Kapawi Ecolodge

Kapawi Ecolodge is a rainforest lodge in Achuar territory in Ecuador's Pastaza Province, reachable only by light aircraft and canoe. Opened in 1996, it was a pioneer of community ecotourism in the Ecuadorian Amazon and remains fully owned and operated by the Achuar communities, who train and employ their own people to run it across a 2,500-hectare reserve. Achuar craftsmen built the lodge's cabins in traditional vernacular style using local materials, connected by a raised boardwalk that loops around an ephemeral lagoon to the communal dining and lounge areas. Each screened cabin has solar-heated water and a mosquito net over every bed.

Start the day at the fire for a dawn Wayusa tea ceremony, an Achuar tradition for discussing dreams before the day's activities. Paddle a canoe or kayak along the Pastaza River, swim or tube in nearby rivers, and watch hummingbirds, kingfishers and egrets from the lagoon-side boardwalk. Walk the forest trails with an Achuar guide, who can point out plants and wildlife most visitors would otherwise miss entirely.