The mass tourism that I experienced the first time was totally different to what I lived with the Ecotourism of Yoi Ecotours and our incredible guide Bacilio.
On more than one occasion the tours left me breathless, I had direct contact with the Amazon jungle, indigenous communities, surreal landscapes and more.
My favorite moments; the 360 degree sunset while an indigenous Ticuna told us stories and we swam through the imposing Lake Tarapoto, holding caimans while touring nocturnal landscapes that look like they were taken from a movie, playing with primates rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking and interacting with insects that ranged from tarantulas to the biggest cockroaches in the world.
If you are looking for a true Amazon adventure, this is undoubtedly what you will get on this trip.
I wont get into more details because it is an experience that you definitely have to experience yourself.
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
- Authentic Amazon Ecotourism & Eco Lodging.
It is not easy to find this kind of experience, the Amazon is full of Tours and hotels that do a lot of damage to their fauna and territories. The location of the lodge is surrounded by forest in the middle of the jungle and the work that YOI does for its conservation is evident.
- Customized tours
I loved the possibility of customizing my tours and being able to choose the experiences I wanted, besides the guides are incredibly trained to provide the best service and give you a very educational and fun visit.
- Translation of the Tours.
We had an interpreter who accompanied us throughout the experience, so we could understand and communicate without problem with those who did not speak English.
- Interactive experiences
In my past experience of mass tourism the tours were more to see than to interact, with Yoi not only saw pink dolphins, I had the opportunity to swim with them.
- Total disconnect from technology.
The fact that there was no electricity in the lodge made our trip more interesting, I had moments totally disconnected from all tech. There was however candlelight and it is advisable to take it with you a headlamp. If you need to recharge an electronic device you can do it on one of the visits to the communities, your guide can definitely help you with this.
Cons:
- If you are addicted to Instagram or fb then you will probably go into withdrawal during your stay
-The food is yummy but pretty basic.
- Interaction with wildlife is not always voluntary as there are a fair number of insect that especially at night may land on you. The cabins are fairly bugfree however and you need not worry when you are in bed as all of the beds of mosquito nets.
Would he return to Yoi?
My best friend and I are planning our next visit!
100% recommended!
U can visit them here: http://www.yoiecotours.com
And here is their Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co/Hotel_Review-g7340776-d2426768-Reviews-Yoi_EcoLodge-San_Martin_de_Amacayacu_Amazonas_Department.html
