Lodge Review: Hornbill Camp, Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Tara

With a stunning location just across the river from Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, you can’t go wrong!

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary Across the River

I absolutely LOVED this place and I would come back here in a heartbeat but next time not during monsoon! The safari tents are charming and the location is stunning on the banks of the Periyar River. The staff are very friendly and made way too much food considering we were the only 2 tourists there, I kept urging them to join us but they wouldn’t. The service was excellent.

I had 2 birding guides, both of whom were very knowledgeable and good at spotting birds. The first one, Danesh was also the camp manager and he also organized the transport in either rickshaws or a hired private car for one day. He found the Malabar parakeets that were my target bird! The 2nd guide, Abhilesh lives at the actual Salim Ali Sanctuary which is currently closed to visitors due to some politcal issues but he did take me to the buffer zone just outside the boundaries and luckily birds don’t know the borders! You can see more on their website and book direct from there or book this place in advance through Lemongrass Eco-lodges for great service and they were running a special at the time we booked in 2011.

At Hornbill Camp, we provide an unusual stay, which is in tent houses. We have total 10 deluxe tents (Single fly living tent), 7 of which are water front.
Accommodation here is simple and harmless to the nature. Here we are redefining luxury. Each tent house has its own private bathroom and an exclusive balcony. You can simply laze on the cane chairs in the balcony in front of the tent and enjoy the true colors of nature along with the humming of a 1000 birds.

Among the specialties of this camp are the comfortable beds, en-suite attached European style closet, shower and hot running water. We also provide limited power supply available for lights and fans as well as charging facilities for laptops and mobiles (the camp is on the fringe areas with limited mobile reception)

Our Gazebo is a huge water front restaurant and relaxing place. It would indeed be the ultimate experience to watch the rain forest from the gazebo on the banks of the gently flowing river Periyar and loosen up in the calm atmosphere provided by the evergreen forest.

Tariff

USD 110 per day for 2 persons on full board

(Kayaking, cycling & spice plantation visit included)

Birding tour with guide on special request.

Birding Guide Charges: Rupees 1500 per day

(This does not include park entry fees)

It’s about 900 rupees in prepaid taxi from the airport to here. The roads were very muddy and bumpy due to monsoon season.

Meals are served on your deck

Way too much food for just 2 people!

Tara with Danesh

El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Tara

El Yunque National Forest aka the Caribbean National Forest is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System. It is home to the highly endangered Puerto Rican Parrot, but actually finding them in the vast forest will be quite a challenge. First, you will need to get to El Yunque. I recommend hiring a car so you can get there as early as possible. If you are staying in San Juan at one of the hotels on points, it will be about an hour’s drive, 58 km.

San Juan to El Yunque

A better idea would be to stay in an eco-lodge in the rainforest. Since I haven’t been there (yet) personally, I looked at Trip Advisor to see which lodges were getting good reviews, 3 of them were all rated very highly.

Villa Sevilla

Rainforest Inn

La Paloma (no website found)

I highly recommend using a specialist bird guide. I like the looks of Adventours who also have the Birding Puerto Rico site and seem to have years of experience, locally owned and operated and dedicated to conservation. Parrots are most vocal in the early morning and late afternoon and tracking them by sound is your best bet. Since the population of parrots is so small, you will need a local guide who is familiar with the habits of the parrots but as always with birding, there is no guarantees. Birding Puerto Rico recommends the Arecibo area for your best odds to see the Puerto Rican Amazon. Also worth noting is that they have special permission to enter the national park early and leave later than you normally can.

El Yunque National Forest – Only 45 minute drive from
San Juan, El Yunque is a must see nature wonder. We
have special permits to go birding to the Forest before
and after the gates are open/close to the general public.
On previous full-day birding trips we have spotted 16 of
our 17 endemic species.

Be sure to support the local conservation projects while you are there.

This group in the video below only got to see the nest boxes put up by research scientists, although to be fair it looks more like a generic rainforest tour than a group of birders.

