Working in one of the amazing National Parks in Costa Rica is an unique opportunity to get to know the natural wonders off the beaten tracks!
Programs Abroad
ECUADOR - Reforestation and Eco-Tourism at Amazon Lodge 
 |
Booking Nº: EC127 Country: Ecuador + Location: Amazon Region, Area of Tena Minimum Stay: 2 weeks Start dates: All year round Price: from 2 weeks, 450 USD |
| More Photos... |
Task
- Reforestating
- Collecting plants and seeds in the jungle
- Nursing trees
- Planting, composting, gardening
- Guiding tourist
- Working on administrative tasks
You also have the unique opportunity to get insights into the tourism activities of the Amazon Lodge. Among those activities are guiding tourists, gardening and working in a small Ecuadorian company with family atmosphere. Your will learn how to run a tourism business, an eco-lodge, attend to guests, market tourism products and so on.
During any tasks you fulfill, you will be in constant contact with the local people and your work includes teaching them in your native language as well as introducing them to your country’s customs and culture. This is the best way to share with local people and really get to understand another country’s cultures and customs. This exchange is very personally enriching!
This volunteer project is quite flexible and gives you the opportunity to help in a way that you can also benefit while protecting the nature and culture of the beautiful and delicate Amazon region of Ecuador.
If you want to be part of the daily life of the communities and want to better understand their vision of the world, we suggest a long term stay that can be combined with some interactive activities like teaching or something similar.
Accommodation
- Accommodation in cabins, volunteer house
- Shared rooms
- 3 meals per day
As a volunteer at the Lodge you will be accommodated in a nice and cozy cabin that serves as volunteer house. You will have access to a clean bathroom and 3 meals per day will be provided by the Lodge. Depending on the number of volunteers staying at the lodge you might be sharing your room with someone else or having your own. The volunteer house has a typical local design and easily makes you feel comfortable. The common area invites volunteers to spend the evenings in hammocks relaxing or just enjoying time together while chatting or reading.
The Lodge provides you with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is fresh and healthy and can be adapted to vegetarians needs.
Requirements
Language:English and/or Spanish skills required (you can book your Spanish course in Ecuador with us!)
Skills:
No professional skills or experiences required.
Age:
18+ years
Vaccination:
Not required. Please consult us and your doctor for specific recommendations.
Insurance:
Full travel and medical insurance is required. You can purchase a full coverage, no deductible health and travel insurance at a special rate for our participants by contacting your South America Inside representative.
Visa:
Tourist visa valid for 90 days. For further information regarding visa requirements please contact us and the corresponding embassy or consulate in your home country.
Details
The Lodge’s history goes back 100 years when it belonged to an American citizen who searched for gold. Through the years it changed owners and in the last decades, part of it became a traditional small dairy farm. The Lodge offers visits to the traditional farm, where guests can spend a day with the cowboys and experience milking cows and even preparing their own cheese or yogurt.
The Lodge is 2750 feet above sea level, and the climate is surprisingly temperate. During the day it gets really hot, but it cools down in the afternoon. The lodge runs ecologically and but openly invites tourism while the owner and staff work for the protection and conservation of the local wildlife and nature.
Around the Lodge visitors find beautiful waterfalls, different hiking trails, rivers, caves and places to participate in outdoor activities, for those who want an adrenaline rush white water rafting. The most popular attractions are bird watching and wildlife observation or just enjoying the beauty of the Amazon Rainforest with its singing birds and howling monkeys.
The Lodge’s bungalows are built by native people from close-by communities with natural materials in typical Kichwa style. The Lodge furthermore provides a terrace restaurant, which is built to keep nature within reach. It has a beautiful view of the protected nature.
Source: Google Maps
Prices
| Program Duration | in USD |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks | 450.- |
| 3 weeks | 640.- |
| 4 weeks | 830.- |
| Additional week | 190.- |
One time registration fee 75 USD.
What’s included:
- Accommodation
- 3 meals / day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Orientation kit
- Local support
- 24h-Emergency Number
- Volunteer Work Placement
- Certificate of participation
What’s not included:
- Flight
- Airport pick-up
- Medical Insurance
- Visa (if necesary)
- Local Travels
Country
Country Information Ecuador |
 Ecuador, appropriately named after the equator, holds a massive imaginary line running directly through its middle. Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America with an area of only 100,000 square miles. Ecuador borders Peru in the southeast, Colombia in the northeast and the Pacific Ocean splashing along the entire west side. The population of Ecuador is 14 million with the capital city of Quito holding 2 million residents.
Though Ecuador lacks bragging rights in its size, the country surely stands proud of its breathtaking landscapes, lush vegetation zones and varieties of climate. The climate, mainly determined by altitude, changes from tropical sun and heavy rain in the Pacific coastal area, to temperate dry climate regions in the Andean highlands. Further, the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rain forest zones. Ecuador is one of eighteen mega diverse countries in the world with thousands of different animal and bird species. The famous Galapagos Islands, a very special spot on earth, is located about 620 miles away from the mainland and is home to unique flora and fauna such as the giant tortoises. The islands are also historic for being the birthplace of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. When exploring deeper into the 100,000 square mile piece of land, you will find diverse attractions for tourists and volunteers alike. Some highly recommended areas of exploration are the Amazon jungles, the Amazon basin, Andean Mountains, volcanoes (active and dormant), tropical forests and a variety of beautiful beaches. The Pacific coast is a perfect place for ocean diving, relaxing on the beach and enjoying hours in the sun. For those backcountry lovers and nature fans, rest assured the terrain of Ecuador offers much in both silent and adrenaline driven activities. Due to Ecuador’s geographical diversity of ocean, mountains and island chains, whenever you choose to travel, one section of country will be in peak season. June through September are typically the drier months. The general high peak season for festivals, fiestas and crowds lie between mid-December through January and then again from June through August. When traveling to Ecuador you will be absolutely amazed by the unique and natural beauty of this country. Keeping in mind that this country is one of poorest regions in South America, you will be surprised by their friendliness, efforts to help you and elements of preserved culture. UNESCO declared Quito, the capital city, a World Heritage Site in the 1970’s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America! No doubt, you will feel comfortable and at ease while enjoying this open-minded and hospitable society.
|
Photos
|
|
|
|
|
|
