Chuncho Lodge

The macaw clay lick was the clear highlight of our five-day, four-night tour, which we booked directly with chuncho Lodge. We saw lots of birds, along with caiman, capybara, and other animals. Sandoval lake was much better than I expected, with so many birds and, luckily, otters too, though those aren't guaranteed. The lake itself is beautiful, and even going there alone would be worth it to me. El gato clay lick and the mammal clay lick were quieter visits, but that's wildlife watching for you. Our guides, Gabriel and Santos, were friendly, knowledgeable, and worked hard to keep each activity interesting even when we didn't spot animals. Much depends on luck and timing, since this is a jungle, not a zoo, but they pointed out plants and wildlife while we walked or traveled by boat. The lodge is surrounded by jungle, with comfortable cabins and forest viewing areas. Staff were very friendly. A few things could be better: the food was basic for a higher-priced lodge, the pool was only ever half full and the area was untidy, and it would have helped to have pool towels in the rooms instead of using bath towels. Construction noise also interrupted the forest sounds. The Sandoval Lake accommodation was much more bare bones than chuncho Lodge, so expect three nights in the nicer lodge and one pretty basic night, though the food there was better. It was a great trip, largely thanks to the guides. For a slow, relaxed pace, the five-day tour is worth the extra cost. If you only want the highlights and want to save money, three days is enough.

Esau was a brilliant guide, especially at spotting and identifying birds and other animals. We really appreciated his effort. The Chuncho Lodge staff were lovely too, and please say hello to Juan. We had good local food in a spacious central house, and the garden was a great place to rest. A breeze off the river made the heat more bearable. Our cabin for three nights at Chuncho Lodge was great, which helped offset the tour description misrepresenting the Sandoval Lake lodge. The listing said Sandoval Lake Lodge, but we were given the less comfortable Casa Sandoval. At least the change supported a local family, but it should have been explained beforehand. Even so, it was a 10 out of 10 experience at a reasonable price.

We enjoyed the walks and river outings with our knowledgeable, experienced guide. He could identify birds by their calls and always tried to get us closer to the animals while keeping a respectful distance. We took the 4D3N tour in Nov 2025. Chuncho lodge is comfortable, has a good range of food, and has an observation tower nearby where we could watch birds. They also provided boots for walking on muddy ground in rainy weather. Some promised activities, including piranha fishing and swimming in the river, didn't happen. By the time we realized they weren't going ahead, we were told they were no longer possible. The place they put us up at Lake Sandoval was also quite poor. We expected bugs in nature, but there were so many that they covered the bathroom floor and eventually our clothes. It was extremely hot, and we couldn't open the windows because of the bugs.

For a very reasonable price, we had a great all-inclusive stay at Chuncho lodge. Our guide, Gabriel, knew an incredible amount. We saw capybara, caiman, tarantulas, macaws, river otters, and lots of other animals. The rooms were basic, but clean.