Rainforest Expeditions Upgrades Guest Comforts, Adds New Activities For Spotting Creatures In Peruvian Amazon

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Tara

How do you make the best better? Upgrades! If you’ve read my review of the 3 eco-lodges associated with Rainforest Expeditions, you may already be tempted.

Macaw Clay Lick

LIMA, Peru, Jan. 21, 2013 – Peru’s visionary leader in sustainable tourism, Rainforest Expeditions http://www.perunature.com/, announces accommodations upgrades and additions at two of its three eco lodges, the addition of sunset river trips, a new and secluded bungalow in the Amazon jungle offering total immersion with surprising luxury, and more.

READ MORE HERE

New Transfer Boats and Shorter TRC Package
New motorized canoes with high tech 75 hp, 4 stroke engines can now make trip downstream from the most distant lodge, Tambopata Research Center (TRC) to Puerto Maldonado in just 5 hours. New scheduling now allows for a three-night jungle adventure at the TRC (instead of the previously required five). The per person double rate is $665. http://www.perunature.com/tambopata-research-center-4d3n.html

Aitutaki – It’s Not Just A Beautiful Lagoon

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Tara

GETTING TO AITUTAKI

Aitutaki is the quintessential Pacific island. Swaying palms, stunning sunsets, crystal clear water and friendly people draw many normal tourists here each year.

To get to the Cook Islands main airport, Rarotonga, please see this post. Many people make a day trip here from Rarotonga, but I think you need to spend a few days here as there is just so much to do and see! The best value is combining Aitutaki with Atiu so you get to see both the Tahitian Blue Lorikeet and the Rimatara Lorikeet. I have pretty well covered how to do this on the Atiu post here.

BEST LAGOON CRUISE FOR BIRDERS

Although most tourists are attracted to the lagoon and fantastic snorkelling and scuba diving, there are also attractions for birders. In fact, Aitutaki offers some of the easiest birding in the world! If you want to see the stunning Red-tailed Tropicbirds, you can take one of the lagoon cruises that visit the island where they breed. We did the “Yellow Boat” cruise which I felt was the most comfortable boat. Not too big and crowded, not too small that it was hard to get in and out of it after snorkelling.

WHERE TO STAY FOR BIRDING

After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the “Kuramoo” Tahitian Blue Lorikeets can be easily seen at the banana plantation across the street from Paradise Cove Lodges. It was pretty cool to have the coconut tree through the deck!

We loved this place! I knew we would based on research and it is also in the right location for the activities we had planned. I really got a sense of the value being offered here when the Yellow Boat folks dropped us all back at our hotels after the cruise, I got a peek at other hotels and what people were paying for bungalows that weren’t even on the beach! The sunsets here are postcard spectacular!

Joe is a lovely host and booked everything we wanted, even got a masseuse to come to our rooms for a special treat! As a birder, I really appreciated having banana trees across the street where Blue Lorikeets (Kuramoo) could be easily seen.

Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana) checking me out!

ISLAND NIGHTS ON AITUTAKI

Cook Island dancing is amazing and no one should leave without experiencing an island night! The dance groups are true family affairs with the older folks teaching the youngsters and sharing their culture. We really enjoyed the island night at Tamanu, which was just 5 minutes down the road from Paradise Cove.

IMG_3258a

Atiu – Enua Manu, The Land Of Birds

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Tara

GETTING TO ATIU

A few days ago, I wrote about the beautiful Rimatara Lorikeet and that the easiest way to see them is to travel to Atiu in the Cook Islands. I will save the “how to get to the Cook Islands on miles” for a separate post as there is a lot to cover just on Atiu. You have to start from Rarotonga (RAR) and pay for a ticket on Air Raro as they don’t have any frequent flyer alliances. It’s pretty much the same price year round though could go higher in peak travel periods.

There are only 3 flights a week from RAR but there are also weekly direct flights from Aitutaki so you can do a two island trip without having to return to Raro in between.

There is an excellent tourist information website about Atiu so I will link it here but would like to point out the following excerpt which is of great interest to eco-travelers.

