LEARNING A LITTLE MORE from the Ese Eja People

Stories

The Ese Eja People of Infierno: A Unique Community Partnership

After a quick drive past jungle farms lush with papaya and cacao trees, our visitors arrive in the small town of Infierno, Peru. Many travelers from all over the world know the port town as the starting point for their Amazon Tour. But Infierno is much more than a point of departure. Home to the Ese Eja community, an indigenous people of the Amazon, the town has played a crucial role in Rainforest Expeditions’ success since the start of the community partnership.

In celebration of this week’s UN Indigenous Peoples Day, I spoke with Jesús Duran, the Account Manager at Rainforest Expeditions, to get a better sense of Infierno’s decades-long relationship with the lodges. Jesús grew up in Infierno and is committed to the community’s development through sustainable tourism.

A story behind an ecotourism project

When Jesús was a boy, he lived in Infierno — a small town along the Tambopata River — until adolescence. There, and even more, once he moved to nearby Puerto Maldonado city, he saw the discrimination, lack of economic opportunity, and social challenges that the Ese Eja community faced in the region.

At the same time, Jesús began to see tourism come to Tambopata in the early 1990s. The industry seemed to offer a promising alternative to local subsistence fishing and farming, and soon enough, Jesús and his brother both joined the new industry. Armed with his ambition and hard work, he studied tourism at a local school, working his way up from lodge waiter to tour guide to globe-trotting account manager.

Working in travel, he says, «You really get to know yourself and learn to solve any kind of problem.» Today, Jesús travels the world representing Rainforest Expeditions — this small-town boy from the Amazon Rainforest has visited Japan, China, North America, Europe, and more.

Frecuently asked questions to visit the peruvian amazon Tambopata

The Tambopata National Reserve in Madre de Dios, Peru is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, but only visited by 6% of the tourists that get to Peru.

But despite his cosmopolitan life in Lima today, Jesús hasn’t forgotten his roots in Infierno, the community that raised him and provided the local insights crucial to his success. Luckily, the Native Community of Infierno serves as Rainforest Expeditions’ partner at the Posada Amazonas lodge. In fact, the Ese Eja People own the lodge, largely manage it, and receive most of its profits! Jesús still gets the chance to work with the community on many joint initiatives.

In 1996, the Infierno community and Rainforest Expeditions began their partnership, dedicated to conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Ese Eja, and using ecotourism as a powerful tool to do so. Since then, Jesús has seen firsthand the ways tourism has transformed Infierno. «Before ecotourism, the Ese Eja were very marginalized in the Western World,» he says, «with few resources and little access to education.»

POSADA AMAZONAS

Posada Amazonas Lodge, nestled inside 9.5k hectares of protected forest by the Ese Eja of Infierno Native Community

Thanks to ecotourism, many people have returned to the community

While economic development always brings a mixed bag of changes, Jesús believes ecotourism has been a positive transformation for the community. «Thanks to tourism, many people have returned to the community, because now they can find good opportunities for work there,» he says. «Now the community has a higher quality of life. Young people can study in university, with a different level of education.»

Even more than this economic transformation, Jesús saw firsthand how tourism has changed the way community members relate to the world. «Today Infierno has more resources» and is able to stand up for its legal, cultural, and environmental rights, he explains. «Money is a tool to effect change — they can hire a lawyer, dissent or complain about conditions, even go to Lima to petition the government.»

Legal, cultural, and environmental rights towards sustainable development

Now, the partnership between Rainforest Expeditions and the Native Community of Infierno is growing even more. The Ese Eja were interested in sharing more of their culture, not only their natural surroundings, with international visitors. That led to the creation of cultural activities offered at our lodges, in which guests can spend some hours learning about Ese Eja traditions, artisanry, and food with locals. «I love that the community has decided to share its heritage in this way,» Jesús says. «Visitors’ trips are enriched when they learn about local culture. Without disrupting locals’ day-to-day life, travelers can get to know the Infierno community and its traditions.»

