Stories
Gateway into the Amazon by Nicole Lizares
Nicole Lizares works for conservation organizations in the Philippines and recently joined us for an expedition to the Tambopata Research Center. Below is an article published by Nicole in the February/March 2015 issue of ‘Explore Philippines’. Enjoy!
‘Stumbled’ is perhaps not the most impressive word to describe how I managed to find myself in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, given that I was a grad student who had supposedly done her research well and had prepared meticulously for this trip, but it is the most appropriate.
After more than 29 hours hopping on and off airplanes, riding in cabs, a bus, and finally, on a boat upstream for what felt like an eternity (it was really just around four hours), I found myself dusty, sweaty and stumbling along a trail in the middle of the Tambopata National Reserve, one of the largest protected areas (covering more than 271,000 hectares of land) on the Peruvian side of the Amazon. Our final destination: The Tambopata Research Center, a.k.a TRC, an eco-lodge owned and operated by Rainforest Expeditions. I thanked the heavens that I was in their good hands.
Reputed to be one of the most remote eco-lodges in South America and the only one to be situated inside a national reserve, the TRC is in a very unique position. One of the world’s largest clay licks (mounds of mud and salt deposits where thousands of birds flock every morning to get their dose of the mineral) is a mere 500 meters from the lodge. The TRC’s remote location also means that the forest ecosystems around it remain pristine and largely untouched, offering researchers and scientists a rare opportunity to study wildlife in their most undisturbed state.
Back in the 1989..
In fact, the lodge’s name harkens back to a time when it was purely that: a research center, housing scientists who were studying the macaw population and working to protect the wild birds from illegal hunters.
«That was back in 1989,» shares our local forest guide, Frank Pichardo. «Eduardo Nycander, he was a wildlife photographer who started The Macaw Project in this area to gather information about the macaws that could help in protecting them, and he founded what is today known as Rainforest Expeditions with two other partners.»
TRC’s first clients were heavy-duty photographers and bird watchers who slept on a platform with makeshift mats (called «lengua de gato» or cat’s tongue because of their thinness» under mosquito nets. There was no latrine so the guests would take baths and do their business in the flowing river.
Today TRC boasts an 18-room lodge, eight shared bathrooms, and surrounding forest trails encompassing a combined web measuring about 20 kilometers and offering access to a range of wildlife habitats from bamboo forests to terra-firma forests, and riverine beds to palm swamps.
Frank, who has been with Rainforest Expeditions for almost six years, agrees that the company has come a long way from its humble beginnings and that the most significant progress has been on the forefront of conservation and social enterprise.
«I am really proud to be able to say that Rainforest Expeditions started eco-tourism in this area of Peru,» he beams. «One of the reasons that I really like working here is that, besides being involved in research, the company also has several projects and a cooperation with the local community in this area.»
Frank is referring to the indigenous Esa-Eja tribe in the nearby community of Infierno, two hours upriver from Puerto Maldonado, in Southeastern Peru, who also happens to be Rainforest Expeditions’ business partner.
«Rainforest Expeditions also runs another lodge called Posada Amazonas, which is closer to Puerto Maldonado and is partly run by the community. They have an agreement with the company wherein 60% of the profits stay within the community, and the rest goes to Rainforest Expeditions for profit and maintenance of the facilities,» Frank explains.
Besides TRC and Posada Amazonas, Rainforest Expeditions also runs Refugio Amazonas, the «luxury» lodge option to TRC’s more adventurous and Spartan vibe, and the company is currently undergoing research to build a fourth lodge. Whatever the theme, though, the team behind Rainforest Expeditions seems to have their formula down pat.
In all of the lodges, the rooms and structures are built to blend in with the environment, using traditional materials. A unique aspect of all of the rooms is that they have left the fourth wall vacant, opting instead for a waist- high balcony that opens out into the rainforest. This design is a singular feature for all Rainforest Expeditions lodges and gives guests the distinct feeling of being in closer contact with the forest but with the comforts of a hotel room.
The majestic sounds of the orchestra
Needless to say, we never had to look very far for wildlife. We would barely be ten steps from the entrance to the lodge before a strange new insect, a well-camouflaged snake, or a majestic bird would hold up our group. Boat rides were punctuated by sightings of capybaras or tapirs. Our well-versed and knowledgeable guides seemed to know the jungle like the backs of their hands, and could expertly field our queries and feed us tidbits of useful trivia.
