10 Tips for Traveling by Dug-out Canoe in the Amazon Basin
03. Dec, 2009 
11 Comments
Today’s guest post is by Heather of http://www.heatheronhertravels.com. When she sent me this post, I knew I’d have to share it. I think I had just read the latest iteration of 10 Boring Tourist Things to Do in Over Hyped European Location, so if you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy a little change of pace. Plus the Amazon? How cool is that? Thanks for sharing, Heather!
If you’re planning an adventurous trip into the Amazon basin of South America, then you might like some tips for traveling by dug-out canoe.
By that I don’t mean those larger motorized boats that are use to ferry tourists to their luxury eco-lodge, but a canoe that’s carved from a single tree, normally with an outboard, that the locals use to get around on the river. This is the sort of thing you might do if you arrange to stay in a local village a little off the tourist trail, such as Sarayaku, where I spent a few days in Ecuador. You may spend a few hours on this kind of canoe, going to your village base, or being taken to other villages or parts of the river to explore. Here are my tips for getting the most out of this kind of journey:
1. Travel light
Even if you’re doing the grand tour of South America, you’ll need to leave some of your luggage behind at the offices or homes of the people who arrange your trip. The dug-out canoes can take an amazing amount of stuff when they’re packed, but even so, you’ll need to take as little as you need for that part of the trip. If you fly out of your village by light aircraft, you’ll have a strict limit on the weight of your luggage too – so leave that heavy rucksack behind.
2. Bring snacks to share
Before you head off, stock up in the local town or village on small snacks, such as dried fruit, biscuits and boiled sweets. If you’re in the canoe for a few hours, you may not get a chance to eat properly and it’s always much appreciated when you share what you have with your boatmen – I never knew them to refuse! When you’re feeling damp after a heavy shower, you might need a little sweetening.
3. Don’t drink too much water
It may sound obvious, but you’ll probably only get the occasional stop on a sand-bank every hour or so. The river bank is not always ideal for a quick stop, with mangroves and thick vegetation, and even then you’ll have to venture into the snake’s home territory for a bit of privacy. Obviously you don’t want to get dehydrated, but probably not the time to have that second cup of coffee before you leave.
4. Give away what you don’t need at the end
When I travel to these kind of places, I always try to take stuff with me that I’m happy to give away at the end of the trip. Any T-shirts, flip flops, and food that you don’t need to keep at the end of the trip will be appreciated by your boatmen or other locals, who will gift it around their extended family. Depending on what financial arrangement you made at the beginning, you may also want to give a tip to those who especially helped you.
5. Buy Wellies
Don’t leave for the rainforest without buying wellies at the nearest town. It’s what the well-dressed local will be wearing, and will be essential for jumping in and out of boats onto a muddy shore and for tramping around paths in the rainforest. I never used my walking boots in the rainforest. When you leave the area, just leave them behind for a local to use.
6. Buy a poncho
I hear you saying, ‘but I have this fantastic, expensive high tech rainjacket’. Ok, but still invest in a cheap poncho for boat trips like this. When the heavens open on you sitting in the canoe, you’ll find your legs and daysack are much better protected than with that expensive rainjacket.
7. Keep your daysack with you
Be aware that your backpack or luggage will be packed carefully in the bottom of the canoe, wrapped in plastic sheeting and you probably won’t be able to access it until your journey’s end. So make sure you have a daysack to keep with you with all the essentials of food, water, hat, poncho, camera etc that you’ll need on the journey.
8. Pack in lots of plastic bags
Obviously the rainforest is called that because …it rains….a lot. The air is humid and so you’ll need to protect everything, especially camera gear from steaming up or getting splashed in the canoe. A good supply of plastic bags and bin liners will do the trick. If you want to splash out (pardon the pun), you could invest in those roll-over top waterproof bags that come in all sizes – it’s probably worthwhile if you have lots of expensive camera gear.
