Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve

What an amazing 5 days in the amazon. Our guide, Santiago was absolutely incredible. His knowledge of the jungle, the wildlife, and the ecosystems taught us so much and our trip would not have been the same without him by our side the entire time. Edwin (Sincha), our Achuar Guide, allowed us to get a beautiful glimpse into the lives of his community. This lodge is a very special place. We were able to connect with the jungle in a way I don’t think we could have done if we chose to stay somewhere else. We really got to immerse ourselves in the amazon. From hiking, kayaking, early morning bird watching, swimming, visiting the achuar village, and evening boat rides, everything was so organized, so well planned. The food!!! The food was impeccable. Every day we had something different and our last night we were able to indulge in an authentic achuar meal. The stay was a lot better than expected and a lot better than portrayed on their website and their website photos. They were clean, well kept, and the grounds of the lodge were breathtaking. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to experience a truly authentic amazon experience. Having an Achuar Guide really made a huge difference in our experience. We really were able see how this indigenous tribe lives their daily lives and gained a plwhole new perspective. Our guides made us feel like a child again. Everything was so well planned. It felt like you just need to be 100% open to the experience and open to learning new things Things you definitely need to do: - kayak the pastaza river - kayak kusutkao river - night hike - recommend Santiago and Edwin as your Guides!! Go to knows - this is the amazon. Although bug nets cover your beds at night just understand that there will be bugs - There is no AC or hot water (we went end of aug/early sept and we had no issues) but it wouldn’t hurt to bring a portable fan - There is no wifi in the rooms (you’ll be too busy with activities to even notice the lack of connection to the outside world) - Do not do wayusa the day you plan on traveling back home - The travel to and from Kapawi is on a very small plane

I had such a wonderful time at Kapawi. Amazing people! Amazing wildlife. The peacefulness of the forest and river were perfection. I loved the forest hikes, the village visit, and dart blowing. There is something there for everyone. It was a trip to cherish. I hope to go back one day!

Fantastic and magical days in the Ecuadorian Rainforest. Chumpi and his team allowed us to take a glimpse into the fascinating life of the Achuar. We saw beautiful wildlife, spent time kayaking on the river and had still enough time to relax. The accomodation is great, food is very nice.

Our family of 5 (3 kids ages 9, 12, 14) stayed for about 6 days over the New Year. Our stay was incredible! Because the resort is owned by an indigenous Amazonian tribe (with experienced naturalists/biologists on the tours), a stay at this resort is incredibly genuine in its feel. You feel like you are helping to protect the environment when you are there, like the resort is truly ecologically minded. I was previously at a lodge on the Brazilian side but this felt so much nicer and truer (less commercial). The cabins are beautiful, the food was absolutely wonderful and the whole experience felt like a once in a lifetime almost other worldly experience. We had so much fun, we learned/ experienced/ saw so much. And every day my kids who normally would opt for video games begged to go swimming again in the amazon! If you have the opportunity, I would highly highly recommend going to Kapawi. Also, the manager helped us with transportation on the remainder of our trip throughout Ecuador (Papallacta, Baños, Mindo, etc.) which made everything seamless and easy.

I booked Kapawi because I wanted to experience pristine Amazon rainforest, so I thought what better place than a lodge only accessible by a small propellor plane (you’re 200km to the nearest town!) So the flight in was probably one of the best and unique parts about this trip. However for the price of nearly $400 a night, I was VERY disappointed with the standard of accommodation!! The hut rooms are very authentic, but lack any form of Western finesse and are not meshed in, so you share your cabin with many a creepy crawly! A venomous wandering spider dropped out my trousers as I was dressing (3rd most venomous in world!). I took a picture of it and showed the main reception who agreed it was venomous but told me not to worry about?! We went back at lunchtime to look for it and obviously it had gone… and they seemed very nonchalant about it, whereas I had visions of it being in my suitcase, under my pillow… who knows! I went back into the bathroom that evening and it scuttled past me so I then ran and grabbed a chap who helped brush it outside for me (to which I’m sure it probably just crawled back in!) If you don’t like bugs this place is probably not for you (and I don’t mind them) but there are only so many times you can crunch a bug under barefoot that you can take! You will share your cabin with giant millipedes, cockroaches, rats, mice (something had been chewing a seed left on my spare bed whilst I was out) spiders, crickets… EVERYTHING! You do have a mosquito net, but everything crawled underneath, so I was woken up by a few cockroaches crawling across my face in the night. This could all be helped by simply meshing in the cabin, especially the bathroom walls, where there are 2 inch gaps between each board. Bugs aside, the rooms are very basic, and not particularly clean. They don’t actually ‘clean’ the room in terms of using a mop, they just sweep it, so you feel a little like living in your garden shed. The walls are badly stained from bug excrement as is the bathroom and it could all just do with a fresh lick of paint. The bathroom was probably the best part, could look amazing if cleaned properly. (Note no hot water). Simple things could be improved e.g. several light bulbs needed replaced in my room (they never did change the one on my outside veranda, which would have been useful at night). A bedside table was broken when I arrived and not replaced, the floors need sanded and varnished as they’re rough underfoot etc, decent curtains required. And due to the humidity, obviously nothing dries so it does smell strongly of damp. After my third night I was genuinely looking forward to a proper, clean, comfortable room again with no bugs!! However that being said, the rainforest was amazing. Our guide was good although I would say a little un enthusiastic, and because he only speaks Spanish, we needed a translator guide also… who was actually brilliant, such a nice guy, and he made the trip. However the fact that you always needed a translator was slightly long winded. (The other groups seemed to have a guide who could also speak English so didn’t need an extra translator) Pink dolphins could be seen every day on the river which was another reason I booked! Large wildlife is not as prevalent, but we did stumble across a couple of capybaras on our first day. The majority are monkeys, birds, bugs, frogs, spiders… and a caiman in the lagoon. Sadly saw no snakes which is also what I went for. Piranha fishing was a cool experience and you can also swim in the river, where the pink dolphins joined us! We did visit the local Achuar communities as well which is very interesting and amazing to see how these Amazonian people still live! Beware of the chicha (this is made from the wife’s saliva) so I assumed we may be given an alternative, but no, you are supping on someone else’s spit!! The food at the hotel is a set menu and cooked for you each day. It is simple but very good… I enjoyed all the dishes they provided, although they only offer you water the majority of the time, and it would have been nice to be offered a different soft drink. So that’s my honest review… great location, poor accommodation. Do not book it for any form of romantic get away (I read a review about honeymooners… the rooms are certainly not up to scratch!) I also visited the jungle near Tena and stayed a couple of nights at Itamandi lodge where the accommodation was far better and very comfortable (and guessing a quarter of the price). Also don’t be fooled by the fact it states they have internet. The only wifi is at their office which is located a distance away from the main areas, so you have to make a trip to that area and it’s a bit rustic/muddy. This place has such potential, but it really needs a good overhaul to bring it up to a comfortable standard. In my opinion, these huts are more $50/night - a form of ‘glamping’ almost, but without the glamour 😂 I’m glad I’ve been for the experience, but I probably wouldn’t go back, especially for the price. If you want a bit more luxury, I would advise to look at Sasha Lodge which I almost went for, but wanted to see pink dolphins so booked this place instead.