Central & Southern Oriente - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 378

Jungle Lodges Near Macas

Perhaps the finest operation in the entire country, Kapawi Lodge
offers superior accommodations and ecocultural opportunities in a re-
mote area of virgin rainforest. Kapawi, built in partnership with
OINAE (the Achuar Indian Federation), maintains a solid relation-
shipwith local communities and extreme environmental and cultural
sensitivity with regard to the facilities and operations. Tours include
customized four- to eight-day trips at varying levels of physical activ-
ity. I highly recommend staying as long as possible. All tours involve
canoe rides, jungle hikes, and visits to local Achuar communities.
They can be tailored to match individual interests.

The lodge itself is absolutely first-rate, located along the southern
stretches of the Río Pastaza before it joins to form the Amazon River.
In fact, its comfort, charm, and appeal come as quite a surprise in
such a remote section of the southern Oriente. Indigenous Achuar ar-
chitecture and sustainable natural materials are used along with so-
lar energy, biodegradable soaps, and biodigesting septic systems. The
20 double cabins are spacious and very cozy, with screened windows
and large open terraces overlooking Kapawi Lake. State-of-the-art
bathrooms are designed with the environment in mind. The
luxurious common facilities include a comfortable lounge and bar, a
dining room and kitchen, a conference room, and hammocks. And the
food, which focuses on local cuisine, is out of this world. Even the re-
fuse here is mulched into fertilizer for the organic garden. $$$$

Make arrangements through Canodros, Urbanización Santa Leonor.
Manzana 5 Solar #10 (vía Terminal Terrestre), Guayaquil,

4-2285-

711 or 4-2280-880, 4-2514-750 /fax [phone], ecotourism1@

canodros.com.ec, www.canodros.com. In Miami, call toll-free

888-
368-9929 or 305-662-2965. From Macas, a 50-minute flight over un-
cut Amazon rainforest to the Sharamentsa airstrip is followed by a
1½-hour motorized canoe ride to Kapawi.

Camping
Sangay National Park offers camping with the entrance
fee of $20, but a guide is highly recommended in this re-
mote and rugged region. Bring everything you will need
with you, as the infrastructure for travelers is virtually
non-existent.