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Located in the Reserve of Cuyabeno Wildlife Production,(the place with the highest biodiversity in the world). Tapir Lodge is an hotel with 15 years of tradition, comfort and adventure. Our facilities offer a comfortable and safe stay, with 22 rooms, all have private bathroom and hot water, electricity 24 hrs,insulation in walls and ceilings to minimize the presence of mosquitoes. All tours include transportation from the airport of Lago Agrio to Tapir Lodge and back, all meals, licensed multilingual (Spanish, English and German speaking)naturalist guides,raincoats, live saver and rubber boots. We operate and are specialized in handling small groups to avoid crouds and noise, in order to improve quality in all our tours. We delight our passengers with an excellent international menu, fresh and healthy food. (We also offer a varied vegetarian menu upon request)!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We met Kurt at the puente and it immediately felt good. He made us feel welcome and also told us we were the only guests at the lodge :) We also met Amo, our boatdriver. The boatride to the lodge was already a highlight: we saw 5 different species of monkeys and I don’t know how many birds. The lodge itself is not very special, but it had all what you need in de jungle. Maybe it needs some maintenance, but it al works! At the lodge we met Marco and in the days following, we experienced Marco is a mastercook! All the food was delicious: from the breakfast to the dinner! We had a pretty full 4 days/3 nights with different excursions. My favorite was looking for caiman when the sun was down. At one evening, we spotted over 20 caiman! Kurt is a very good host who wants to make sure you have a good time. And we did!
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The surroundings and wildlife here are amazing as you are deep in the rainforest so you have much better access to pristine untouched jungle. The wildlife is in abundance - we saw 5 different types of monkey, a tapir (which are really rare) pink river dolphins, caimen, snakes, pirahna, poison dart frogs, vultures, toucans, parrots, bats and much much more.
The lodge itself is as close as you will get to luxury in the middle of the jungle! The rooms are nice and comfortable and cleaned daily and the food is first class (3 courses for each meal - all freshly prepared to a high standard).
One of the advantages of this place is that it is in a black water area and there are no mosquitos. This can be a real problem in other parts of the Amazon. I didnt get bitten once in my whole 5 days there!
The treks and boat rides were varied and interesting and the guide was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent english, spanish and german (we heard of other places that had groups of 20 people with little or no english speaking guides) Our group size was small so that we could ask questions and had a much more personable service.
Overall, I couldnt recommend this place enough!
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Date of stay: July 2008
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay at Tapir Lodge was a truly amazing & unique experience! There were just three of us staying in the lodge during the five days, making it a very personal experience - Kurt our guide was extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about wildlife! We were deep within the rain forest and it felt very remote giving the perfect opportunity to observe a wide variety of wildlife. We were lucky to encounter pink river dolphins in the flooded forest (which was the real highlight for me!)at sunset, a large caiman basking in the sun, a green anaconda, squirrel monkeys, saki monkeys, tamarins, many large spiders (including a turantula), a herd of up to 200 wild pigs (apparantly a very rare sight in that particular area!), a poision arrow frog, turtles, bats and a huge abundance of birdlife including macaws, parakeets, vultures, a tiger heron and humming birds. We were also soaked by a manatee when we accidentally startled it whilst travelling down the river at night which scared the life out of us all! The piranha fishing was also great fun! We were very looked after by the staff at the lodge and were provided with three delicious (three course) meals per day, we also had fresh drinking water available in our rooms along with electricity and hot showers. I advise that you take a walk around the boardwalks of the lodge at night with a torch where you will be able to view tree frogs, two large toads (that live in a hole nearby), many large spiders and leaf cutter ants working throughout the night! If you are in to your fauna and flora a trip to the Amazon is a must and the Cuyabeno Reserve is the perfect location!
