Ecuador ecolodge, Napo Wildlife Center
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01273 823 700 rosy@responsibletravel.comDeparture information
Responsible tourism
Responsible tourism: Ecuador ecolodge, Napo Wildlife Center
The Lodge is located by the Anangucocha lake, within the ancestral lands of the Anangu Quichua community and was built in conjunction with EcoEcuador. EcoEcuador is a non-profit organization dedicated to conservation efforts in Ecuador.
The Anangu Quichua community receives half of the profits from the lodge, which allows them to be active in conservation and to work towards preventing logging, market hunting, and oil extraction all of which are actively destroying local forests. The members of the community are active participants in the conservation and management of over 52,000 acres within the Yasunì National Park as well as partners in the lodge.
The lodge has an environmentally sustainable sewage system and all waste water is treated to the highest standard in order to keep the swamps clean. Rubbish is kept to a minimum and they compost what they can, burn and bury what is safe to burn, and pack out the remainder to designated landfills. Solar panels and diesel generators provide power.
We are also now supporting the UK registered chairty Amantani. As this charity is very much in keeping with our ethos of small scale, targetted help which is educational & sustainabale. HuchuyYachaq is the other main Peruvian charity we support by paying a for a full time teacher. A % of all our income goes to support those projects.
5 Reviews of Ecuador ecolodge, Napo Wildlife Center
Reviewed on 06 Jun 2009 by Julia Saurazas
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Walking through the Amazon with one of the Sani guides (whose father happened to have established the Sani Lodge), in the rain, through the mud, finding the most incredible birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ensure that you spend the time talking to / visiting the native communities - even if your main purpose in going to the Amazon is to see the animals. It is a humbling experience to see how these people live.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, it definitely did both.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was one of the best holidays I have ever taken.
Reviewed on 23 Jul 2008 by Robert Roberto
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The overall experience was the most memorable. I can not just isolate one element. The Napo Lodge and staff were fantastic. The guides were informative and out-going. The treks in the forest and canoe excursions were fantastic with many wonderful memories. The facilities at the clay licks were outstanding. Perhaps the one incident that will be the symbol of the holiday for me was the appearance of a tapir at one of the clay licks. The tapir emerged from the forest and remained at the clay lick drinking water for an extended period of time. Simply remarkable.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to fully experience the Amazon forest and all its beauty. To be treated royally by the Napo staff and to have an experience that will remain with you for a lifetime.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
This holiday directly benefited the local people because the Napo Lodge is community owned and operated and all the proceeds go directly to the community. Fortunately, the community recognizes the beauty and importance of their environment and operate the Lodge in the most eco-friendly manner possible
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I rate this holiday as exceptional and memorable in every way.
Reviewed on 03 Jul 2006 by Elizabeth Essner
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We loved the Eco-lodge that we stayed at, the Napo Wildlife Center. It was beautiful, well appointed (for being in the middle of the jungle) and our guides were absolutely top notch. We learned an incredible amount and got to experience a wonderful place with wonderful people.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Our services were generally excellent. We would highly recommend our agent at this operator and of course, the place we stayed.
(We would not however, recommend our international airline TACA/LASCA-- but that was outside the booking of this part of our trip).
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, in many ways. We got to know our local guide from the lodge and many people from the community and it was reassuring to know that our vacation was supporting them and eco-friendly tourism instead of other more damaging rainforest industries.
In addition, the lodge was focused on reduced environmental impact (recycling, natural water filtration), and although our amenities were excellent, we were pleased to know they did not leave a lasting effect.
Reviewed on 17 Dec 2006 by Jennie Duncan
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Definitely the part where we snorkelled out at Kicker Rock, and came face to face with Hammerhead sharks, White Tipped Reef sharks and lots and lots of sea lions. Closely followed by the picnic on the beach which was miles long and beautifully white. A sea lion came out of the sea, and decided to lie-down right in the middle of our group, and he promptly fell asleep.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take lots of sunscreen, it may not look sunny but it is! Read up lots on the Galapagos, you'll definitely get more out of the trip.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes local people were employed by the trip company and I was impressed how well the Galapagos in general was geared up to minimise environmental damage.
Reviewed on 06 Jun 2006 by Anna Purnell
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The journey from Coca to the lodge. The trip along the Napo river and then seeing the lodge for the first time, I will never forget. Just as amazing was the first night canoe ride around the lagoon searching for the red eyes of the Black Caiman. The noises were fascinating and I saw fire-flies for the first time.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do as much in the days as possible. You start very early, with breakfast at 6am, normally a hike in the morning and spare time in the afternoon before another activity in the evening. Try and make the most of the spare time in the afternoon, for example take a canoe out and search for wildlife.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
It was excellent knowing that the guides were all from local communities and that they used solar panels for energy and the motorized canoe was only used for long trips to Coca.
4. Any other comments?
4 1/2* The accommodation was lovely and the communal areas were fantastic. All the hikes, night hikes, the watchtower, canoe trips and even trying to use a blowpipe were memorable and the amount of wildlife I saw was amazing. The only small thing was that all the meals, except one, were vegetarian. The food and service was fantastic, but maybe a choice of vegetarian or meat dishes would be good.
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