Accommodation
Cristalino Jungle LodgeAlta Floresta, Southern Amazon, Brazil
Cristalino Jungle Lodge has been built up through the dedication of its owners to become the centre of a vital Private National Nature Reserve (RPPN) totalling almost 11,500 hectares at the southern end of the Amazon Rainforest.
The main lodge building and guest bungalows have been carefully designed using timber and other local materials, with natural ventilation, solar heating and natural waste treatment to minimise its environmental impact. The rooms are spacious, built of wood with ceramic tile floors and provide a haven of comfort with the rainforest. The restaurant has great views of the surrounding forest, serves Brazilian cuisine, deserts that showcase the fruits of the Amazon and has a full wine list. The bar area has an outdoor deck with an open fire at night; perfect for relaxing after a long day.
There are two steel observation towers which are over 50 meters high allowing guests to spot an extraordinary variety of colourful tropical birds both above and at various levels of the rainforest canopy. Other excursions include jungle walks and boat trips on the Cristalino and Teles Pires Rivers, and the lodge organises specialist bird watching and photography courses on request. There are several flagship species of Brazilian flora and fauna that can be seen here including harpy eagles, giant river otters and white-whiskered spider monkeys. The elevated height of the surrounding rainforest means that it doesn’t flood so that walks along forest trails are possible at all times of the year.
The reserve is a vital buffer zone between the pressures of deforestation to the south and the unmolested rain forest to the north and therefore plays an important role in Amazon rain forest conservation. It is a truly remarkable place to stay in a degree of comfort and isolation.