Name: Tambopata Ecolodge
Address: Tambopata National Reserve Puerto Maldonado,, Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado, 17001, Peru
Rating: 9

24-hour reception

Smoking areas

Currency exchange

Smoke-free property

Garden

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Rooms

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Common kitchen

Snack bar

Bottled water

Meals

Airport transportation - pickup

Transfer services

Transfer

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Hiking

Fishing

Recreation

Offsite parking reservations required

Garage

Parking

Next to the beach

Pool and beach

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

At the hotel

Puerto Maldonado Airport

Tambopata Ecolodge

Puerto Maldonado

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

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5-beds

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king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

I write this review not in anger or spite, but to try to help people in the future. My interaction with this tour provider was one of the riskiest and scariest international travel situations I have been in... 

Now that I am safely on the other side, it is also a quite entertaining story:

After one of the greatest experiences of my life hiking the Inca Trail, my sister and I were on a plane to Puerto Maldonado and the rainforest for the next leg of our trip, filled with excitement to see the Peruvian jungle and its flora and fauna.

My sister booked with Yacumama and we were excited to begin our 4 day 3 night stay in their jungle lodge. Email correspondance was a bit tough because no one at the company spoke any english and we only have a bit of spanish, but we were still enthusiastic.

They picked us up (or some guy they knew did anyway) from the airport and they drove us to their office. There we paid about s./800 ($260 USD) each, cash only accepted.

As soon as we paid we were informed that it was too dangerous to boat to the jungle lodge that evening. This wasnt good news, especially because we coordinated several times our arrival time (3pm) and they said it wouldnt be a problem. But, this was their home and expertise, so we differed to their wisdom and agreed to stay at the "hostel" they were to provide. They said it would be "lo mismo," or "the same" as the advertised lodge.

So we sized up rubber boots, threw our bags in the back of the random guy's truck, and set out for the hostel. Our tour operator did not join us in the car, just sent the two of us with his independent driver. He said he would follow, but that meant a little later.

We drove down a dirt road out of town for 45 minutes, the city and civilization quickly getting further and further away. Finally we slowed down near a crazy looking man who was urinating on the side of the road. The driver pulled over and killed the engine.

The man looked to be about 45 or 50 years old, crazy ungroomed hair, and no doubt a little insane. He may or may not have been partially mentally challeneged or ill. His penis was literally in his hand when we first saw him. This was to be our host for the night.

He took our bags without saying anything and led us into his remote, filthy jungle property. He said nothing but a few grunts, and led us through the mud to our shack. There was no one else on the property, and the driver left.

It was immediately unnerving, my sister was terrified. Just us alone with this potential psycho killer on his remote property, no one to hear our screams. It really did feel like a horror movie.

We were shown our filthy room and beds, and left in the main area near an absolutely filthy kitchen. There was nothing to do but wait.

We went upstairs where I began surveying for makeshift weapons in case the man made a move. To our utter dismay, we looked down from the balcony and saw him carrying a large knife. I located a nearby broom stick and began to mentally prepare for a fight to the death. This is not a joke or exaggeration.

Very soon after the man's footsteps came upstairs, toward us.  As he came into the hallway I visually checked his hands: no knife. He began opening the curtains for us, and we instinctually backed away from him. As soon as he went downstairs again, we decided to leave the property.

So we took our small backpacks with our passports and valuables, ditched our larger backpacks filled with clothes and our normal boots (we're now wearing the rubber boots) and walked off the property toward the street. There we would wait for our actual tour operator to arrive, away from the potential killer.

We stood on the dirt road for about 3 minutes before being harrassed by a sickly looking wild dog. As the dog began pestering us we decided to beign walking back to Puerto Maldonado. We were a 45 minute drive down a sketchy dirt road in the amazon rainforest, with the sun going down, no cell phone service, map, local guide or protection, but we decided it was our best option to begin walking.

This was a vulnerable position, we were very eccentric with our white skin and her blonde hair. I instructed my sister to pick up a rock for use as a potential weapon...uneasy times to say the least. After 20 minutes of walking along the side of the road, an empty and unsanctioned bus slowed down and the driver asked us if we needed a ride. This was not a city bus, it was a random man driving a small empty bus down a remote dirt road, asking us if we would like to hitchike with him (he noticed we were walking late in the middle of nowhere).

With the sunlight failing and us being 25 km out of town, we had no choice. Out of options and knowing I could bash his head with a rock as he drove in a worst case situation, we boarded the bus. For 2 soles, he said he would take us to Puerto.

He drove us 30 minutes and eventually he pulled over, outside of town. I paid him and asked him how far to the city center, he said about 5 km. I couldnt understand the rest of his response.

So we got out and started walking in our gum boots again. This part of town looked very sketchy. We hurriedly walked the best direction we could figure, hoping that soon our phone service would return and that we would see tourists. I asked a few locals where the Plaza and tourists would be, several of them lied hoping to secure an unlicensed taxi commission. 

