La Selva Amazon Lodge

Amazing experience!!! After researching several options, my husband and I decided to stay at La Selva Lodge to enjoy the Amazonas an... read moreAfter researching several options, my husband and I decided to stay at La Selva Lodge to enjoy the Amazonas and the Yasuni area. We went with no expectations just open to enjoy it all. From the moment we arrived to Coca to the last day, La Selva lodge staff were AMAZING. Very generous and made us feel welcome at all times.
We had a beyond great experience at the lodge. Our guide Paul was great, we learned a lot from him!!! The people who worked at the lodge from the nearby community are a great source of knowledge as well and very nice! We had a great time enjoying the nature in many stages, rainy, dry and hot, clear skies, cloudy, etc, which completed our experience. There are other amenities such as outdoor yoga, massages, fishing Piranhas, swimming, or just lounging and reading a great book with the sounds of the jungle! This is a place to definitely relax and enjoy!
The food was great, the cocktails very yummy and completely worth it to include it in your visit to Ecuador! read less

Advice for your trip 🙂 La selva is great- but here’s some advice to have the best stay possible: -invest in a good pair of binocular... read moreLa selva is great- but here’s some advice to have the best stay possible: -invest in a good pair of binoculars - I didn’t do this, brought a junky pair and was kicking myself. Seriously, spend a lot of money for a good pair. -the 2 hour ride down the Napo River is not that pleasant , so just prepare yourself and you’ll be fine, bring a jacket. - do 5 days 4 nights, BUT, don’t let them pull what they pulled on 2 members of our group (see below - request Omar and Enrique , they’re the best! A few things la selva could improve: - we had 5 people in our group and they told us on day 2 that the next day we would have 5 more - meaning we would have had 10. The agent told me no more than 8 in a group, so if this had happened (3 of the 5 cancelled) I would have been pretty pissed. Make sure of the group size before you go and make sure it’s adhered to- 10 would have been a lot less enjoyable -we did 3 nights and 4 days. At first I was sad we were leaving the night before our departure and wished we had sprung for the extra night, but then I found out that they were doing the same exact thing they did on day 2 for those that were staying 4... La selva is great- but here’s some advice to have the best stay possible:

-invest in a good pair of binoculars - I didn’t do this, brought a junky pair and was kicking myself. Seriously, spend a lot of money for a good pair.

-the 2 hour ride down the Napo River is not that pleasant , so just prepare yourself and you’ll be fine, bring a jacket.

- do 5 days 4 nights, BUT, don’t let them pull what they pulled on 2 members of our group (see below

- request Omar and Enrique , they’re the best!

A few things la selva could improve:

- we had 5 people in our group and they told us on day 2 that the next day we would have 5 more - meaning we would have had 10. The agent told me no more than 8 in a group, so if this had happened (3 of the 5 cancelled) I would have been pretty pissed. Make sure of the group size before you go and make sure it’s adhered to- 10 would have been a lot less enjoyable

-we did 3 nights and 4 days. At first I was sad we were leaving the night before our departure and wished we had sprung for the extra night, but then I found out that they were doing the same exact thing they did on day 2 for those that were staying 4 nights - so they essentially had to repeat one day. If I had this happen to us I would be pretty peeved, so make sure you ask about this first and ensure that it won’t happen

-the travel agency they use is slow to answer , but it’s not the end of the world

-La Selva: please put the sign to not flush toilet paper in front of the bowl when you’re sitting - not to the side - I can’t count the number of times I fished toilet paper out of the bowl because I forgot. Yuck . Small change and a big reward.

- the tipping process is insane. They should incorporate it into the price. It makes the last day awkward and adds unnecessary stress. Just add a certain % automatically to the bill and if someone has poor service they can ask for it be removed - this is the process in a lot of places and it’s a lot less stressful and awkward.

All that said - la selva is wonderful. The staff is great, the whole place is amazing and the activities are a blast.. definitely go- just take my advice above 🙂 More read less

Amazing experience of the rainforest La Selva is an amazing Lodge. All the staff were very helpful and the food was one of the highlights of the tr... read moreLa Selva is an amazing Lodge. All the staff were very helpful and the food was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide, Paul was very knowledgeable and knew all of the species names that we saw. The villa we stayed in at the lodge was beautiful and had everything we would need. We participated in the yoga which was lovely. The scenery around the lodge was stunning. Overall the stay was wonderful and I would definitely return here. read less

Unique and extraordinary experience for grown ups and kids My son (15) daughter (11) and I traveled with our friends who also had a 15 yo son. The trip was extraordinar... read moreMy son (15) daughter (11) and I traveled with our friends who also had a 15 yo son. The trip was extraordinary in every way. We had the good fortune to have the naturalist Paul as our guide; there was simply not an animal, sound or sigh he could not identify. We were also lucky enough to have Gido as our local guide who helped my daughter catch a piranha and taught my son to eat a palm weevil straight out of the tree. I cannot say enough about this experience, and the wonderful staff who made this a trip of a life time. I would recommend this to anyone with a love of nature or an interest in the Amazon. More read less

