Chalalan
Encyclopedia
Chalalan is an ecolodge in the Madidi
National Park of Bolivia
. The lodge sits on the Tuichi river, and can be accessed from within Bolivia by flying to Rurrenabaque
and taking a boat up the Beni River
and Tuichi River
.
Chalalan was envisioned in the mid-1990s by the cooperation of Yossi Ghinsberg and the villagers of San Jose de Uchupiamonas who were used to work as eventual trekking guides in the region. Later on, the community got administrative assistance of Conservation International
and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank
. The lodge is now independently run by the indigenous population of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Chalalan is highly-recommended for travellers who would like wildlife sighting, photography and educational tours. Lake Chalalan and the trip along the Tuichi River offer one of the most spectacular experiences in Bolivia. Great to see wild macaws, white-lipped peccaries, Brazilian Tapir, several species of monkeys and even the elusive jaguar. The lodge is built including indigenous architectural techniques and local materials. Tours include exploring a nice trail system and canoe explorations. The website for Chalalan is: http://www.chalalan.com/
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The most important partner for Chalalan is America Tours (Bolivia), led by Jazmin Caballero and David G. Ricalde; two well-known responsible tourism and conservation consultants in Bolivia and Peru. This Bolivian operator is responsible for selling around 60 to 70% of the arrivals to this ecolodge since 1998, becoming the most important actor that ensured the economic sustainability of the lodge, also the one that positioned Chalalan in international markets. These two ecotourism and conservation consultants came to help efforts from Conservation International and the Inter-American Development Bank in the making of Chalalan by 1997, being responsible for training human resources in services for almost two years in the field, mainly involving skilfull and unemployed women and young members of the community of San José de Uchupiamonas inside Madidi National Park. The trained human resources have been the main foundation and efficient labor force for Chalalan. For more details: http://www.america-ecotours.com/
Madidi
Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and along with nearby protected areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba, and the Manu Biosphere Reserve...
National Park of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. The lodge sits on the Tuichi river, and can be accessed from within Bolivia by flying to Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
and taking a boat up the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
and Tuichi River
Tuichi River
The Tuichi River is a river in the Madidi National Park in the north of Bolivia. The Tuichi River flows through the rainforest and joins the Beni River south of Rurrenabaque....
.
Chalalan was envisioned in the mid-1990s by the cooperation of Yossi Ghinsberg and the villagers of San Jose de Uchupiamonas who were used to work as eventual trekking guides in the region. Later on, the community got administrative assistance of Conservation International
Conservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
. The lodge is now independently run by the indigenous population of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Chalalan is highly-recommended for travellers who would like wildlife sighting, photography and educational tours. Lake Chalalan and the trip along the Tuichi River offer one of the most spectacular experiences in Bolivia. Great to see wild macaws, white-lipped peccaries, Brazilian Tapir, several species of monkeys and even the elusive jaguar. The lodge is built including indigenous architectural techniques and local materials. Tours include exploring a nice trail system and canoe explorations. The website for Chalalan is: http://www.chalalan.com/
----
The most important partner for Chalalan is America Tours (Bolivia), led by Jazmin Caballero and David G. Ricalde; two well-known responsible tourism and conservation consultants in Bolivia and Peru. This Bolivian operator is responsible for selling around 60 to 70% of the arrivals to this ecolodge since 1998, becoming the most important actor that ensured the economic sustainability of the lodge, also the one that positioned Chalalan in international markets. These two ecotourism and conservation consultants came to help efforts from Conservation International and the Inter-American Development Bank in the making of Chalalan by 1997, being responsible for training human resources in services for almost two years in the field, mainly involving skilfull and unemployed women and young members of the community of San José de Uchupiamonas inside Madidi National Park. The trained human resources have been the main foundation and efficient labor force for Chalalan. For more details: http://www.america-ecotours.com/