La Selva, Beautiful Place, Great People, A joy! Hi Guys, some years ago we visited Ecuador and were entranced by the wildlife we were able to see, This year w... read moreHi Guys, some years ago we visited Ecuador and were entranced by the wildlife we were able to see, This year we were looking for a holiday and both my wife and I thought about a return to Ecuador. some weeks later we were Booked and ready to go. Our first stop was at the Ecuadorian Amazonia, we went to the La Selva Eco lodge , On our arrival at Coca Airport for our internal flight we were met by Andrea, who made all the minor problems of Air Flight a thing of the past.her helpful manner and her friendly character was great. When we arrived at the lodge our bags were taken to the room and we had the "Now" welcome fruit drink. We were then sat down and were given an introductory briefing on the Lodge itself, and the tours that we had planned for us, we met Danni who was going to be our guide, and Darwin who was working with Danni to improve his English so that he could become a guide, these guys had the eyes of eagles and so much knowledge of the local flora and fauna of the area we were surprised at the volume of species we saw and had explained to us, not just academically , but how the local , indigenous people used them we cant thank them enough. On to the food... Both my wife and I were surprised... Hi Guys, some years ago we visited Ecuador and were entranced by the wildlife we were able to see, This year we were looking for a holiday and both my wife and I thought about a return to Ecuador. some weeks later we were Booked and ready to go.
Our first stop was at the Ecuadorian Amazonia, we went to the La Selva Eco lodge , On our arrival at Coca Airport for our internal flight we were met by Andrea, who made all the minor problems of Air Flight a thing of the past.her helpful manner and her friendly character was great. When we arrived at the lodge our bags were taken to the room and we had the "Now" welcome fruit drink. We were then sat down and were given an introductory briefing on the Lodge itself, and the tours that we had planned for us, we met Danni who was going to be our guide, and Darwin who was working with Danni to improve his English so that he could become a guide, these guys had the eyes of eagles and so much knowledge of the local flora and fauna of the area we were surprised at the volume of species we saw and had explained to us, not just academically , but how the local , indigenous people used them we cant thank them enough.
On to the food... Both my wife and I were surprised at the meals at La Selva, not what we were expecting at all, The meals were very well presented and beautifully cooked, the waiter we had for our table was "Juan" who was a delight, good sense of humor and precise in his table craft. I'm a diabetic and when necessary I was provided with a sugar free option that was at least as good as the standard meal. We were given Cabin 17 and once again we were surprised at the quality of the finish inside, very comfortable bed, good sanitary equipment and a great shower . A super little private veranda with nice cushioned chairs and a little table for our drinks, which were served at the bar by Pepe, always happy and helpful
. Whilst the Amazonian area is fantastic, what made the trip was the people of La Selva are what makes the whole thing great, The birds and animals were outstanding, too many to document here, but we saw everything from a tiny blue iridescent frog to a five meter long anaconda. If youre thing about Ecuador and animals and birds, La Selva is the place to go.
ENJOY!!!
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An amazing place to stay in the Amazon We absolutely loved our stay at La Selva Ecolodge. Everything went smoothly, beginning with the pickup from ou... read moreWe absolutely loved our stay at La Selva Ecolodge. Everything went smoothly, beginning with the pickup from our hotel in Quito. Someone met us at the Quito airport to help us board the plane, and someone else met us at the Coca airport to transport us to the property.
My daughters and I shared a two-bedroom family suite, which gave us ample room and was quite comfortable. Meals were excellent (you eat at communal tables), and the service there was topnotch.
The highlight, though, was the excursions. From hiking in the jungle to visiting a local tribe, from fishing for piranhas to birdwatching, we loved everything we did. Both our guide and his naturalist assistant (a local) were superb at finding animals and explaining what we saw. We stayed at the lodge for three nights which felt perfect, although a four-night stay would have allowed additional hikes.
I should also mention that before we even arrived, the head office staff were incredibly helpful and kind, answering all my questions almost immediately. They also organized a two-day visit to Otavalo for us, which was amazing.
I've been back home for just a few days and I miss it already! I highly recommend La Selva and would return in a heartbeat. More read less

Beautiful Lodge Getting to the lodge was a great part of the adventure. The peaceful lagoon, fantastic meals, comfortable lodg... read moreGetting to the lodge was a great part of the adventure. The peaceful lagoon, fantastic meals, comfortable lodging, and great birding made for a wonderful trip to the Amazon of Ecuador.There was also kayaking, hiking and an unforgettable tower for viewing birds. read less

