Rencontres Indigènes

Indigenous Encounters
Ecuador

Adventure

Chic & Ethic

Participatory

In Ecuador, the Amazonian ethnic groups are numerous and try to preserve their traditions. This trip invites you to share and better understand the local communities and their way of life. Your participation contributes to the preservation of their heritage. The new resources of tourism allow them to avoid selling their land to forestry and oil companies. During this trip, you will stay with the indigenous people, in guest houses, rustic huts or hostels, and the meals are usually typical of the community or region. The activities offered are varied: hiking, dugout canoeing, discovering the fauna and flora, swimming in the river, gold washing, using the blowpipe, participating in agricultural work...

Prices are variable and should be requested from the agency

Length of stay

14 days / 12 nights

Minimum number of participants

Privatized trip from 2 persons

Customisable programme

Highlights

A French-speaking driver guide for a better understanding of the local culture.
Immersion in indigenous communities.
Many activities and visits included.

Programme
Rates
Practical information
The human trip plus

Day 1

Paris, Quito

Flight to Quito

Departure from Paris on a regular airline. Services on board. Reception at Quito airport. Transfer to a 2* hotel in the historic centre or in the north of the city. Free dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2

Quito, Puembo, Otavalo

Visit to Quito and the Essor Foundation

Visit of Quito and its Colonial centre, classified as Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Then transfer to Puembo, to the Essor Foundation, run by Simone, who, after retiring, decided to come and cultivate and offer vegetables to the poor families of Quito and its surroundings. Home-made lunch. Participation in the agricultural work, if you wish. Drive to the beautiful Andean region of Otavalo and stay in an indigenous community. Dinner and overnight stay in a guesthouse.

Day 3

Otavalo

Discovery of craft markets

Visit the famous indigenous handicraft market in Otavalo (or the next day) and have the opportunity to visit the cattle market with a local. Return to the community for lunch. Exchange with the inhabitants, craftsmen, farmers. Help in the community if you wish: construction work, crafts or cooking, or the possibility to plan visits with your driver guide. Dinner and overnight in the community.

Day 4

Otavalo, Lake Cuicocha

Hiking around Lake Cuicocha

In the morning, help the community if you wish: voluntary work in agriculture, construction, irrigation, childcare or handicrafts or, in the afternoon, the possibility of a hike around the splendid crater lake Cuicocha. Dinner and overnight stay in the community. Depending on the number of travellers, a cultural evening with Otovalenian legends, music and dances.

Day 5

Otavalo, Roses, Cotopaxi Volcano

Discovery of the Cotopaxi volcano

Drive to the majestic Cotopaxi volcano. On the way, lunch and visit of a rose farm (Ecuador is one of the biggest rose producers in the world). Dinner and overnight stay in an ecotourism hacienda at the foot of the volcano...

Day 6

Cotopaxi, Lake Quilotoa

Hiking in Cotopaxi National Park

Discovery of the Cotopaxi National Park. *Optional: Horseback riding in the "chagra" (Andean cowboy) style, or, if you wish, agricultural work with the owners. Drive to the beautiful region of Lake Quilotoa. * Optional: typical lunch. Dinner and night in a country inn. Visit to an Indian market.

Day 7

Quilotoa, Rio Bamba

Immersion with the locals

Zumbagua (depending on the day) then hike to the edge of the lake. *Possibility to go up by mule, optional. Meeting with the indigenous people. Initiation to local crafts: painting and sculpture. Lunch with the locals or in a community restaurant. Drive to the highest volcano: Chimborazo (6310 m). Arrival in the Puruhae community. Meeting with the inhabitants, dinner and overnight stay. * Or possibility to have dinner and night in a 2* or 3* mountain hostel with llamas and an extraordinary view of the volcano.

Day 8

Rio Bamba, Andean Train, Baños

Crossing on the Andes train

Early transfer to the small station of Alausi and travel on the famous Andean train through the impressive Devil's Nose Passage (except on Monday). * Optional hike or horseback ride to an Indian community perched in the mountains and lunch. Or "lama" lunch in a small community restaurant with a visit to the lama museum and a tour in the countryside. Drive to the small spa town of Baños. * Optional: night thermal bath. Dinner at leisure. Night in a small hotel of our selection.