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Date of stay: June 2009
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unfortunately we are in 2 minds regarding Tapir Lodge. The lodge it self is lovely and very well maintained. The food was well varied and the fresh fruit daily was delicious. If we wanted a tea or coffee it was always beautifully served. The price of the drinks was also very good. The staff were all very nice. The wildlife was amazing and the canoe trips were fantastic. However, we were on the first day the only 2 guests. Another couple arrived the following afternoon. There is 3 towers of rooms so why the heck put them in the room right next to us! The walls are so thin, we had to hear someone with diarrhea all night, the toilet continually flushing and of course talking. We could even hear them zipping their bags. And of course this meant they could also hear us. Going to breakfast next morning seeing hands on food quite frankly turned us off eating. For all people at the table, if there is a spoon in the dish, use it, not your hands! The owner was also our guide for the 4 days. Now there is no doubting Kurts vast knowledge of the Amazon and he likes to talk, however, he doesn't listen and unfortunately thinks he knows everything about everywhere else, to the point of, let's not bother to ask a question or make a comment as we were not answered or we were always wrong! Became quite frustrating after a while. For future reference, the Kapok tree is the biggest tree in the Amazon not the world, there are fish in Lake Titicaca, the Australian Kookaburra is a Kingfisher and finger and toe nails do not continue to grow after death! I could go on! On our last night at dinner we were told we had to tip the staff $25US each, for which we were not amused.
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Date of stay: May 2015
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family of 5 ('kids'aged 18, 18 and 16) had such a unique and wonderful experience at Tapir lodge. They try to keep the numbers down to give each group a personal and individual experience based on whatever we wanted to do. It was great having no internet & wifi for 4 days , great family bonding. We saw so much incrdeible wildlife and the nature guides were really experienced, we learned so much. Swinging from the rope off the steps ( in the picture) into the Cuyebeno river was nerve racking at first, and then a highlight! Who does this kind of thing!!?? If you can't stand the thought of bugs though don't do this kind of thing, you are in the Amazon jungle andthey will be there. But who can say they have tasted lemon ants (and they were good!), met with all manner of exotic birds, snakes, spiders, monkeys, pink dolphins and Caimins? I
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Date of stay: March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tapir Lodge owner Kurt took us camping deep into the Amazon River Forest where we camped alongside the remote tribe of the Huoaranis. We traveled up the river in a dougout canoe with Kurt and a few hired hands who would cook, set up camp, and provide the five of us with the trip of a lifetime. This is no adventure for the faint of heart. After a couple of days in Quito, we took a small plane into the dense forest where we met up with the natives who rarely see outsiders. They were as curious about us as we were them. We would stay in each location one or two nights, and move on to a new sight. This is the true Amazon Jungle, and very few people will ever experience it that way. Kurt has an unbelievable knowledge of the forest and the indigenous populations there. Without his expertise we could never have had this unique opportunity. Our kids were all teenagers at that time, and we all talk about being able to possibly return someday.
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Date of stay: June 2010
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We went to Tapir lodge in august with LLama travel. The lodge is very comfortable and the food good. Our guide was Kurt (the owner) or his son and both were very informative. Because of its remoteness, there were not many tourists and you had a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere. We had seen the government advice but we were accompanied at every stage and never felt at risk. The sunset at the flooded forest was exceptional as was swimmimg in the "black" waters of the river. We were not troubled by mosquitos at all and saw plenty of wildlife including the pink river dolphins and monkeys scampering past our window at daybreak.
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Date of stay: August 2007
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tapir lodge was highly organized and our Guide - Diego was excellent. Passionate about the jungle, animals and well versed in the local ecology. The other part that was great was Rahul the cook - being vegetarians - he cooked up some of the best meals we have had - that too in the middle of the jungle. We were well taken care off, our trip was planned to explore all aspects of the Amazon and we had the luck to see many many animals - including pink river dolphins. There are a lot of choices, however Tapir lodge excelled in its guide, food, location and catering to all our need and expectations. The best part for our kids was the swim in the lagoon, while for the adults it was the canoe ride in torrential rain.
Would suggest you travel to amazon in June - Oct during the rainy season as this is when the animals, trees are at their best. It gives you an immense appreciation for the jungle and our responsibility for the planet.
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Date of stay: July 2013
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Having stayed at many rainforest lodges during my years as a tour guide, I was very much looking forward to my visit to the Cuyabeno as a guest of the Tapir Lodge. I was not disappointed. On the contrary, the lodge's facilities set it apart. It is unique in Amazonia in giving visitors the opportunity to sleep high in the treetops, soothed by the endless mysterious night jungle sounds.
The towers are sturdily built, and aside from the view across the treetops and the river below, I would not have thought I was four stories up in the rainforest canopy.
