Sue Murphy, visitor of Kapawi

Kapawi - Ecuador

Adventure to the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

- Meet the indigenous people that remained apart and unexposed from the western world until the late 1960s when a Celestine Missionary was welcomed into a Village.

- Experience the rainforest - more than 50% of today's pharmaceuticals are developed from plants found in the rainforests

- Birdwatching - More than 500 species in the area including many species found no where else in the world

- Mammals - pink river dolphins, ant-eaters, three-toed sloths, tapirs and river otters, agouti, pecari, monkeys, deer

Press Reports:
Men's Journal Magazine - " #1Greatest Escape in the World" 2004
Travel World - March 1999
Audubon - October 1999
Travel & Leisure - "25 Great EcoLodges in the World"
National Geographic - May/June 2001
Rudy Maxa's Traveler - June 2001
Conde Nast - Traveler
The Environmental Magazine - Nov/Dec 1999
Adventure Magazine - Jan/Feb 2001

Kapawi is a richly diverse eco-structure, one that remains largely untouched by our civilization. There are no cities or roads for 12 days in any walking direction. There is a small airstrip near the lodge where guests are flown into. From there, all transportation is by foot or motorized canoe which is operated by the Acuhar and the Ecuadorian naturalists.

The Lodge is rated in many travel guides as the premier eco-lodge facilities in Ecuador. The fully-stocked bar also serves as an extensive library and meeting hall for evening discussions prior to the following day's hikes.
It is rustic, but not primitive and attractively designed. Accommodations are very comfortable - beds better than those at the JW Marriott in Quito. Three prepared hot meals daily with table service, turn down service, running water and electricity in each unit - still maintaining a feeling of being part of the rain forest. Since the temperature is about the same all year - 75 to 80 degrees, no AC or heating is needed. There are 20 units that accommodate 2 or 3 people.

Hikes can be low, medium or high intensity. Most people are comfortable with the medium intensity hikes, but people are also comfortable to skip the hikes and just hang out in their hammock at the lodge. The trails are only used once every week or so to prevent permanent damage to the trails/rainforest. Visiting the Achuar community is optional. Some people are not comfortable - for others, it is the most important reason to go.

The tribe to the north was introduced to western society in the 50s and oil drilling and logging commenced. Today, that tribe numbers about 500 indians. (Google: Texaco oil lawsuits in Coca)
In contrast, the Achuar were not introduced to western society until the 60s. Pains were taken to preserve their section of the rain forest with the gained understanding that the natives are an integral component of the balance of nature. Today, the Achuar number about 5000, up from 4500. Still, I think the average life is about 45 years. Over 50% of the worlds pharmaceuticals are derived from rain forest plants, and many plants have not been researched or even classified yet. Good reasons not to rush in to exploit the natural resources - still Ecuador is a poor country, so oil and logging are financially attractive.

Whether the eco-tourism and world awareness will catch on sufficiently to allow the Achuar to continue to live as they have remains to be seen. They are becoming somewhat westernized as they trade with the Peruvian river traders for western clothes, machetes, nylon cord rope, etc, but at this point, they decide what western concepts to accept .