7-night Program Itinerary
Kapawi Ecolodge
7-night Program Itinerary
Trip Summary
Price: Starting at USD 2,600 per person*
INCLUDED IN PRICE:
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Accommodation, all meals.
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All excursions and activities.
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Rubber boots and Rain poncho.
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Local bilingual guide.
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Community visits.
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Boat rides, kayaking and other river excursions and activities.
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Chartered flights (USD 290 per person for the route Shell-Kapawi and Kapawi-Shell). Private charter flights on special dates can be arranged.
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A contribution to the Achuar community fund USD 50. This fee per visitor, included in the price, is reinvested directly in local health and education community projects.
EXTRAS NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE:
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Private land transfers Quito-Shell or Shell-Quito can be quoted separately upon request.
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Complimentary travel arrangements: We work with our partner tour operator Trek Ecuador and can arrange any overland transfers and travel arrangements before and after the Kapawi experience. Sometimes our guests want to explore other destinations on the way to Kapawi or after Kapawi. We can gladly provide any travel assistance.
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Alcoholic beverages, sparkling beverages (sodas, sparkling water).
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Special customized activities (e.g. community overnight stays have an additional cost).
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Tips and gratuities.
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Personal expenses (handicrafts and other).
Travel with a purpose
Kapawi's 7-night program offers you the possibility to experience Kapawi with your own private guide, personalized activities, and to travel at a slower pace, practicing the philosophy of slow tourism: emphasizing leisurely-paced explorations and adventures, local experiences and cultural immersion, and sustainability. A 7-night visit to Kapawi promotes environmental conservation, cultural appreciation, and deeper connections with the destination, while benefiting the local economy and reducing the negative impact of conventional mass tourism.
Kapawi provides a travel experience in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador that will help you disconnect, while connecting you with the Amazon Rainforest and the Achuar indigenous people, challenging you to explore and experience something authentic that we hope, in the long run, will create a positive memory in your life.
Kapawi Ecolodge is the perfect destination for single travelers, couples, families, and small groups. At Kapawi, a 7-night itinerary will allow you to:
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Experience moments of cultural immersion and learn about the Achuar indigenous way of life.
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Travel to a remote location in the Amazon Rainforest to spend time in nature.
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Design your personal travel experience and travel at your own pace.
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Choose from a menu of options including guided hikes (daytime and nighttime), boat rides and river explorations in an area with 4 navegable rivers, wildlife viewing opportunities, kayaking and swimming in the Capahuari river
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Choose from several community visits and overnight community stays.
How to get to Kapawi
A visit to Kapawi Ecolodge starts and ends in the town of Shell, located 4-5 hours from Quito at the edge of the Amazon basin. There are no commercial flights from Quito to Shell, and to get to our ecolodge, our guests need to travel overland south along the Panamerican Highway running from north to south, before descending from the Andes to the Amazon down the canyon of the Pastaza river, past the small town of Baños and to the town of Shell. Our chartered planes are usually scheduled to leave from Shell at 9.30 am. The flight covers 160 kilometers to Kapawi and takes approximately 50 minutes before landing in the Achuar village of Kusutkau, one of the 3 Achuar communities that own Kapawi Ecolodge.
Kapawi Ecolodge is located in a region of 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) that covers 4 navigable rivers and includes a dozen Achuar indigenous communities. We offer an immersive travel experience, including many options ofwildlife, nature and river activities, and the opportunity to meet the Achuar culture through authentic interaction.
Travel Itinerary
Our 7-night itineraries are bespoke travel experiences. We will assist you in creating the itinerary that best fits your interests and preferences. Our customized activities can give you the option of spending more time with the Achuar people, including community stays, or do more adventurous activities like camping, longer hikes and nature explorations. Our 7-night programs cater to single travelers, couples, family adventures with small kids, and groups up to 16 travelers.
The following description is an example of activities that can be included in a 7-night itinerary.
DAY 1
Our experience starts in the town of Shell, from where we fly to the Achuar territory on a small 3-, 5-, or 9-seater small charetered plane. The flight covers approximately 160 kilometers as we enter to the last area of isolated Amazon Rainforest.
To get to Kapawi, guests fly deep into the southeastern region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The Pastaza river can be seen as the plane flies into the Achuar territory.
We will fly to the community of Kusutkau, located 20 minutes upstream from Kapawi. Upon arrival to the ecolodge, you will be taken to the main social and dining area, where we give you an introductory talk about the Ecolodge, the Achuar territory, and the different possibilities for activities, both natural and cultural. After the introductory briefing, you will be shown to your cabins, and lunch will be served in our dining area.
Kapawi's trail and river system occupies an area of roughly 2,500 hectares of primary rainforest with many opportunities for wildlife encounters. Hikes can range from 30 minutes to 6 hours.
After lunch, you will choose, together with your guides, the best activities for the afternoon. Kapawi offers a wide range of activities in the trails surrounding the ecolodge, and also in the Capahuari river. We usually start with a hike in the forest, to understand the incredible ecology of the Amazon Rainforest. Some hikes start right from the lodge, while others start near the lodge a few minutes away by motorized boat.