Amazing Amazonas Experience This is definitely the most beautiful lodge in the entire Amazonas! You do not need to worry about anything, e... read moreThis is definitely the most beautiful lodge in the entire Amazonas! You do not need to worry about anything, everything is
coordinated by the lodge. Very experienced guides, amazing food, just once in a lifetime experience. I would recommend to directly book through the lodge, you get the best package. Its absolutely worth to pay a bit more!! read less

The parrots are Amazing I give LaSelva a (5) excellent rating, for our trip in September 2019. I considered a 4, but I think we ne... read moreI give LaSelva a (5) excellent rating, for our trip in September 2019. I considered a 4, but I think we need to think about the obstacles they face there (location) when rating them. Was everything always perfect, No, but good gracious your in the Amazon jungle. Did we feel safe there, YES. Did we have a fabulous naturalist (Daniel) YES. Did we have a fabulous native guide, YES. Our rooms were clean and our beds were comfortable. The food was always GREAT. The fresh fruit at breakfast was beyond good. The cocktails were always good. We had massages in the spa and they were very reasonably priced and the therapist was VERY GOOD. The outings each day were fun, educational and challenging. We saw a lot of wildlife, but don't expect them to be abundant and easily visible. Most are camouflaged to fit into the wild, so it is a mission to find them. That is where the native guide is extremely helpful. We saw howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, the worlds smallest species of monkeys, parrots beyond belief at the salt lick, even one being eaten by a boa constrictor, bats, turtles, my husband caught a parana in the lagoon, poison dart frogs, rainforest frogs, turkey birds and many others. The lodge is one of the most remote available to stay in. The motorized canoe ride is long, but they made it very pleasurable with some refreshments and actually... I give LaSelva a (5) excellent rating, for our trip in September 2019. I considered a 4, but I think we need to think about the obstacles they face there (location) when rating them. Was everything always perfect, No, but good gracious your in the Amazon jungle. Did we feel safe there, YES. Did we have a fabulous naturalist (Daniel) YES. Did we have a fabulous native guide, YES. Our rooms were clean and our beds were comfortable. The food was always GREAT. The fresh fruit at breakfast was beyond good. The cocktails were always good. We had massages in the spa and they were very reasonably priced and the therapist was VERY GOOD. The outings each day were fun, educational and challenging. We saw a lot of wildlife, but don't expect them to be abundant and easily visible. Most are camouflaged to fit into the wild, so it is a mission to find them. That is where the native guide is extremely helpful. We saw howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, the worlds smallest species of monkeys, parrots beyond belief at the salt lick, even one being eaten by a boa constrictor, bats, turtles, my husband caught a parana in the lagoon, poison dart frogs, rainforest frogs, turkey birds and many others. The lodge is one of the most remote available to stay in. The motorized canoe ride is long, but they made it very pleasurable with some refreshments and actually any day we could get on it was welcomed, as the speed created a breeze that normally wasn't found in September, 91 degree average temp with 90 percent humidity, that is probably the hardest part. Bring good binoculars, they provide a water bottle with cold water filing stations (needed !!) bring deet free bug repellent (needed) some chap stick. My suggests for improvement to the management: I understand why they don't have air conditioning (effects on the environment) and the ceiling fan was good, but the rooms are pitched and the ceilings very high. For us spoiled Americans, I think a small investment in a couple of fans on stands per room would be a great idea and it makes a huge difference. The manager rounded up one fan she could loan to me, and it made a world of difference and I am grateful for it. You also had to request a blow dryer, no more than they cost, just put one in each room. It was fun getting to know other people who were at the lodge, I would take out the gift shop area and make a larger casual/bar seating area. We loved going in and having a cocktail in the afternoon and sitting in the small area they provided, but it could be larger, and therefore sell more drinks and increase revenue for the lodge. Also keep the bar open more consistently, say during the after noon breaks between trips, not everyone wants to rest. They were good about opening it up but we had to go find someone. Also possibly move the gift shop area downstairs near the office, so you can purchase something anytime and have more available. We like to spend money, get souvenirs but the selection was limited. Have more larger size womens t-shirts and more items withe LaSelva logo, it is a cool place and I would have liked more items to take home. They have to travel almost 3 hours to get supplies, wash the linens, etc. so that is why I give them an excellent, the challenges they face to give us a great experience is more then you realize. We were there when they had the pump issue and it wasn't a huge deal because it was only a few hours without water, but anything beyond that with no water could be devastating, so keeping a spare pump, or parts and someone who knows how to work on it is beyond beneficial, hopefully that was a very isolated incident. I would recommend LaSelva to anyone who wants to witness the Amazon, without too much discomfort. Complements to all the staff !!! More read less