I woke up every morning to the majestic sounds of the orchestra that was the Amazon rainforest just behind my bedpost: birds screeching intermittently, giant crickets chirping in a rising and falling crescendo, and the strange gurgling sounds of howler monkeys screaming at each other from the treetops.
Some days I would wake to find a rogue macaw poking around in my clothesline, probably hunting for some of the nuts and dried mangoes I would stuff into my pockets and take on hikes. And even though we had been warned to keep food locked up or stored safely in plastic bins or run the risk of getting our rooms invaded, one particular day we awoke to a mighty ruckus coming from a neighboring room: a stubborn guest had found some curious possums snooping (successfully) in his backpack for some chocolate bars.
A few days before the end of our trip, the host and humid skies finally broke and poured cool, wet rain on the TRC grounds. It didn’t last very long, but while it poured, I got the sense that the entire forest had gone quite still. I stood for a long time watching the rain from the shelter of TRC’s entrance hall, admiring the way the sun caught on the lodge’s thatch roofs and appreciating the cold, damp breeze the rain blew in, and not for the last time, I marveled at this little piece of paradise right smack in the middle of the Amazon jungle that Rainforest Expeditions had somehow nurtured, protected, and turned into a home.
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What our guest say
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- Valuation Excellent
- 5/5
Jacob Shama May 2024
Yaacov May 2024
secaBoulder May 2024
Cecilia D May 2024
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A user Apr 2024
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Yuting Chen Apr 2024
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Ari S March 2024
Dreamer627120 March 2024
The lodge is located in the middle of the forest accessible only by boat. The experience was very unique and exciting. Service is great, and the fun part are the nature activities and tours the hotel offers for free. We had an amazing tour guide that had a lot of knowledge and was fun to spend time with. The rooms are totally open to the forest which is really cool the struggle is the there is no privacy at all in between the rooms, also food was pretty basic. All together a very unique experience. Read all
This hotel is the perfect blend of comfort and hospitality, with the natural experience. The hotel is reached by a hours boat ride from Puerto Maldonado, expertly organized and accomplished. Most staff are members of the local Esa Ejja community. The food is good and plentiful. Hot water is always available and lovely bedding features mosquito nets. There is of course no air conditioning (one side wall is open in rach room) and the electricity is off for a few hours at night affecting overhead fans, so I was glad to have brought a small battery powered fan for sleeping. But the best of the experience is the wildlife. Our expert guide Oscar Mishaja introduced us to nearly 100 bird species, along with caimans, river otters, poison dart frogs and capybara. A trip of a lifetime. Read all
Excellent experience overall— really kind and welcoming staff at every point of the journey. All transfers were well organized and smooth. Excellent and educational excursions all around the rainforest. Delicious food for every meal. We had wonderful guides- Freet and Alvaro. Enjoyed our time here! Read all
Unbelievable.... Magical Everything I have dreamed of since I was 8 years old but MORE Read all
We had a surreal experience at Refugio Amazonas. From the well organized transportation to the warm welcome, hospitality and the experience of living in nature - we loved it all. Huge shout out to our guide Boris who went out of his way to ensure we had a good experience and got to watch all kinds of wild life. The meals and cocktails were delicious. And even though this place is smack in the middle of the jungle there was super fast WiFi available. We made unforgettable memories. Read all
We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. Read all
We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. This is the only lounge available in Tambopata national park, and this eco lounge takes environment seriously. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest. If you are a natural lover, you can’t miss this place Read all
Excellent and luxurious place, wonderful experience and our guide Boris was first class, he had a unique patience with my 8 year old son. An experience in the tropical rainforest that marks the life of its visitors. In addition to the scientific research that takes place in the place: a whole research center. Rooms: Very comfortable and luxuriou Read all
El mejor hotel para visitar la Amazonia peruana. Hotel eco turístico metido en medio de la selva, equipado para visitar y vivir la selva, su flora y fauna, en todas sus facetas. Todo incluido, con guías preparados y amables, resultó una experiencia increíble para mi familia. Dentro de las opciones no se debe perder el Canopy de 45 metros de altura para observar y escuchar la selva, así como el lago de las tres Chimbadas, lugar único para ver caimanes, nutrias gigantes, monos y aves exóticas. Recomiendo mínimo dos noches!!! Read all
Wunderbare lodge mit freundlichen Menschen. sehr persönliche guides, tolle Tourangebote und super kulinarische Verpflegung ! Wir wurden herzlichst von Caesar empfangen und unser guide JuanJo hat uns phantastische Dinge gezeigt. Wir können die lodge nur wärmstens empfehlen! Read all
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