Gap year travel in Ecuador
| country: | Ecuador |
| location: | Cloud forest |
| departures: | 2008: 3 Sep |
| price: | From £1686 - £1846 (6 weeks) to £2346 - £2536 (10 weeks) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights from the UK. Departures in 2008 do not include personal travel/medical insurance |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This amazing and varied placement takes in three different locations and their traditional communities, enabling you to see everything this sensational country has to offer. You will travel from the Andes right down into the Amazon Basin and on to the Pacific coast for the ultimate South American experience. The first phase is spent working at a groundbreaking community eco-lodge at Peribuela, a small community close to Cotacachi, high on the slopes of the Andes. Work with the community to conserve and guide trails through one of the Andes last ancient forests, protecting its rare native orchid and tree species.
Experience true high-altitude living at nearly 14.000 feet, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and snow capped volcanoes, such as Cotapaxi, which you will have the chance to climb at the weekends. The area is well known for it’s traditional crafts and markets peopled by locals famous for their colourful ponchos and distinctive panama hats adorned with peacock feathers.
Then on to Chichico Rumi, deep in the Amazon Rainforest, a fascinating and stunning environment with it’s ancient trees and meandering rivers only accessible by canoe. Live among an indigenous family learning about their traditions and customs and helping the local community improve their standard of living by participating in developing various income-generating schemes. At the end of the day cool off with a refreshing dip in the River Napo, splashing around with the community’s energetic and playful children and help to run after school clubs to entertain and teach. In your spare time you can visit the Orient’s spectacular waterfalls, trek through unspoilt rainforest and experience the thrill of white water rafting on Amazonian rapids.
Lastly we take you down to Pacific Coast, to work with two traditional communities Alandaluz and Cantalapiedra, villages situated on a beautiful beach close to Machalilla National Park. You will be helping in many activities such as maintenance of paths and botanic gardens, teaching at the ecological kids club, conducting environment workshops and English lessons, helping local carpenters, fruit harvesting and butterfly vivarium maintenance. This is a great spot to explore the area’s stunning coastline and islands similar to the Galapagos, often visited by whales and dolphins between June and October. Surf Ecuador’s best breaks and experience the famously laid back ‘hammock-culture’ of the coast, whilst helping to make a real difference to local lives through community led projects.
Through this exciting and diverse mix of eco-lodge, conservation and community projects you will experience the many different faces of Ecuador. The placement gives three contrasting working and indeed life experiences to broaden your horizons and surpass your expectations. Projects are sustainable giving long-term benefits to both the community and environment.
Eco-tourismAndes – Peribuela: Accompanying tourists on hikes, maintenance of trails and bridges in forest reserve, and construction and maintenance work on traditional hacienda and creation of woodland lodges. Amazon Rainforest – Chichico Rumi: Development of an Ethnographic Museum, medicinal gardens maintenance, and construction of thatched cabanas for use as an eco-lodge. Pacific Coast - Alandaluz: Maintenance of trails and signage in the surrounding dry forest and botanical gardens, and helping in the Ecological Hosteria.
Community Andes - Peribuela: Teaching English, art and sport to school children, and work in the organic fruit orchard, helping to develop small scale farming methods and harvest fruit for sale to local markets. Amazon Rainforest – Chichico Rumi: Run after school fun club for local children, and construction of traditional dwellings. Alandaluz – Pacific Coast: Organising and running ecological club for local children, teaching English and environmental awareness, and helping with harvesting and carpentry community projects.
Conservation Peribuela – Andes Mountains: Help in the orchid nursery to protect rare flower species, trail maintenance and construction, and rebuild a thatched cabana in the forest, used for giving environmental lectures. Amazon Rainforest – Chichico Rumi: Helping develop and maintain the Botanical Gardens, preserve traditional building methods by helping local people to collect and use sustainable materials from the jungle rather than concrete and corrugated iron sheeting, and develop a system for dealing with litter. Pacific Coast - Aladaluz: Clearing the beach by collecting washed up debris, maintenance of butterfly vivaruim, and help in the botanical gardens.
