Chunaki Ecolodges — Hotel in Leticia

Absolutely loved my stay at Chunaki! Martin, his family, Marta, Fran, and others were so welcoming and helpful to make this a great stay! I echoed the positive sentiment from the other reviewers and wanted to point out a few notes.||1. Transportation: I selected the private pick up and drop off. Martin met me at the airport on arrival and took me on a little tour of the Brazil side of the border on the departure to the airport. Martin drives the boat which is comfortable and covered to protect from the sun, and it’s actually a very fun and exhilarating experience cruising down the waterways on the Amazon!||2. Activities: the team was super thoughtful in planning the activities. I stayed 3 nights which was the perfect amount of time to take things in leisurely (but with something to do as I personally cannot sit still for too long haha). Activities included nature walks to see the sloths and monkeys, watching dolphins, visiting the villages/towns nearby, and canoeing in the Amazon. Martin or Fran took me on the activities and we used a local guide for the two nature walks and I was lucky to see the animals up close. The thigh high rubber boots provided was also a very nice and thoughtful touch as you’ll otherwise be caking your hiking boots in mud. I’d also really like to commend the team for focusing the activities on community based tourism and providing a very authentic experience that is also respectful to nature and the local culture||3. Food: Marta’s cooking was great! she was also just very caring and was like the residential mom. If you eat fish and fruits here you’re getting some super fresh fish and delicious natural juices.||4. Accommodation: very nice quarters that is in harmony with the environment. It’s clean and comfortable and overall very serene. ||5. Language / Translator: I have some basic command of Spanish (and absolutely crap grammar) and was totally fine communicating with Martin and the staff using that and Google translate. I know Chunaki can arrange for a translator with advance notice and in hindsight I wish I took up that opportunity for at least some of the days. I think particularly for the visit to the monkeys at Makuchiga Foundation it would have been great to be able to understand more as the guides are very knowledgeable. I’m only a casual naturalist and found the conservation work and details on the species so interesting. There are also a lot of interesting birds and plants in the area and if that’s your area of interest, I would strongly recommend hiring the translator service||6. Connectivity: starling satellite internet actually works surprisingly well. They turn it on in the evening for a few hours (along with the power) and you can ask if needed at other times, though note they do need to run the generator for that so won’t be a connected at all times thing. I understand the team is working on powering more comprehensively with solar but it is definitely something that takes investment and time. I’m usually glued to my phone at home but really enjoy unplugging for a few days. ||7. The 4 adult dogs, 2 puppies, and one cat also formed the welcoming committee and are very cute. Lassie took a liking to me and guarded my room at night :)||8. Other obvious but potentially useful information: bring a power bank (in case you need charging during the day time), a head torch / flash light, and some heavier duty mosquito repellent to make your nature...

Absolutely loved my stay at Chunaki! Martin, his family, Marta, Fran, and others were so welcoming and helpful to make this a great stay! I echoed the positive sentiments from the other reviewers and wanted to point out a few notes.

Transportation: I selected the private pick up and drop off. Martin met me at the airport on arrival and took me on a little tour of the Brazil side of the border on the departure to the airport. Martin drives the boat which is comfortable and covered to protect from the sun, and it’s actually a very fun and exhilarating experience cruising down the waterways on the Amazon!

Activities: the team was super thoughtful in planning the activities. I stayed 3 nights which was the perfect amount of time to take things in leisurely (but with something to do as I personally cannot sit still for too long haha). Activities included nature walks to see the sloths and monkeys, watching dolphins, visiting the villages/towns nearby, and canoeing in the Amazon. Martin or Fran took me on the activities and we used a local guide for the two nature walks and I was lucky to see the animals up close. The thigh high rubber boots provided was also a very nice and thoughtful touch as you’ll otherwise be caking your hiking boots in mud. I’d also really like to commend the team for focusing the activities on community based tourism and providing a very authentic experience that is also respectful to nature and the local culture

Food: Marta’s cooking was great! she was also just very caring and was like the residential mom. If you eat fish and fruits here you’re getting some super fresh fish and delicious natural juices.

Accommodation: very nice quarters that is in harmony with the environment. It’s clean and comfortable and overall very serene.

Language / Translator: I have some basic command of Spanish (and absolutely crap grammar) and was totally fine communicating with Martin and the staff using that and Google translate. I know Chunaki can arrange for a translator with advance notice and in hindsight I wish I took up that opportunity for at least some of the days. I think particularly for the visit to the monkeys at Makuchiga Foundation it would have been great to be able to understand more as the guides are very knowledgeable. I’m only a casual naturalist and found the conservation work and details on the species so interesting. There are also a lot of interesting birds and plants in the area and if that’s your area of interest, I would strongly recommend hiring the translator service

Connectivity: starling satellite internet actually works surprisingly well. They turn it on in the evening for a few hours (along with the power) and you can ask if needed at other times, though note they do need to run the generator for that so won’t be a connected at all times thing. I’m usually glued to my phone at home but really enjoy unplugging for a few days.

The 4 adult dogs, 2 puppies, and one cat also formed the welcoming committee and are all very cute. Lassie took a liking to me and guarded my room at night :)

Other obvious but potentially useful information: bring a power bank (in case you need charging during the day time), a head torch / flash light, and some heavier duty mosquito repellent to make your nature...

We have just had the most incredible stay at Chunaki, a beautiful and wholesome ecolodge in the Amazon rainforest, near Leticia. Being locally owned and operated by a family, it was an authentic and immersive experience of the jungle, as well as the rich culture and life of these wonderful people.||The actual ecolodges were surrounded by the trees, but spread out enough to be private, and well-built to be protected from wildlife and insects. It was an amazing experience to wake up amongst the jungle sounds and fresh air. We were also fed the most delicious meals, cooked by Aunty Marta, which was one of many highlights. ||Our activities included seeing sloths in their natural habitat which was across the river in Peru. We also went to the nearby monkey sanctuary where we were lucky to see multiple species in their natural habitat. Another highlight was watching pink and grey dolphins breach the water of the Amazon river whilst the sun set. We also visited Puerto Nariño, a charming local town.||Special thanks and huge recommendation to our translator, Daniel (Amazonico), a Leticia local, who we thought was more of a tour guide than translator. He had fantastic and broad knowledge of all things Amazon, and Colombia more widely. He really made the trip for us, as without his excellent English translation, we would’ve struggled to absorb all the detail provided by the local guides.||We would highly recommend Chunaki for a trip to the Amazon and would love to return someday, and bring family and friends with us. We will spread the word far and wide about Chunaki, and wish the family all the best and...