HomeTestimonials & ReviewsEd Ringle (Feb, 2004)

Ed Ringle

(Sacha Lodge, Feb 2004)

Thanks very much for the opportunity to comment on my stay at Sacha Lodge and Bellavista. I had a great time.

First of all, Adventure Life was great in helping me think about the trip and stringing together options for travel. The tips about less expensive airfares was also quite helpful. Colin and Mary were patient with my questions and communicated very, very well. I felt very well taken care of.

Betty and Alex were real sweeties. Couldn't ask for better contact persons.

I stayed in the Sierra Madre and the La Rabida. Both were perfectly adequate, with friendly staff and clean rooms. Given that Quito was more of a stopover than destination, I cannot comment on how they helped with activities, advice, etc.

Sacha Lodge is a wonderful but different experience. This was my first time in the rain forest. We were met at the airport by Sacha representatives and they made sure we got on the plane ok. At Coca, we were again met by folks sent upriver by the Lodge to make the transition as smooth as possible. We were transferred to a 30 foot long river boat and went down river for about two hours. Along the way, we did a fair bit of birding, and had an opportunity to view life along the river.

At the lodge, our belongings were transported for us to our cabins, and we had a 30 minute easy walk from the Napo River to the lodge itself. Activities begin immediately, with an orientation to the lodge and the ecosystem while walking to the main compound. The last leg of the journey is a short ride in a dugout canoe from across a backwater lake.

After getting settled in our rooms, we went on our first serious walk. Based on interests and physical condition, we were put into groups of 6-8 people. I was in a group of 6. Two members did not participate extensively (they wanted to go piranha fishing!), and for much of the time, it was effectively a group of four, which was fantastic. (By the way, other guests at the lodge were a great group--quite international, varied interests, good traveling companions).

Each group had two guides. Felipe was an Ecuadorian from Quito with excellent English skills and a degree in ecology. Luis was of the Quichua people, local to the area, and astonishingly comfortable in the rainforest. He spoke good Spanish but no English. They worked as a team, identifying plants, birds, and animals while assuring our safety. One particularly interesting aspect of this was that Luis gave some insight into the use of forest products by indigenous peoples. As a physician, I was particularly interested in medicinal use of plants.

We had three organized outings a day. We were usually up at around 5 to 5:30a.m., ate breakfast and were out on guided activities until 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. We had a short rest before lunch, a siesta, and then another guided activity between 4 p.m. and 6-6:30 p.m. These times were set to coincide with the most activity of the birds and animals. Two nights we went on a night walk, and one night we went on a night canoe ride.

Activities consisted of a trip to the Yasuni parrot lick, where parrots eat clay to help their digestion. This was absolutely fantastic. We went to the butterfly house, where butterflies are raised for export. I got some of my best butterfly pictures there. We went to two canopy towers, where the treetop wildlife could be seen easily. We took dugout canoe rides through the backwater swamps and lagoons, and walked through well identified paths to see plants, trees, birds and animals.

Between scheduled activities, you could take a dugout canoe or go swimming, read, visit the butterfly house or have a drink with a new friend. Swimming in the black water lagoon is initially somewhat unnerving, as there are piranhas in the water as well as caimans and electric eels. However, they all want little to do with you as you want with them, and it was refreshing and safe.

The cabins were quite comfortable and well appointed. Electricity is 24/7. The cabin campground is gorgeous, with lovely tropical landscaping.

The food was astonishingly good. Breakfast, lunch and supper were served buffet style with a wide variety of well made dishes. Most people did what I did--take a silver dollar size helping of lots of choices to try and taste the goodies without overeating. Ecuadorian beer was cheap, low alcohol, and very refreshing; just right to re-hydrate after waking for several hours.

Rubber boots and ponchos are offered by the lodge. Use them!!

I think overall, one might describe the experience as safe but not sanitized. I never felt that I was in a dangerous situation vis-à-vis getting lost, envenomated, etc. However, I often came back sweaty, bitten by bugs, and full of mud. It was a blast!

We got to see a variety of reptiles and amphibians, lots of birds, lots of insects, monkeys, and an unbelievable variety of plants and trees. We did not see many ground mammals, just an agouti. This is apparently par for the course. I think though, that if you go to the rainforest with the typical American "accomplish this set of tasks, get through as many critters and plants on my checklist as possible" approach, you will literally miss the forest for the trees. The best part of the experience was to stand back and take in the whole much as one would an impressionist painting. The sounds, the smells, the heat, the humidity, the dark, the plants, and the animals as a whole serve to create an amazing experience that those from temperate climes should taste at least one time in their lives.

After leaving Sacha, I went to Bellavista cloud forest for 2 1/2 days. This lodge is at approximately 7500 feet and is on the side of a mountain. Here, we were warmly welcomed by Richard Parsons the owner, who made it a point of eating with his guests each night. Activities here revolved primarily around a series of trails that were well marked and could be taken either with or without a guide. It was fairly easy to set up walking tours of various lengths and difficulties. The walking here was considerably more difficult than at Sacha because of the altitude, inclines, and mud. I think you need to be in better physical shape to enjoy Bellavista than you do to enjoy Sacha. The Lodge's rubber boots are an absolute must, and again a poncho provided by the lodge was much better than a rain jacket.

In terms of what I saw and experienced, I can only describe the place as epiphyte heaven. The bromeliads, orchids, and other plants were amazing in their diversity. Birding was excellent. We saw a puma track, but no ground animals, and monkeys do not live at this elevation. I took three walks with Nelson, an Ecuadorian guide whose English was limited, but his gentle pleasantness, concern for your experience, and good eye for birds and plants more than made up for any minor communication difficulties. I would heartily endorse going out with the guides even though it is not required (as it is at Sacha).

Accommodations were very pleasant and the food was very good. Fresh trout from down the road is a specialty.

The only disagreement I would have with Adventure Life suggestions was how to dress. I would suggest the absolute maximum use of synthetic fabrics for either destination. Because it is so humid, mildew starts even in a couple of days, and my cotton clothes dried very poorly at Sacha. Additionally, I would specifically suggest the use of the thinnest, lightest tropical weight synthetic long pants you can find for use in walking in the rainforest. It is easy to overheat in the rubber boots. All other suggestions and recommendations were right on the money.

Again, thanks for helping me to make this a great trip.

Best,

Ed Ringel