Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve (Ecuador)

Kapawi  Ecolodge & Reserve is located in one of the most remote and well protected parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Deep in the nearly two million acres of the Achuar people’s territory, Kapawi is accessible only by air — flying in small planes over an unbroken green expanse of rainforest near the Peruvian border.

Kapawi is an award winning eco-lodge noted for its comfort and quality of service, for its ecological design and sensitivity, and for its abundance of wildlife and rich biodiversity. Located in the territorial lands of an indigenous nation (6,000 people in 64 communities) still living as they have for generations and in intimate harmony with nature, Kapawi provides guests a range and depth of cultural experiences unmatched by any other rainforest lodges.

At Kapawi you have a variety of experiences and excursions available. For 4, 5, or 8 days you choose the type of hike, canoe excursion, cultural visit that suits you and your group, each led by 2 guides: an Achuar guide along with a bi-lingual naturalist guide.

The Achuar

The Achuar are historically a nation of warriors with a firm commitment to preserve their territory and way of life, and to resist the encroachment of extractive industries and a western style of development. Kapawi Lodge is an example of an alternative development path and is a key element in the Achuar strategy for protecting their lands. It brings revenue, training and a connection with potential allies from the outside world.A visit to Kapawi is a truly authentic and unique experience but authenticity need not come at the expense of comfort! 19 fully screened cabins built in traditional Achuar style sit atop stilts over a lagoon full of stunning plant, bird and insect life. Fine dining, fusing international and Ecuadorian cuisine, and a well stocked bar and social area are enjoyed by guests supported by a staff eager to make your stay in Kapawi an unforgettable experience. An Achuar guide and a bi-lingual naturalist guide accompany each group on a wide variety of activities designed to reveal the mysteries and majesty of the rainforest and Achuar culture.

Some History

The Kapawi project opened in 1996 as a unique partnership between an Ecuadorian tourism company, and the Achuar people. Each partner shared a vision of building an economically sustainable project that would contribute to the preservation of the cultural and environmental riches of Ecuador’s Amazon region.The goal of the original Ecuadorian company, who provided the Initial funding, management and technical expertise, was to create this internationally recognized eco-tourism project that would eventually transfer total ownership and responsibility to the Achuar people.  As planned, January 1, 2008 marked the official transfer of Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve to the Achuar people, who own, manage and operate it to this day.

Getting to Kapawi Lodge

The adventure truly begins and ends with getting to Kapawi from Quito and back. One of the most unique and attractive things about the Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve is its remoteness. This remoteness adds both complexity and challenges to the travel arrangements to reach Kapawi, and also provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the tropical rainforest from the air, flying in small planes low over a vast expanse of green. Kapawi aims to make the journey as easy and rewarding as possible, starting with the warmth and hospitality of the Achuar staff who meet you at Quito airport!

Use these Activity Level Ratings as a general guide to help determine which of our adventures is best for you. Your perception of level of difficulty may vary from ours according to your own level of fitness and travel experience. Whether or not you stay in your comfort zone on the trip you select may also be influenced by the pacing we build into the itinerary, and your own preparation for the trip. While relatively high elevations are unavoidable when you're traveling in the Andes Mountains, we may judge a trip as "moderate" so long as passengers have sufficient time for acclimation. Our detailed trip itineraries give much more information about what you can expect. If you are unsure which trip is best for you, please call us. We'll help guide you toward the right fit.

Moderate

These adventures involve fairly easy travel. There is no camping: you sleep in hotels and country inns each evening. Trips may include short hikes and/or walks of two to three hours. Our itineraries include excursions in passenger mini-vans, over roads with many curves and potholes. Elevations rarely exceed 12,600'. At Machu Picchu and other Inca sites, we climb and descend relatively steep stone staircases. Trips to Amazon lodges involve travel by boat and canoe, plus hikes on forest trails at a moderate pace. In the rainforest, you may encounter rain, mud, and pooled water. Trips to the Galapagos include optional hikes on sometimes uneven rocky and/or slippery terrain. Passengers must get into and out of dinghies on beaches and at docks.

Active

These adventures include more hiking than in our moderate trips. You negotiate a variety of terrain, at elevations no more than 15,000'. Some trips include long days of overland travel. You sleep comfortably in hotels each evening.

Strenuous

While we rate all of our treks as strenuous, there is a substantial range of challenge between the easiest and the most demanding of our treks. Expect to hike 6-8 hours each day over steep and rugged terrain. You may hike to elevations of 17,000', with options to hike higher from several camps. Many include camping multiple nights at relatively high elevations. On most treks in the Andes, night-time temperatures can drop below freezing on one or more nights. On our Inn to Inn based treks, you'll spend each evening in a comfortable mountain lodge.

