The Kapawi Lodge project was begun in 1993 with the aim of not only providing a top-class Amazon experience for tourists, but also providing a sustainable means of economic support for the Achuar indigenous community of the area so that they would be better able to withstand the encroaching pressures of oil exploration and better sustain their ancestral culture. At the moment 70% of the organisation's employees are Achuars and a programme is currently underway to totally transfer ownership to the FINAE (Federation of Achuar Indigenous People in Ecuador) by 2011.
Apart from its impeccable sustainable tourism credentials, Kapawi Lodge is notable for offering some of the most flexible jungle programmes in Ecuador.You decide your itinerary yourself in conjunction with one of the lodge's expert naturalist guides according to seasonal conditions, your preferences, and the presence of wildlife in the area. You can take canoe-rides along the streams and rivers, go for a variety of day and night hikes in the rainforest, and stay with local Achuar communities to experience how they live together with the jungle - definitely the Real Ecuador!
Flexible Jungle Itinerary
Kapawi Lodge provides various activities and you will design your own day by day itinerary with your guide so that you arrange the most suitable programme for your particular interests.
Things that you will almost certainly want to include are:
- Hikes in the rainforest
- Visits to the Achuari
- Canoeing
- Swimming with dolphins
- Bird-watching