Napo Wildlife Centre
Rating: Mid-rangeNapo Wildlife Centre is an intimate ecolodge on Ananguccoha Lake in Amazonian Ecuador in Yasunì National Park, an important UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Started as a partnership with the Tropical Nature conservation system, the lodge is now 100% owned by the community.
Each of the 16 individual large luxury cabanas can accommodate 2 or 3 people. Rooms include a king size and twin size beds, private bathroom with hot water. There is 24 hour electricity and sockets for recharging batteries. They have private verandas, so you can relax and enjoy the lovely views.
The main building has a dining room serving traditional Ecuadorian dishes, a bar, observation tower and cool shaded terraces and inviting hammocks.
Visitors are divided into small groups, each led by a native Anñangu guide, who is also an official Yasuni Park Ranger, expert on the forest's secrets about medicinal plants, and an excellent bilingual naturalist guide with great deal of knowledge in tropical forest biology. You can explore on foot and by canoe to see the varied wildlife, including monkeys, caiman, parrots and many other species of birds.
The Anñangu people are active participants of the conservation and management of a large territory within the park as well as partners in the lodge. You can join families on their daily activities when harvesting bananas or maybe helping prepare chicha, a traditional drink based on cooked and fermented manioc.
"An award-winning community-owned lodge in Yasuni National Park. All income from the lodge is split between health, education & conservation projects. Smart Voyager certified through the Rainforest Alliance."
Location: Napo Wildlife Centre is on the banks of a lake in a 21,400 hectare conservancy in Yasuni National Park, part of the Amazon rainforest. From Coca there is a 2 hour motorboat ride along the Napo River to the entrance of Yasuni National Park. Transfer to a paddle canoe for the 1-2 hour ride to the lodge.
Rooms: There are 16 luxury bungalows. The spacious accommodation includes one king sized bed and 1 twin sized bed, to accommodate up to 3 people. Each bungalow has an en-suite shower room with hot and cold running water. Other facilities include 24 hour electricity, sockets for recharging batteries, safes, ceilings and gauze screens to keep out insects.
Activities: Explore the wildlife and plant life of the area in a variety of ways. Take canoe trips along rivers and round lakes, view parrots, parakeets and macaws at the clay lick, hike along forest trails, climb up the 120-foot canopy tower for wonderful views and visit river islands. You can visit local communities. There is a walking trail from the lodge, good for evening strolls to view nocturnal wildlife.
Facilities: The main hall contains the dining area, reading lounge with books on natural history, biology, conservation as well as magazines, and a well-stocked bar. Drinking water, tea and coffee are available throughout the day. There is a tall observation tower with panoramic views of the forest and lake. The lodge gas 24-hour electricity. The boutique sells souvenirs and toiletries. The lodge offers a laundry service, pay locally.
Dining: Meals are taken at individual tables.
Children: Children over the age of 5 years are welcome. A private guide is recommended for children and family groups.
Health: This is a malarial area.
Communication: There is internet access, to be paid for locally.
This property completed Tribes' audit on their social and environmental responsibility. Water usage, pollution, land use, ownership, commitment to conservation, links with local communities, and staff welfare are all researched.
We awarded them the eco-rating seen here. You can use these eco-ratings to tell whether a property has their heart in the right place or not. Places which care about the impact they have on the people and environment around them will usually go the extra mile for you too!
5/5 = One of the real heroes of the travel industry! This place makes a real difference.
4/5 = Caring for their people and environment is very important to them.
3/5 = Making a real effort in some important areas.
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