Exploring cloud forests, trekking, visiting craft, climbing Cotopaxi volcano, kayaking, tubing and swimming in the Napo river, white-water rafting, canyoning, caving, or jungle tours, snorkelling, surfing, horseback or hiking and camping trips. Explore the Galapagos Islands and Pacific Coastline during independent travel.
Accommodation and meals
Andes – Peribuela: Volunteers live in the village’s beautiful stone hacienda dating back from colonial times. It has a communal dorm room for sleeping and basic kitchen and bathroom facilities. Food is provided by the family with lots of fruit from the orchard.
Amazon Rainforest - Chichico Rumi: The volunteers’ cabaña is a very basic thatched hut with traditional bamboo beds, or the option of a hammock. They have electricity and a plumbed toilet. Food is simple and will consist of rice, plantain, potatoes, soups and occasionally meat or fish. Fresh fruit and drinking water is provided.
Pacific Coast - Aladaluz: Team will live together in a simple traditional cabaña made from wood and cane Food: cuisine at the coast is well renowned in Ecuador for it’s use of flavours and local ingredients. Expect to eat plenty of fish, soups, potato and rice dishes.
Details
The friendly and professional project management team from Yanapuma, in tandem with the UK team, will ensure you are extremely well looked after. Group size 2-12 people. Price includes selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme, 24-hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager and English speaking guide, with reliable communications and infrastructure, safety and induction course on arrival, personal medical and travel insurance (until 31 Aug 2007), airport pick up, food and accommodation throughout, and donation to the project communities – currently £80 and you can choose how this is spent.
In the Andes it is cool in the mornings, warm during the day and cold at night and it rains from time to time. In the Amazon Rainforest it is hot and humid; expect rain in the rainy season normally a couple of hours in the afternoon. At the Pacific Coast it is a tropical dry forest environment, normally dry and hot with coastal breezes, it rains from time to time. Wildlife in the area includes hummingbirds, many species of monkeys and insects, cayman, exotic birds, whales and dolphins.
Experience true high-altitude living at nearly 14.000 feet, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and snow capped volcanoes, such as Cotapaxi, which you will have the chance to climb at the weekends. The area is well known for it’s traditional crafts and markets peopled by locals famous for their colourful ponchos and distinctive panama hats adorned with peacock feathers.
Then on to Chichico Rumi, deep in the Amazon Rainforest, a fascinating and stunning environment with it’s ancient trees and meandering rivers only accessible by canoe. Live among an indigenous family learning about their traditions and customs and helping the local community improve their standard of living by participating in developing various income-generating schemes. At the end of the day cool off with a refreshing dip in the River Napo, splashing around with the community’s energetic and playful children and help to run after school clubs to entertain and teach. In your spare time you can visit the Orient’s spectacular waterfalls, trek through unspoilt rainforest and experience the thrill of white water rafting on Amazonian rapids.
Lastly we take you down to Pacific Coast, to work with two traditional communities Alandaluz and Cantalapiedra, villages situated on a beautiful beach close to Machalilla National Park. You will be helping in many activities such as maintenance of paths and botanic gardens, teaching at the ecological kids club, conducting environment workshops and English lessons, helping local carpenters, fruit harvesting and butterfly vivarium maintenance. This is a great spot to explore the area’s stunning coastline and islands similar to the Galapagos, often visited by whales and dolphins between June and October. Surf Ecuador’s best breaks and experience the famously laid back ‘hammock-culture’ of the coast, whilst helping to make a real difference to local lives through community led projects.
Through this exciting and diverse mix of eco-lodge, conservation and community projects you will experience the many different faces of Ecuador. The placement gives three contrasting working and indeed life experiences to broaden your horizons and surpass your expectations. Projects are sustainable giving long-term benefits to both the community and environment.
the project
You will be helping the villagers of Peribuela, Chichico Rumi and the Aladaluz and Cantalapiedra community.Eco-tourism
Community
Conservation
a day in the life of a volunteer
Adventure travel Exploring cloud forests, trekking, visiting craft, climbing Cotopaxi volcano, kayaking, tubing and swimming in the Napo river, white-water rafting, canyoning, caving, or jungle tours, snorkelling, surfing, horseback or hiking and camping trips. Explore the Galapagos Islands and Pacific Coastline during independent travel.
