La Selva

Air Inclusive "Adventure Explorer" program.

La Selva consists of 16-double cabins each built in the native design with thatched roofs and plenty of windows for the rainforest breezes. Each cabana has a private bathroom equipped with toilet and shower.

There is a bar and restaurant in another typical building along the shores of the lake, offering excellent vistas of the lake.

La Selva is well known for its "gourmet jungle" fare blending the finest Ecuadorian ingredients with French, North American and Ecuadorian cooking skills.

Laundry service is available and the dining-bar area has 110 V electricity for recharging batteries.

In the area of La Selva there are 500 - 600 species of birds, 6 types of monkeys, tapir, deer, caiman, butterfly and a wide variety of tropical flora.

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There are a variety of activities, tailored to the abilities and desires of the participants, and labeled from easy to moderate to challenging.

These activities include:

• Walk to Silverio's House: Cross the lake by canoe for 2 1/2 to 3 hour walk on a purposely undeveloped trail with some physical challenge. Half the walk is in primary forest and the other half passes the huts of indigenous neighbors along the Napo

• Mandicocha Trail: An easy trail close to the lodge which is filled with wildlife no matter what hour of the day. This walk can last as long as you want.

• Mandicocha-Mandiyacu: A 3 to 4 hour trip following the trail to Mandicocha Lake with a completely different eco-system than Garzacocha Lake. Board paddle canoes for 1 1/2 hour glide down the stream with a myriad of wildlife.

• El Salado: It's a 2 hour excursion combined with a picnic lunch and trips across the Napo to visit a site with a little luck parrots, parakeets and macaws can be seen in great quantities.

• High Forest Trail: This 3 to 4 hour excursion crosses the Napo River and uses a rather challenging mountainous trail to explore yet another eco-system with a chance to see birds and other wildlife. Also a chance to eat lemon ants.

• Pedro's Trail: Two versions available: cross Garzacocha Lake for walk through the virgin forest to the observation tower (4 hours) or pass by the butterfly farm and join the trail in the middle.

• Little Chawamango: Short trip by foot around the edge of Garzacocha Lake with return to the lodge by canoe.

• Challuacocha Lake: A motorized canoe trip down the Napo River followed by a walk and paddle canoe trip to Challuacocha for a picnic at a shelter overlooking the lake with time to relax, canoe, fish before return two hour walk through yet another unique forest.

• Pilche Trail: Gross Garzacocha Lake for a walk along the trail to see whatever wildlife happens along, and a huge colony of leafcutter ants.

• Observation Tower: Not far from the lodge is the 135 tall observation tower which you can visit as often as you wish for a true bird's-eye view of the forest canopy.

• Butterfly Farm: Just 5 minutes from the lodge, the farm breeds 30,000-35,000 butterflies each year from egg to caterpillar to pupa (or chrysalis and cocoons as they are commonly known) and sells them all over the world. The farm is staffed by 15.

• Chawamango's Trail: Take the Mandicocha trail and walk parallel to the lake to arrive at the Napo River and then return by elevated walkway and paddle across the lake, for a total of about 3 hours.

Each tent is placed on a bamboo platform with a thatched roof and has a camping mattress (one inch thick with a built in pillow) with clean sheets. Clean towels are provided daily. Kerosene lamps light the campsite.

A logistical team of 15 makes all of this possible - taking a different route, they arrive before you do to set up camp. They carry your belongings and all the provisions so you are unburdened to discover the jungle in all its glory.