As the sun sets and you are hungry once again from your day of adventure and hiking, you will be able to dine on some of the Amazon's most luscious fruits and other abundant foods. You can enjoy juicy tropical fruits, such as the guava, the banana, the papaya, the abui and the unrivaled mamey sapote.
Also, straight from the beautiful Amazon Basin rivers are local fish baked, fried, boiled and sautéed, all in the traditional Amazonian way. Or on occasion a wild boar hunted by the natives might also be available. One place to stay is in one of the few Cuyabano reserve lodges, which are located on the vast Cuyabano reserve. This reserve is the largest reserve in Ecuador and takes up a total of 6000sq miles. The entire reserve is in the Amazon basin and is teaming with numerous amounts of flora and fauna. It has a total of 500 recorded species of birds, some of which are direct descendants of dinosaurs.
The available lodges range from old time rustic lodges to modern hotels. This reserve is great for the avid bird lover.
Yet another fabulous lodge is the La Selva Lodge. This lodge is as close to nature as you could possibly get and has won the ecotourism award. The hotel includes 17 cabanas, a bar, a lounge, a dining area and a hammock hut for naps. Also part of the lodge is a massive butterfly farm and a 135 foot observation tower. This butterfly farm was the first of its kind in South America and contains tens of thousands of butterflies. Some other activities are tours to Garzacocha Lake and across the Napo river. Once you have seen all the lodge has to offer, you may continue on to the lodges camping area.
What is there to do for fun in the Amazon? In fact there are endless activities and tours to participate in. One activity is to zip line across the leafy canopy and view from above the birds, insects and tree clinging monkeys. For the more patient adventurer, there is river fishing where you can catch piranhas, bass, and if you're lucky a pirachu. Or for the more land going person there are peaceful walks through the forest, where wildlife may stray across your trail, thus giving you a chance to take a picture and save the moment for life. A trip to the Amazon is all about enjoying the natural beauty of it all!
