Cultural awakening with Waorani community

5-d/4-n | Arajuno, Pastaza

duration : 5-days / 4-nights
price : $650 per person *
depart : 10:00 am
pick up : designated meeting point in Arajuno

day 1 :

  • Transfer by car to the Obepare community, deep in the Amazon

  • Canoe ride along a winding river, followed by a short hike through the forest to reach the project site

  • Warm welcome by community members and introduction to the project’s purpose, history, and the Waorani way of life

  • Traditional lunch prepared with local ingredients, followed by time to settle in and rest

  • Guided jungle walk to admire the towering ceibos and diverse flora, with stories about the trees’ spiritual meanings

    • Refreshing bath in the nearby river

    • Dinner prepared by the community, followed by an ancestral tobacco ceremony, a moment of connection, purification, and opening of the senses

    day 2 :

    • Early morning wayusa ceremony to awaken body and spirit, share dreams and receive interpretation from elders

    • Amazonian breakfast

    • Embark on a 2-hour jungle trek to a stunning hidden waterfall, with stops to learn about medicinal plants and animal tracks

    • Return for a well-deserved lunch and some free time to relax or bathe in the river

    • Dinner, followed by a magical evening around the fire, with Waorani legends, drumming, and ancestral storytelling under the stars

    day 3 :

    • Dawn wayusa ceremony to cleanse the spirit and align with the jungle’s rhythm

    • Breakfast

    • Participate in the preparation of Mii, a traditional community dish cooked in leaves over fire

    • Receive sacred body painting using natural pigments, symbolizing spiritual protection and tribal identity

    • Lunch and time to rest or enjoy a swim in the river

    • Dinner, followed by a sacred plant ceremony (optional) or another evening around the fire with music and reflection

    day 4 :

    • Morning wayusa ceremony

    • Breakfast and a guided trek to another scenic waterfall, deeper into the forest

    • Picnic-style lunch near the water and time to bathe or meditate in nature

    • Afternoon at leisure or helping with daily community activities

    • Dinner, then prepare for a night hike, where you’ll encounter the nocturnal world of the jungle, frogs, insects, and glowing fungi in a symphony of darkness

    day 5 :

    • Final wayusa ceremony

    • Breakfast

    • Participate in a cultural presentation, with traditional Waorani dances, songs, and music

    • Discover an handicraft exhibition, where local artisans share their creations made from natural fibers, seeds, and dyes

    • Farewell lunch with the community

    • Return by canoe and car to Arajuno

  • Round-trip transportation from Arajuno, listed activities, vegan or vegetarian meals (with occasional fish), boots, shared rooms or tents, listed activities.

    **Tips NOT included.

    **Extra activities: Handicraft making, sacred plant ceremony (Ayahuasca), traditional cuisine workshop, fishing

    **Please NOTE : There is no internet in the jungle, the purpose of the experience is to disconnect. Internet will not be shared unless in an emergency. There is electricity from solar panels, but device charging is limited.

  • Sunscreen, mosquito repellent, comfortable and waterproof clothing, walking shoes and sandals, raincoat, or jacket, towel, swimming suit, headlight, natural soap, reusable water bottle, lightweight sleeping bag, short and long-sleeve shirts, lightweight clothing for the night, small waterproof day backpack, extra batteries, camera, memory cards, chargers, dry bag, hat.