The rooms are comfortable and big enough for two people's belongings. Beds have mosquito nets which make for a romantic atmosphere. Bugs are not really a problem, with little to no malaria in the region. Each room has its own bathroom with hot showers. One morning the showers were cold because the pilot light had gone out, but that was a minor inconvenience.
The food is excellent, with fresh tropical fruits as a starter or dessert for almost every meal. The lodge's cook "Conejo" (Rabbit), is a true talent, able to turn out delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was happy to accommodate one of our fellow guests with vegetarian options. Unlike staff of some other lodges I have stayed at, the staff at Tapir Lodge were consistently cheerful, helpful and genuinely interested in their "gringo" guests. Their attitude made our stay even more pleasurable.
An important feature of the lodge is the emphasis on sustainability. Although Tapir Lodge has electricity and hot water showers, all power is provided by batteries charged by solar panels, while waste is treated in a biodigestor.
Special mention goes to our host Kurt Beate, who founded the lodge. Besides being an excellent host, striking a perfect balance of courtesy and friendliness, he is an outstanding naturalist guide. He has a deep knowledge of rainforest biology and is great at spotting animals which are at first invisible to the visitor! On our first afternoon's boat ride down to the lodge along the Cuyabeno River, we encountered no less than six monkey species including squirrel monkeys, monk saki, and titi monkey. Later in the trip we saw other monkeys, parrots, macaws, bats, frogs and endless wondrous bugs.
Kurt's enthusiasm and passion is boundless, especially as we explored the Laguna Grande ("Big Lake"), a unique ecosystem of half-sunken acacia trees, festooned with bromeliads, orchids, arums and other epiphytes. Words cannot do justice to the beauty of this place. You just have to experience it.
The trip includes a visit to local villages where you get an insight into the indigenous people's way of life. Don't expect half-naked Indians in warpaint. These people are acculturated to some extent, although they carry on some traditions, such as harvest of manioc and cooking it into a bread which was excellently demonstrated by one of the village women. We also met with a shaman who spoke of his experiences with various herbal concoctions and his visit to the spirit world facilitated by ayahuasca.
The one slight annoyance of the trip, which is nothing to do with the Tapir Lodge, is the presence of budget campsites a short way down the river. Occasionally their boats would buzz past, so the sense of isolation and remoteness was disrupted. But that is more a concern for the Ecuadorian authorities who want to retain the beauty and pristine nature of this special place. It certainly did not detract from our enjoyment since Tapir Lodge is the last lodge along the river.
Overall this was an outstanding rainforest trip, and well worth the money and effort to reach a relatively remote area. I can't wait to go back!
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Date of stay: August 2012
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Ask for the top story rooms if you want to live in the treetops for a few days. Less fit visitors...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tapir Lodge is remotely located in the Cuyabeno Preserve. You are accompanied by staff from the airport in Quito, from which you fly into Lago Agrio. The Lodge then provided a bus for the three hour ride to the entrance of the Cuyabeno Preserve, after which you switch to a motorized canoe for several hours, arriving at the Lodge towards dusk. Kurt Beate, the owner of the Lodge, was our host and guide. Kurt is a very personable individual who was very attentive to the guests. The Lodge is comprised of a series of thatched roof, attractive structures. The food was more than ample and very good. The guided trips on the river and into the forest were very informative and interesting. In addition, there were swims at dusk on the large "lake" formed by the convergence of several rivers. While various governments have recommended against going into the Cuyabeno area due to its proximity to Colombia, the fact that we wer accompanied by staff throughout the journey eased our concerns. We're very grateful we had the opportunity to see this fascinating part of the world and to have stayed at such a fine facility.
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Date of stay: March 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jasmine, thanks for your question. The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve authority demands that all visitors be escort by licensed guides. Nobody can enter into the Reserve without an authorized tour operator been responsible for him. Therefore, we are not able to allow our guests to take a trail by their own. Also, there are no signs or maps of the trails so it would be dangerous for the visitor to walk in the jungle by himself, because they could easily get lost. Anyhow, it´s possible for visitors to paddle in canoes alone in the lagoons and rivers, for as long as they keep in the water they won´t get lost and will be easy to protect and control. We can gladly offer you this activity if you like to explore the jungle for yourself.
Dear Mr,
Thank you very much for writing to Tapir Lodge.
To answer your questions, we would like to know how many days and when are you planning to visit us, so we can give you our rates for this or next year.
Kind regards.
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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