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

Magical experience in the jungle La Selva met all my expectations and more: great location (isolated) by a lake with beautiful sunrise and suns... read moreLa Selva met all my expectations and more: great location (isolated) by a lake with beautiful sunrise and sunset, very few mosquitoes (when near the lake), beautiful room with spacious bathroom (L’Occitane products is a +), excellent food (very good to accommodate any food restrictions / preferences), very knowledgeable guides (which you need to see the wildlife, very different than Galapagos islands), at least 6 hours of planned activities per day and many other optional activities (fishing piranhas, kayaking, yoga at 5a under the stars / sunrise was a magical moment for me).
It is very hot and don’t expect air conditioning but you are in the jungle after all!
GM Miguel and guide Paul were wonderful.
I am putting on my list to places to visit again! More read less

Paul made it all happen We are seasoned travellers. We have been all over the world and know that much depends on the guide. He can ma... read moreWe are seasoned travellers. We have been all over the world and know that much depends on the guide. He can make or break your experience. We had a cautious beginning. But all our hesitations blew away as soon as Paul and Darwin started the excursions. Paul is a walking encyclopaedia, a first class photographer and an unbelievable astronomer! Thanks to Paul, the trees, the rivers, the sky, all came to life. We learned an amazing amount about the Amazon. He was kind, patient and ensured our safety at all times. Thank you Paul and Darwin for this unforgettable experience. 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

Jungle, good food, nature immersion, good vibes Had an awesome time here. Walking through the jungle with our English speaking Guide Jairo and native guide Da... read moreHad an awesome time here. Walking through the jungle with our English speaking Guide Jairo and native guide Dario was a really cool experience.

our guides helped us see the wildlife in the area at a much deeper level. Frogs hidden in tree cracks, Tarantulas right of the path we wouldn’t have seen, snakes in tree branches, bats, hundreds of birds, monkeys, cayman…. and so much more.

The staff at the lodge was awesome too.

Highly recommend this if you want to get into the jungle, connect with nature, and also have good amenities. Totally worth the cost. read less

Exceeded all expectations! Wow! What an incredible place and experience! Our family (two adults and two kids ages 11 and 8) spent 3 night... read moreWow! What an incredible place and experience! Our family (two adults and two kids ages 11 and 8) spent 3 nights at La Selva. The lodge is an absolute gem located on the edge of a beautiful lake with numerous trails for exploring the rain forest with your guides. The food is incredibly good and my wife (who is gluten free) was well taken care of by the staff with alternatives (e.g., gluten free pancakes and desserts). The truly remarkable part of the experience is the guides who take your family out on canoe explorations, jungle hikes, and village visits. We had Jairo as our English/Spanish speaking naturalist guide along with Jose as our native guide who lived 30 minutes away in a local village. They were absolutely incredible. They excelled at spotting animals (e.g., monkeys, sloths, birds, even a puma) and imparting their vast knowledge of the ecosystem. On our walks, they taught us so much about how the forest is used both as a "hardware store" and as a "pharmacy" by the local populations. Our kids were deeply engaged with / by them from the start to finish of every excursion. They worked wonderfully as a team and felt like an extended part of our family. They went above and beyond to be responsive to our requests as well including piranha fishing from the dock and returning to the village on the dia del deportes to play and... Wow! What an incredible place and experience! Our family (two adults and two kids ages 11 and 8) spent 3 nights at La Selva. The lodge is an absolute gem located on the edge of a beautiful lake with numerous trails for exploring the rain forest with your guides. The food is incredibly good and my wife (who is gluten free) was well taken care of by the staff with alternatives (e.g., gluten free pancakes and desserts). The truly remarkable part of the experience is the guides who take your family out on canoe explorations, jungle hikes, and village visits. We had Jairo as our English/Spanish speaking naturalist guide along with Jose as our native guide who lived 30 minutes away in a local village. They were absolutely incredible. They excelled at spotting animals (e.g., monkeys, sloths, birds, even a puma) and imparting their vast knowledge of the ecosystem. On our walks, they taught us so much about how the forest is used both as a "hardware store" and as a "pharmacy" by the local populations. Our kids were deeply engaged with / by them from the start to finish of every excursion. They worked wonderfully as a team and felt like an extended part of our family. They went above and beyond to be responsive to our requests as well including piranha fishing from the dock and returning to the village on the dia del deportes to play and watch futbol with the local communities. We have highly recommended La Selva to several friends since our return to the U.S., and future travelers would be lucky to have Jairo and Jose as their guides. More read less