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The Kapawi eco lodge is currently run in conjunction with the native Achuar people, and in 2011, it will be handed entirely into their care. The current owners of the Lodge, CANODROS, contribute rent and a visitor fee per person to the 52 Achuar communities. The Achuar had previously based most of their economy on cattle farming, but now the Lodge contributes significantly to the Achuar communities in terms of employment and training oportunities, and also opportunities for supplying produce and handicrafts.Before Kapawi, most of the Achuar based their external economy on cattle ranching. Today, members of the 52 Achuar communities base a significant percentage of their economy on ecotourism. Up to 45% of their total income comes from direct employment, supplying products to the ecotourism project and handicraft sales that represent 21%.
Kapawi Lodge was highly recommended in the 1999 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
We are also now supporting the UK registered chairty Amantani. As this charity is very much in keeping with our ethos of small scale, targetted help which is educational & sustainabale. HuchuyYachaq is the other main Peruvian charity we support by paying a for a full time teacher. A % of all our income goes to support those projects.
The founder of this tour operator set up 14 years ago after working as a trek leader and writing guidebooks in South America. She decided to offer alternative trekking routes that no one else was doing, where you’re more likely to cross paths with local people. She maintains close personal relationships with her suppliers and is godmother to several of their children. Her small specialised team have really walked the walks and so know exactly what they’re talking about; they familiarise themselves with the hiking trails every year and believe the Andean way of life is well worth sharing.
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