Arrival day – On the first day you will travel to Rurrenabaque (price does not include transportation costs but we can also arrange this separately), usually by a 45 minute flight from La Paz. Upon arrival you will be met by a representative from Chalalan and taken to the Chalalan office for a pre-tour briefing. You should let them know if you have any particular special interests (such as birds, or medicinal plants) during this briefing so the guide can try to accommodate this into your tour. Also if you have any allergies or illnesses that they need to be aware of you should tell them during this meeting. Afterwards you will be taken to your hotel in Rurrenabaque where you will spend the night (hotel accommodations are not included on the first night).
DAY 1
After an early breakfast in your hotel you will be collected by your guide at around 7.15am who will escort you to the waiting boat on the River Beni. The boat is motor powered with comfy seats, roof , life jackets, rain coats and a first aid kit. Maximum seating is for 10 people. The journey to Chalalan eco lodge takes around 5.5 - 6 hours in total and passes through some wonderful jungle scenery including the Bala Gorge. You should see some animals along the way and if you have binoculars it is advisable to bring them with you.You will receive a packed lunch midday through this river trip. Upon arrival to the port of Chalalan you will walk 25 minutes to reach the eco lodge where you will be greeted by the staff and a welcome snack.The staff will then help you with your luggage and show you to your accommodation.
At 2pm there will be lunch served in the dining room and afterwards you can spend some time relaxing in a hammock or swimming in Lake Chalalan. A little later in the afternoon as the midday heat subsides your guide will take you on a walk along the Paraba path to a fantastic view point where you can see a vista of Lake Chalalan, the surrounding Madidi rainforest and the mountains in the distance. Your guide will share his knowledge of the jungle and tell you about the traditional building materials used in the construction of the local buildings. He will explain about the Chalalan community, Madidi national park and the ecolodge project.
Once you arrive back at the lake the group will embark on a canoe trip along the shoreline of the lake where you will see more animals including birds and monkies. Here we will watch the sunset and afterwards return to the ecolodge for a well deserved snack. Dinner will be serving in the dining area at 19.30 and afterwards there will be a short night time excursion to search for caimans, amphibians, nocturnal birds and fish eating bats.
DAY 2
Breakfast is served at 7am in the ecolodge although some guests choose to go out before breakfast for specialist activities such as birding - you can prearrange this with your guide if you wish. After breakfast there is another walk along a trail called "Tapacare" (or another similar length trail) to learn about the rainforest and its wildlife. You will arrange with your guide what areas you would like to cover such as natural history, ecological processes, medicinal plants,animal behaviour and bird or mammal watching. This walk will take most of the morning and you will return to the ecolodge in time for lunch and some time to rest in the hammocks.
At 15.30 you will embark on another walk along a theme path to learn about your chosen interest which you will have discussed with your guide. Afterwards the group returns to the lodge and can learn about the local handicrafts plus see a video about the community.
This evening dinner will be a traditional "dunucuabi" catfish wrapped in leaves or fish a la "tacuara" cooked inside bamboo from the Bolivian Amazon (these dishes depend on availability and may be offered on other nights if more suitable).
later on that night your guide will take you on a night walk to look for and explain the nocturnal animals that live in the rain forest. There are lots of interesting insects, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, birds and monkeys to search for and learn about. The jungle offers a huge variety of sounds at night time and can emphasise just how much life the rainforest is home to.
Depending upon the number of guests staying there may also be a traditional Tacana night of music and dances performed for the guests later on in the evening.
DAY 3
This morning after breakfast at 7am there will be a short walk to spot wildlife before returning to the lodge for lunch at around 11am after which we will say goodbye to the staff and wasl to the river Tuchi to meet with the boat once again for your return journey to Rurrenabaque. As we are going with the flow of the river this return trip only takes around 3 -3.5 hours. You will be able to take some final photos of the beautiful jungle scenery along the way and you should arrive in Rurrenabaque around midday. If you have a flight that afternoon then you will be transferred to the airport in time.