about wild mandari

Welcome to Wild Mandari

Aerial view of a winding river flowing through the dense amazon rainforest in a remote wilderness area within Yasuni National Park.

Deep in Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park lies Wild Mandari – more than just a jungle lodge. We are a community-rooted ecotourism initiative led by a Kichwa family, working to protect the Amazon through immersive, purposeful travel.

We invite you to learn more about who we are and what we stand for.


Wild Mandari founders standing outdoors near Tiputini river in the Amazon Rainforest. Fredy and Katy protecting Yasuni National Park.

Meet Our Founders

Wild Mandari was founded by a Kichwa couple with a dream: to protect their ancestral land in the Yasuní and create a better future for their people through sustainable tourism.

Guided by deep respect for the rainforest and its traditions, they turned that dream into a lodge unlike any other — one where every guest experience directly benefits local education, conservation, and women's empowerment.

Our Mission & Vision

To provide an alternative for the residents of our community to improve their quality of life while maintaining our customs, ancestral roots, and our native language, all directed towards the goal of contributing to the conservation and protection of the Yasuni National Park ecosystem.

A thriving, biodiverse Amazon rainforest where local people lead ecotourism, conservation, and cultural preservation for future generations.

Group of visitors in one of our tour activities, harvesting cocoa beans, with a manual cocoa grinder on a wooden table outdoors.
A group of people observing a large tortoise, on our charapas program, close to Tiputini River, inside Amazon rainforest.

Sustainability Actions

Learn how Wild Mandari protects the Amazon through local-led projects like the Charapas turtle conservation and Birdwatching Club for Kids.

A young man sitting on a rock outdoors, wearing sunglasses, a blue t-shirt, and black shorts, with a red and black backpack nearby, surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky.

Meet the heart of Wild Mandari — our dedicated team of naturalist guides, boat drivers, cooks, educators, conservation leaders, and hospitality staff.

Most members are from the surrounding Kichwa communities and brings a deep connection to the forest, traditional knowledge, and pride in sharing their culture with you.

Meet the Team

  • COMMERCIAL COORDINATOR

    Xavier´s love for nature, wildlife, and conservation started at an early age with his family vacations around Ecuador. He holds a degree in ecotourism and has many years of experience as a guide and working in the commercial area at an office.

    The Amazon rainforest is his favorite place in Ecuador; he calls it a magical place. His deep knowledge of this area is applied to make sure that you have a great experience.

    He believes the power of photography can be used to help conserve our planet and the animals and plants that live in it. Through his pictures, he wants to sensibilise the public to be aware of the need to protect wildlife.

    INSTA: @xaviec.photography

A person with short dark hair, wearing a gray and green long-sleeved shirt, holding a traditional musical instrument with strings, in a wooden room with shelves and jars in the background.

  • GUIDE: Amazon Express Discovery, Anaconda Kayak Tour

Kichwa guide showing how to use a blowgun to our visitors in one of our activities in lush green jungle environment.

  • GUIDE: Kayak Tour and Amazon Adventure Experience

    Ramiro was born in the kichwa community of Sani Isla, located on the shores of the Napo River.

    He started as a native guide at a young age; this is how he shows his interest in protecting and conserving his home, the Amazon rainforest. Guiding is also his way of transmitting their ancestral knowledge to the people visiting the Yasuni National Park area. He worked for Sani Lodge as an administrator. With more knowledge about the importance of tourism to preserve the rainforest, he started working as a native guide for the Mandari Panga project.

    A couple of years ago, he started to study to get his bilingual guide license. Finally, he can directly share his knowledge about the jungle with our visitors. He is very excited to be a Wild Mandari guide because he has the chance to keep learning about the pachamama (mother earth).

Our photography tour guide observing a green snake, surrounded by lush green foliage of the Amazon Rainforest.

  • GUIDE: Photography Tour

    Javier Aznar is a professional photographer with a Biology degree from Spain who focuses on natural history and wildlife conservation and its relationship with humans. 

    He is an Associate Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), and he is a member of The Photo Society. His photographs have received multiple international awards, including the Portfolio winner in Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018. Frequently, he gives lectures about photography and conservation in Photography Festivals around the globe, such as in the GDT, MontPhoto, etc.

    Javier’s work is in international magazines such as National Geographic, Ranger Rick, BBC Wildlife, Geolino, and others. He is a Sony Alpha Ambassador. 

    INSTA: @javier_aznar_photography
    WEB: www.javieraznarphotography.com

Our birdwatching guide stands on a beach with hills and houses in the background, looking through binoculars during daytime.

  • GUIDE: Birdwatching Tour

    Olger Licuy was born in Nuevo Rocafuerte, a small village on the shores of the Napo River on the border with Peru. When he was nine years old, he moved to the kichwa community of Sani Isla and grew up in that community.

    At 15, he started working at La Selva Lodge; that is when he began studying birds from the Amazon. It took him about six years to learn all the birds of Ecuador. When he was 24 years old, he was a professional guide and started leading birdwatching tours around Ecuador.

    He has traveled to the United States, Central America, and South Africa to learn more about the birds of other countries.

    He is an excellent birdwatching guide for Ecuador tours, especially those in the Amazon rainforest (his home). He is a well-known guide within the birdwatching community in the country. We are delighted to have him on our team.

Katty Balladares, a kichwa woman, founder of the Wild Manari project, standing outdoors next to the Tiputini river.


  • Founder

    Katy belongs to the second generation of people born in Mandaripanga. Her grandparents migrated and founded this kichwa community to live there, respecting the environment and their culture.

    She moved to Coca to attend high school and to pursue a college degree which she did. When she moved out from Mandaripanga, she knew she had to protect “their land.” That is why she has been working for 15 years to organize their people with projects in conservation of resources, sustainable agriculture, gender equality, economic growth, quality education, and the health and well-being of its people.

    In 2016, her dream of opening Wild Mandari was a reality. This sustainable tourism project helps her achieve her goals for her community and their surroundings.

    She is the managing director of this project and others. She will go beyond to make sure all visitors leave with a great experience and a sense of protecting the Amazon Rainforest and its inhabitants.

Fredy Gualinga, a project founder, stands outdoors with arms crossed, protecting the wildlife of the Yasuni National Park.


  • Founder

    Fredy is Managing Director of Mandaripanga. Before starting this project, Fredy was General Manager for Sani Lodge. He is from a kichwa community located along the Napo River. From an early age, he enjoyed being in the jungle, walking, and exploring the forest. He started as a native guide, then a bilingual naturalist guide, all this to begin his dream.

    He is constantly exploring new areas looking for animals, and planning new trails and itineraries. Besides having a vast knowledge of the jungle´s flora and fauna, he has all the cultural baggage inherited by his shaman father. While Fredy still guides a few tours, most of his time is focused on improving the tourism project and day-to-day running of the company.

    He has guided in all major lodges in the lower Napo River area, always having the best reviews from his passengers.