Comfortable Sandoval Lake Lodge has a privileged location on Lago Sandoval, a crystal-clear lake fringed with muriti palms and teeming with aquatic birds. The lodge’s operator, InkaNatura, often combines a trip to this lodge with a sister operation near the Bolivian border, the Heath River Wildlife Center.

The Sandoval Lake Lodge has clean rooms made of recycled cedar, with electricity and hot water. The lake itself is an enchanting place, especially when waters turn pink and orange with the sun’s rising and setting, forming a perfect mirror for the elongated palms at the water’s edge.

About 30 bird species, mostly aquatic, can be seen on a typical boat ride, including several species of kingfisher, herons, and egrets. There are giant otters on the lake, but they are hard to see. Trails from the hotel’s backyard lead into the Reserva Nacional Tambopata, which backs up against the property.

Reaching Sandoval Lake Lodge is the best part. Boats drop guests off at a dock, from where they walk three kilometers through a jungle lane flitting with butterflies. Then guests board a canoe, which is paddled across the lake to the lodge. Each leg of the journey—motorboat, walking, and canoe—takes about 45 minutes.

Sandoval Lake Lodge is the result of a deal struck in 1996 with the Mejía family, who homesteaded around the lake in the 1950s and now operate their own lodging nearby, Casa Hospedaje Mejía. A two-night program costs US$190 and can be booked through InkaNatura Travel (Lima tel. 01/440-2022, www.inkanatura.com, two days/one night US$178–198 pp) or in the United States through Tropical Nature Travel (tel. 877/827-8350, www.tropicalnaturetravel.com).