The morning is spent flying from Quito to Macas, a small town in the southern Amazon. After arriving in Macas, we enjoy a welcome lunch and a short trip briefing before beginning our rafting journey. We should take the time to appreciate the city as it is today, as it was destroyed twice by the Shuar indigenous peoples while they fought against the early Spanish colonists.

After lunch, we head to the put-in site and begin our whitewater rafting journey down the Upano River. When we first meet the Upano, she is a wide river alternating between verdant valleys and steep boulder passages, with mostly class III rapids and a sprinkling of class IV rapids that get our heartbeats racing. Not to be underestimated, slightly further downstream the Upano morphs into a narrow but powerful channel of water when it cuts through the Namangosa Gorge.

On this first day of rafting, we will get used to paddling as a team, while we take the time to appreciate the stunning rainforest ecology around us. This is a truly unique rafting and camping expedition through picturesque and untouched areas of the Amazonian jungle. We are guaranteed to see a variety of birdlife, which often includes numerous species of parrots and birds of prey, and we may see more than a dozen varieties of butterflies.

This section of the Amazon is pristine primary forest, with thatched-roof hut settlements of the Shuar indigenous peoples dotted here and there along the riverbanks. The Shuar can often be seen washing clothes or fishing along the shores of the upper Upano. They are famously (or infamously) known as the “shrinking heads” peoples of the Amazon.

When we make camp for the night on the riverbanks of the Upano near Sucua, we will visit a Shuar community nearby. They will likely talk to us about the ancient practice of head-shrinking and how and why it was done: the Shuar believed that shrinking the heads of enemies killed in battle was a way of preventing their victim’s spirits from seeking vengeance, and gave the warrior who possessed the shrunken head greater powers. After our cultural exchange with the Shuar, we enjoy dinner at our campsite and a peaceful night’s sleep along the riverbanks.

After crossing under the Patuca Bridge and entering the stunning Namangosa Canyon Gorge, the Upano River changes her mood and becomes a very fast-moving body of water that propels our raft forward through class IV-IV+ rapid after rapid. The riverbanks grow into towering canyon walls lush with vegetation, and water is channeled into a narrow, boulder-choked gorge. The Shuar call this the “Gorge of Sacred Waterfalls,” and we should be sure to ask them about the mythology surrounding the river canyon during our community visit.

Stunning views of white waterfalls are the only thing that interrupts the green of the canyon walls. Combined with sightings of tropical birds and colourful butterflies, we are left breathless by the natural beauty of the canyon, as well as the thrill of the fast-moving white water. The river’s volume increases as we move downstream, while the deep gorge creates fantastic hydraulics that we and our raft take advantage of with the help of our experienced rafting guide.

The end of day two finds us camping at a site known as Mina, with another full day of exhilarating rafting ahead of us.

On day three, hiking trails and hidden caves give us spaces to stop and seek wildlife along the riverbanks. We can swim in the numerous tributary streams that feed into the Upano, offering different temperatures and volumes of water. The afternoon of day three, we reach our take-out site, where our vehicle is waiting for us to drive back through the countryside. We reach Macas in the evening.

Today we will drive along scenic jungle roads (for about 4 ½ hours) to make our way to Tena – also known as the Whitewater Capital of Ecuador – and recuperate from our first three days of rafting. We will need all our strength for the adventures to come. Once in Tena, we relax and settle into our riverfront jungle lodge at Cotococha Cabins.

After lunch, we embark on a visit to a Shiripuno Kichwa indigenous community. Here, we learn about the Kichwa way of life, culture, traditions, and customs of the Amazon. We can also participate in community activities, including the creation of ceramics with indigenous motifs, preparation of Chicha (corn beer), visits to ancient petroglyph sites, and cleansing rituals with a local shaman. At the end of the day, we settle into our riverfront cabañas ready for a peaceful evening surrounded by jungle sounds.

After enjoying breakfast in our lodge, we drive to Llanganates National Park, which extends from the high Andes down into the Amazon basin and is part of an area declared a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. The water that collects in this area forms the Jatunyacu River, a class III-III+ river which is considered Ecuador’s best one-day rafting run.

We begin the day with a short hike through breathtaking jungle scenery to reach naturally-formed swimming pools, where we enjoy a refreshing swim. Afterwards, we put-in on the Jatunyacu and begin our 4 ½ hour whitewater journey down the river. A trip down the Jatunyacu offers exhilarating white water rapids, big waves, fun holes, and high volumes of water. The Jatunyacu is also famed for its spectacular jungle scenery, abundant birdlife, crystal-clear water, and glimpses into indigenous communities that live along the shores in small bamboo and wood houses.

