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Living with the Waorani
Join Sara Pangione, an activist living and working in the heart of Ecuador: from the depths of the Amazon rainforest, we will journey together to the community she now calls home. Here, in the heart of the jungle, we’ll discover the forest and its guardians through the eyes of those who inhabit it every day.
HIGHLIGHTS
- A deep cultural immersion in two communities
We will visit two communities: the Kichwa-Waorani of Obepare and the Waorani of Awenkaro. We’ll explore traditional crafts, natural medicine, the struggles against illegal mining, and the daily forms of resistance. An experience that allows us to see the world from a completely different perspective. - A New Year's Eve you won't forget
We’ll celebrate December 31st deep in the rainforest, in the Waorani community of Awenkaro. A traditional gathering in the ONKO (the ceremonial longhouse), with dances, songs, ancestral rituals, and a new vision of the new year — not individual, but collective. - Live the forest, beyond tourism
We won’t just visit the forest — we’ll live inside it, alongside the communities who call it home. We’ll sleep in hammocks, cook with local families, take part in traditional ceremonies, have our faces painted with ancestral symbols, and listen to stories around the fire.
Note: The trip will be conducted in Italian, though some activities with the community will be supported by local translators and held in Spanish.
TRIP PURPOSE
This journey is an experience of intercultural education.
It goes beyond tourism, offering a genuine encounter between different worlds—a moment to reflect on progress, time, and our relationship with nature.
We’ll meet those who have lived in and protected the Ecuadorian Amazon for centuries, to learn a worldview that is radically different: collective, ecocentric, and deeply rooted in the land.
A journey of listening, respect, and bearing witness.
This trip has been designed based on these principles:
Promotion of the local economy
Local community and human network
Nature and hiking
Accomodations
During our stay in Quito, we’ll sleep at one of the city's most beautiful hostels: The Secret Garden, located in the historic center. In Puyo, we’ll stay at Hostal Las Palmas. Within the communities, we’ll sleep in traditional houses, in hammocks with mosquito nets. Inside both communities, accommodations will be in shared spaces, simple but authentic, immersed in nature. We won’t stay in tourist structures, but will instead experience genuine hospitality from local families. On some nights, we’ll be deep in the forest, where electricity will be limited or entirely absent — returning to the essentials, in full harmony with the environment.
Important Info
This journey requires good physical condition and a strong spirit of adaptability. We will face long walks through the jungle, including a six-hour trek to reach one of the most remote communities, and we’ll sleep in hammocks, deep in the forest, often without electricity.
This experience is not suitable for those with mobility issues, heart conditions, or complex medical needs. It's recommended to bring lightweight, long-sleeved clothing, breathable pants, well-worn trekking shoes, a hat, a rain jacket, and strong mosquito repellent. It is essential to inform us in advance of any allergies or food intolerances.Most importantly, the right mindset is key: this is not a tourist trip, but an experience of real immersion. It requires an open mind, deep respect for Indigenous culture, and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone - leaving behind the conveniences of the Western world to truly live the rhythm of the Amazon.
What's included
- Food: All meals included, except for meals on the first and last day.
- Accomodation: 9 nights in hammocks (as tradition dictates) and in shared rooms in hostels in Quito and Puyo.
- Transportation: Includes all internal transportation, travel from Quito to Puyo, and canoe access to the communities in the forrest.
- Tour & Activities: Jungle excursions, waterfall visit, night trekking, and all activities included during our stay in the two communities we’ll visit.
- Insurance: Medical and baggage insurance.
What's not included
- Food: All meals on the first and last day are not included.
- Transporation: International flights (from Italy to Ecuador - Quito - and back).
- Other: Trip cancellation insurance.
- Anything not specified under "What's included".
Payment Terms
At the time of booking, a fixed deposit of €585,00 is required (equal to 30% of the total package price).
The remaining amount will be split into equal monthly installments, up to a maximum of 4 total payments, including the deposit.
The final installment must be paid no later than 30 days before departure.
So:
• If you book by August 31st, you’ll pay the deposit immediately, two intermediate installments — one on September 27th and one on October 27th — and the final installment on November 27th
• If you book by September 30th, you’ll pay the deposit immediately, one intermediate installment on October 27th, and the final installment on November 27th
• If you book by October 31st, you’ll pay the deposit immediately and the balance on November 27th
• If you book from November 1st onwards, you’ll be required to pay the full amount upfront
Bank transfers or credit cards can be used to make payments.
However, if the trip status is marked as "Confirmed" or "Last tickets", there's no need to worry - it means the minimum number of participants has already been met.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Welcome to Quito
The experience begins in the capital, where we’ll visit local markets and the Basilica del Voto Nacional. There will be time to rest after the long flight and get ready for our immersion into the rainforest.
Day 2 - Into the Amazon
At dawn, we’ll head toward Puyo, crossing the Andes. We’ll visit the ethno-anthropological museum and the headquarters of NAWE (Nacionalidad Waorani del Ecuador), where we’ll learn about the challenges their culture faces today.
Day 3 - Obepare: My Second Home
We’ll reach the Kichwa-Waorani community of Obepare. After visiting families and drinking the traditional yuca chicha, we’ll take a canoe into the forest to our shelter. In the evening, around the fire, we’ll listen to legends of the Ceibo, the sacred trees.
Day 4 - Ceremonies, Gold and Forest
At dawn, we’ll take part in the wayusa ritual, a ceremonial tea shared in silence. Later, we’ll meet those who still extract gold from the river using traditional techniques, resisting the spread of illegal mining.
Day 5 - Deep Trekking, Living Culture
We’ll undertake a 6-hour trek through the forest to reach the Waorani community of Awenkaro. Here, most people speak only Wao Tededo, not Spanish. To welcome the new year, we’ll join a traditional celebration in the ONKO (ceremonial house), with ancestral songs and dances.
Day 6 - Weaving and Blowguns
We’ll take part in daily life: those interested can fish, climb the Ceibo trees, or learn how to weave with Chambira, a palm fiber. We’ll prepare the poison used in blowguns and make black Wenka paint, which the Waorani will use to decorate our bodies.
Day 7 - Time, Stories and Chakras
We’ll meet the elders of the community, guardians of oral memory. We’ll harvest yuca in the chakra and prepare traditional chicha through a collective process that includes masticating the tuber. A day for deep listening and shared experience.
Day 8 - Waterfalls and Natural Medicine
We’ll return to Obepare and visit local waterfalls. Those who wish can try natural tobacco-based medicine. The afternoon will be relaxing, with river baths and moments of reflection. We’ll also talk about the external pressures threatening Waorani culture.
Day 9 - Farewells and Views
After breakfast, we’ll have time to share thoughts, emotions, and questions. We’ll say goodbye to the community and return to Puyo, where we’ll visit the Indichuris viewpoint to take in the vastness of the Amazon rainforest.
Day 10 - Return to Quito and Flight
Final day in Quito. We’ll take time to process everything we’ve experienced. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport and flight home.
Sara Pangione, 26, is an activist and digital storyteller. For the past year, she has chosen to live in the heart of the Amazon rainforest alongside the Waorani nationality. With a degree in International Cooperation and Development, she has spent the last three years working on social and cultural projects across various countries in Abya Yala (the Americas), including Guatemala and Ecuador.
She is actively engaged in defending the rights of Indigenous peoples and protecting biodiversity. Through her digital platforms, she shares a different way of inhabiting the world—one rooted in resistance, deep listening, and meaningful relationships with nature.
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Booking Info
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