Madidi wildlife tour at Chalalan ecolodge, Bolivia

Planet

Carbon reduction

The rest of the routines are through hiking on an extensive system of trails that is connected to the ecolodge, small jetties and high viewpoints located in the hills surrounding the ecolodge. Hikes are complemented by rides in small paddle canoes on Lake Chalalan, which allows to observe wildlife without being disturbed.

Solar panels are used to generate power for the hostel facilities that require electricity and water pumping, hot showers and kitchen run on natural gas.

Environment and wildlife

Operations use medium-sized outboard motorboats, for groups of less than 15 people, and this helps us not to impact aquatic ecosystems. Care is taken not to pollute the waters with fuel or motor oils since traveling takes place within the territory of protected natural areas and remote rivers that are not populated by humans.

Care is taken with the management of organic waste. Solid waste is selected and subsequently removed from Lake Chalalan and Madidi National Park, to be disposed of at dedicated waste management sites in large cities.

Fishing routines are not offered for tourists. Feeding wild animals to attract them for pictures is prohibited, also handling of any type of wildlife is not allowed, nor is the cutting of lianas and trees as part of exhibitions during the tours. The fundamental concept of tourism services is that visitors observe wildlife in its natural element, this being the best value of the product offered, resulting in a truly genuine experience to explore the pristine nature of the Amazon forest.

Madidi National Park has been officially recognized as the most biodiverse protected natural area on the planet since 1995. Our operations directly support biodiversity conservation efforts in this national park, also within the Uchupiamonas Indigenous Territory that is also inside this important nature protected area.

People

Local economy

Our tours generate income that benefits the Community of San José de Uchupiamonas, whose most important economy is tourism. International tourists who visit Madidi National Park spend the night at the Chalalan Ecolodge, which is 100% owned by the indigenous community.

For more than two decades, we have been generating employment opportunities for 50 heads of households, including men and women, and young people from the Community of San José de Uchupiamonas, which has approximately 600 inhabitants. We can say that the impact of employment benefits a minimum of 150 people or 25% of the community, which is comparatively a high number that exceeds benefits from any other economic activity all year around. On the other hand, tourists who visit the region pay for the entrance to Madidi National Park and this fund is used to finance conservation actions in Bolivia's system of protected natural areas, which depends on the work of hundreds of park guards.

Employment, inclusivity and diversity

The ecolodge workers are all natives and have been trained to work in operations that cater to medium- to high-spending international tourists, who have an interest in ecotourism, cultural tourism, wildlife or responsible tourism. As the tour visits the cultural landscape of the Uchupiamonas ethnic group, routines that promote cultural exchange are included. This ethnic group has unique traditions that are threatened by cultural extinction, we consider that responsible tourism is possibly the best alternative to ensure its cultural and economic survival. This etnia owns now a private tourism company, a situation that was not possible two decades ago, due to this achievement, this etnia is considered a model of development in Bolivia and in the western Amazon.