Amazon Rainforest Lodge.- Explorers Inn

In 1975 Peruvian Safaris (PS) bought from the Peruvian government 105 hectares of land where it built the Explorer's Inn Amazon Lodge. It started to receive guests in 1976 and will this year complete 22 years of operating in ecotourism in what is now the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone in Puerto Maldonado, Perú. In July 1977 the Peruvian government created the 5,500 hectare Tambopata Reserved Zone (TRZ) and charged PS as its custodian. Because of preliminary reports by Robert Ridgely, Theodore Parker III, John O'Neill on the high diversity of bird species, a Floral & Faunal Survey was made sponsored by the National Geographic Society, U.S. National Museum, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, W.W.F. and PS in November 1979. The participants included Dr. L. H. Emmons as mamologist, Dr. G. S. Hartshorn as botanist, Dr. R. McDiarmid as herpetologist, Dr. D. L. Pearson & Dr. G. Lamas as entomologists, Dr. T. Parker as ornithologist and 3 Peruvian biologists. In their report they concluded that because of the species richness of the area, the number of not described species and the existence of a population of rare and endangered species the need to preserve and significantly enlarge the protected area was made obvious.

In 1978 PS created its Resident Naturalist Program (RNP) with which it gave free room and board to graduated biologists interested in doing research in the Amazon rainforest lodge with the aim to inventory the flora & fauna of the TRZ, to foster in PS's staff and native neighbors a conscious nature conservation mentality and to develop means that wildlife can be effectively observed by the tourists.

In December 1984 PS was awarded the International Trophy of Tourism & Hotelerie granted by Spain's Trade Leader's Club and in May 1986 received the Institutional Conservation Award (now the Barbara Acchilles Award) granted by the Banco Continental and APECO (Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza).

Environmental Commitment

It is generally recognized that PS was the first to operate an ecotourism venture in the area and it can be said without exaggerating also the first to make the concept of conservation known to the natives and people of Puerto Maldonado. Through its Resident Naturalist Program and its Amazon Lodge, PS was successful in conciliating ecotourism with conservation and research. The many publications of the research made by its Resident Naturalists attracted the world's attention to this unique area now accepted to be the highest in biodiversity on earth. It was also due to this that the Peruvian government protected initially only 5,500 hectares surrounding the Explorer's Inn Amazon Lodge by creating the Tambopata Reserved Zone, which was increased in 1990 to 1'480,000 hectares with the creation of the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, which in 1996 was split in 2: the core now the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park and surrounding it the Tambopata National Reserve. The Explorer´s Inn Amazon Lodge is the only in the area within the boundaries of the TNR and it is well known that all this would have not been possible without the research and educational work done at the EI lodge by Peruvian Safaris in its 30 years of operations in the area.

Being the Explorers Inn´s Amazon rainforest lodge the gateway to the Tambopata National Reserve and the BS National Park , PS for many years had the project of some day being able to install a biological Research Station at its property. As sort of a dream becoming true, PS finally succeeded in interesting and persuading the head of Peru´s Catholic University PUCP in the project and signed with the university an agreement by which PS gave it in concession for 99 years without cost 60 hectares of its property on the condition that the PUCP builds and implements on it the above mentioned research station. The PUCP is the second oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in Perú.

In average PS gives free to its Resident Naturalists 25% of its total bed/nights in the Amazon rainforest lodge per year and maintains the best of the relations with its native neighbors from whom it buys all what it needs in what they produce (fruits, building materials, etc.) and who also have first priority when it is necessary to hire somebody for its permanent staff.

In 1985, former Resident Naturalists created in England an NGO named the Tambopata Reserve Society - TReeS with the purpose to help in the protection of the area and to assist the native communities financially and with advice in their efforts to improve their lot without the destruction of their natural resources.

PS started at the Explorer's Inn Amazon rainforest lodge several programs of applied science of which a precise initiative is the AMETRA (Application of Traditional Medicine) program which was handed over to the natives once operative who built and run now the Nape Center. Two other programs of applied science - a butterfly farm and the Mayan gardens project - were also started but so far only the first was in the condition to be implemented.

Environmental impact of tourism in the area

So far have we been very successful in minimizing the impact of tourism in the area, being prove of this statement the preliminary results of an impact study which is being done by a group of researchers sponsored by TreeS called the TreeS-Ramos project and which was started in early 1997 and will end in 1998. Also is prove of it in the daily practice the increment in the recording of sightings of most mammal species, including some of the endangered species as are bush dogs, giant river otters, etc. and also jaguars which now can be seen more often while they were seldom seen before.

In what refers to our conservation policies can we say the following: We have limited our lodging capacity to the 60 beds we have in the Amazon rainforest lodge since we started. The size of most of the groups visiting the EI are between 12 to 15 passengers being the guide to client ratio 1 to 10. In what refers to waste disposal our policy is to dispose only the biodegradable materials at a particular place at our premises which are either buried or left to be taken care of by the vultures. All the non biodegradable materials are transported to Puerto Maldonado and handed over to the local garbage disposal authorities.

Cultural Sensitivity and Benefits

During the time PS was officially Custodian of the Tambopata Reserved Zone and its guests visited regularly the nearest native community's village, it contributed with an agreed amount of money per visitor given in agriculture tools and other necessary equipment for the community. The natives sold handicraft to the tourists. Unfortunately this agreement was interrupted when new community leaders asked us to stop visiting the village. After that PS contributed with toys it sent for the children for Christmas, and providing books and all materials necessary for the children in their classrooms when school started. Now are we in contact with a Medical University in Lima, working out an agreement to have a recently graduated physician living at the Explorer's Inn and providing free medical assistance for the native community and the neighbor farms. The native community members and native neighbors have first priority to fill the vacancies in the permanent staff at the Explorer's Inn and as suppliers of its necessities of their local produce.

The Resident Naturalist Program

We maintain a minimum of 4 to 6 graduated biologists and/or ecologists as Resident Naturalists permanently at the Explorers Inn Amazon rainforest lodge. While they work mostly on their own research project they all used to perform as tour guides for our visitors though due to new regulations guiding has to be done by official Peruvian eco guides. Now RNs train these Peruvian guides in rainforest matters and improve their English speaking skills but are still available by the guests during the meals in order to talk about what they have seen on their hikes and/or to absolve their questions, guaranteeing by this professional assistance for them. We assign 1 guide for maximum 10 guests who is at their disposal during their whole stay. At the evening the RNs and our guides take turns to give a lecture either about their research project or on any subject related to the Amazon rainforest. A small library is available at the lodge where guests can read about their experiences in the field. We have also several booklets which have been prepared by former RNs and in which we inform in plain language many things our guests can read about the history of the region and our company as well as of what they can see on the river trip or on the trails Rubber boots are provided to most guests for their walks, though occasionally we are short in large sizes difficult to find in Peru.

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