Return to the lodge after the activity for some free time. Swimming in the river right from our dock is always available, as well as relaxing in our social areas by the river or in the main area where our dining area and bar are located. We will have dinner at the lodge at 7.30 pm, and after dinner you can go over the next day's plan and activities together with your guides. Overnight at Kapawi Ecolodge.
Optional menu of activities for days 2-3-4-5-6-7
Below is a description of all the different experiences you can have while at Kapawi.
Every day, you will have an optional early activity, which usually involves time in the river (birdwatching and looking for wildlife). The early activity is usually between 6-8 am, followed by breakfast at the lodge. After breakfast we can include a full-day or a half-day activity. The activities vary every day between time in the forest, kayaking and paddling in a river, or visiting a community. You plan these activities the night before together with your guides. For example, you can choose from several 1-6 hour hikes, or full day visit to a local community up to 1.5 hours by boat from the lodge.
Squirrel monkeys are one of 7 different species of primates that you can find around Kapawi Ecolodge on the river and inside the forest.
Kayaking the smaller Kusutkau river requires paddling upstream a flowing river, and is usually an activity that requires medium kayaking experience.
Kayaking the wider and bigger Capahuari river is an easy activity that can range from 1 hour to 3-4 hours in the river enjoying the scenery and looking for wildlife (birds, primates, and pink river dolphins, among other possibilities.
The Capahuari and Pastaza rivers can be explored with our motorized boats.
This spectacular strangler fig can be found in the trails that start from the cabins, and it's a great and easily accessible hike that can be done before breakfast, during the day or at night.
Our self guided trail has been designed to allow easy hiking right from the lodge inside primary Amazon Rainforest.
A visit to a local community allows a close interaction with an Achuar family to learn and experience the Achuar way of life.
Handicrafts and pottery are made by the Achuar women and are for sale in the communities around the ecolodge.
Local food tasting is another great experience of the Achuar culture. "Maitos" wrapped with native leaves and used for cooking fish, heart of palm, native cocoa beans, chicken, and even grubs collected in the forest, and served with manioc, plantain, squash, and other products from the local gardens. The experience includes visiting a local garden and helping in the harvest of local products.
An Achuar woman harvesting manioc (yuca), the main staple food for the Achuar.
Deep community immersions
One of the unique highlights of traveling 7 nights to Kapawi Ecolodge is the opportunity to experience the Achuar culture by visiting our neighboring communities and their families. Our community immersions can full-day experiences, and can include community overnight stays. A community immersion offers the visitor the opportunity to visit an Achuar family in their home, and carrying out a cultural activity with them. These activities can include: learning about the Achuar way of life, visit their farming gardens (called chacras) to learn about local agriculture and medicinal plants, learning about weavings and pottery, practicing with a blow gun (used for hunting), and even hikes in the forest lead by the Achuar host, and fishing.​
Some travelers want a deeper immersion and exploration of the Achuar culture. Kapawi's 7-night program gives you the opportunity to immerse 1- or 2- nights spending time in an Achuar community with the local hosts.
Other optional daily activities
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Night hikes and boat rides
Night activities offer a very different experience of the rainforest. Some species of amphibians, reptiles, insects, and mammals are active at night. We offer boat rides, hikes, and sometimes more adventurous experiences (night kayaking) for our clients.
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Wayusa tea ceremonies​
Our Achuar Wayus House by the river allows for different activities during the day and night. It is a great place to relax, observe wildlife, listen to the sounds of the forest, meditate, or even practice yoga, overlooking the Capahuari river. Every afternoon we light a fire and the house is always open. The Achuar culture involves a daily routine of drinking wayusa tea every morning before dawn and before starting the day's activities. We offer this optional activity every day, together with the local staff.
Achuar myths and traditions
Also offered at the Achuar Wayus House, after dinner your Achuar guide will offer a conversation about the Achuar culture, always including telling an Achuar story, myth, tradition, or just sharing about the Achuar way of life.
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Or just hanging out​
You don't have to leave the lodge to enjoy the Amazon Rainforest and the Achuar culture.
Our cabins have outside decks, great places for relaxing and enjoying the sounds and views of the Amazon Rainforest.
Kapawi Ecolodge is owned and run by the Achuar, so spending time at the lodge with the hosts is also a great way to learn about the Achuar culture and its relationship with the Amazon Rainforest.
FINAL DAY
We will offer the usual early activity (river or forest) at Kapawi, followed by breakfast at the lodge. We will get ready and will leave the lodge after breakfast for a boat ride upstream to the community of Kusutkau. We will take the flight to Shell around 9-10 am, followed by overland transfer back to Quito. Packed Lunch en route. Arrival to Quito in the afternoon/evening depending on flight times.
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Note:​
*Weather can be a factor when flying deep into the Amazon Rainforest. On very few occasions, weather can cause flight delays when traveling to Kapawi from Shell, or from Kapawi to Shell. Fortunately, we rely on information provided by weather satellites and tracking systems, and over time we have developed a very good weather monitoring system. However, due to the nature of our private chartered flights to Kapawi and back, we suggest avoiding any immediate travel plans the day after the Kapawi experience. We suggest leaving a free day after Kapawi, especially if you have planned an international flight, or a flight to the Galapagos Islands right after visiting us. Feel free to contact us for more information and details.