EXPLORER’S INN

Built in 1975, Explorer’s Inn is the oldest eco-lodge in Puerto Maldonado and has a comfortable, worn-in feel. The thatched wood bungalows have foam mattresses, bamboo walls, simple bathrooms, and no hot water, and are lit by candles at night. They are comfortable but not luxurious. The central dining room is made entirely of wood and has an upstairs library with a number of exhibits and animal samples left behind by biologists who have worked here over the decades.

Compared to other Amazon lodges, Explorer’s Inn has the best combination of convenience, prices, and biodiverse rainforest. It is the only lodge within the Reserva Nacional Tambopata, and it has exclusive rights to 5,500 hectares of pristine rainforest that began as a private reserve and has since been incorporated into the new Reserva Nacional Tambopata (the private property of the lodge is 105 hectares). The owner, Max Gunther, speaks flawless English and has been a leading figure in Peruvian conservation for three decades.

Biologists have proclaimed the 5,500 hectares surrounding the lodge to be “the most biodiverse place on the planet” because of a number of Guiness World Records that have been set there for animal species, including 500 bird species and 1,235 types of butterflies. Though the lodge is not a research station per se, many biologists come here to do research and lead visitors on guided walks in exchange for their room and board.

There are 37 km of well-marked trails that lead to huge tracts of virgin forest, a small macaw clay lick, and two lakes where giant otters live. In one two-hour walk, we saw 20 bird species, including macaws and toucans, howler monkeys, otters, and a meter-long coral snake. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, and most tours include a visit to a farm in the nearby community of La Torre. The lodge also arranges other trips, including a mystic adventure with an ayahuasca session, a trip to the macaw clay lick on the Río Tambopata, a six-night birdwatchers program, and a variety of camping trips with the chance of waiting at a tapir salt lick at night. The lodge is 3.5 hours upstream from Puerto Maldonado (in Lima tel. 01/447-8888, safaris@amauta.rcp.net.pe, www.peruviansafaris.com, $180 for normal two-night stay).