I stayed here with my boyfriend for 3 days, and had a great time every single minute. First I’d like to talk about the great staff, and then about the hotel in general, in terms of its eco standards. Because of weather conditions our plane was cancelled, and we had to wait 12 hours at the airport before we could get another flight to Iquitos. When we finally arrived, 12 hours later than planned, we realized that the boat that was going to take us to the lodge had already left. “Oh, great start!” we thought. We were not in the best mood, but that quickly changed. We were met at the airport in Iquitos by representatives from the lodge, who had learnt that the plane had been cancelled and had waited in hopes that we’d be on another flight. Because we could not stay at the lodge that night (there were no boats) they arranged a stay at El Dorado, the best hotel in Iquitos (5 stars). That was a nice surprise, and really shows you their consideration for guests. The next morning we were met at the hotel entrance and taken first by bus then by boat to the lodge (which is not that far from Iquitos). During the ride, guides gave us information about the area and wildlife (both in English and Spanish). Once at the lodge, we were met with delicious natural fruit juices (cocona- not coconut- juice is delicious!!). A staff member then proceeded to explain what we would be doing in terms of activities, and gave us a nice tour of the place. We were then shown to our lodge (I posted some pictures) which was beautiful. Very spacious and beautifully decorated (with fresh flowers even in the bathroom). The bed was huge!!!! I think four people could easily fit there and have a nice sleep…The hot water and pressure was spectacular as well. The room does have an a/c (it is after all a luxury lodge) but there is also a ceiling fan (we used that one night, and the rest we really didn’t need anything).
There is a nice pool and hammock area, as well as monkeys, a friendly macaw that says HOLA (at least that’s what I heard), and even a tapir (at night, you can see huge frogs and tarantulas…) During one of the excursions, we saw a sloth which ended up holding on to me like a baby…
The dining and sitting areas have fans which work just fine, and coffee, tea, and water for whenever we wish to drink it. Again, the decoration is spectacular. The buffet style was nice, although I wish there had been more local dishes (like tacacho and cecina, which I had to try elsewhere). There are always a variety of choices, but I would recommend the fish, ALWAYS. It is really delicious. There are also various natural fruit drinks to choose from. When we were told dinner time was at 7:30 I was a bit worried, because I thought we’d be done by 8 and then what would we do. Fortunately, the guides and staff sing and play the guitar after dinner, and there are plenty of board games. Besides we were usually so tired from a full day of excursions, that we couldn’t stay up late and slept like babies.
In terms of eco standards: they have a/c but they also have fans, so you can choose to be more eco friendly. The jams do not come in individual containers (finally, a hotel that pays attention to the little things you can do to be more eco!!) they have their own generators and purify their water rather than buy bottled water. Their fruits are grown on the premises (you can even pick your own plantains) and what they fish (and what you fish) is what you eat….very fresh…One thing I would change: their bathroom amenities which were all individual bottles of shampoo and such, instead of refillable or recyclable. In the dining and sitting areas you can read about the various eco activities they take part in and their support to local communities.
In terms of the excursions: we went to two Indian communities (the Yaguas and the people in the town of Indiana) where we learnt about their way of life. We also fished for piranhas (although I didn’t catch any piranhas, I did catch two other fish), had a night excursion with our guide, and saw dolphins. You can also go on the canopy tour, which other guests raved about (we didn’t have time). The guides all speak great English (our guide said he sometimes forgets Spanish words, since he’s almost always explaining things in English) and are extremely friendly. You get your own guide that accompanies you throughout your stay, but you can ask any guide anything you want.
I would recommend: take insect repellent (we never got bitten, but we did ladder that stuff on every time we left our room) and take light colored clothing (mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors). I really had a wonderful experience, and I hope anybody who visits the area does too, and that’s why I recommend this lodge.