The makatea is clad with jungle and riddled with caves. The dark of one cave, called Anataketake, is the home of the indigenous bird called the Kopeka. An excursion to this cave is conducted frequently and provides a real experience to nature lovers and bush walkers. There are many other caves and in fact you could spend a week exploring underground caves and find even more caves to explore. The raised central plateau is where we all live. It is cooler and breezier. Outside the central populated plateau are many nature walks through the lush tropical jungle. Being the land of the birds we also specialise in guided bird tours where Birdman George explains the fauna and flora on Atiu as well as Atiu’s part in the recovery programme for a back from the brink Rarotongan bird called the Kakerori and for the colourful and endangered Rimatara lorikeet called the kura.

BEST BIRDING GUIDE

There are a handful of small family run guest houses on Atiu but the one I prefer as a birder is Atiu Villas. The owner, Roger Malcolm and his wife Kura are very involved in the conservation project of the Rimatara Lorikeets and the birds can often be found on the lodge’s premises or in the banana plantation down the road. Roger can also book a tour with the island’s top birding guide Birdman George. Here is an interview I did with him a few years ago.

George is actively involved with monitoring the habits and breeding results of the Lorikeets so he always knows where they can be found, where their nests are and if there are any juveniles around. George has a regular full day tour he does which also takes in the Kopeka Cave and some island sights which is a great introduction to the island and it’s native flora and fauna. He is also happy to tailor a tour if you want to concentrate on the lorikeets. The first time we visited Atiu, we did the full day tour, the second time, we had him concentrate on the lorikeets and we got to see quite a few, including some very cute youngters! George doesn’t have a website or email but you can book him via Roger at Atiu Villas.

BEST LODGING FOR BIRDERS

Atiu Villas is a really charming lodge, well situated in lush tropical gardens and is the only accommodation in Atiu that has a swimming pool. Kura is a fantastic cook and makes delicious evening meals that you must book in advance. They have a special where by booking on-line you could qualify for either our early booking more than 12 weeks out) or late booking (within 7 days of arrival) discount. This can save you 15% or 40% of the cost of accommodation.

Atiu Villas

Atiu Villas Room

Atiu Villas Pool

But don’t just take my word for it, Atiu Villas gets rave reviews from everyone on Trip Advisor!

Refugio Amazonas And Tambopata Research Center Lodge Reviews

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Tara

Last week, I did a comprehensive post on all the lodges that are available in Tambopata National Reserve. I have only been to two lodges so in the other post, I was only able to assess the lodges by their websites and what other had said about them on Trip Advisor. Now I can give a more personal review. I am reviewing these two lodges together as they are part of the same group and if you visit Tambopata Research Center (TRC), you will have one night at either Refugio Amazonas or Posada Amazonas before and after the TRC trip because it is a LONG way down the river!

Refugio Amazonas

The journey to get there is half the fun and the birding begins right away! I have a full account on my main website Feathered and Free which actually reads more like a blog post so I won’t copy everything again. The service was amazing from the moment we were picked up at the airport in Puerto Maldonado, given our safety gear and leaf lunches to the nature walks and birding. Our guide, William was well trained, knew all the species and had a good eye for spotting them.

Refugio Amazonas Room

The lodges were both beautifully laid out and in harmony with the rain forest. What I really love is how the rooms are open to the jungle and you can see and hear everything that goes on 24 hours a day! Mosquito nets are provided and we found the beds very comfortable. People are warned not to leave personal effects and food out as macaws and monkeys can and will take anything they find. Meals are done buffet style and the food was excellent! We were amazed at how they could cook the variety of dishes they did out in the middle of the rainforest! There is a well-stocked bar and library where you could take a book and relax in a hammock during the siesta time.

TRC Room

Macaws can and do come into the rooms!

At TRC, there are several semi-tame Scarlet Macaws that were rescued from nests in cases where the parents weren’t feeding them. This often happens with a 2nd chick, the parents sometimes neglect the younger in favor of the elder one. These semi-tame macaws are called “Chicos”, and they would not be alive today if they hadn’t beed rescued and fed by researchers. Although they are totally wild and free, they have come to realize that free food is a good thing, so they usually come around at breakfast time hoping to steal as much from the buffet and people’s plates left unattended as possible. It’s quite hilarious as they are experts at faking out the lodge staff and work in teams to distract the staff while their mate swoops in to steal something!

VIDEO CLIPS!

Macaws Casing the Joint

Pancake Thieves

TRC will give you a lifetime of memories and if you do stay here, the only thing you will regret is that you didn’t stay longer!

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

Getting to Peru

Gateway Lima

Getting to Tambopata

Choosing an Eco-Lodge

Tambopata Eco-Lodges

Review of Refugio Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center

New Club Carlson Visa Gets 2 – 3 Free Nights Near Panama’s Soberania National Park

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Tara

Panama is a fantastic place for birders! Soberania National Park is less than an hour’s drive from the airport and there is even the Metropolitan National Park right in the city of Panama City! The bird lists are very impressive! Birders on a budget can stay at the Radisson Summit on points and drive over to the Canopy Tower for a day visit. Birders with more to spend can also stay overnight.

There is a special way to get up to 3 nights FREE at the Radisson Summit or any of their other hotels with the Club Carlson Visa. They currently have only a USA version of this card but they do say they will introduce cards in other countries. ***Disclaimer, this is not an affiliate link, these links go direct to Club Carlson’s site. Just sharing an awesome deal!

The USA one with US Bank comes in 3 varieties:

Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature card Highlights

10 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels³
5 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else³
Up to 85,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 35,000 points once you spend $2,500 on your card within the first 90 days¹
40,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card⁴
Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.²Exclusively for cardmembers!
Your upgrade is automatic⁵ – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Gold Elite Status after you activate and use your card
Already reached Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 15 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card⁶
Enjoy all of these benefits for $75 Annual Fee

Club Carlson Rewards Visa Signature card Highlights

6 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels³
3 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else³
Up to 60,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days¹
25,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card⁴
Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.²Exclusively for cardmembers!
Your upgrade is automatic⁵ – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Silver Elite Status after you activate and use your card
Already reached Silver, Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 10 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Gold or Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card.⁶
Enjoy all of these benefits for $50 Annual Fee

Club Carlson Business Rewards Visa card Highlights

10 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels³
5 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else³
Up to 85,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 35,000 points once you spend $2,500 on your card within the first 90 days¹
40,000 renewal bonus pointseach year when you renew your card⁴
Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.²Exclusively for business owners!
Your upgrade is automatic⁵ – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Gold Elite Status after you activate and use your card
Already reached Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 15 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card⁶
Enjoy all of these benefits for $60 Annual Fee

Remember, I am not a financial advisor so it is up to you to make sure you should have this credit card.

Club Carlson is a great program for non-frequent travelers as they have several promos throughout the year where you can earn points, so even if you don’t want the credit card, still join Club Carlson and be on their mailing list for promos. Usually chain hotels suit eco-travelers best as gateway hotels but we are lucky that Club Carlson has a great option right near the Soberania National Park.

Depending on which card you get, you will have 1 or 2 free nights right off the bat! But these cards have a little something extra! Did you notice this part?

Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.

This means that to get this (or any other Carlson hotel), you would redeem 38,000 points and get the last night free! This effectively reduces rewards to half price, a fantastic deal any way you look at it! I would recommend staying here 2 nights, birding along Pipeline Road and into Soberania National Park, then move to one of the other hotels in the city, go birding at the Metropolitan National Park and check out the Panama Canal, Panama Viejo or any of the markets, redeem one night and get the second night free. This makes for 4 nights all up in Panama free!

Tambopata Eco Lodges

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Tara

When deciding on an eco-lodge, there are many things to consider as I wrote HERE. Once you decide on your priorities, Tambopata National Reserve has something for just about everyone! When reading Trip Advisor reviews, I tend to ignore anything written by someone who has only one review as they may not be completely objective. Pay attention to what species people report seeing at the lodges. Some people who seem to be ill-prepared will complain about mosquitoes and other bugs but hey, it’s a jungle out there! What do you expect? All the lodges will have bird species lists but they are accumulated over time so you want an idea what to expect from a shorter visit of 3-7 days.

Tambopata Research Center

In Alphabetical Order

ECO AMAZONIA LODGE

EcoAmazonia

This is one of the cheapest lodges in Tambopata so a good choice for budget travellers and backpackers. Not near a clay lick. This is not a place for serious birders but they seem to provide a nice jungle experience at a great price and the few reviews on Trip Advisor are positive.

EXPLORER’S INN

Explorers Inn

You can’t go past a recommendation from National Geographic! Located in a national park that is the meeting of three major ecosystems: lowland Amazon forest, Andean foothills, and savanna. The rainforest retreat, built in part from certified forest wood, relies on solar panels and candles for light. It is a short walk from an oxbow lake, home to giant river otters, tiny tamarind monkeys, and hundreds of bird species. The lodge and its surroundings are pure Amazon, basic in design with fauna all around. Resident naturalists provide fine insight. 30 rooms; from $230, two-night minimum, all-inclusive.

They have a very impressive research and conservation program! From its inception in 1976, the Explorer’s Inn has played a central role in the effort to preserve the stunning natural environment of Peru’s Madre de Dios province and to support research in the field of tropical rainforest conservation biology. Our company was among the first to adopt the practice of ecotourism in the region and promote the concept of conservation to its communities. Indeed, it is largely thanks to the efforts of many people at the Explorer’s Inn, including the staff and numerous scientists who have conducted groundbreaking fieldwork from here, that Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park were established by the Peruvian government, protecting more than 1.3 million hectares of Amazonian rainforest. The Explorer’s Inn donates on average one quarter of its bed/nights to our Resident Naturalist Programme, allowing researchers at the Masters level and above to carry out fieldwork in the life sciences, including botany, ecology, entomology, herpetology, primatology, and ornithology. In addition to their academic research, our Resident Naturalists have also become involved in conservation work including through the Tambopata Reserve Society (TreeS), a NGO founded by former Resident Naturalists in the UK, raising funds and providing expert advice to local communities on sustainable development within the rainforest.

The 7 day birding tour looks really good although you don’t get guided walks with the naturalists every day, some days are on your own to explore. The prices are some of the lowest for this area so you are getting a bargain! This blog has a great report of a trip there in August 2012 with lovely photos but they did have some complaints about not having access to the top of the canopy tower. I would email Explorer’s Inn and make sure that you would have full access to the Canopy Tower before booking. With rave reviews on Trip Advisor, I’d say you can’t go wrong here, especially for the price!

INKANATURA

They have two lodges in the Tambopata area: Sandoval Lake Lodge (SLL) and the Heath River Wildlife Center (HRWC). The location makes it ideal for a shorter trip, they even have a one-night trip; but in my opinion if you are going to fly all the way to Peru, stay at least 4 nights to see more wildlife! The Heath River features the world’s most accessible large macaw lick, which has registered up to 260 large macaws in one day, making it one of the five largest recorded macaw licks in the world.

Though all five of these licks are spectacular, the Heath Lick is by far the most economical to visit, making it ideal for a short Amazon itinerary to combine with the Inca sites of Cusco and Machu Picchu. The Heath lick is the only one of the five that can be reached the same day that you fly by jet from Cusco, thus saving one or two nights over other licks. They have special birding tours led by some of Peru’s top ornithologists. Although we didn’t get to visit HRWC on our last trip, this is definitely one I would consider in conjunction with TRC to get a wider perspective of Tambopata. People on Trip Advisor speak highly of both Heath River Wildlife Center and Sandoval Lake Lodge.

INKATERRA RESERVA AMAZONICA

Inkaterra Treehouse

The most expensive and luxurious of the Tambopata eco-lodges, Inkaterra even has a spa package! This probably won’t sway the more dedicated birders unless you have a spouse who is reluctant to visit the rainforest and needs some persuading. This place would suit honeymooners who want a romantic rainforest retreat and aren’t too fussed about what wildlife they see. They also accept families and cater to children from 5 years and up. The canopy treehouse is beautiful! This is one of three lodges recommended by National Geographic.