Eventually our phone service returned and we headed toward the Plaza, locals uncomfortably staring at my sister's yellow hair and our inappropriate footwear the entire way. After 20 or 30 more minutes of walking, we arrived in the Plaza de Armas drenched in sweat from the humidity, anxiety,and knee high rubber boots.

The Plaza had police, tourists, and families. We were beyond relieved, despite being soaked in sweat, without our bags of clothes, and without a place to stay for the night. We did not have a phone number to reach Yacumama.

We soon found a dumpy hostel near the Plaza that might as well have been the Four Seasons. We booked a room for the night and emailed Yacumama to refund our money and bring our bags back. They tried to tell us to come to their office but we insisted they come to our hostel. They reluctantly agreed.

We met them outside the hostel and they did not seem to understand the reason we left. After an explanation, I still feel they didnt fully grasp it.

Furthermore, they tried to refund some money but keep s./500 ($160 USD) for the rides from the airport and gas they put into their boat. This was clearly B.S., and after I called them out they gave me back s./300, keeping s./200 for themselves. For $65 USD, I was happy to be rid of this company.

After they left, we got some mediocre food in town and booked a new tour operator in a random office in town. 

The new tour operator was transparent, cheaper, spoke english, and had boats leaving the next day.  We ended up having a truly amazing time with the new tour guide. See my review of Collpas Tambopata Inn for more information on them...I highly recommend them.

Thank you for reading and good luck out there, bring insect repellant!

Terrifying, Awful Experience. Entertaining/Sobering Story. Please read before booking.

This family lodge is a wonderful way to experience the jungle near Puerto Maldonado. Yacumama Tambopata Ecolodge provided an authentic, affordable family experience with activities to learn about the animals, plants, and culture of "la selva."  Pavel was very organized and responsive both before and during the trip. The family was very warm and friendly. I was unprepared, however, for how rustic the accommodations were.  The boat literally docks at a cliff that you climb up and down - without stairs. The bedroom is open to the elements, including the bugs. The bathroom and shower are unfinished platforms with a minimal curtains. The light in our room did not work because the monkeys played with the cords. In addition, there is a lot of down time because most activities are in the morning or evening, rather than the heat of the day. The biggest difficulty, however, was the language barrier.  Pavel spoke only a little English and our Spanish was almost non-existent. Despite this, we spent three days communicating with each other while Pavel acted as our tour guide. It worked better than expected, but there was only so much information we could ask and he could convey without speaking the same language. I would recommend brushing up on your Spanish before staying at Yacumama Tambopata.  It is more accurate to characterize this visit as a home stay, rather than a finished ecolodge. It truly is a one-of-a-kind experience.

One-of-a-Kind Experience

Our stay at the Yacumama lodge was simply great. The lodge is located 3 hours away from the city, and it offers an once-in-a-lifetime experience at the edge of civilization. The lodge is run by a local family who lives there and makes the experience purely authentic. They will prepare the meals and run the tours (parrots, caimans, flora), as they know the sorrounding jungle very well. The price includes everything.

Authentic and unique experience in the middle of the jungle

We stayed there 3 nights and we couldn't recommend enough this place. We've been traveling in Ecuador and Perou for 4 months now and wanted to have an authentic experience in the jungle. It's exactly what we found there with the lovely Marlene, adorable Pawel and Michel the amazing guide. They are offering a family tourism, we were alone with them in the lodge, with wonderful Marlene's parents.
They don't speak English (not yet ;-) ) but they made us feel at home, being extremely patient and helpful with our spanish difficulties. The room is basic, the bed is comfy with a perfect mosquito net and most of all with open windows to hear the marvellous sounds of the jungle at night. The bathroom are fews meters away, completely open too with a simple curtain, it might bother some people but I didn't mind it personally. They have 3 beautiful monkeys living on the place that you can approach and feed. We did many activities : walks in the jungle, visit of a fruits plantation, observation of many different birds species, including macas, kayaking on the river, observation at Caymans at night and tarantula, boat trip on a lake... Not all of them are included in the price, it's better to ask before you book your tour. But everything is totally worthy. The most incredible for me was how passionate they all were. Organization in Peru can be pretty... disorganized haha But they weren't at all !!! Everything was extremely clear and well organized, we didn't wait at any point, everything was kept clean and the food was good and organic. They loved to share their experience of the jungle, and I hope so much they'll keep this passion over the years, for them and for tourists they bring there. We are overwhelmed with the authentic familial experience we had and totally recommend Yacumama Tambopata Ecolodge :-)

An amazing family stay in the jungle

[Positive Side]:
It was quite an interesting experience living in Amazon jungle for a few days.   We had day tour, night tours, boat tours...   We had seen several kinds of monkeys, some birds, snakes, crocodiles, even a jaguar (surprisingly).  But alas, we did not really "see" macaws as shown in their photo, only a quick glance of few tiny points on the rocky shore at a far distance when travelling into the Ecology.   Nevertheless, the family who running this small business had a pet - capybara, likes to following people around whenever possible.  They also have monkeys as pets that likes to hanging around guests, even holding my husband's leg.

