ECUADOR
CEPLOA, Arajuno & Shiwakucha
12 DAYS
December 12 – 23, 2023
March 8 – 19, 2024
July 4 – 15, 2024
September 2 – 13, 2024
PRICE: 1.420€
Single room supplement: 32€
Live an unique experience in the heart of the Amazon
On this trip we will live with two indigenous Kichwa communities of the Amazon. We will learn about their customs, gastronomy, spiritual beliefs, traditional dances, hunting, agriculture… and much more! The cultural exchange will allow us to establish trusting relationships, understanding the reality of these people, as well as their interests and the current threats they face.
TRAVEL ITINERARY
Upon arrival in Ecuador we will pick you up at the airport in Quito and head to the city to settle into our hotel. We will have a meeting to welcome the group, get to know each other and explain the dynamics of the trip. Finally, we will have dinner at the hotel and go to rest to start our trip to the jungle the next day.
Meals included: Dinner.
Accommodation: Kitu Hotel or similar.
On the second day we will have breakfast at the hotel and leave early in the morning by private bus to Puyo, the gateway to the Amazon. On the way, we will pass through Baños and contemplate its incredible landscapes. We will have lunch in Puyo and continue to our destination.
The bus will leave us at the CEPLOA (Comunidad Etnoecológica Pablo Lopez del Oglán Alto) forest checkpoint, where the members of the community will be waiting to welcome us. From here, we will continue on foot for about an hour and a half, entering the jungle until we reach our lodge. After refreshing ourselves in the river, we will settle into our rooms and have dinner, beginning our stay with the CEPLOA community.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: CEPLOA Community Guesthouse.
Day 3: We will begin our stay with the CEPLOA community celebrating the Wayusa Upina ritual, a tradition that begins at 4:00 a.m. in which the community will welcome us, we will drink wayusa infusion and bathe in the river to start the day full of vitality. In the morning, we will walk through the jungle collecting medicinal plants to later elaborate natural medicines. In the afternoon, we will learn how to make Kichwa handicrafts for daily use with materials from nature.
Day 4: In the morning we will go into the jungle with the hunters of the community to learn about orientation and survival in the forest, as well as animal tracking (no animals will be hunted during this activity). In the afternoon, we will learn about the spiritual practices and beliefs of the community.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: CEPLOA Community Guesthouse.
After breakfast, we will leave the CEPLOA community territories to the forest checkpoint. Here we will be picked up by private cabs that will drive us to Arajuno, the nearest town where most of the indigenous communities of the area currently live. The indigenous nationalities living in this village are: Kichwa, Waorani and Shuar.
Once in the village, we will settle into our hotel and have lunch in a traditional indigenous food hut. Afterwards, we will have the whole afternoon free to get to know the village and interact with the communities that live there. Learning their current way of life, new trades, relationships, hobbies and much more.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Accommodation: Arajuno Hotel.
Day 6: This morning we will have breakfast in one of the village restaurants and prepare to leave for the Kichwa Shiwakucha community. After settling in and having lunch, the community will welcome us and accompany us with a traditional dance group.
Day 7: Our second day in Shiwakucha will begin with a welcome Wayusa Upina. After breakfast, we will take a walk through the community’s territory and learn about its history. In the afternoon, we will learn how to make handmade jewelry with seeds, feathers and other materials from the forest.
Day 8: In the morning we will learn about the traditional agricultural system of the Amazon, the chakras, and learn about their gastronomy. In the afternoon, community members will show us the preparation and application of facial paintings and their meanings. In addition, we will learn about the traditional Kichwa dance.
Day 9: We will start the day learning about traditional canoe making, fishing and other river related activities. After lunch, we will visit the beautiful Wapuno waterfall, where we will spend the afternoon.
Day 10: On the last day of our stay in Shiwakucha we will spend the morning free with the community and in the afternoon we will organize a big farewell party to say goodbye to the Amazon.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Shiwakucha Community Guesthouse.
In the morning we will prepare our luggage and start the trip back to Quito by private bus. We will stop at the malecon in Puyo for lunch and a walk along the river and continue on our way. We will arrive in Quito in the afternoon, settle into the hotel and have dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: Kitu Hotel or similar.
On the last day of our trip we will have breakfast at the hotel, say goodbye and accompany you to the airport for your return home. This is the end of our great adventure in Ecuador.
Meals included: Breakfast.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Cultural exchange as a way of learning
We believe in cultural immersion as the best way to get to know a different culture. We offer every traveler the possibility of interacting with local people to exchange knowledge and experiences.
