Marwan Busin, 26, spent five days living with the Waorani people in Ecuador, South America, where he went hunting with the tribe, hiking through rainforest and even ate caiman
A British adventurer has shared his incredible experience of backpacking around South America, which led him to live with an Amazonian tribe.
Marwan Busin, 26, spent five days hunting with the tribe, trekking through the rainforest and even dining on small crocodile-like creatures known as caiman.
The Londoner had been exploring Costa Rica when he decided to fly 800 miles south to discover the wonders of Ecuador. While staying in a hostel in Tena, Ecuador, Marwan met a local who introduced him to the country’s Waorani tribe. The local informed Marwan that he could spend five days with the tribe, leading to a nine-hour coach journey to Orellana, Ecuador.
Marwan said the tribe welcomed him with “open arms” and he ended up joining them on their hunts. Reflecting on his unique experience, the Wembley, London man said: “I didn’t know what to expect and I only seen them on tele. My first thought was that this is crazy. It was like being inside of a National Geographic programme.
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“I was itching to try something new, I couldn’t wait to go hunting and explore the forest.”
After travelling from Costa Rica to Ecuador on September 2 2024, Marwan spent the night in a hostel in Quito, the country’s capital. He befriended other travellers and struck up a conversation with a local who knew members of the Waorani tribe.
Marwan added: “When we got to Tena, we were approaching people about the rainforest. The locals were very friendly and happy to help us. We were speaking to a bunch of people but some of them said no but one guy helped us out. He called his friend to come meets who then ended up coming with us.”
The following day, Marwan and a few other backpackers he’d met that night embarked on a nine-hour coach journey to the heart of the Amazon Jungle. They had to check in at the Jungle Immigration Office, providing their names, passport numbers, the date they entered the jungle and their expected departure date. Upon arrival, Marwan admitted he was “nervous” about meeting the tribe but found them to be “welcoming”.
“I was a little bit nervous but mostly excited,” he confessed. “The leader spoke Spanish, but the tribe had their own native language. There was a lot of hand communication — I would 100% do it again.”
During his stay with the tribe, Marwan went on hikes, explored the jungle and participated in hunting. Marwan shared: “We were mainly hunting and fishing. They were taking us out of the jungle and even showed us hotels within the forest.
“They showed us a tree which was used to make medicine and even perfume. They showed us how to make a fishing rod and even a spear used for hunting. We ate Caiman and they ate a mother monkey, and kept the child before it is old enough to be eaten.”
While there, Marwan and the other backpackers slept on the floor and he described the bugs as unbearable. He revealed: “In the first two days, I was sleeping in a hammock but It got really cold at night and the hammock stopped being comfortable.
“I then moved inside the cabin and slept on the floor. The bugs were awful, I’ve never seen so many bugs in my life.”
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Marwan recounted that his time spent with the tribal community was an “incredible” experience, one that he will cherish forever. On splitting the costs, Marwan noted that the entire trip amounted to just £350 for three people, covering flights, coaching, and sustenance.
Enthused Marwan revealed: “It’s so interesting how they know everything about the rainforest. They know how to navigate and even know the name of every tree and what’s inside of them.”
Recalling a particularly fascinating moment, Marwan said: “One time, this guy cut down a tree and there was food inside. Jungle Spaghetti was so nice and one of my favourite jungle snacks.”
The adventure totalled £350 split among the trio of adventurers — including airfare, ground transport, grub, and hostel stay. Plane fare came to $220 (£169.57), ground travel was $90 (£69.37), they forked out $25 (£19.27) for meals, and a hostel bed was a mere $16 (£12.33).
