La Selva Jungle Lodge Adventure

Cancellation Policy:

If you find it necessary to cancel your trip, please notify us as soon as possible. If written cancellation is received by ROW (call to verify) before the final balance is due, you will be given a refund less the amount of deposit. Deposits are non-refundable. If cancellations are made on or after the final due date, no money will be refunded. You are welcome to find a replacement for yourself. Please understand that once you’ve signed up, we lose the right to sell your reserved spaces to other individuals or groups. Therefore, we regret that we cannot make exceptions for personal emergencies. For this reason we a strongly recommend you consider purchasing a travel protection plan.

Trip Protection Plan

We offer a comprehensive cancellation and trip protection plan through our office and recommend this coverage which protects your payments if you have to cancel for medical or other covered reasons.

ACTIVITIES AT LA SELVA LODGE:

CANOE RIDE: Enjoy a canoe ride around our lagoon, Garzacocha, and learn about the great variety of plants and animals in two diverse settings and ecosystems.

NIGHT EXCURSIONS: Hikes and canoe rides allow you to hear the nighttime sounds and to look for fishing bats, nightjars, and insects.  You might even get a glimpse of the caimans. Walking excursions give you the chance to meet nocturnal creatures such as: Tarantulas, Whip-scorpions, toads and frogs, and maybe even some snakes.

WALK TO SILVERIO'S HOUSE: In this activity, you will cross Garzacocha Lake and begin a two and a half to three hour walk on a rocky trail with a few physically challenging portions. Half of the walk takes place in the forest and the other half passes by huts of our native neighbors adjacent to the Napo River.

SACHA HUAGRA TRAIL: Once again, cross Garzacocha Lake, and walk through the beautiful forest to observe the Giant Kapok Tree (Ceiba Pentandra) and the Strangler Fig Tree (Ficus sp), as well as additional plant and animal types that can be seen along the trail. You will arrive back at the lodge for lunch. To walk the whole loop takes about four and a half hours.

PARROT CLAY LICKS: Visit the Yasuni National Park, which is a unique site where parrots and parakeets gather in order to gain the minerals that helps them digest the fruits or seeds they have eaten. There is the option to enter into an indigenous community inside the Park where other species of parrots and macaws can be observed. (Additional park entrance fees apply).

CHAWAMANGO TRAIL: You will head east at the Mandiñan trailhead, and follow a trail on a walk back to Garzacocha lake. Depending on your pace it is a 3 - 4 hour walk. You can view many different surprises along the way.

MATAPALO TRAIL: This is a walk that is perfect for your arrival day and will introduce you to many of the plants and animals you will see during your stay. You will have the chance to view the unqiue Strangler Fig (Ficus sp), Azteca Ants (Azteca Trigona), lots of bright and beautiful heliconia plants and the Rubber Tree (Hevea Brasiliensis).

TOUCANETA'S TRAIL: This is a short 2 hour walk that you take around the lodge where you will get an overall view of the tropical rainforest (plants, wildlife and other creatures).

Charapa Trail: This is a short walk around the edge of Lake Garzacocha. You will return to the lodge by canoe.

Observation Tower: This is newly renovated and ready for your arrival! The observation tower offers great views 35 meters up, overlooking the stunning canopy of the surrounding rainforest. Here you will see and hear many different species of birds, insects, and monkeys, as well as view different kinds of flowers. While atop of the tower, you will have great opportunities for photography, filmography, and bird watching. The tower is located only 10 minutes away from the lodge. Guides will accompany you to the observation tower morning or afternoon. For safety reasons, only 10 people max plus two guides are allowed on top of the tower.

The observation tower is made from a type of wood called black and white "Pechiche" and was built around a large Kapok tree. We believe in practicing ecological sustainability, so it was very important that no environmental footprint be left during the renovation of the observation tower.

Butterfly Farm: You may visit here during the afternoon. A short walk from the lodge, you can watch and photograph butterflies of various patterns and colors. You  may also witness the butterflies in each stage of metamorphosis.

Coto Trail: This trail, similar to the Charapa trail, begins next to the butterfly farm and ends on the edge of the bay. You start our walking and then will come back to the hotel by canoe. Depending on the guest's interests, the trail can be walked in the morning or in the afternoon. It lasts about two hours, and is perfect for observing diverse plants and wildlife. Hopefully, we will have mammal and bird sightings close to the lake.

Mandiñan Trail: This hike lasts three to four hours depending on the animal sightings that may happen along the way. Once again, you may view wildlife and plant species that are typical of the tropical rainforest.

Great Bird Watching Destination

Birdwatching in the Amazon Rainforest is on the bucket-list of many birdwatchers, and there is no better place to view them in the Amazon than La Selva Lodge. La Selva Lodge is located right in the heart of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. There are more species of birds in Ecuador alone than in all of North America combined and a large section of those birds make the Amazon their home. You are sure to see dozens of species of birds just on your canoe trip from the town of Coca down to the lodge on your first day!

We love having birdwatchers at the lodge! Here are just a few of the things we do to make your birdwatching experience extraordinary:

• Private, specialized birdwatching guides
• Local guides: they may not speak much English, but they know the local names of all of the birds, and where to find them!
• Early breakfasts for those wanting an early start
• Box lunches (or even lunches delivered to you in the jungle!)
• Telescopes in the lodge for birdwatching
• Birding guidebooks in our library
• An observation tower high in the rainforest canopy
• Quiet, hand-paddled canoes for seeing birds on the lagoon and the creeks

Birdwatching Highlights:

• This is the place where the Long-tailed Potoo was first seen
• It’s also the place where the Ochre Striped Ant-pitta and the Cocha Antshrike were first documented
• It is the world capital of the spectacular Zig-zag Heron.
• The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve is home to hundreds of types of birds, from tiny hummingbirds to massive Harpy Eagles
• Our guests often see stunning species such as macaws, toucans and tanagers