Collaboration with the local people
We create projects in collaboration with local communities. We work together to create interesting trips for both travelers and locals.
Cultural tourism as a sustainable alternative
We propose a sustainable and responsible cultural tourism with which families and cooperatives acquire additional resources that allow the conservation of the traditional way of life improving their conditions.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe in cultural immersion as the best way to get to know a different culture. We offer every traveler the possibility of interacting with local people to exchange knowledge and experiences.
We create projects in collaboration with local communities. We work together to create interesting trips for both travelers and locals.
We propose a sustainable and responsible cultural tourism with which families and cooperatives acquire additional resources that allow the conservation of the traditional way of life improving their conditions.
WHO WILL ACCOMPANY YOU ON THIS TRIP?
SERVICES INCLUDED
The price of the trip includes:
- Accommodations: 2 nights in Quito, 3 nights in the CEPLOA community, 1 night in Arajuno and 5 nights in the Shiwakucha community.
- All transfers in private minibus with professional driver and cabs.
- All meals specified in the itinerary.
- Local Kichwa guides.
- All activities indicated in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees to the Amazon rainforest territories of CEPLOA and Shiwakucha communities.
- Cancellation and assistance insurance during the trip.
- Personalized advice before and during the trip.
- Accompaniment by Cara a Cara Viajes coordinators.
- Personalized t-shirt of the trip.
The price does not include:
- Flights.
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary.
- Carrying of backpacks (optional).
- Any expense not specified in the section "the price of the trip includes".
WEATHER CONDITIONS IN ECUADOR
Ecuador has a tropical climate that varies greatly depending on the region of the country where we are: Galapagos, coast, highlands or Amazon. During our trip we will visit the last two regions.
We will start in the Andes, the mountain range where the city of Quito is located. This city, at almost 3,000 meters above sea level, presents great thermal variations throughout the day, with an average of 10 to 20ºC; in addition to intermittent rains.
The eastern Amazon region, on the other hand, has a warm and humid climate with abundant rainfall and average temperatures of 25 to 30ºC. These temperatures and rainfall remain practically constant throughout the year.
NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR TRIP TO ECUADOR
For this trip to the Amazon you will mainly need:
- Backpack (not wheeled) for your luggage.
- Light clothing.
- Swimwear.
- Warm clothes for the days in Quito and the nights in the jungle.
- Head flashlight.
- Raincoat.
- Rubber boots (if you don't have them you can buy them in Ecuador the first day we go to the jungle).
- Mosquito net.
- Insect repellent.
- Sleeping bag.
In the downloadable guide below you will find all the detailed information about what you will need during the trip.
DIFFICULTY AND PHYSICAL DEMAND
During our trip we will make some hikes through the jungle, sometimes with moderate slope. They will not be very long walks and we will always go at a gentle pace to enjoy the scenery and what the local guides will show us.
To enter and leave the CEPLOA community we will have to walk for about an hour and a half through the jungle, this will be the most demanding trail of the trip. Everyone will be able to do it at their own pace, without rushing and enjoying the trail.
PRICE, RESERVATION AND PAYMENT
Price of the trip:
Price per person (in shared double room*): 1.420€
Single room supplement (nights 1 and 11*): 32€**
* You will be able to choose between double or single room the nights we sleep in Quito (first and last night). On the days that we stay in the CEPLOA and Shiwakucha communities, the shared rooms will be distributed according to the number of people in the group. The night in Arajuno there will be single and shared rooms, which will be distributed according to availability. Those who chose the single supplement for the nights in Quito will have priority to occupy the available single rooms.
** The price of the single supplement may vary according to hotel availability.
Reservation and payment:
To reserve your place just fill out the form you will find by clicking on the "I WANT TO BOOK!" button. We will then share with you the travel contract and payment information.
Once you send us the signed contract together with the receipt of the advance payment (300€), your place on the trip will be guaranteed!
Payment is made by bank transfer.
REFUND POLICY
If you are unable to attend the trip due to force majeure, you will get a refound of the full amount of the trip and no administration or cancellation fees will be charged.
In case of cancellation for other reasons, Cara a Cara Viajes will be compensated in the following amounts:
- Cancellation fees of 5% of the final price of the trip.
- A penalty, consisting of 5% of the total of the trip if the cancellation is made more than 10 days and less than 15 days before the start date of the trip; 15% between days 3 and 10, and 25% within 48 hours prior to departure. If you do not show up on the day of departure, there will be no right to any refund of the amount paid, unless otherwise agreed between the parties.