CUYABENO LODGE

Our lodge has been built within the reserve, and as we have been very ecologically aware, none of the wood for the cabins and other accommodation has come from ecologically sensitive areas. Every piece of building material came from a great distance from the reserve and had to be trucked  in to the border of the reserve and transported by canoe to the building site. Particularly the last part was a logistical nightmare and involved the skilled operations of our Siona friends. All the construction of the cabins and accommodation was done with maximum involvement of the Sionas. Our skilled master carpenter and other skilled workers trained them in carpentry and construction as we built. That way our construction cost twice as much, but we assured that our cabins and accommodation generated maximum economic benefits for the Sionas.

How difficult is it to move about?

Occasionally we get requests from visitors in a wheelchair. The Cuyabeno Lodge is not accessible for fully walking disabled visitors. The Lodge is located on a small insular hill and under those isolated conditions, it is impossible for us to make it accessible for wheelchairs . 

Having said that, we went at great lenght to make the lodge accessible for most visitors by building a network of stairs and trails between all the buildings.  As the Cuyabeno lakes are located in an extremely flat region (the site of our lodge is the only exception, which prevents it from ever being flooded), none of the trails involve strenuous climbing. 

For those who prefer to do so, we can arrange all our excursions from motorized canoes only, thus limiting walking to no more than than 100 meters per day for visitors with limited walking abilities.

Our guides are trained to be helpful whenever a visitor has some walking difficulties and on a few occasions we have sent a nurse along on request of a visitor.

Our Cabins have been designed to provide functional comfort and working space to our guests, providing comfortable wide beds, mosquito netting, showers with hot water and a small desk to work out notes after an excursion. Sleeping in Cuyabeno is in fact quite pleasant, as the reserve is still so close to the Andes, that the nights cool down to very comfortable temperatures. In fact, one needs sleeping under a blanket, to be comfortable.    

How bad are the bugs?

Over the many years of our work in the reserve, we have found that every night is different. Of course the jungle is home to a fabulous variety of the most wonderful insects, big and small: colorful moths and butterflies, odd shaped beetles, dragonflies, etc. etc. Some nights our lights attract great numbers of very different insects, while other nights insects abound, but most of them only belonging to one or a few species. 

During our nightly excursions, we go looking for nocturnal insects on the ground. Cuyabeno has some really strange looking critters that you only can see at night with flashlights.

There are also many nights however, when only few insects fly around.  So, at night, usually insects are part of the entertainment as their movements, shapes colors and noises never fail to draw the attention, but rarely do our visitors withdraw to their cabins for avoiding the bugs and they never stop you from sleeping comfortably.  

Mosquitoes are always present, but strangely enough rarely in big numbers and with the mosquito netting they never affect your sleeping. Now, that does not mean they are harmless. They do carry malaria and you should consult your medical provider about the best prophylactics for you, and you are also advised to take  insect repellent. 

We on our part provide all beds with mosquito netting. So we do have insects and mosquitoes, but as the lodge area is elevated, mosquitoes are not a serious nuisance and the other insects are beautiful and exiting!. All the beds have mosquito netting, but still, you are advised to bring mosquito repellent. See our packing list. 

Homo sapiens is not the only monkey species that has taken the Cuyabeno Lodge as its preferred residence. 

Simply because we don't need it. The Cuyabeno lakes are still so close to the foothills of the Andes, that the nights cool off considerably and in fact, usually they are quite comfortable. Most of the time, our visitors prefer sleeping under a light blanket.