Accommodation and meals
Andes – Peribuela: Volunteers live in the village’s beautiful stone hacienda dating back from colonial times. It has a communal dorm room for sleeping and basic kitchen and bathroom facilities. Food is provided by the family with lots of fruit from the orchard.
Amazon Rainforest - Chichico Rumi: The volunteers’ cabaña is a very basic thatched hut with traditional bamboo beds, or the option of a hammock. They have electricity and a plumbed toilet. Food is simple and will consist of rice, plantain, potatoes, soups and occasionally meat or fish. Fresh fruit and drinking water is provided.
Pacific Coast - Aladaluz: Team will live together in a simple traditional cabaña made from wood and cane Food: cuisine at the coast is well renowned in Ecuador for it’s use of flavours and local ingredients. Expect to eat plenty of fish, soups, potato and rice dishes.
Details
The friendly and professional project management team from Yanapuma, in tandem with the UK team, will ensure you are extremely well looked after. Group size 2-12 people. Price includes selection and briefing on all aspects of the scheme, 24-hour emergency back-up, management and support by UK team and in-country Placement Manager and English speaking guide, with reliable communications and infrastructure, safety and induction course on arrival, personal medical and travel insurance (until 31 Aug 2007), airport pick up, food and accommodation throughout, and donation to the project communities – currently £80 and you can choose how this is spent.
In the Andes it is cool in the mornings, warm during the day and cold at night and it rains from time to time. In the Amazon Rainforest it is hot and humid; expect rain in the rainy season normally a couple of hours in the afternoon. At the Pacific Coast it is a tropical dry forest environment, normally dry and hot with coastal breezes, it rains from time to time. Wildlife in the area includes hummingbirds, many species of monkeys and insects, cayman, exotic birds, whales and dolphins.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environmental Policy - Volunteers are based in 3 different locations throughout Ecuador. The projects however are in walking distance of the accommodation. Project work includes a mix of rewarding community, eco-tourism and conservation projects – maintaining paths, monitoring wildlife, teaching English etc. A large part of the project is protecting and preserving both communities and the forests from the damage being caused by logging companies. Hands on projects working alongside committed communities are a powerful way to educate the next generation of travelers. In addition we have well briefed and professional project leaders working alongside village elders who ensure the message is got across.
Our teams are normally no bigger than 10 -12 per departure and foodstuffs are bought locally and resources such as heating in camps where possible is done in an environmentally friendly fashion e.g. solar panels. In addition rain water is collected for drinking water. Clothes washing is done where possible with bio-degradable soap. Litter is collected and disposed of properly. Walking on paths and erosion is taken seriously. Social Responsibility- We ensure that all its programmes work with the full agreement of local elders and that volunteer’s work side by side amongst the community. More often living in the community. We pay the communities for looking after volunteers and every volunteer has a donation to the community included in the cost – currently £80 per person. This is used to buy materials to build classrooms, pay for education fees and so on. We also work alongside local charities as often as we can supporting their aims. All volunteers and Project Leaders are fully briefed on the destination, host community, local culture, religions, customs and particularly ways of behaving. Economic Sustainability - We ensure that approximately 60% of the cost of each volunteers scheme is paid to the project leader in-country to cover all their in-country costs. This includes paying local communities for food and accommodation where appropriate. In addition we pay communities a donation as described above and source all food, drink, equipment, fuel locally thereby enhancing the local economy.  The hosts employ as many staff as they can cutting down on unemployment and providing families with an income. Sometimes this income supports numerous relations. We also recognize that volunteers spend their own money on drinks, transport, souvenirs, services (taxis), medical care, park fees, activities e.g. rafting, diving, climbing etc which are major contributors to local suppliers incomes and the overall economy. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |