Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
We keep group size to a maximum of 16 on this trip into remote parts of Bolivia. We use local guides where possible and on this trip we travel through Madidi National Park. This was formed in 1995 to protect almost 2 million hectares of pristine land, covering a wide range of habitats from the forested Andean foothills down into the lowland tropical forests and savannas of the Amazon basin.
We visit the Madidi National Park staying at the Chalalán Eco-Lodge, a project, designed to benefit the local community of Quetchua-Tacana Indians by creating a sustainable and viable alternative economic activity while preserving the resources of the park, thus preventing destructive logging and hunting. Chalalan is now completely administered by the local community and all of the personnel, from cooks and boatmen to guides and office personnel are fully trained local community members The community of a few hundred Quetchua-Tacana Indians living in San José is the only settlement within the park. They have lived here for over 200 years in harmony with the jungle around them surviving from subsistence farming.
The lodge is built with the almost exclusive use of materials that could be sustainably harvested in the surrounding forest, solar panels were set up throughout the complex to provide adequate electricity and an ecological sewage disposal system was created. All profits from the lodge go straight back into the community.
It is our policy to carefully dispose of all waste. All non-organic waste is carried out and organic waste is buried at a suitable depth. Food is purchased locally and we aim to use food products with as little packaging as possible, and encourage cooking with Andean products. We cook with gas and use recyclable glass as opposed to plastic wherever possible.
The founder of this tour operator set up 12 years ago after working as a trek leader and writing guidebooks in South America. She decided to offer alternative track routes that no one else was doing, where you’re more likely to cross paths with local people. She maintains close personal relationships with her suppliers and is godmother to several of their children. Her small specialised team have really walked the walks and so know exactly what they’re talking about; they familiarise themselves with the hiking trails every year and believe the Andean way of life is well worth sharing.
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