The Small World Adventures team has the experience and training to make your trip to Ecuador the paddling vacation of a lifetime! Having spent years paddling on all of the best rivers in Ecuador, we know the lines at all water levels. We also know how important being a part of the local community is which is why we hire local guides, cooks and drivers. We are proud of having built an incredible staff that are here to ensure you go home tired and happy! We understand that you came to Ecuador to paddle and we’ll get you on the river all 7 days you are with us.
Darcy Gaechter
Darcy Gaechter grew up skiing and adventuring in Aspen, Colorado. In 1996, she became a river guide and has been guiding kayaking and rafting trips ever since. Darcy is the first and only woman to kayak the Amazon River from source to sea. Check her adventure/memoir about the experience-Amazon Woman and learn what it took for […]View Profile
Don Beveridge
Don first started paddling in Ecuador in 1995. After guiding for Small World Adventures for 17 seasons, he took some time off to join Darcy in paddling the Amazon from source to sea. After paddling over 400 different rivers in 23 countries, he still hasn’t found any place quite as good as Ecuador. He probably […]View Profile
Andres Charpentier
Andres Charpentier was born and raised in Quito, and is now a resident of Tena. Andres is a professional, dedicated kayaker and guide. @andrescharpentiersays, “I got into kayaking after a couple of years of raft guiding. It was after one of the old-school guides said to a bunch of us, “a raft guide who can’t kayak […]View Profile
Larry Vermeeren
Larry started paddling in Colorado on the Arkansas River, and his passion for kayaking quickly eclipsed his career as a contractor. He traveled extensively throughout Central and South America (leading kayaking trips in both Honduras and Chile) before finding his home away from home–Ecuador. Now he splits his time between the rivers of Ecuador and […]View Profile
Liam Kirkham
Liam grew up in the North of England and started kayaking as part of a college course in outdoor education. He was instantly hooked, and he has spent much of his time since in a kayak or planning kayak trips. Liam has paddled all over the world and guided for Small World in both Ecuador […]View Profile
Byron Lopez
Byron is an up-and-coming kayaker and guide who was born and raised in Tena, Ecuador. Byron is new to the SWA team, but his transition into our crew was seamless. His solid work ethic, combined with his easy-going nature and friendly smile make him easy to get along with. His energy and enthusiasm for the […]View Profile
Philip Robinson
Philip is Ecuadorian/English and was raised in Quito, Ecuador. Now he lives in Tena because he wanted to be closer to the best rivers in Ecuador. He started kayaking 7 years ago, his love for the river was immediate, and from that moment he has dedicated his life to paddling. He got involved in the […]View Profile
Memo
No Small World Adventures kayaking trip would be complete without being driven around the country by Memo Bonilla. Memo grew up in Quito and has been with SWA for twenty years. He is, without a doubt, a vital member of our team. Memo is not only the safest driver in Ecuador, but he’s also the […]View Profile
Franca Morillo Burgos
Franca is one of SWA’s chefs and she understands how important good, healthy food is on a kayaking adventure. She came to Ecuador (from Colombia) when she was 15 years old to work in a restaurant in Tena. She worked there for 5 years and then quit to raise 4 children and to run a […]View Profile
Adriana Nelly Ortiz
Adriana is SWA’s head chef and she says, “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to continue sharing great food with your guests, and to be part of the Small World Adventures team. For me, it is a very nice experience to share with people from all over the world. During the off season, […]View Profile