[Negative Side]:
Whoever does not speak Spanish need to hire English guide, because the owners do not speak English.   The jungle experience of the English guide is crucial, because the owner does not know too much about the jungle himself.
The young couple who running this small company looks lovely, gentle and kind.  However, at the end, we wonder either there are serious communication issues or we were cheated.   On our arrival, he asked us to pay all the room charge and English tour guide in full to him in advance.   We did and this made us the disadvantaged group later on. 

We reserved the rooms for 5 nights, and had informed the owner of our flight arrival time (1:13pm) and departure time (1:50pm) at Puerto Maldonado.  We expect to go into the jungle that afternoon since my impression it is a 4-hour trip.   But the owner just kept us at town and told us (with google translator) that it was too late because it takes 4 hour bus ride and 4 hour boat ride to get into the jungle site.   So they had us stay at their hostel for the night and go into the jungle the next morning.  We were very unhappy with the situation.  First of all, we could modify our flight time if we knew this situation in advance.  Secondly, it is a poor hostel in town but we were charged US$180 per night for staying inside Amazon jungle.  Third, I start to wonder should we be back one day earlier to catch the flight; then our stay at Amazon will be only 3 nights, instead of 5 nights.  After negotiation through the assistance of our Peru friend (via phone), the owner proposed to reduce the the first night charge to 50% (US$90).  And he stated that it is OK to depart the jungle on the 5th day.   I was quite confused but thinking maybe it is a very early departure from the jungle.  

The next morning we depart with an English tour guide.  Then we found out it was actually 4 hour trip to the site, 30m bus ride and 3.5hrs boat ride (up-stream).   Not 4 hour bus ride plus 4 hour boat ride!   Realizing that they just did not want to go into the jungle on our first arrival day upset us a little.   But knowing that it would take only 3hrs boat ride back to town  (downstream is faster)  also make me relax about not to have leaving too early on the last day.   Considering that we still have 4 more days/nights in the jungle, we did not want to rotten our relationship with the owner.  But we were naive.

On the 4th day, after having 2.5 days exploring of the jungle, we were told to prepare back to town the next morning, because that were all their activities they could provide us in the jungle.  They intend to give us the city tour of  Puerto Maldonado instead, and stay at their hostel for the 5th night.   We were really unhappy about the arrangement but had difficulty to reach our Peru friend since there is no way to contact the outside world.

So we only stay at the jungle for 3 nights.  Though we enjoyed the 3-days-staying, but the reservation/arrangement were originally for 5 nights.  We could not accept the last night at the poor hostel again and forced to have unwanted city tours of Puerto Maldonado for a charge of US$180 plus English tour guide of US$50.   After being sent back to the hostel at noon time, we finally got into contact with our Peru friend.  At the end, the remaining one more day was cancelled but owner only refund us US$90.  We and the English guide took a taxi to a  best hotel in town and it only charge $80 for a night.    

Frankly speaking, we enjoy the 3 day's staying at Amazon.   Its location provides good chances of seeing many wildlife.   Our English tour guide has sharp eyes and is experienced.   But the feeling of being cheated to have our expecting 5 full day's staying at Amazon cut into 3 days unwillingly made us very unhappy.

Great Amazon adventure, but suspecting dishonesty

If you are looking for an adventure experience in the Peruvian jungle but want a few conveniences like a comfortable bed, clean sheets, electricity, and some excellent guides this is the place for you.  Keep in mind this is the jungle, lots of creatures making noise at night and that mosquito net may just come in handy. The photovoltaic array that provides electricity for the lights as well as charge your batteries and devices is carbon neutral, sustainable and absolutely silent. 

Did I mention the tasty food prepared and beautifully presented with native ingredients?  Madelay is not only a great guide, she is an excellent cook and a real artist with her floral decorations and meal plates. 

Pavel and Madelay, the owners, were wonderful hosts and both had uncanny skills for spotting wildlife.  They spotted a jaguar, many types of monkeys, birds, snakes, capybaras, caiman in addition to a host other critters and plants. I was able to see and taste fruits from the jungle I can’t even find in an internet search.  When I told them I liked th herba louisa tea they brewed and asked about it the next night, Pavel grabbed a flashlight and went out to cut some more. 

We went out one night in the boat looking for caiman. These reptiles are the crocodiles of the Amazon jungle. Their eyes are highly reflective and they hunt for food in the river at dusk. We found one with a flashlight and Anthony, one of the guides tried unsuccessfully to catch it.  The next night, to my surprise and delight, while I waiting for dinner, they showed up with a small one for me to see, photograph and actually touch. 

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