9. Ask for lifejackets
If you’re arranging your trip with an established company, then this will be taken care of, but if it’s a one-off that you’ve arrange locally you can’t assume that life jackets will be provided. Better to ask in advance, as even if they’re not to hand, the locals can usually find or borrow them from somewhere. When the river’s fast flowing after heavy rain, you’ll be glad to have that peace of mind. Rather than the balsa logs we were once given when they had no life jackets.
10. Get to know the locals
Above all, take some time to get to know the locals, your boatmen and their families. They are the guardians of the river and the rainforest and their knowledge and culture will enhance your travels – my memories of trying fried winged ants at breakfast and hearing the stories of the river turtles in the stars will stay with me for ever.
Heatheronhertravels.com, where you will find stories from her trip to Ecuador as well as travel inspiration and information, photos, videos and podcasts to enjoy. You can see photos from her trip to Ecuador here
I like that you mention to give away the things you don’t need at the end of your trip. So many things that we take for granted in our rich countries are luxury items elsewhere. I hate seeing tourists come to a poor place with all their fancy equipment, ignore or annoy the locals, complain about the accommodations, and leave with all their trash behind them and cheap souvenirs to take home. That’s not real travel, it’s exploitation. And the only people who benefit are the relatively rich owners of fancy hotels those kind of tourists stay in.
That sounds like an awesome trip. I’d love to visit South America someday. Thanks so much for sharing!
Leighann Garber´s last blog ..Taking Risks or Don’t Be Afraid of the Smut in Life
Thanks for sharing the rips, but I don’t like to travel in amazon basin by canoe I’ m afraid with crocodiles, annaconda and more. I would motor boat it makes me fast but by canoe is quiet interesting and challenging but the risk high.
Great article. I am planning a trip to the amazon this late summer and found these tips very helpful. I did not think about wrapping everything in plastic bags. What are wellies exactly?
Hethir´s last blog ..A New Year is Approaching… Time to Set Some Goals
Get a 40 litre sea bag (water proof thing), and stuff your whole rucksack in it. When I went down the Mekong river through Laos and Cambodia this is the only thing that saved my laptop.
Tip 2: Don’t take a laptop
Jonny | thelifething.com´s last blog ..3 Months In The Life Of A Travelling Entrepreneur
@Hethir
Wellies – that’s the English term for Wellington Boots, or rubber boots. I wouldn’t worry about taking them with you as they’ll be too bulky but you can buy them in the nearest local town to where you’d leave for a typical boat trip.
You may also be interested in the Podcast interview I did with Luis Hernandez who arranged our trip about Ecuador and the jungle – interesting guy with lots of tips on how to be comfortable and enjoy the rainforest, you can find it here
http://www.heatheronhertravels.com/ecuador-amazon-rainforest-podcast/
or on my I-tunes feed
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=343155797
Heather on her travels´s last blog ..Photo Friday – the mystery of the blue bike in Bristol
I admire the community ideas of sharing little snacks and giving away some of your gear at the end of the trip. I have done this in a few places and it always seems appreciated. Greta photo of canoeing on the Amazon.
Mark H´s last blog ..Canyon de Chelly (Arizona, USA)
great! It’s funny, my boyfriend told me just yesterday how he wants to travel in the Amazon basin by a dug out canoe. thanks for all the tips!!
Wow, what a cool experience this sounds like. I’ll definately look in to this for our S. America trip. Wonderful tips, man! Keep up the great work.
Blakesjourney / tBD
blakesjourney´s last blog ..Spain Songs: 50 Glass Bottles
I went to the Amazon here in Brazil this year and can totally relate to many of things mentioned!
I did give away stuff at the end (and they loved it), I stayed with the Ashaninka tribe and spent time with them, so it was good to leave gifts behind.
I took snacks, like granola bars that saved the day! cause the food was: fish, a type of root, bananas, watermelon… traveling light is a must! the tribe I stayed at was a 3hr canoe ride from the closest village! and yes, wear comfy clothes!
Adriana´s last blog ..want to be a Bedouin for a night?
That was a great article. I like the idea of giving as much as you can to those who have so little. Looks like a great place to visit!
Aaron
Aaron Schubert´s last blog ..WA Fishing