Amazonian Ecuador Travel Guide
Travel to Amazonian Ecuador - The Oriente – Ecuador's eastern lowland Amazon Rainforest
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Known as the Oriente, Ecuadorian Amazonía begins as the High peaks of the Andes dramatically fall away to the east, and settle thousands of metres below.
Covering almost half of the country, the borders of Ecuador contain just a small share of the total area of Amazon Rainforest, but the area is enormous. Here the waters pouring off the Andes into the the eastern lowlands are drained by the tributaries of the Putumayo, Napo and Pataza rivers, and the region is covered in dense tropical rain forest.
Home to countless species of flora and incredible variety of bird and animal life, including the pink dolphin, armadillo, bear and monkey, most of this area is uninhabited by humans – only 5 per cent of Ecuador’s population live here. Scattered throughout the region are small communities of Indians such as the Huaorani, Shuar, Cofan and Siona-Secoya many of which existed without contact with the modern world until the last century, and some of which still shy away from ‘civilisation’. These societies often maintain their traditional practices, although their survival is becoming increasingly threatened by oil exploration and illegal logging.
Several large areas have been set aside for conservation, including the Yasuní National Park, the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, some indigenous groups have also been granted rights to particular areas of land, for example the Huaorani Territory which covers a large area to the east.
Travellers to Amazonía can experience the sounds and sights of the region by staying in an ecolodge or going deeper into the forest for an authentic tribal encounter with one of the indigenous groups. But be sure to choose carefully and ensure that your chosen trip in not an exploitative circus, but a positive experience for all seeing the community benefit directly from your stay.
Amazonía also offers rafting, canoe trips, swimming, rainforest walks and outstanding wildlife watching.
Places to Visit in Amazonian Ecuador
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