Amazonia

El Oriente is the name Ecuadorians gave to the Amazon basin lowlands east of the Andes. It is all rainforest, home to more than 5% of all the earth's plant species and an extremely prolific bird life. It is also the home of such exotic species as manatees, tapirs, freshwater dolphins, anacondas, caimans, monkeys, sloths, and jaguars (though most of these require considerable luck for tourists to spot and we only saw monkeys and caimans from this list).

One of the best ways to experience the rainforest, especially when time is at a premium, is to stay at one of the jungle lodges. Here professional and local guides can offer the best chances of seeing wildlife, while still enjoying good comfort.

Some of Ecuador's best jungle lodges are east of Coca, where the wide Rio Napo flows steadily towards Peru and the Amazon River, allowing good access by boat. Coca, something of a rugged frontier town, is a short flight from Quito over the Andes (or a ten hour drive).

A high-quality, responsible, and very enjoyable such visitor experience is provided by La Selva Jungle Lodge. It employs many local people and offers excursions into the jungle with well-informed and interested guides. It is set on Laguna Garzacocha, which is a most attractive small lake on whose banks the lodge is discreetly set.

The lodge consists of a central restaurant/kitchen block, linked to a lounge/bar close by. Boardwalks provide access to the 16 cabins. The cabins have simple, but comfortable beds with mosquito netting (though we didn't notice much in the way of mosquitos... only some persistent cockroaches). Each has a bathroom with hot shower and a light over the basin (both of which cease to function when the generator shuts down at 10pm). In the bedroom a kerosene lamp is lit each night to welcome you back to your room.

The lodge has a reputation for excellent food, using locally sourced fresh ingredients. We can vouch for this, having experienced three delicious and filling meals each day. All were accompanied by what must be some of the most luscious and varied, freshly made local juices we have ever enjoyed.

I would like to thank Diego Cuesta, our main naturalist guide, and the rest of the staff at La Selva for making our stay with them a most exciting and enjoyable experience. Diego's enthusiasm and interest was infectious and encouraged us to experience a great deal in the 6 days we were there. His persistence in going to the clay licks ensured we were successful in witnessing (and photographing) this fascinating phenomenon.