Amazonian Bushcraft

[Bhold]

I just posted this thread in the BritishBlades Bushcraft forum:
I saw a "market research" in a thread a few days ago, and thought this was a good idea. So, I am also going to make my "research" with you guys (you can call it a chat, also )
Are you interested in an Amazonian Bushcraft course?
A very close friend of mine - we were responsible together by 15-18 years boy scouts in our group in Brazil - has a quite interesting as well as large piece of land in the Amazonian rain forest, just at the margin of the famous Tapajos river and fair close to the Munduruku indians. The guy spent most of his life rough camping and learning from "caboclos" of the south, a traditional people - that very early mixed the portuguese, and several indigenous and african cultures, creating very interesting responses to the necessity to live in those forests and prairies. They occupied the inlands of Brazil much earlier than the "civilization" that came later and turned the life of lots of them into misery.
Well, the guy is planning to take a year in the Amazon learning, and then to open an Amazonian Bushcraft business.
As I am an anthropologist and have experience working with indigenous peoples - mostly the Guarani, Kaingang and Xokleng of the South - he wants me to join in and help to set a fair deal to have an indian instructor in the course.
By now, the price he is figuring - but remember that we all have to wait for propably a year to have the courses tested and running - is about R$3,500 reais (the Brazilian currency) for a week course. This is about £700 sterling. You can figure that, from the UK, you may expect to spend aproximately another £700 in transport to Brazil and then to the middle of the Amazonian rainforest. That makes around £1400 to have a REAL instructor AND to know the Amazonian rainforest in the propper way.
So, guys, I would like comments about it.
Would you be interested?
Is the price adequate?
Would you have any concern about a course like that?
Oh, and I will gladly accept any suggestions.

All the best

Luciano

 

[tomtom]

Hi Bhold,
not sure if your in breatch of the advertising rules here but anyway..
i think it sounds like a very interesting idea! having always wanted to viset the amazon my self!
my comment would be though that while £700 sounds reasonable for the course to spend another £700 to travel there we are talking pretty big bucks.. i think if some one is going to travel all that way for all that money they are more likely to shell out and do 2 or 3 weeks as a minimum!?

would the course oporate at a fixed camp or would it be more like an expedition moving camp every night or every couple of nights?

 

[NickBristol]

Sounds like a pretty good idea to me tho I think some more tweaking needs to be done to make it a more attractive investment as a punter.

As Tomtom points out 1400 quid for a week is pretty stiff, tho it does compare favourably to the 2000 quid the missus wants to spend EACH :yikes: on a week in Mauritius at Christmas. Getting back to the point, for £1400 I would as a client expect to have air fare included as well as transfer to the course location. I wouldn't be too happy to have to arrange this myself. I think £1400 odd would be pretty acceptable for 2 weeks all inclusive.

The second thing would be the size of the group on the course. If you're aiming for 15 or so at once then apart from earning about £10k a week each course that runs, it seems to me too big a group. Smaller groups are best IMO. Think carefully about what skill level are you aiming at, you dont want to alienate your clients by over or under stressing them. What physical fitness levels will be required as rain forest is a notoriously demanding environment?

I'd be slightly wary of going on a course that didn't have some official accreditation, although this is pretty hard to define and implement in a diverse field like Bushcraft. There was a big discussion on here about a Bushcraft governing body sometime ago. In this context I think that the courses run by the Field Study Council Overseas would be a good model with a good ethical perspective. Perhaps you could start off as a 'franchise' to a larger organisation to begin with.

Lastly, make it clear from the beginning what kit / stores you do and dont provide, what a client is expected to bring, and be upfront about local attitudes to tourists / customs / dress, eg is there a no DPM rule, like there is for much of Africa?

Hope that helps
Nick

 

[jamesdevine]

I all do i might be wrong but there is an issue with them including flights in the package as they are not tour operators and so can not include the flights in the price.

This is the case with expeditions run by many other like companies. Also I don't think 1400 pounds is alot to pay for two weeks as another company charges 2K for a course in Scandinavia.

Two weeks would be better as it give time to aclimaties etc.

just my thoughts.
James

 

[paul in swindon]

i think is sounds great though a little costly for a week if it was two im a deffinate all the best any way

 

[Stuart]

nickbristol wrote: As Tomtom points out 1400 quid for a week is pretty stiff, tho it does compare favourably to the 2000 quid the missus wants to spend EACH on a week in Mauritius at Christmas.

No don't do it!!!!

having lived in mauritius for 2 years I would not pay 2000 quid per person to visit.

its an beautiful place but that kind of money could be better spent visiting several beautiful countries.

I got really bored in mauritius

 

[Paganwolf]

No don't do it!!!!

having lived in mauritius for 2 years I would not pay 2000 quid per person to visit.

its an beautiful place but that kind of money could be better spent visiting several beautiful countries.

I got really bored in mauritius

I went and lived in Borneo for a month for less then 2 Grand :shock: , Mauritius is a volcanic island which means its relatively new in geological terms, every thing there has ever floated there or was brought over one way or another, its pretty devoid of wildlife, its nice on the beach with your drinks being brought out to you though theres much better places to go all you need is a lonely planet guide and a ticket

 

[tomtom]

Mauritius is a volcanic island

and i think nick is going to buy it!? :yikes:

 

[BIG-TARGET]

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