Top rainforest and jungle lodges
Published on: July 15th, 2024
Last updated: November 22nd, 2024
These wonderful, eco-friendly jungle lodges of South America and South East Asia afford wildlife enthusiasts the chance to spot rare and incredible animals in their natural environment. Tucked away in the rainforest, often the journey to reach the lodges – sometimes by boat or canoe – is all part of the experience. Check out our top selection:
8. Yacutinga Lodge
Argentina, Misiones Rainforest
In Argentina’s Misiones Rainforest, Yacutinga Lodge is just two hours from the stunning Iguazu Falls and surrounded by 570 hectares of protected rainforest. The accommodation is more on the rustic side than some other eco-lodges in South America, but the environment makes ‘roughing it’ entirely worthwhile, with rare orchids, toucans, howler monkeys, vibrant butterflies, hundreds of bird species, and caimans to be spotted. In addition, the bilingual guides and local tribesmen are superbly knowledgeable about the rainforest and its flora and fauna.
7. Anavilhanas Lodge
Brazil, Amazon
On the banks of the Rio Negro in Brazil, this Amazon lodge – one of the newest in the region – allows guests to stay right next to Anavilhanas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whilst taking advantage of the luxuries of Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge, including the tranquil pool overlooking the river. From the lodge, explorers can visit the river’s pink dolphins, hike through the jungle with local guides, go piranha fishing in a canoe, and explore the world’s largest river archipelago of over 400 islands.
6. Pancuare Jungle Lodge
Costa Rica, Pacuare Reserve
Tucked into 740 acres of Costa Rican primary rainforest, Pacuara Jungle Lodge is the perfect luxury setting from which to spot toucans and howler monkeys, hop on a rafting tour down the Pacuare River, and spot dazzling birds on a canopy tour, as you zip-line through the treetops.
5. Abai Jungle Lodge
Borneo, Sandakan
On Malaysian Borneo’s Kinabatangan River, the Abai Jungle Lodge is set on stilts by the water and affords incredible opportunities for spotting orang-utans, otters, langur monkeys and birds, largely due to the fact that it is so remote and only reachable via boat. The journey’s well worth it though, as guests will surely appreciate as they watch the agile orang-utans swinging through the trees from the lodge’s observation decks.
4. Napo Wildlife Center
Ecuador, The Amazon
On the banks of the Napo River, this lodge – set in the Yasunì National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – is one of the most environmentally friendly in Ecuador, which makes it a great base for exploring the Amazonian rainforest. Reached by canoe, the wildlife centre is near one of the only macaw clay licks in the area, and visitors might spot giant otters, ocelots, tapirs, monkeys, and various exotic bird species during their stay. A stand-out feature of the Napo Wildlife Center is the really excellent guiding and its observation tower for sublime views across the canopy, 130-feet above the ground.
3. Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Borneo, Danum Valley
An award-winning lodge in Malaysian Borneo’s Danum Valley, the Borneo Rainforest Lodge sits on the banks of the Danum River and is surrounded by lowland rainforest, home to orang-utans and Asian elephants. Alongside its conservation projects, the lodge offers jungle treks, nighttime drive-safaris, and tree-top canopy tours across the elevated walkways that provide guests with an incredible, unique perspective of the jungle.
2. Mashpi Lodge
Ecuador, The Cloud Forest
Set high up in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Mashpi Lodge is a stunning steel and glass structure that affords guests a luxurious base amid 3,200 acres of dense rainforest and gushing waterfalls. Led by the lodge’s biologists, there are daily expeditions through the lush hills, home to the elusive puma, during which guests might spot some of the area’s 500 types of bird, 200 butterfly species, dozens of orchid varieties, monkeys and peccaries. Unique to the property is the Sky Bike, a truly immersing and fun experience of the forest, where two guests can cycle the bike along a cable through the forest and across a gorge.
1. Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, has the privilege of sharing its home with 330 mountain gorillas. A really special lodge with only eight bedrooms and breathtaking views across the forest, Clouds might take a bit of time to reach, but it couldn’t be more worth it. With opportunities to track gorillas and explore this remote environment, visitors will also get to spend time in the only forest in Africa (and the world) where gorillas and chimpanzees co-exist.
