Ivan, our Colombian-born guide, has been involved in tourism since a very young age. Freshly out of college, he was already working on guided visits to various regions of the country. His passion for travel, nature conservation and learning about the different cultures in Colombia has helped him forge important relationships with indigenous leaders and natural park officials over the years. He was fascinated by Araracuara since his first visit, and immediately saw the potential to support this isolated community by respectfully bringing tourism to the region as an economic alternative to illegal ways of work such as mining and exploitation of the land.

Ivan Ivan has been doing guided expeditions to Araracuara for the past 6 years; he believes that more than expeditions, these trips are pilgrimages, where people have the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature with the cosmic visions of these elders and learn about their ancestral traditions and deep connection to their land.