Ecuador: Amazonian Forest Foods and Culinary Arts

Introduction

Live in an Indigenous Amazonian community in the buffer zone of protected forest and support conservation and reforestation efforts led by local stewards of the land. Most families manage their land in diverse zones: food and medicine, animals or fish ponds, timber species, and protected forest areas. Interns take part in activities like seed collection, nursery maintenance, tree planting, soil improvement, and tree care, while also learning about traditional land-use systems and contributing to efforts that assess, map, or strengthen existing agroforestry models. This work may also connect with local conservation initiatives involving protected parks by the Ministry of the Environment.

This internship offers more than just a placement, it offers a way of life. You’ll live with a Kichwa host family in the buffer zone of the tropical Amazonian rainforest, where everyday life is closely tied to the chakra, a traditional forest-farm system that is deeply embedded in Kichwa culture. The chakra is the nucleus for maintaining and revitalizing ancestral knowledge, sustaining both people and the environment.

The chakra is at the heart of Amazon Learning. Chakras are living models of diversity and resilience. In a single chakra, you’ll find cacao, coffee, and guayusa grown for income, medicinal plants used for healing or value-added products, staple foods like yucca, plantains, and fruits, and natural materials like palm leaves and hardwoods for building. The system is deeply interwoven with the surrounding forest, which is often preserved for community-based tourism. The chakra meets all basic human needs—food, medicine, shelter, and livelihood—through thoughtful stewardship and ecological balance.

We see the chakra not just as an agricultural method, but as a guiding philosophy of coexistence. It is the foundation of our work and a model we support through our internship sites. All of our families and partners rely on a mix of activities to thrive, so each placement naturally engages with multiple focus areas. Whether it’s agroforestry, traditional medicine, conservation, or entrepreneurship, every path is connected, just like the chakra itself.

Daily Life

Internships begin with an orientation in the city of Tena. After, interns spend the first few weeks getting to know their host family and internship placements.

Travel & Accom.

The best airport to fly into is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. Interns need to arrive to Quito no later than the night before their orientation begins. Quito is only 4 hours from Tena, the main city in the Napo Province. On the morning of orientation, a staff member schedules a taxi to pick interns up and bring them to Tena for training; they just has to pay the driver upon arrival.

Interns stay in Tena during orientation, and the cost of the accommodation is provided. The rest of the program is spent living with a local host family. This is an amazing opportunity to immerse in the local community, learn about the culture, and practice Spanish. Host families provide 3 meals per day, bedding, and a place to do laundry.

Requirements

We recommend that interns have an intermediate level of Spanish proficiency (or a strong motivation to learn quickly before and upon arriving!), and bring knowledge in their area of research if looking to do a personal project. Interns are expected to finance their own travel costs (international and while on site).

Further requirements include:

• Minimum 4 weeks commitment, recommended 8-12 weeks (flexibility for a minimum of 2 weeks however this could affect the price).
• Academic and/or professional experience in a related field
• Full travel & medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary visa costs (Most nationalities are granted a 3-month tourist visa automatically upon arrival, and you can extend this for 3 more months for a fee while in-country. Always check specific visa requirements based on your nationality).

Costs

$750 USD for the 1st week, $550 USD* for each week thereafter.

* Currency conversions are approximate. Use xe.com for up to date currency conversion rates
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee
*** Places are confirmed with a 1 week deposit.

What’s Included:

• Accommodation during orientation
• Accommodation and 3 meals a day with a host family. Includes a private room, bathroom, all bedding, and place to do laundry
• Guided pre-departure preparation
• In-country orientation that addresses risk management, culture shock, cross-cultural adaptation skills, history/culture/politics of Ecuador and the Amazon, team-building, goal-setting, and more
• 1:1 check-ins every week
• 24/7 emergency support
• Network of doctors, therapists, Spanish tutors in-country
• Access to network of experts and information databases for research support
• Exit interview and end-of-program reflection
• Alumni group and future references

What’s not included:

• Costs of flights and visa
• Costs of vaccinations
• $15 per day for food during orientation training
• Personal transportation
• Any other activities outside of scheduled program activities (white water rafting, yoga, workshops, guided jungle hikes, etc.)

Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators. We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.