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+44 207 384 2332 Plan your trip
Adventure Camp
Ecuador

Wao Safari Camp

Wao Camp
Wao Camp
Wao Camp
JUMP TO
Wao Camp

Highlights of Wao Safari Camp

  • A genuine rainforest expedition – Wao Kamp replaces polished lodge living with canvas accommodation, river journeys and immersive days exploring one of the planet’s richest ecosystems.
  • Journey deep into Yasuní – Reaching camp involves a flight, a remote road transfer and up to two hours by canoe along the Shiripuno River.
  • Explore with Waorani guides – Walk ancestral hunting trails, learn about medicinal plants and discover survival skills passed down through generations of forest guardians.
  • Wildlife after dark – Night walks and canoe safaris reveal tree frogs, caimans, insects and other nocturnal species rarely encountered during conventional lodge excursions.
  • Adventure on the water – Paddle tributaries, explore blackwater lagoons and travel beneath the rainforest canopy in search of monkeys, macaws, turtles and anacondas.
  • Comfort without losing the wildness – Simple safari-style tents, solar power and shared facilities provide what you need without separating you from the sounds and rhythms of the jungle.

Good to know

How to get there

Fly from Quito to Coca before travelling for around two hours by road to the Shiripuno Bridge. Here, you board a motorised canoe for the final journey into Waorani territory, typically taking between 90 minutes and two hours depending on river conditions. This is not simply a transfer: the gradual disappearance of roads and settlements is part of what makes arriving at Wao Kamp feel like a proper expedition.

Are children welcome?

Yes, but Wao Kamp is best suited to adventurous families with older children. Days can begin early, walks may be long and humid and the accommodation is deliberately simple. Children who relish wildlife, boats and getting muddy will find it unforgettable; those needing resort-style facilities may struggle.

Giving back

Wao Kamp’s value lies in keeping the surrounding forest economically and culturally important to the people who live there. Waorani guides, families and community members take an active role in the experience, creating local employment while sharing knowledge on their own terms.

The camp uses solar-generated electricity, keeps guest numbers low and operates with simple infrastructure designed to limit disturbance to the forest. Activities take place on foot or by canoe wherever possible, while waste, water use and wildlife encounters are carefully managed.

More broadly, the camp demonstrates that standing rainforest and living culture can provide lasting livelihoods. By generating income through small-scale tourism, it offers a practical alternative to more damaging forms of development in and around Yasuní.

What wildlife might you see here

Wao Kamp sits within one of the most biodiverse corners of Yasuní National Park, giving you the chance to encounter wildlife that many Amazon lodges rarely see. While sightings are never guaranteed, the diversity is extraordinary.

  • Monkeys – Spider, woolly, howler, squirrel, capuchin and saki monkeys are all found in the surrounding forest.
  • Birds – Scarlet, blue-and-yellow and red-and-green macaws, toucans, parrots, hoatzins, trogons, kingfishers and dozens of colourful tanagers are regularly recorded.
  • Mammals – White-lipped and collared peccaries, agoutis, nine-banded armadillos and, with exceptional luck, giant otters, tapirs or even jaguars.
  • Reptiles & amphibians – Black caiman, spectacled caiman, green anacondas, boa constrictors, iguanas, poison dart frogs, tree frogs and countless other amphibians.
  • River life – Freshwater turtles, river stingrays and an astonishing variety of fish inhabit the rivers and oxbow lakes around the camp.
  • Insects – Giant morpho butterflies, leafcutter ants, stick insects, praying mantises and brilliantly coloured beetles are all part of the rainforest experience.

One of the greatest highlights, however, is simply the sheer abundance of life. Even a short walk can reveal dozens of bird species, troops of monkeys moving through the canopy and an incredible variety of insects, fungi and plants, making every excursion feel like a voyage of discovery.

Why we love Wao Camp

Wao Kamp asks you to accept a little discomfort in return for something increasingly rare: a genuine sense of exploration. The long canoe journey, shared facilities, early starts and humid forest trails are all part of the experience. What stays with you is not the tent, but travelling through Yasuní with people whose knowledge of the forest is lived rather than learned.

Caroline 130
Caroline Maber

Specialises in

Latin America, The Caribbean and Polar Regions
Harpy Eagle

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Caroline Maber
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