This journey is designed for curious, creative travellers who love textiles, hands-on learning, and authentic cultural exchange. Whether you’re an experienced maker or simply drawn to the beauty of natural materials, you’ll be inspired by the artistry of Amazonian weavers and the chance to learn directly from them in their own communities. If you enjoy connecting with people, discovering traditional knowledge, and immersing yourself in colour and craft, this trip is for you.

It’s also an adventure for those who appreciate life beyond the beaten path — travelling by small boats, exploring rainforest trails, and embracing the simple, generous hospitality of village life. This experience offers both challenge and reward: you’ll gain new skills, fresh perspectives, and deep connection to nature and culture, all while creating something beautiful with your own hands.

To get the most out of the experience, it’s important to arrive in strong physical health and good fitness. Please read the entry on ‘How fit do I need to be to take this tour’ below.

We have 6 places available, and they will be reserved on a first come, first served basis.

Click the Secure Your Early Bird Ticket button to book a short contact call. This friendly chat helps ensure you understand what to expect — the travel, the weaving, and the adventure — and that the tour is a great fit for you before you commit.

Once you’ve decided this trip is for you, you’ll be sent a booking registration link. You can secure your spot with a deposit of $800 AUD. The remaining payment will be due no later than 30 December 2025.

When you book your place, you’ll also be sent some accompanying information including ‘What to Bring’ and a participant Waiver.

We’re excited to welcome you on this journey and can’t wait to share the creativity and adventure of the Amazon with you.

Cancellation by participants:

Our cancellation and refund policy is as follows.

• When cancelling with 90+ days before the tour commences you’ll receive a full refund (minus the deposit)

• If you’re cancelling with 60-89 days before the tour start date, you’ll receive 50% refund, minus the deposit.

• For cancelling with less than 60 days, there will be no refund.

• If you change your mind or cannot take part anymore, you can also transfer your spot to a friend or family member after a short contact call to ensure the tour is a good fit for them.

Cancellation by us:

The tour will only go ahead with a minimum of 5 participants. Should this number not be reached, your deposit and payment will be refunded in full.

Refunds:

✔ All refunds will be processed within 14 working days from the request day.

If you’d like to join but need the flexibility of a payment plan, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@kirrilyjordan.com

You will be accompanied throughout your trip by Australian basket maker Dr Kirrily Jordan and experienced local interpreters and guides.

This experience involves physical and mental challenges, so arriving in strong physical health will help you manage the rigours of travel and cultural adjustment more smoothly. Good preparation also helps ensure both you and our local hosts stay safe and healthy throughout the tour, allowing everyone to fully enjoy and participate in each day’s activities. It improves your chances of staying well in the community and avoiding illness such as from gastro bugs. To take part in the trip, we suggest preparing to be in top physical condition before departure — including being able to comfortably walk 2 kms over uneven ground in warm or humid weather.

You will be getting in and out of small, open boats, occasionally sitting in boats for up to 2 hours, walking on slippery and uneven muddy paths, and could be sitting on the ground to make your basket or string bag for several hours a day. While you will have a full bed and mattress in Iquitos and El Chino, in Santa Ana you may be sleeping on an air mattress or in a camping hammock. It is important that you have good mobility, strength and flexibility in your back, hips and knees to make these experiences more enjoyable and safe — and help you adapt to the slower, more physical activity of village life.

Before you travel, please talk to your GP or health professional about what vaccinations you require. Ensure you leave enough time for a vaccination program which may require several doses. These precautions are not only for your protection but also a way of respecting the health and wellbeing of our Amazonian hosts and their communities. We also recommend that you talk to your health professional about how you can keep your body in optimal health prior to and during the trip, such as by taking immune-boosting vitamins or other supplements if these suit your body. Please also let us know if you require any special accommodations such as bottled water throughout your trip, so we can plan ahead to keep you comfortable and well.

Before the trip we will send you a Waiver to sign which will detail your personal responsibility for your health and actions on the tour. It is a condition of travel with us that you sign this Waiver and have travel insurance, which includes medical coverage and remote area evacuation. These measures ensure that, in the unlikely event of illness or injury, you have the right support in place and can receive appropriate care promptly.

It is also a condition of travel that you provide us with a medical certificate issued by a qualified medical practitioner (such as a GP) to confirm your fitness to participate in the tour. This certificate must disclose any pre-existing medical conditions, and acknowledge that the medical practitioner believes these will not affect your fitness to participate in the tour. This step helps us make sure that every participant is fully prepared and able to take part safely and confidently.

Prior to departing Iquitos we will ask anyone who is unwell with a cold or flu-like symptoms to take a RAT Test to ensure no one is sick with COVID upon departure. We will also have RAT Tests available while in the community and will ask that anyone who develops cold and flu symptoms be prepared to isolate until such time we are sure you are not COVID positive. This helps us safeguard the health of the entire group and our generous hosts, many of whom live in small, close-knit communities with limited access to medical care.

Travelling to the Amazon is an extraordinary adventure — a chance to immerse yourself in one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse ecosystems, and to experience life at a slower, more connected pace.

While we endeavour to make your trip as comfortable as possible, once we leave Iquitos we journey into remote rainforest regions where many creature comforts are left behind. This simplicity is part of what makes the experience so rich and memorable.

It will be hot, humid and often wet, with heavy tropical rain showers and plenty of mosquitoes. We will sometimes be travelling in small, open boats, so good wet-weather gear is essential. The rewards far outweigh the challenges — you’ll find yourself surrounded by lush rainforest, the ever-present sounds and occasional sightings of extraordinary wildlife, and the daily rhythm of river life, guided and cared for by welcoming local hosts.

This will be a small group tour to ensure we can provide you with as much support as possible. We will be accompanied for the entirety of the trip by local interpreters who know our tour locations well.

Health services:

If, for some reason, you do become sick on the tour, the closest medical facilities will be a clinic in Tamshiyacu or hospital in Iquitos. There is no health clinic in Santa Ana or El Chino. Once we leave Iquitos, the nearest clinic is in Tamshiyacu which is one hour by boat from Santa Ana and three hours by boat from El Chino.

While there are pharmacies in Iquitos, we recommend stocking up on any medical items you may need prior to leaving Australia, including a personal first aid kit which includes products for cuts, abrasions, splinters, headaches, dehydration, gastro bugs, muscle or menstrual cramps, basic strains to joints, minor infections etc. There are pharmacies in Iquitos, though they may have a more limited range of products than are available in Australia.

If you need to be evacuated to a clinic or hospital you will need to cover your emergency medical costs with travel insurance. We require everyone who is joining this trip to purchase medical travel insurance, with an inclusion of remote area evacuation, for the length of the trip.

By preparing thoughtfully and travelling responsibly, we can ensure that everyone — including our hosts — stays safe, healthy, and able to fully enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Phone and internet coverage:

We recommend purchasing a local SIM card upon arrival in Iquitos. Phone reception is good in Iquitos, and Wi-Fi is available at El Chino. In Santa Ana, phone and internet connections can be patchy — a welcome opportunity to truly disconnect and enjoy the moment.