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Operator:
Original Routes
Price From:
2,950 USD
Ideal Age Range:
19 to 30,
31 to 50,
Over 51
Fitness Needs:
Moderately Fit
Program duration:
10 days
Trip Dates:
13-11-2019
This is an amazing opportunity to explore Ecuador’s Amazon. Over the 10-day journey, you will get to know a local community known for their dedication to protecting their territory.
For centuries, Indigenous people of the Amazon have inhabited and protected their environments, maintaining their languages, traditions, customs. On this special journey, you’ll be welcomed by a Kichwa community and have the pleasure to be immersed in their culture. As you get to know the area, you’ll also learn about the medicinal properties of plants and the different roles that the flora and fauna play in the community’s day-to-day life.
Throughout the trip, you’ll have a wealth of opportunities to explore different aspects of Ecuadorian culture. A few highlights include:
Welcome to Ecuador! Well known as the Jewel of South America, Ecuador boasts incredibly diverse landscapes from the towering Andean highlands to the lush, green Amazon Basin, and all the way to the coast. Your meeting place of Quito sits at the foothills of the Andes and is a collage of Spanish Colonial history, contemporary living, and indigenous cultures.
Today there are no planned activities, so arrive at your leisure, check into the boutique hotel and enjoy your free time to explore! Tonight there will be a welcome dinner & meeting with other members of the tour!
Explore and fully experience the stunning beauty of the Andean Highlands today. As a group, you'll have a chance to visit an indigenous market, Andean Villages and the gorgeous turquoise Quilatoa Crater Lagoon.
Spend tonight in a historic hacienda, an Ecuadorian cultural heritage site.
Travel along winding mountain passes to the Andean highlands into the beautiful lush, green Amazon basin. Pass by the roaring Pastaza River stopping along the way to see the awe-inspiring Pallon del Diablo waterfall.
Your final destination today is Puyo, a town in the jungle that is the entrance to your experience in the Amazon. Spend tonight at your hotel in Puyo.
Today, take a motorized canoe ride along the Bobonaza River to the Kichwa community of Sarayaku. On the way, stop off on the riverbanks where your guide will show you the local plants and animals. The trip should take around 4-5 hours, depending on the weather conditions.
In the late afternoon, you'll arrive at Sarayaku where you will be welcomed into the local community, enjoy a traditional dinner and relax in the evening with your hosts.
Enjoy a guided hike through the Amazon and be immersed in the ancient old-growth of the rainforest. You'll discover one of the greatest natural treasures on the planet, and the home of a third of the world's plants and animals. Learn about the medicinal uses of plants, watch the birds and butterflies fly around you, marvel at the colors of orchids and other flowers. Take a dip and swim in the river, and visit the most incredible jungle, sacred for its spiritual significance in the surrounding communities.
Today you will be welcomed into a local village where you will have the chance to connect and learn from the local people. Meet men, women, children and the elders, whose wisdom is vast. You can take home so much by engaging in these cross-cultural exchanges with the people in the community.
Visit with the local artisans who produce various handicrafts and ceramics. Today you'll also participate in traditional activities, such as using blowguns and receiving natural dye tattoos. You can visit community projects, a school, and health clinic, as well. In the evening, speak with community leaders who will tell you about their experiences of resistance and the defense of their territories.
Say goodbye to the town of Sarayaku, defenders of the forest! You'll take a chartered flight today to Puyo, where you'll have incredible views of the Amazon from above! Tonight, visit the Papllacta Thermal Hot Springs to relax and feel refreshed. There's nothing like the experience of the mineral hot springs surrounded by green jungle, high elevation and the Andes in your backdrop!
Today we return to Quito where you'll enjoy some free time to explore and visit the Mercado Artesenal. The market is so colorful and is a perfect place to scoop up some souvenirs from this beautiful country. Choose from colorful scarves, alpaca blankets, jewelry, chocolate, paintings, bracelets, hats, and bags, you name it!
In the evening join the group for the last dinner and night out!
Today is yours to spend at your leisure and head home or onto your next destination!
Flag | ![]() |
Continent: | South America |
Official Language(s) | Spanish |
Capital: | Quito |
Population | 16,144,000 (2015 estimate) |
Climate(s) | Equatorial, Monsoon, Tropical Savanna, Desert (Warm/Cold), Semi-arid (Warm/Cold), Oceanic (Temperate/Cool), Temperate Mediterranean |
Major Airport(s): | Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) |
Economic Driver(s): | Agriculture, Tourism, Industry |