Amazon, Ecuador
Napo Wildlife Center
Being completely owned by the local community, you could not ask for a more authentic Amazonian experience than the Napo Wildlife ecolodge. It is the perfect location to be immersed in the ecology and anthropology of the Yasuni National Park.
Being completely owned by the local community, you could not ask for a more authentic Amazonian experience than the Napo Wildlife ecolodge. It is the perfect location to be immersed in the ecology and anthropology of the Yasuni National Park.
Being completely owned by the local community, you could not ask for a more authentic Amazonian experience than the Napo Wildlife ecolodge. It is the perfect location to be immersed in the ecology and anthropology of the Yasuni National Park.
Being completely owned by the local community, you could not ask for a more authentic Amazonian experience than the Napo Wildlife ecolodge. It is the perfect location to be immersed in the ecology and anthropology of the Yasuni National Park.
Location
Part of the adventure is the journey. Following a 30-minute flight from Quito to Coca, a motorised canoe will take you for 3 hours along the Napo River before you transfer to a paddle version to glide along a creek to Añangu Lake. It’s here that you will find the exquisite Napo Wildlife Ecolodge in the splendid isolation of Yasuni National Park, Ecuador’s largest protected area.
Accommodation
The ecolodge village, on the shores of a tranquil lake, is dominated by the thatched, tiered 7-storey 40m tall structure of the Central Tower below which are housed the restaurant and bar, a lounge area, a presentation room and the top-floor observation deck. The 20 individual guest cabins (including 8 suites) are laid along the shore of the lake in staggered rows to ensure privacy for their terraces. All cabins have elegant polished-wood floors and ensuite bathrooms. You may want to opt for a cabin with a private jacuzzi, or even one with a glass floor so that you can view the wildlife below!
We love the fact that the ecolodge is run by the local Kichwa Añangu inhabitants of the area, providing long-term employment opportunities, using their skills in the ways of the rainforest, and helping to finance conservation and community projects. More than 200 square kilometres of the surrounding rainforest is being conserved, thereby conserving countless species and ensuring the viability of environmental tourism in the future.
You will love sipping a cool drink on the observation deck of the central tower, which gives you 360° view over the lake and vast forests in all directions. You can walk to another 40m platform located deeper inside the national park, giving you even more superb views of the unbroken canopy.
Experiences
- You will see an abundance of wildlife in the immediate surrounds of the lodge, including the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin bird.
- Take an early morning adventure with a local guide for the best bird-watching experience.
- Slipping quietly along in a canoe is the best way to spot caimans and river otters. You will also see iridescent native kingfishers.
- A visit to the nearby parrot lick is a wonderful experience. It is here that dozens of parrots come to lick the minerals of exposed clay.
- You will visit the Napo Cultural Centre where you will have a chance to interact with and learn from members of the Kichwa Añangu community. You might want to indulge in their traditional drink made from fermented manioc.
- The lodge’s shop is a great place to buy authentic Amazonian gifts crafted by local people.
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