The Huaorani have long inhabited the headwaters of the Amazon, living as nomadic hunters and gatherers with no outside contact until the end of the 1950s, at least one clan continues to shun all contact with the outside world. According to their traditions, they migrated to this area a long time ago to escape from cannibals. The Huaorani speak a language unrelated to any other; their name means "the people", while everyone else is cowore, or "non-human" (that's you).

Environmentally Friendly Forest Intimacy

Huaorani Ecolodge is designed to provide an intimate, harmonious and environmentally sustainable experience.Staying at the lodge is way to share time with the Huaorani and experience the richness of their natural environment, while creating the least possible impact on the surroundings, keeping in mind that you are within the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. The lodge is cosy, providing accommodation for a maximum of ten people housed in five comfortable, traditionally built, palm thatched cabins. All cabins are fully meshed to keep you safe from biting insects, and are spaced to provide privacy and a chance to enjoy the sounds of the balmy Amazon nights.

All cabins contain: a pair of twin beds (which can be joined to create a double if desired); a private bathroom equipped with a shower and flush toilet; drinking water at all times; a porch with comfortable chairs. Electricity is supplied 24 hours a day by solar panels. Environmentally-friendly soaps and shampoos are provided, and for days when relaxing is the priority, the Lodge provides a hammock house on the banks of the Shiripuno River.

The restaurant provides nutritionally balanced meals, hygienically prepared with care and artistry by the local chefs, who use locally grown produce wherever possible. Fruit, tea and coffee are always on hand and a bar is available for beer, wine and soft drinks. Unique locally made handicrafts and souvenirs can be bought from the community shop.

Transportation ... is not just the means

The journey is also the end. Travelling to Huaorani territory is part of the experience: getting to know the bustling historic town of Quito (a World Heritage Site) from where the Conquistadores set out to discover the Amazon River; travelling along the Pan American highway through the spectacular Avenue of the Volcanoes, (the majestic Mount Cotopaxi is more than 19,000 ft high) noting the change in vegetation and humidity as we travel down into the Amazon basin to the town of Shell, named after the oil company; changing to a small plane (a truly different experience to an Airbus) for the spectacular flight over the wide winding rivers and luxuriant green of the tropical forests spread out below.