They have a wide range of guides who seem well qualified but you should request one who specializes in parrots as not all of them do. Based on the location they don’t seem to be near any macaw clay lick. “From Puerto Maldonado Airport, check-in at the Inkaterra Butterfly House, then 10 minute transfer to the Jetty Port for a 45-minute boat transfer along the river to the Lodge.” I would recommend this lodge for honeymooners and soft adventure but not for serious birders. Reviews on Trip Advisor are mixed, some love it, some don’t.

RAINFOREST EXPEDITIONS

Refugio Amazonas

This was my choice for the trip we did in 2007 and I couldn’t have been happier! They have 3 wonderful lodges (which I will write separate reviews for): Refugio Amazonas, Posada Amazonas and the world-famous Tambopata Research Center which is located near the largest known macaw clay-lick in the Amazon. They have a wide variety of packages at surprisingly reasonable costs, including one especially for parrot lovers! We did the 5 day 4 night package in 2007 but if we went back, I would want the Parrot Lover’s package for sure. The one drawback to the shorter packages is you may get people with only a passing interest in birdlife and would rather chatter amongst themselves than stay silent and listen for bird calls. We did have a problem with a chatty couple in our group so next time, I would want to be with people who are focused on the birds. Recommended by National Geographic!

Tambopata Research Centre

Sustainability is a top priority here. Because the locals are co-owners of the lodges, they are highly motivated to preserve and protect their wildlife. TRC is home to the Tambopata Macaw Project which has researchers and field biologists studying the birds. Many of the in-house guides will be volunteers with the project who have been there a few months and had intensive training on the local wildlife. Since we stayed here, I will go into more detail in the individual lodge reviews. (link to follow) I am not the only one who loves these lodges as you can see on Trip Advisor’s reviews of Refugio Amazonas, Posada Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center.

TAMBOPATA ECO LODGE

Tambopata Lodge Map

Founded back in 1991, the Tambopata Eco Lodge is one of the most established eco-tourism lodges on the banks of the Tambopata River. There are now a total of nine rainforest lodges in the Puerto Maldonado area, reinforcing the status of the region as one of the major rainforest eco-tourism destinations in South America.

With a capacity of 59 it is also one of the smallest lodges, which is how we intend to keep it. Smaller groups, we believe, contribute to a more fulfilling visit and reduce the impact on the many species of fauna that abound in the surrounding forest.

Tambopata Lodge

The lodge employs around twenty Peruvian staff, the majority of whom are resident in Puerto Maldonado. In addition, there are a number of naturalist guides, both from Peru and abroad, who are at your service throughout your stay. As well as guiding and introducing visitors to the many marvels of the forest, a number are undertaking research projects, thereby contributing to a greater ecological understanding of the area. The package rates are comparable to other lodges in the area. I can’t see where they have any special research programs going on or where their naturalist guides are from. They do get excellent reviews on Trip Advisor but seem more suitable for a general rainforest experience than for people who are interested in macaws and other parrots.

WASAI

Wasai

They have excellent last-minute bookings at very good prices which will appeal to backpackers who don’t like to book things in advance. One thing that stands out is that there is a 4km hike to the lodge but they provide porters. They do include a visit to Macaw Clay Lick “El Chuncho” in the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park in their 3 night 4 day program. They also offer educational programs and accept volunteers. Very positive reviews on Trip Advisor and several people recommend the guide Jorge.

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There are probably other lodges that I didn’t get a chance to cover. As you can see, some lodges will appeal to budget travelers or backpackers who just want a rainforest experience and don’t have their hearts set on seeing any species in particular. Other lodges cater to more serious birders and will do all they can to help you find the species you want to see. Of course no wildlife is guaranteed but the macaw clay licks are a pretty sure bet to see LOTS of macaws and other parrots!