Extreme

Our toughest treks are suitable for those that enjoy a good physical challenge. You trek (and in some cases climb) over steep, rugged terrain at high elevations with substantial altitude gains. Some glacier travel requires knowledge of basic climbing techniques including use of crampons, ice axe, and ropes. These trips are in remote wilderness areas and include camping as high at 17,700'. Successful summit bids top out at 18,871' (Nevado Pisco), 19,347' (Volcan Cotopaxi) and 20,945' (Nevado Ausangate).

2010 Rates, per person

Children’s Discount: under 12 years of age receive a 50% discount when accompanied by an adult in the same cabin. Discount applied to double occupancy rate only. These rates are subject to change without prior notice. For children under 7 years of age, hiring a private guide is recommended.

Included in the land cost:

Accommodation in private cabin with private shower/toilet; all meals at Kapawi; daily guided excursions by resident naturalist guides

Not included:

Achuar community fee: US$10.00 per passenger + $2.50/night. National or International Airport Tax. Soft beverages, alcoholic drinks or souvenirs. Government taxes.

TRANSPORTATION, Quito-Shell-Kapawi-Shell-Quito

2010 Rates per passenger

$234/person, combination overland and flight, approximately 6½ hours

Details on the flight routings:

Quito-Shell-Quito by land + Shell-Kapawi-Shell by air.  The land portion will be in an air-conditioned, comfortable vehicle accompanied by a bilingual tour guide.

The overland portion, Quito to Shell, takes around 5 hours.  Depart Quito around 6:30AM, arrive Shell at 11:00AM. Stop at 9:00 for a box lunch, plus other stops en route for rest stops and photo stops.

The flight from Shell to Kapawi takes 50 minutes. Arrive at Wachirpas Airport close to the lodge. From there, it’s a 30 minute canoe ride to Kapawi Lodge.

ACTIVITIES

Since there are no set itineraries, Kapawi Lodge offers a multitude of activities, so that with your guides and your group you can design a flexible program to suit your interests and activity level. Activities include bird watching, a choice of forest hikes (from easy to difficult), canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and self-guided hikes. Most itineraries include a visit to an Achuar community.

The Achuar Community.

Most groups are invited into a home to experience Achuar hospitality and taste the famous manioc beer. Depending on your fitness level there are a variety of rainforest hikes to learn about the flora, fauna and Achuar cosmology and culture. Your Achuar guide will delight and amaze you with all the different uses of plants, from food to medicine, to building materials. If you are lucky enough to come across traditional Achuar foods you will have the opportunity to taste lemon ants or palm larvae -- not for the faint-hearted!

Bird Watching.

Kapawi lodge is a paradise for bird watchers and amateurs alike with more species of birds in the Kapawi area alone than in all of North America. Kapawi has specific Achuar guides who are birding specialists. These guides are not always available so you need to advise us in advance to request one.

Fish, canoe, kayak, swim, or float.

Located on the banks of the Capahuari river, you can fish for piranha, or take a traditional Achuar canoe or kayak to explore sleepy streams, thick with jungle foliage, where you will feel a million miles from western civilization. For those who prefer less effort, slip into a rubber ring or swim and let the current carry you downstream; no need to worry, the only wildlife you’re likely to encounter are the magical pink dolphins.

Dining in the forest.

Don’t miss the alfresco dining experience in the forest: after a beautiful walk your guides will set up a delicious hot lunch in the forest beneath the jungle canopy.

A Typical Day.

6:00AM. Early risers can start their day as early as 6:00AM to catch the animals and birds at their most active. Hot drinks and light snacks are available before heading off for your early morning activities -- nothing too strenuous for first thing in the morning, just relax in the canoe as you’re taken upstream bird watching or downstream to the clay lick where the parrots and macaws gather most mornings. The dawn light and the symphony of insect, bird and animal calls at this time of the morning will be etched into your memory forever. The canoes will return you to the lodge in time for a big breakfast at 8:00 AM.

9:30 AM – 1:00PM. Morning activities. Choose the type of hike that appeals to you:

Easy path: Short hikes in the rainforest (up to 2½ hours) on well-defined trails, visits to the Achuar communities, trips in canoes and excursions on raft and kayaks.

Moderate path: Medium distance hikes in the rain forest (up to 4 hours) which sometimes cross flooded areas.

Difficult path: Demanding hikes of over 4 hours and in some cases all day or more, in poorly defined, hilly, and often flooded trails. Porters will carry food and supplies for longer expeditions. Excellent physical condition is required!

Depending on what you have arranged with your guides you will either return to the lodge at 1:00 for another delectable dining experience or you may stay in the forest and lunch beneath the trees.

3:00PM – 5:00PM afternoon activities

5:00PM. Return to the lodge. Relax in your hammock with a glass of something delicious.

7:00 PM. Guides briefing. Each evening in the bar, the guides give a briefing detailing the activities for the next day.

7:30PM. Dinner. A delicious dinner will be served in the dining room at 7:30pm where you will be once more serenaded by the sounds of the forest and frogs in the lagoon as you dine.

