About Us

La Selva Amazon Ecolodge & Spa has 25 dedicated staff members divided between the lodge and our office in Quito. Most of the staff has been working at the lodge for almost 2 decades and many of them are born and raised in the area. We work closely with the local community Pilchi and offer both training and work to the young men and women in this community.

Columbus Group bought La Selva in November 2011 and plans to convert the lodge into a premium eco lodge in the Amazon Jungle. The work with this transformation will start in late March 2012 and go on for 3 months.

Columbus Group was founded by Kjetil Haugan and has become one of the major travel companies in Ecuador. Kjetil Haugan is a Norwegian citizen and has been in Ecuador for 17 years. Together with his wife Jessica, they have begun the process of developing La Selva into a very special place.

Columbus Group consist of: Haugan Cruises (www.haugancruises.com), Columbus Travel Ecuador and Columbus Travel Peru (www.columbusecuador.com) and Palmazul Artisan Designed Hotel & Spa (www.palmazulecuador.com). They also own a foundation for volunteer work (www.ecuadorvolunteers.org) and two major language schools in Ecuador (www.ecuadorschools.com).