its daily activities and learn about their history, myths, and magic

After leaving Akaipa, the next stop is the small Huaorani village of Nenquepare. You will spend the night here camping out in a well-constructed and comfortable campsite that is part of a community initiative.

Day 5 – A waterfall, dip in the river, an intimate look at the Huoarani territory’s local ecology, and a plane ride back to Quito.

Visit A Tropical Waterfall – After another delicious breakfast, you have the chance to hike a community trail to see an impressive tropical waterfall, seeing various plants and animals on the way. You will also learn about why this waterfall is of special importance for the Huaorani people. At the waterfall, you can take a dip in the energizing waters before leaving the jungle to head back to Quito.

The effects of oil exploration on Huoarani lands – After returning to the campsite on the Shiripuno, you will continue on downstream by canoe to the infamous “Auca Road”. On the way, your guides will start to tell you about how oil exploration has affected their lands. The Auca Road was built by oil companies in the early 1970s to search for oil on Huoarani lands and is named after the Huoarani as “Auca” is the name given to them by their lowland Quichua neighbors (Auca means “Fierce” or “Savage”).

Drive to Coca – As you travel along the Auca Road, you won’t help but notice the stark difference between intact rainforest and deforestation that occurs when roads are carved out of the surrounding jungle. This road is paralleled by pipelines that go from the Huaorani community of Tihuino up to Lago Agrio (the oil hub of eastern Ecuador) before the oil is pumped across the Andes to the Pacific port of Esmeraldas.

This part of your tour illustrates the reality of the threats facing the rainforest and the Huaorani people as much of the road passes through land that was formerly forested and lived in by Huoarani peoples. It will also help you realize why your visit to Huaorani Ecolodge was so important!

Flight Back To Quito – After a 2 hour overland ride on the Auca Road, you reach the town of Coca and the place where you catch your flight back to Quito.

Included:

• Accommodations
• All meals
• English speaking guide
• Guided activities (incl camping)

Not included:

• Entrance fee to Huaorani Territory $20
• Full day Kayak US$40
• Alcoholic and not alcoholic beverages
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Airfare tax $ 5.10 per person