Amazing! I purchased the 3 night 4 day package. All the travel arrangements were well handled (I don't think they could... read moreI purchased the 3 night 4 day package. All the travel arrangements were well handled (I don't think they could help plane delay). I'd been nervous about traveling alone on this segment of my trip, but I needn't have worried. I felt totally safe and cared for the whole time. It is an adventure to an amazing place! The rooms are gorgeous! The service is fantastic and the food delicious! All visitors are assigned to a small group so I never felt alone. Our guide ate with us daily and was extremely knowledgeable about the region and the animals. He spoke Kichwa, Spanish, English, and German. None of the activities required a lot of exertion other than light hiking. They canoed for us. I was very impressed with the whole operation and how smoothly it all seems to run out in the middle of the jungle. I definitely recommend this trip! Everything on the website is exactly as it was in real life. More read less

Unbelievable Experience Start to Finish It takes impeccable service for me to take the time to write a review, and the service at LaSelva Lodge exceed... read moreIt takes impeccable service for me to take the time to write a review, and the service at LaSelva Lodge exceeded my expectations across the board. We came here on our honeymoon, as visiting the Amazon jungle has always been on my bucket list, and from the moment you arrive you are fully immersed. It's beautiful, clean, amazing food, beautiful comfortable rooms, amazing forest walks and canoe rides, friendly and helpful staff, plus they give you the ability to customize your trip and cater to your specific wants/needs. I've honestly never had a better experience on a vacation. Our naturalist guide was Julio Rojas and our local guide was Tio Jose. The two of them together were fantastic at spotting birds and finding wildlife in the jungle. I'm an avid outdoorsman and very comfortable in the forest and Julio picked up on that immediately and took us deep into the jungle to give us a 'full dose' (our full dose included a hot lunch on the canoe, chicken with a cranberry sauce, but still... lol). They never took the easy way out, and both were invested in us having the experience we paid for. Both men are close to 60 years old and they took my wife and I, 31 and 32 on a strenuous 4-5 mile hike, up hill off trail, in the heat and humidity without flinching. They took the time to get to know us and find... It takes impeccable service for me to take the time to write a review, and the service at LaSelva Lodge exceeded my expectations across the board. We came here on our honeymoon, as visiting the Amazon jungle has always been on my bucket list, and from the moment you arrive you are fully immersed. It's beautiful, clean, amazing food, beautiful comfortable rooms, amazing forest walks and canoe rides, friendly and helpful staff, plus they give you the ability to customize your trip and cater to your specific wants/needs. I've honestly never had a better experience on a vacation.
Our naturalist guide was Julio Rojas and our local guide was Tio Jose. The two of them together were fantastic at spotting birds and finding wildlife in the jungle. I'm an avid outdoorsman and very comfortable in the forest and Julio picked up on that immediately and took us deep into the jungle to give us a 'full dose' (our full dose included a hot lunch on the canoe, chicken with a cranberry sauce, but still... lol). They never took the easy way out, and both were invested in us having the experience we paid for. Both men are close to 60 years old and they took my wife and I, 31 and 32 on a strenuous 4-5 mile hike, up hill off trail, in the heat and humidity without flinching. They took the time to get to know us and find out what we were there to see and experience, and they made that the focus of our outings.. Most guests are probably older and more into birdwatching than we were, and I'm sure it's extremely rare for them to have guests that want a full dose, but they did it anyways. You can tell Julio and Jose really love their jobs and they deserved more of a tip then we could ever have given them. The faint sounds that Tio can pick up in the jungle are absolutely incredible and the love that Julio has for the forest, including plants/ animals and local people, is contagious. Hats off to both of them for making our trip of a lifetime truly a trip of a lifetime. Simply amazing! More read less

Great place! A very, very nice place! Beautiful lodge and surroundings, great food and staff! But absolutely best are the g... read moreA very, very nice place! Beautiful lodge and surroundings, great food and staff! But absolutely best are the guides!!! Our naturalist guide, Robby, and our native guide, Sixto, were outstanding! Very professional, yet extremely warm and funny, felt like family. Robby was teaching us in a very interesting and interactive way that kept the whole family spellbound. And just an example of how the staff really care; on the day we left, the housekeeping found out that our son had left his sunglasses behind. To give them back to him, they sent a guy in a canoe, paddling really fast for like 30 minutes to catch up with us before entering the motorized canoe! More read less