The value of knowledgeable guides

First off, you cannot explore these regions without having certified and professional guides with you at all times. So you really have no choice in the matter if you are an independent traveler. I’m very pleased with the Ecuadorian government for this because that means they are regulating tourist impact on these truly unique regions of the world. With that said, traversing the jungle would have been a loss without our guides. We stayed at La Selva Lodge, which, as far as I’m concerned, has the most knowledgeable and qualified guides around. Without their service, we wouldn’t have seen a fraction of the wildlife we did, not to mention that our naturalist called in half that wildlife, so there’s no way I would have been able to do that on my own! In addition to the guide and naturalist expertise in the region, the staff at the lodge were charismatic and made sure that every fine detail of the experience offered an Amazon touch, providing exotic fresh-squeezed juice at every turn, modified meal plans to accommodate food allergies, strong and stout cocktails during the heat of the day, and clean and well-kept facilities inviting local critters and breathtaking flora.