MADIDI NATIONAL PARK CHALALAN ECO LODGE

Located in the Beni Department of Bolivia is the spectacular Madidi National Park. This National Park is known as one of the largest protected and most bio diverse areas found anywhere on the Planet and no trip to South America is complete without visiting this nature lovers paradise.

Madidi National Park is home to staggering 1000 bird species which represents 11 percent of the world’s 9,000 species. Critically endangered Giant otters, Jaguars, Tapirs, Pumas, Giant Anteaters and Giant Armadillos are just some of the 200 plus mammal species found in abundance here while over 300 fish and 12,000 plant species have been recorded.

This National park has been named by WCS and numerous biologists as the most diverse area on earth and it also featured on the cover of National Geographic March 2000 issue.

The 2nd deepest lodge in the Bolivian Madidi National Park and ideally located next to the magnificent Chalalán Lagoon is the luxurious Chalalan Lodge
The accommodation in traditional Tacana-style cabins has the capacity to hold up to 30 tourists. The cabins are surrounded by virgin forest and the noise of the forests especially the early morning calls of the resident Howler Monkeys and Macaws is something which must be experienced.
The Ecolodge offers three types of accommodation; luxurious cabins with double beds and private bathrooms (3 in total), twin/triples rooms with private bathroom (7 in total), and twin rooms with shared bathroom facilities (4 of them). All of our accommodation is equipped with mosquito nets, bedside tables, wardrobes, comfortable armchairs, verandas, balconies and hammocks where you can relax and read.
At Chalalán the standards of hygiene in our bathrooms and shower areas are of utmost importance to us. All of our bathrooms are unisex and are regularly cleaned without disturbing our guests. The bathrooms are either tiled or clad with stones for your comfort and as another elegant detail.

Tour Duration
3-5 Days (longer stays can easily be arranged as well)

AVALIABLITY
Year Round but best from May-November

SUITABLE FOR
Bird watchers, families, Elderly travellers and Nature Enthusiasts

Guided Rainforest walks
Night spotlighting treks
Bird watching

Wildlife watching
Canoe Trips

Night Canoe Trips
Handicraft making

Please note: This incredible tour can be combined with our famous Bolivian Pampas Tour where you will be exploring the Pampas in style looking for a huge variety of birds, mammals, Black Caimans, Capybara, Monkeys, swimming with Pink Amazon Dolphins and searching for the infamous Anaconda

We contacted Nick's Adventures Bolivia to help us plan a birdwatching trip in Eastern Bolivia. Nick and Carolina did an excellent job putting together a 10 day trip with expert English speaking guides that achieved our goals of seeing distinctive birds of the region. They started us out at an excellent and well located hotel in Santa Cruz. We visited great birding areas near Santa Cruz, Refugio de Volcanes at Amboro National Park, Samaipata and the Red Fronted Macaw Preserve, and also birded hot spots along the way. Vehicle and accommodations were great. We met other travelers who were on their own at Refugio de Volcanes and believe we had a better experience because we had an English speaking guide. Not only did our guide Saul and driver Jose take excellent care of us, but we found them to be fascinating people with so much knowledge of Bolivia to share. This is why we prefer to work with local guides whenever possible.

The second part of our trip was to Trinidad where we visited the Blue Throated Macaw Preserve with a guide who did her thesis on this species. Marina took excellent care of us and we visited rich birding areas by car and boat. Also saw the pink river dolphins. We visited the Kenneth Lee Ethnography Museum and fish museum at the university, and Lake Suarez, and Marina helped us understand what we were seeing. In all we identified 161 species, and quite a few that we wouldn't be able to see anywhere else. The Red Fronted and Blue Throated macaws, and other species in their habitat, were a big high point in our birding travels. We were able to spend ``quality time`` with the plush crested jay - a favourite. It is great to know that Bolivia has the capacity to share their special birds with others in the world.

Though we never met Nick and Carolina, they were always there for us via email and we know how much care they put into orchestrating this trip. Thank you Nick and Carolina.

Notes. Be aware that while Bolivia has the infrastructure for tourism, it may not always operate to your expectations and patience and good will are required. Bolivians are very nice people who consistently made us welcome. It really helps if someone in the group speaks Spanish. There aren't a lot of English speakers. Bolivian driving procedures are largely intuitive and perhaps not understandable to non-Bolivians. Expect rough dirt roads in the countryside, a good reason to go in the dry season.

JIM and JUDE

USA

MADIDI JUNGLE ECOLODGE

MADIDI NATIONAL PARK PACKAGE