Day 9

Baños, Cascade Pailon del Diablo, Puyo

Walk to the Amazon

* Optional: Mountain bike excursion or thermal bath and/or crossing of the Pastaza River in a "Tarabita". Walk to the impressive Pailon Del Diablo waterfall. Lunch at leisure. Continuation to the Gateway to the Amazon: Puyo. Installation in a "finca" or in a family eco farm. Dinner in an organic house.

Day 10

Puya, Quichua Community

Visit to a finca and eco-participatory activity

Morning visit to the finca, its wide variety of plants, tropical trees, orchids, tilapia and shrimp ponds. Possible voluntary work in favour of the horticultural environment. Lunch and drive to the Amazonian forest in the Tena region. Arrival in a Quichua community. Welcome by the inhabitants, dinner and night in (rustic) huts.

Day 11

Amazon

Forest walk and swimming

In the morning, you can choose between voluntary agricultural work (cocoa, manioc...) or construction work, or educational work with the children of the community, or an introduction to crafts. If you prefer, you can plan visits to the surrounding area. But also possible participation in the local cuisine. Lunch. Walk in the forest and observation of trees, medicinal plants and possibly birds and animals. Swimming in the Jatun Yacu river. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 12

Amazon

Discovering the daily life of the community

Possible community work (as required) and/or *optional super rafting on the Jatun Yacu (level 3 or 3+). Learn gold washing, trap making and blowpipe use. Meals, overnight in the community.

Day 13

Amazon, Quito

Flight to France

Last breakfast then drive to Quito. Lunch and afternoon free for shopping or your own visits. Transfer to the airport and flight to Paris *optional possibility to arrange a room in Day use.

Day 14

Paris

Arrival in France

Arrival in Paris.

Price per person from €3,150 including VAT

- Based on 2 participants

This price includes :

Transport including VAT from Paris (from other cities, please contact us)*.
Nights in a double room in accommodation according to the programme.
Meals mentioned in the programme.
Transfers and transport in private vehicles.
English-speaking driver/guide.
Excursions, visits and activities mentioned in the programme.
Solidarity activities to be defined with the local team.
All scheduled site, museum and nature reserve entries.

At your expense :

Drinks.
Exit tax: 42$ (from Quito).
Meals not clearly mentioned.
Optional activities.
Tips to guides and drivers.
Photo and camera rights on certain sites.
Personal expenses and activities not explicitly mentioned in the programme.

* Price from Paris. Please contact us for any other departure city.

Based on a minimum of 2 participants on the same dates (discount for a higher number of participants). *IMPORTANT / fares are calculated on the basis of the low season for air travel. The price may vary depending on your booking date and the number of seats remaining on flights (particularly during school holidays). The price is therefore given from and to be reconfirmed at the time of your registration.

For a group request (from 10 people) or to customize your trip, please contact us.

Comfort

Country or mountain inns, haciendas, homestays and rustic cabins.

Climate and equipment

The climate is tropical, with two main seasons that vary according to altitude and area. The rainy season lasts from December to May in the Sierra and from January to April on the coast, with rain falling every day. The dry season runs from June to November in the Sierra and from May to December on the coast, with less humidity and more pleasant temperatures. In the centre of the country, temperatures are moderate all year round, around 25°C.

The weather is generally fairly unpredictable, so there is no single best time to visit the country: the dry season is best for trekking at altitude, and it's more pleasant to be in the Amazon between September and January.
We recommend that you bring comfortable clothes and good shoes.

Health

Up-to-date vaccinations.
Yellow fever, polio, diphtheria and hepatitis A and B are recommended.
(Yellow fever is compulsory in the primary forest (Yasuni, Cuyabeno) but not in the secondary forest. However, it is preferable to have the vaccine in all cases.
More information on the Pasteur website.

Formalities

PASSPORT & VISAS
For your trip to Ecuador, you will need a passport that is valid for six months after the return date of your journey.
More information on the France Diplomatie website.

Our opinion

For this trip, departures are possible all year round, but between activities that include childcare and school, it's best to travel during the school period, from September to June.
If you're travelling with children, we think the minimum age is 12.