We will take a break halfway through to enjoy lunch on the shores of the Jatunyacu before continuing down the river, with an optional 30-minute hike later in the afternoon through a hidden water cave along the riverbanks, where we can often find colourful spiders spinning webs along the walls and a crevice lined with resting bats. Once our rafts arrive at the intersection with the Napo River, our car will be waiting for us to make the short drive to return to the comfort of our Cotococha Cabins, where we enjoy dinner and a relaxing evening.

After breakfast, we head to the Jondachi River, also known as the Gem of the Andes, to begin a two-day rafting adventure down the upper and lower sections of the Jondachi. After our arrival by car, we hike for about 1/2 an hour to our put-in site, during which we have a chance to appreciate the beauty of the rainforest and river ecology around us. Once we reach the riverbanks, there is also the option of hiking a short distance to a lagoon filled by a cold, crystal-clear waterfall, where we take a dip in the refreshing waters – and the more adventurous of us explore numerous small caves and rock ledges along the face of the waterfall.

Once we return to the river, our rafting adventure begins. Our first day on the Jondachi, we raft the upper section of the river, a class IV-V steep creek that attracts expert kayakers from around the world to challenge its continuous rapids channeled through sculpted, granite boulders. Ecuador Adventure is one of only two companies in Ecuador to offer rafting trips down the Jondachi, and it is the only one that offers multiple-day Jondachi trips. Our experienced guides lead us through the steep creek and choose the safest and most fun routes. At times, the river is highly technical and demands our utmost attention. At other times, it is wider and allows us time to appreciate the rainforest scenery around us. The Jondachi winds through some of the most remote and pristine sections of jungle found in Ecuador. The high-rising canyon walls that frame the river are covered in verdant green and brightly-coloured flowering plants. Small, rickety wooden foot bridges cross the canyon, suspended high above the lapping waves, and remind us of simpler ways of life that most of us from traffic-congested cities have never experienced.

In the afternoon of the first day, we make camp along the riverbanks and spend the night under a sky so clear we can see the eyelashes on the face in the moon.

The morning of our second day, we put-in and raft down the lower section of the Jondachi. This part of the river is more tranquil than the upper section, with mostly class III-IV rapids. But not to be underestimated is the “Waffle Maker” rapid: the water pulls us in, churns our raft about, and then spits us out, making us feel as if we’ve just been clamped down on by the water and pressed into – well, a waffle.

Later on, the Jondachi joins with the Hollin River and becomes wider and more peaceful shortly before we reach our take-out near the town of Misahuallí. The town is famous for its capuchin monkeys, who offer us a unique wildlife encounter. These intelligent animals love interacting with humans – just be wary that they don’t try to steel your beer and drink it, one of their favorite pastimes. After some excellent animal photo-ops, we drive to Cotococha Cabins and spend the evening here dining and relaxing.

In the morning, we drive eastward for an hour or so and gain altitude before we reach our put-in on the Quijos River, located at 7,500 feet (2,300 meters) above sea level within Sumaco National Park. This incredibly biodiverse area was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2000. One of the few ways to explore the remote cloud forest and jungle regions contained within the Gran Sumaco Reserve is by river. The Quijos is our passageway through this uncharted territory, as we follow its curves through the eastern foothills of the Andes with a seemingly endless series of Class IV and IV+ rapids that leave us breathless.

We begin our journey in a virtually unexplored and pristine cloud forest that gradually melds into rainforest. Because it crosses through two different ecosystems, the Quijos’ river banks hold the greatest diversity of bird life of any of the rivers we visit. While we aren’t paddling furiously to get through the next class IV rapid, we take the time to enjoy the sights of rare bird species such as the red-crested cock-of-the-rock, brilliant green quetzals, and multi-colored Inca jays.

When we take a break to enjoy lunch on the riverbanks, we will have a chance to hunt for more wildlife species and appreciate the diversity of plant life along the shore. In the afternoon, we reach our put-out site where our car is waiting for us to drive to the relaxing natural hotsprings at Papallacta. Here, while nestled in fantastic cloud forest scenery, we submerge our tired muscles in the soothing alkaline-rich waters. Spa services such as massages, aromatherapy, and other optional treatments can be arranged in advance. Dinner and accommodations at Papallacta Hotsprings Spa and Resort.

In the morning, we enjoy another rejuvenating dip in the soothing hotsprings of Papallacta. The locals believe that the mineral waters, heated naturally by geothermal activity, have special healing properties. You’re sure to become a believer in their powers as well.

Later in the morning, we depart Papallacta and head to Otavalo, the Andean town famous for its colourful indigenous crafts market. Here, local indigenous artisans and craftsmen sell their handmade wares, including textiles, leather goods, jewelry, and much more. Ecuador’s vibrant indigenous culture and heritage is also visible in the foods sold by street-side vendors and in the music being played by local Andean artists. We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Otavalo, where we enjoy lunch before departing for Quito in the afternoon.