Canoeing in CUYABENO
WILDLIFE RESERVE
The Huaorani people have inhabited the
headwaters of the Amazon for millennia and have lived as hunters
and gatherers, entirely without contact from outsiders right up
until the end of the 1950's. Our program involves the
exploration of both primary and secondary rainforest in the
company of our local guide and our own bilingual naturalist
guides. We stay in tents close to the community. Visitors thus
experience and learn about the Huaorani culture and their close
relationship with the forest, with the possibility of observing
Amazon wildlife in the hikes and different activities, and
receive a conservationist interpretation of the ecology and
actual situation of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.
We offer a 6 day
and a 5 day trip. 1.
Cuyabeno 6 day luxury trip
2.
Cuyabeno 5 day adventure
 ZZ-ECU-Am02
6 days / 5 nights / 5 days of canoeing $
1,125
Included:
•All meals •All
activities •Local guide •Bilingual naturalist guide
•Camping gear •Entrance Fee to the Community
•Entrance Fee ONAHE
Not included:
Combined transportation Quito - Shell - Quehueri'ono
-Coca - Quito $225
Day 1 Quito-Shell-Quehueri'ono
 Our
journey begins at 6 am, one of our top bilingual
naturalist guides will pick you up at your hotel in
Quito and drive East, through the Avenue of the
Volcanoes, and then down to the small city of Baños,
the entrance to the Amazon Basin. At the small town
of Shell we will have lunch at a local restaurant
before boarding a light aircraft for the
breathtaking 45 minute flight over the seemingly
endless rainforest canopy until the tiny clearing
that's Quehueri'ono appears. Here the entire
community appears from their homes to greet us. We
will stay overnight in a campsite located near the
community.
Day 2 Quehueri'ono
Today we will visit the community for a meeting
where Huaorani representatives will officially
welcome us and talk about their environment, history
and social situation. They will be interested to
know of your personal motivations for visiting their
territory.
After lunch, we will hike into the hilly Terra Firma
rainforest in the company of our guides, who will
show us a range of medicinal plants, returning to
the camp before sunset.
Day 3 Quehueri'ono
A rainforest walk to look at wildlife. While jaguars
certainly live in the area they are very discrete
and elusive. If we are lucky, we may see their
footprints along the trail. We will also learn about
the Huaorani's practical and spiritual relationship
with their rainforest environment.
In the afternoon, we visit community members in
their homes to talk and learn about their
traditional handicrafts.
Day 4 Shiripuno river
 Today
we leave the camp after breakfast, and begin pure
adventure by poling down the Shiripuno river in
dugout canoes. The absence of noisy outboard motors
allows us to really appreciate the sounds, smells
and sights of the rainforest. We will make camp on a
beach on the river in the afternoon or in Nenquepare,
a small Huaorani community and visit an ox-bow lake.
There's a good chance we will spot the unique
hoatzin flapping on riverside bushes, or maybe a
caiman lurking on the bank.
Day 5 Shiripuno
river-Coca
Continuing down stream on the river, our Huaorani
guide will continue providing detailed explanations
of different related things about their daily life.
Eventually the forest opens up as the Via Auca and
the oil pipeline is reached. Here we disembark and
head overland on our bus to our hotel on the banks
of the Rio Napo, a major tributary of the Amazon.
The road to Coca was built by Texaco to access the
oil fields which today present an enormous threat to
the Huaorani's survival. We will have ample
opportunities to discuss this and to witness first
hand some of the impacts of oil drilling and
exploration and the consequent colonization on the
rain forest. We believe it is important that on the
last day you witness first hand the nature of the
threats to the Huaorani and we hope your experience
will motivate you to continue to be involved in the
struggle for their survival. Dinner and overnight
stay in Coca.
Day 6 Coca-Quito
In the morning, after breakfast, we will explore the
city of Coca before leaving for Quito by plane.
ZZ-ECU-Am02-5
5 days / 4 nights /
4 days of canoeing $ 575
Flights Quito-Lago Agrio-Quito~
~$ 155
not included:
Entrance
fee to Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve $
20.--PP
Day 0 Flight
from Quito to Lago Agrio. Overnight (extra)
Day 1 We will leave Lago Agrio at 8.30 a.m., and
travel to the Cuyabeno River bridge (the Park
entrance) in private transport (3 hours). From the
bridge we paddle by canoe down the Cuyabeno River,
to "The Tiger Pass" campsite, a beautiful spot
surrounded by lush forest (3 hours). Along our
journey we will see the wide range of flora and
fauna that live within the primary forest. We finish
the day with a night walk, in search of nocturnal
creatures. We will spend the night camping out in
tents.
Day 2 In the morning we will take a hike,
where we can attempt swinging through the forest on
naturally hanging vines. We will continue paddling
downstream to our Lodge located on the Laguna Grande
(3.5 - 5 hours). The lodge includes rustic jungle
huts providing double rooms with beds, private
bathroom, and shared showers facilities. In the
afternoon we will explore the flooded forest, take a
refreshing dip in the lake, and watch the sunset.
Day 3 In the morning we undertake a longer
walk on a small path through primary forest (3
hours). Our indigenous guide will explain the uses
and applications of plants, those of which are
medicinal, edible, poisonous, hallucinogenic, and
those that are used to build houses, canoes,
hammocks, and baskets. Later on we will head back to
the camp for a rest. In the evening we leave in
canoe, paddling to various small lagoons and streams
of the Cuyabeno lake system. After dark we will take
a night excursion in search of caimans.
Day 4 Today we visit the culture center of
Puerto Bolívar, the indigenous community of the
Siona. We travel by motorized dugout canoe
downstream the Cuyabeno river until we reach the
community (1 hour). Here, we will learn a lot about
Siona culture, including hunting techniques and the
use of blowguns. A short distance from the culture
center we will observe a gigantic kapoc tree,
believed to be about 150 years old. We will spend
the afternoon swimming and enjoying the sandy beach.
On our way back to camp we will fish for piranha.
Day 5 Before sunrise we head out in the
canoes, paddling along the Cuyabeno River to spot
birds. We return to the camp by motorized dugout
canoe so that we have time to freshen up before we
take the trip back to the Cuyabeno River bridge,
where our private transport will be waiting to bring
us back to Lago Agrio. We will arrive at about 5.30
p.m. Depending on flight schedules you may need to
book an extra night for next day departure.
-
We Paddle for a maximum of 5 hours downstream a day or simply
float with the current. The trip is carefully planned so that we canoe
along small, calm tributaries, so even if you do not have any paddling
experience you can easily join in. Everyone receives an introduction to
paddle techniques on day one. Over longer distances, white water rivers
or when traveling upstream, we carry the canoes in a motorized dugout
canoe.
-
Accommodation most nights is in rustic,
traditional huts, the
second night we sleep in tents. These tours are intended for people who
can give up their creature comforts of daily life for a while. Life in
the jungle is basic. Only a few huts have beds or shower facilities, but
you can swim in the river or use our transportable camping shower.
- Food ranging from traditional Ecuadorian food to
international cuisine is prepared in our camp kitchen. Our cooks are
specially trained to offer you delicious meals that are hygienically and
carefully prepared. All waters used for drinking and cooking is bottled
water.
- The quality of equipment is fundamental in offering you a
comfortable and safe trip. The only thing you need to bring are some
light clothes and your personal belongings. We provide you with quality
Canadian canoes, paddles, life vests, rain gear, boots, dry bags for you
luggage, tents, sleeping pads, light sleeping bags, sheet liners,
mosquito nets etc.
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