Yachana Lodge, Ecuador

Fly three hours from Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, around snow-capped peaks and over an endless ocean of trees. Land on a runway that more closely resembles a dirt track than tarmac, before riding in the open air of a roofless bus to the local dock. Finally, sail a further two hours up river, being careful to notice, but not scare, the pink dolphins that inhabit the water and the indigenous tribes lining the banks.

Eventually, you’ll arrive at the tropical oasis that is Yachana Lodge, unwilling to leave the adventure of your journey, but eager to embrace the beautiful lodge, the beaming staff and the home-made refreshments laid on especially for your arrival.

Yachana is set deep within the Ecuadorian rain-forest, delicately balanced between the bank of the River Napo, the Amazon river’s largest tributary, and the depths of the forest - a small carving of civilization in an otherwise unspoiled landscape.

The Lodge prides itself on its eco-tourism credentials, and strives to display them to its privileged guests - cacao production and tasting, local social products, visits to tribal priests and many more activities are all offered to the guests. The suites are all sturdily made from local wood, while the dining hall is open air, allowing the lodge’s pets, a monkey and parrot, to join guests for breakfast.

However, the most wondrous gastronomical experience available to guests is also one of the most domestic - chocolate. Made entirely from local cacao beans, sweeten with a touch of juice from a freshly pressed sugar cane, the chocolate is some of the purest in the world and dispatches a taste that will stay with you long after your voyage home.

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by Jack Ratcliffe
Gloobbi Travel
Paris Correspondent

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