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tapir
lodge
property
description: Tapir Lodge is based
in the upper Ecuadorian Amazon region, within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The Lodge was built in partnership with some family members of the Siona Community with whom we work together for a sustainable development of the area.
Tapir Lodge offers all the facilities possible in the heart of the jungle. Our accommodations are first class and we constantly strive to raise our standards of quality.
In our daily activities we can hike trough the jungle accompanied by our naturalist guide, always ready to teach you about the secrets of this enchanted jungle. In the afternoon we combine our trips with a very pleasant bath in the lakes, and also the great experience of fishing piranhas.
The tower has four double suites each comfortable equipped, with private bathroom, hot water, each with own balcony and hammocks.
The bungalow with 4 double rooms is comfortable and roomy.
All rooms have private bathrooms, hot water and a mosquito net over every bed.
But in the Tapir Lodge you do not have to worry about mosquitos: in that part of Cuyabeno there are almost no mosquitos because it is a black water area. The water level is changing constantly and therefore the mosquitos have almost no chances to breed. Since we are operating our Tapir Lodge there has been no single case of Malaria with our guests or staff. So the danger of Malaria is quite small.
The social area offers our guests a place to relax. Either resting in traditional hammocks or drinking an iced cold beer or cocktail from the bar, every passenger can talk about the wonderful sightings of the day.
Right next to the bar, there is the gift shop where you can find souvenirs, handicrafts from the area and essential items for your stay.
If you get hungry our chef and kitchen staff will be ready to serve you in our Dining room with capacity for 30 people. Our tasty meals are prepared with exotic and fresh fruits as well as vegetables.
In order to avoid unnecessary disturbances to the environment, Tapir Lodge has a new solar panel system. This enables us to provide 600 Watt AC/DC (110 Volt) electricity that can be used for to charge camera batteries and it is used for the illumination of the Lodge.
All disposable material and garbage is packed and transported out of the reserve. Organic waste is recycled at the lodge. Also with the help of our biodigestor we are able to transform the sewage waters in perfectly safe clean water for the environment.
Programs and
activities: At Tapir Lodge we understand the satisfaction of our guests is directly related to the quality of our programs. We have designed itineraries with a variety of educational and entertaining activities, all of them flexible enough to meet our guest’s personal interests.
Guests will be divided into small groups of up to 8 passengers, each will be accompanied by a Naturalist multilingual guide, licensed by the government to guide within the reserve.
Birdwatching
Cuyabeno is a privileged place for birding. Boasting a birdlist of more than 550 species of birds, Cuyabeno is a delight for seasoned as well as beginner
birders.
Special birding programs can be tailored made for experienced birders or ornithologists, our experienced ornithologist guides will help you have a rewarding birding tour.
Canoeing
Located in the heart of a lagoon complex and flooded forest, Tapir Lodge employs local dugout canoes as the only transportation around the area. The Siona community of Puerto Bolivar provides us with skilled canoe operators and native guides. In our daily excursions we will visit different lagoons each with their own charm and navigate through Igapó (flooded Forest) and small creeks.
Caiman Watching
When the night comes, we will jump in our canoes and with our flashlights we will search for Caimans.
Four species of caimans inhabit the reserve, the biggest being the black caiman measuring up to 5 meters long, but this type of caiman is a rather shy and rarely seen. The most common is the white caiman measuring up to 3 meters.
Piranha Fishing (catch and release)
Fishing has become one of the favorite activities among our guests. Even if you can’t catch anything, fishing in the afternoon is a great time to relax while looking at the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see and listening to the exotic sounds of the rainforest.
Jungle Treks
In our jungle hikes we walk under the canopy and experience the primary forest from within. Our excursions will take you through pristine Terra Firma and “cananguchal” (Temporarily flooded forest) ecosystems. Our guides will help you to understand the complexity of the forest and its relations. Walking through very dense vegetation, we will listen to the wonderful voices of the rainforest, we might even bump into the shy Tapir
(Tapirus Terrestris).
Indian Communities
Tapir Lodge works together with the Siona community of Puerto Bolivar. The Siona have lived in harmony with the jungle for centuries and nowadays they have chosen the eco-tourism activities in order to improve their live standards and protect the environment. At Tapir Lodge, you will have a close look of the everyday living of this community, share their customs and came in contact with nature.
Shamanism
The Siona, Secoya and Cofán curacas (shamans) are respected and admired by other communities in the rainforest because of their immense wisdom. Thousands of years of history are well kept by this curacas, they learned it from his predecessors and they will pass this knowledge to the new generations.
Learn more about these millenary communities with their Shamans. Walk through the forest in company of a Shaman apprentice and learn the medicinal uses of plants. Be part of a traditional healing ceremony or simply talk with these knowledgeable and friendly men.
Camping Excursions
Our 7-day itineraries are a combination of lodging and camping (2 days camping / 5 days lodging) and are destined for more adventurous individuals.
Overnight in tents at a sandy beach and pay attention to the outside orchestra of crickets.
location:
Getting to Tapir Lodge requires employing three different means of transportation.
A first 35-minute flight is necessary to reach the airport of Lago Agrio. On a sunny morning in Quito it is possible to admire the surrounding snow capped volcanoes (Cotopaxi, 5.950 m, Cayambe 5.850 m) as the plane crosses the Andes.
At Lago Agrio our private transportation will be waiting. After two and a half hours, the entrance to the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is reached. From here on, the trip continues in dugout canoes.
The trip with the motorized canoe takes another two hours, but this is the first introduction to the wonders of the rainforest. Slowly, but safely it is possible to first see the peculiar flora and fauna. Bromeliads, orchids and kapok trees appear on the way while kingfishers, hoatzins, macaws, anis and anhingas accompany the canoe on its trip through the Cuyabeno River.
After having enjoyed and assimilated to the overload of new scenery and sounds, the canoe trip ends at Tapir Lodge’s peer. There our friendly staff will be waiting to accompany you to your rooms. In the evening you will have a welcome cocktail and a first introduction about our stay and our daily activities.
other
details:
The
Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve lies in the northeastern corner of
Ecuador
’s Amazon rainforest. It is a biodiversity hotspot, home to one of the
world’s greatest concentrations of distinct animal and plant species.
A
complex system of alluvial formations, 13 lagoons, rivers and flooded
forest make up the
603,000 ha
site, recording some of the highest levels of Biodiversity in the World.
One
highlight of any once-in-a-lifetime visit to
Ecuador
's stunning rainforest region are the flooded forests of Igapo at the
heart of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.
The Cuyabeno has more than 550 different species of birds; 60 species of
orchids; over 350 species of fish; a big variety of reptiles such as
anacondas, caimans and river turtles. As well as the 12,000 estimated
species of plant found within the reserve many species of mammals,
including the incredible tapir (Tapirus
terrestris), which lends its name to our exclusive Lodge.
The
Reserve is also home to a number of rare species including the mythical
pink river dolphin, the Hoatzin or the harpy-eagle with its eight-foot
wing-span.
Because
the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve belongs to the National Protected Areas
System, only very few Tour Operators are qualified to work in this zone.
This is reason enough not to find a lot of tourists visiting this area, so
we are able to enjoy nature and its great sounds.
contact
& pricing details: please
contact owner for further details
Turismo Receptivo
NOMADTREK S.A. & TAPIR LODGE TEAM
Address: Av. Amazonas N22-29 & Carrión, 2nd. Floor
Tel:
++593-2-2547275 ++593-2-2549275 ++593-2-2906036
Fax: ++593-2-2546376
eMail:
info@nomadtrek.com
P. O. Box: 17-17-162
Quito-Ecuador
www.tapirlodge.com
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