8:30PM. Optional night activities.  Take a gentle night hike along the self guided trail, spotting unbelievably stunning insects, frog, reptiles, and with luck a nocturnal monkey. Watch for night Caiman by canoe –a real highlight -- keep your eyes peeled for their orange eyes just above the surface of the water. Alternatively you can sit or by the fire in the hammock hut and hear talks on the rainforest and Achaur life.

GETTING TO KAPAWI LODGE

One of the most unique and attractive things about the Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve is its remoteness. This remoteness both adds complexity and challenges to the travel arrangements to reach Kapawi, and also provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a unique part of Ecuador and to see the tropical rainforest from the air, flying in small planes, low over a vast expanse of green. We will endeavour to make your journey to Kapawi as easy and rewarding as possible and to embrace you in Achuar hospitality from the moment your journey begins at Quito airport.

From Quito to KapawiThe standard travel route to Kapawi is to fly from Quito to a small airstrip at Shell, a town located on the frontier of the Amazon, or to Coca or Macas, depending on the number of guests travelling to Kapawi that day. If you fly to Shell, the southerly route from Quito heads down the valley of the volcanoes and on a clear day the view is breathtaking. Even on cloudy days you can often see the snow covered peaks of the volcanoes through the clouds.

Once in Shell (or Coca or Macas) you will be met by a Kapawi representative who will assist you as you change to smaller airplanes for short jog to the airstrip in Achuar territory. In either of the staging towns (Shell, Coca or Macas,) the waiting time is normally 1 to 3 hours. A representative will arrange a variety of activities and snacks or lunch depending on the anticipated waiting time.

The flight from Shell is a 50 minute flight over miles and miles of unbroken pristine rainforest, arriving at the Achuar community of Wachirpas, located on the banks of the Pastaza River. There you will be welcomed by your Kapawi guides who will escort you on the final leg of your journey, a beautiful 30 minute canoe ride into the majesty and tranquility of this remote part of the world. You will travel up the broad expanse of the Pastaza River, then into the smaller Capahuari River, and moments later arrive at your destination, Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve.

Returning to QuitoThe travel process is reversed and you will normally leave the lodge mid-morning by canoe, then fly by small plane from Achuar territory to Shell (or Coca or Macas) where you transfer to the larger plane for the flight back to Quito. Please note: Our scheduled travel days to and from Kapawi are each Monday and Friday. If you are unable to travel on these days, we may be able to arrange special charter flights to accommodate you.

Please note: it’s important to schedule a buffer day for the return to Quito. If weather interferes, the flights will not go, and you would arrive in Quito a day late. You shouldn’t schedule any connections out unless you have a buffer day in between.

Kapawi’s naturalist guides are Spanish and English speaking. If you require a different language, you need to specify this once you confirm your reservation. With groups of 10 or more passengers, we will guarantee a bilingual guide.Groups of less than 10 passengers may have to join with another group of passengers in your language.  A translator can be provided (for groups with less than 10 passengers) at an additional cost of US$100.00 per day per reservation (not per passenger), this extra charge will be paid previous to the excursion departure date.

GETTING TO KAPAWI: The Planes

Different aircrafts are used depending on the number of people traveling. Examples are: Beech craft 1900 (19 seater) or Embraer 120 (30 seater), both aircrafts are property of SAEREO. Also used are the Dash-8 (37 seater) or Fokker 28 (60 seater), both property of ICARO. Commercial flights are taken for the routes Quito-Macas or Quito-Coca. Regardless of the route on the first leg, small aircrafts are used for the next leg in order to land on the airstrips in the jungle either at Kapawi or Wachirpas communities. A combination of smaller planes used would be either the Islander (9 seater), Cessna 206 (5 seater), a Helio (5 seater), Piper (5 seater), or Cessna172 (3 seater).

Additional information on flights and weather.

Note 1: Depending upon weather conditions and/or the availability of specific airplanes, the standard travel routes may be changed. You will be fully informed of the planned travel itineraries. However, weather conditions in the Amazon are unpredictable and can change quickly so please be patient and keep an open mind if there are lasta-minute changes even on the day of travel or en-route. Routings taken are based on the best conditions available, with passengers’ safety the foremost concern.

Note 2: In exceptional cases, usually due to weather conditions, we may have to take the overland route from Quito to Shell, or vice-versa, using a chartered bus, van or auto service.

Note 3: In the event that weather conditions prevent arrival into Kapawi on the scheduled day, accommodations at a comfortable hotel in Puyo ( a 10 minute drive from Shell) will be provided, and flights rescheduled as early as possible the next morning to Kapawi.

• Fly from Shell over expansive Amazon rainforest to remote Kapawi Lodge
• 4, 5, or 8-day all-inclusive packages
• Achuar and naturalist guides lead daily excursions
• Cultural immersion on visit to Achuar community
• Birdwatching, hiking, camping
• Canoeing, kayaking, fishing
• Self-guided trails