Soon, the partnership will deepen further as the community and lodge collaborate on heritage preservation projects, including a traditional dance initiative and Ese Eja language education for the town’s children. «The goal is the recovery of Ese Eja culture,» Jesús explains, «that their culture is recognized and respected, and that the community feels pride in their own culture.»

The Ese Eja community has contributed so much to Rainforest Expeditions, enriching an ecotourism venture with local knowledge, culture, and appreciation of the environment. «This is what rural community tourism should look like,» Jesús says. «Infierno community members are no longer afraid to say, ‘I am Ese Eja, and I am an entrepreneur.'»

by MerinMcDivitt

NOW READ: Unveiling 5 Cultural Activities in the Peruvian Amazon + Exclusive Bonus with Video

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The lodge is located in the middle of the forest accessible only by boat. The experience was very unique and exciting. Service is great, and the fun part are the nature activities and tours the hotel offers for free. We had an amazing tour guide that had a lot of knowledge and was fun to spend time with. The rooms are totally open to the forest which is really cool the struggle is the there is no privacy at all in between the rooms, also food was pretty basic. All together a very unique experience. Read all

This hotel is the perfect blend of comfort and hospitality, with the natural experience. The hotel is reached by a hours boat ride from Puerto Maldonado, expertly organized and accomplished. Most staff are members of the local Esa Ejja community. The food is good and plentiful. Hot water is always available and lovely bedding features mosquito nets. There is of course no air conditioning (one side wall is open in rach room) and the electricity is off for a few hours at night affecting overhead fans, so I was glad to have brought a small battery powered fan for sleeping. But the best of the experience is the wildlife. Our expert guide Oscar Mishaja introduced us to nearly 100 bird species, along with caimans, river otters, poison dart frogs and capybara. A trip of a lifetime. Read all

Excellent experience overall— really kind and welcoming staff at every point of the journey. All transfers were well organized and smooth. Excellent and educational excursions all around the rainforest. Delicious food for every meal. We had wonderful guides- Freet and Alvaro. Enjoyed our time here! Read all

Unbelievable.... Magical Everything I have dreamed of since I was 8 years old but MORE Read all

We had a surreal experience at Refugio Amazonas. From the well organized transportation to the warm welcome, hospitality and the experience of living in nature - we loved it all. Huge shout out to our guide Boris who went out of his way to ensure we had a good experience and got to watch all kinds of wild life. The meals and cocktails were delicious. And even though this place is smack in the middle of the jungle there was super fast WiFi available. We made unforgettable memories. Read all

We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. Read all

We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. This is the only lounge available in Tambopata national park, and this eco lounge takes environment seriously. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. If you are a natural lover, you can’t miss this place Read all

Excellent and luxurious place, wonderful experience and our guide Boris was first class, he had a unique patience with my 8 year old son. An experience in the tropical rainforest that marks the life of its visitors. In addition to the scientific research that takes place in the place: a whole research center. Rooms: Very comfortable and luxuriou Read all

El mejor hotel para visitar la Amazonia peruana. Hotel eco turístico metido en medio de la selva, equipado para visitar y vivir la selva, su flora y fauna, en todas sus facetas. Todo incluido, con guías preparados y amables, resultó una experiencia increíble para mi familia. Dentro de las opciones no se debe perder el Canopy de 45 metros de altura para observar y escuchar la selva, así como el lago de las tres Chimbadas, lugar único para ver caimanes, nutrias gigantes, monos y aves exóticas. Recomiendo mínimo dos noches!!! Read all

Wunderbare lodge mit freundlichen Menschen. sehr persönliche guides, tolle Tourangebote und super kulinarische Verpflegung ! Wir wurden herzlichst von Caesar empfangen und unser guide JuanJo hat uns phantastische Dinge gezeigt. Wir können die lodge nur wärmstens empfehlen! Read all

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