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Kapawi Amazon Lodge

Kapawi Birding Safari

Example 8 Day Tour
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Enjoy the 8-day tour of the Rainforest at the Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve. During your stay, enjoy learning about the rainforest, kayaking down the river, looking for wildlife and fishing. Spend time in the Achuar community learning about their culture and traditions. This is a wonderfully varied and easy-paced Ecuador travel option.
Kapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon LodgeKapawi Amazon Lodge
Highlights
  • Kayak up the Ishpingo River and observe the local wildlife on the shores
  • Participate in a tea drinking ceremony and watch the sunrise
  • Learn how to prepare Achuar Ceviche
  • Walk along the Pizacocha Trail and learn about the forest
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Kapawi Lodge

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Depart from Quito and travel to Shell. From there fly across the rainforest to the local Achuar community. Take a beautiful canoe ride to the Kapawi Amazon Lodge with your Kapawi guides. 

In the afternoon you can walk along one of the Pastaza River beaches. Here, your guides will give an orientation session with information about the rainforest and the Achuar culture, while enjoying a beautiful sunset.

Day 2: Kapawari River Exploration

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Early in the morning you will have the opportunity to find and spot a great variety of birds that the southeast Rainforest of Ecuador offers like the Hoatzin, Aninga, Speckeled Chachalaca, White Eared Jacamar, Cocoi Heron, Neotropical Cormorant, and the Great Egret. 

After breakfast take a walk, approximately 2 hours with stops, to  learn about the medicinal plants of the area and tropical forest ecology. Return to the lodge to rest up for an afternoon of exploring the Kapawari River and its connecting lagoons by kayak. Admire the local wildlife such as the pink river dolphin and take a swim in the calm river. In the evening, explore the Kapawari River in search of nocturnal animals.

Day 3: Ishpingo Trail

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Start the day off with a 30 minute motor boat ride to reach one of the best natural attractions, the Claylick, where you will see different species of parrots and macaws such as the Cobalt-Winged Parakeet, Chestnut-Fronted Macaw, and Yellow Crowned Amazon. 

After breakfast depart to Ishpingo trail and go on a 30 minute canoe trip. Your guides will then ask you to prepare to cross some log bridges. This trip is combined with a canoe or kayak trip up the Ishpingo River in order to observe the local wildlife along the river's shoreline. 

At night you can partake in a spectacular night walk, observing the many different kinds of insects and amphibians that are found around the hotel.

Day 4: Overnight in Achuar Community

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Begin by choosing between a bird watching activity or going to the Claylick. After breakfast you will take a walk, approximately 2 hours with stops, where you will learn about the benefits and uses of the palms to the Achuar and the important ecological role played by insects and animals in the forest. 

In the afternoon, visit one of the Achuar communities that is located close to the lodge. This is one of the most popular activities offered in Kapawi, because of the significant cultural contribution to the Achuar people. Have a chance to meet the community and interact with its members to learn more about their lives in the Amazon rainforest. Spend the night in the community in tents and beds. 

Day 5: Achuar Tea Drinking Ceremony

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Wake up and enjoy participating in a traditional ceremony involving the drinking of a local Achuar tea called guayusa. The ceremony begins very early in the morning, with a drink of the purifying tea around a campfire, while an Achuar man will interpret the dreams of the participants. Towards the end of the ceremony you will be able to enjoy the sunrise. 

Return to Kapawi Lodge for breakfast and then the Chef will teach you how to prepare a famous dish, Achuar ceviche. In the afternoon various activities are offered including fishing, kayaking and hiking trips to explore the surrounding areas. 

Day 6: Pastaza-Kusutkao Trail

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning depart for a hike along the Pastaza-Kusutkao Trail. Arrive at the trail after an hour motor canoe ride up the Pastaza River. Be prepared to cross log bridges, as the trail can become quite swampy. At the end of the trail, arrive at the end of the Kusutkao River to meet for lunch. 

After lunch you have the option of kayaking back down to Kapawi Lodge, viewing wildlife along the way. At night enjoy a night walk on a different trail or a canoe ride. 

Day 7: Pitzacocha Trail

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After breakfast depart for a full day of activities. Your guides will escort you along the Pitzacocha or Pama trail. Learn about the forest and its benefits for the Achuar people. Your guides will also teach you about Achuar hunting techniques of Arutam, the spirit of the forest. Have a picnic in the forest, then visit another of the Achuar communities that is located close to the lodge. 

After dinner partake in cultural activities and learn the art of Achuar face painting and how it relates to their different activities. 

Day 8: Depart from Kapawi Lodge | Return to Quito

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Early in the morning your guides will bring you to specific points near the hotel in order to locate various species of birds. After breakfast prepare for departure. Before you depart from the Achuar territory, you can participate in a blowgun contest to demonstrate who is the best hunter. 

Accommodations

Kapawi Lodge

Kapawi Ecolodge
Dinning Area
A comfortable seating area at Kapawi Lodge

Dates & Prices

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Notes

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Rate includes roundtrip flights Shell - Kapawi Lodge - Shell
Included
  • 7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners
  • 7 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Internal flights: Shell - Kapawi - Shell
  • Internal flights: Shell - Kapawi - Shell
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Park Entrance Fee: Contribution to the Achuar Community

Map

When to Go

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Good to ideal period to travel, and many people choose to visit at this time.

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The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney

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