If you find any other lodges and would like my advice about it based on how they present themselves online, please give the link in the comments. My pick if we were to go back—hands down Tambopata Research Center! We loved it the last time and I love that they are so committed to conservation. Heath River Wildlife Center and Explorer’s Inn also are stand-outs by my priorities of conservation efforts, birding and macaw clay lick. None of these are the cheapest lodges, nor are they the most expensive but I don’t think for a serious birder Tambopata is a good place to economize.

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

Getting to Peru

Gateway Lima

Getting to Tambopata

Choosing an Eco-Lodge

Tambopata Eco-Lodges

Review of Refugio Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center

Choosing An Eco-Lodge

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Tara

This will be a reference post I use often when analyzing the lodges in any particular area. While I will only do a REVIEW of a lodge I have actually been to, I will use other resources found online to determine the lodging options in any avian eco-tourism adventure.

There are several things to consider when choosing an eco-lodge. In some cases, you will be choosing a location because of a bird species you want to see which may have only a small range. An example of this is Crimson-bellied Conures (Pyrrhura perlata), which are only found in the central and south Amazon basin. The only eco-lodge in their habitat is Cristalino Jungle Lodge based in Alta Foresta, Brazil. So in this case, the lodge is chosen for you by the species.

Crimson-Bellied Conures

In other cases such as Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao), they can be found all over South and Central America so you have many choices. Even in cases such as Tambopata National Reserve, the Pantanal, Carara National Park you will have many different lodges to choose from in the same area. So how should you choose?

CONTRIBUTION TO CONSERVATION

Is the lodge affiliated with a conservation project? Do they sponsor scientific research? Do they have an education program for foreign volunteers and local employees? Do they make an effort to be sustainable and “Green”? Do they have a program to protect wildlife from poachers? Do they train former poachers to be guides? Do they financially support any conservation causes?

LOCATION

Are they in the reserve or park, or in a town nearby? How do you get there? Can you drive in yourself? Do you have to use their transport if it is a remote location? Can you afford the transportation to get there? Are the local people actively involved with the lodge?

SPECIES OF BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Is there a bird list and animal list on their website? Which lodge reports more sightings of the species that interest you? Are the species easily found?

SIZE, ROOMS AND CLIENTELE

How large is the lodge? Is it so big that it will feel crowded? Is it too small that you worry about the level of service? Do they prepare their own meals or do you have to self-cater? Do they accept children as guests? Are you looking for opportunities to socialize or to get away from people and be with nature? Do they have separate bungalows or motel-style accommodation? Does the lodge blend in with the environment?

IN-HOUSE GUIDES

If you are not part of a pre-organized group, you will be using the in-house guides and probably put into small groups with other guests. Where do the guides come from? Who trains them? How well do they know the bird calls? Do they know the habitat well and likely places to find birds?

COST

What options of accommodation do they offer? Do they have a dorm for backpackers? Do they have family accommodation? Do they include meals? What other extras are included in the package (guided walks, boat trips, photography instruction, etc)? Are there seasonal rates? Group discounts? How do you pay? How much in advance? Do they take credit card on a secure serve? Paypal? Is the only way to pay via bank transfer (which has fees involved)? Can you use a portal such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com? What is the cancellation or rebooking policy if your plans change? Do they take credit cards for incidentals or will you have to bring cash along?

ONLINE REVIEWS

What do other people say about them on Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Facebook and birding sites such as Surfbirds, Fat Birder, etc? What do people like? What do they not like? Does the lodge manager communicate on social media and seems like they want people to be happy?

YOUR PRIORITIES

You are unlikely to find one lodge that has everything you want so you will have to know what is most important to you. The species you want may only be found at a small, remote lodge that is expensive to get to and stay at. You may have to take a long trip down the river in a small boat which some people may find uncomfortable. The menu may be limited at remote lodges and you may end up being the only ones there in the off-season. One lodge may be in your budget but it may be a larger one and more crowded. A lodge that accepts families may have you waking to screaming kids instead of warbling birds. You can never do too much research when it comes to choosing an eco-lodge!

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Category Archives: Accommodation