AMAZON RAINFOREST IN ECUADOR'S "ORIENTE"

Cuyabeno cabins

Cuyabeno history

Why is it so important to be hosted on a lake system?

Imagine yourself in this great, never ending Amazon rain forest. You really want to see wildlife. But most wildlife moves about through the canopy of the trees. From where you are on the ground, your vision is limited, because the undergrowth and the leaves are in your way. From the relative darkness where you are on the ground, you get blinded when you look up towards the canopy. That makes it difficult to distinguish the characteristics of birds and mammals. 

When you are on the water, your vision is much better, because you look at the vegetation's edge from the side which is directly illuminated by the sun. Also wildlife tends to concentrate along shores and aquatic wildlife is always on water. Another reason is logistical.

On the water one may move about conveniently to the best wildlife spotting sites, while watching birds as the scenery glides by quietly.

As wildlife observation must take place very early in the morning, it is paramount to be in the heart of the location of observation. The Cuyabeno lodge is on a seasonal island on the border of the Great Cuyabeno Lake, right in the heart of the lake system, while visitors coming from other lodges must first travel at least two to three hours by motorized canoe to reach the lakes.

The Great Cuyabeno Lake during the dry season, when breeding of birds and reptiles is at its peak.

Several lodges in Ecuador's Oriente and in the Amazon regions of other countries are located on large rives or small oxbows along them. Particularly along the big rivers, like the Rio Napo and the Rio Aguarico, the jungle has been cut down long ago with the exception of a few patches of deteriorated jungle and secondary growth; some at the periphery of a national park, but others not even that. But even when the big rivers were still forest clad 30 years ago, they never gave the "jungle experience" of the smaller rivers, because they are too wide and too open and as they are fairly straight, they lack the continuous change of landscape characteristic for small winding rivers.

It's the small rivers and small lakes that are important for wildlife observation and for a "great jungle experience, 

because there one travels through myriad "tunnels of vision" with views of the exuberant vegetation on both sides of the river; often overhead. As the tree canopies partially cover the a narrow winding rivers, one enjoys being in the forest and at the small lakes one may enjoy the better visibility. Ecuador has only two such locations in its Amazon rainforests, being the Cuyabeno Lakes complex and the Lagarto Cocha Lakes comlex, both in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. However, traveling time and logistics are much more favorable for the Cuyabeno Lakes complex, and scenically, in Ecuador's mainland lowlands, nothing comes close to the landscapes of those wonderful lakes and canals of the Cuyabeno Lakes complex.

No other Amazon country has any virgin rainforest reserve so close to a major city with such rapid and inexpensive access. Small as it may be, Ecuador is your best option to see and experience the Amazon rainforest conveniently and economically.