YARINA Eco Lodge♡

Guest review

10.0

Die Yarina Eco Lodge war überwältigend!!Die Führungen zu Fuß und mit dem Boot mit Livio sind phantastisch gewesen und unvergesslich !!! Wir würden es immer wieder buchen. Das Personal und das Essen waren toll, freundlich und sehr lecker.

Incredibile you will get fully immersed in the rain forest

10.0

Location was great in the middle of the forest, the staff is exceptional

− Nothing

An excellent introduction to the the Ecuadorian section of the Amazon basin that is easy to get to.

10.0

This spectacular 3rd generation family run eco-lodge is in a 400 hectare private jungle on the south side of the Napo river. Included in the price was an excellent guide (Wilson) provided by the lodge who we shared with another couple. Wilson took us on day and night hikes, canoe tours and trips to local people, We saw many different bird species, multiple monkey species, lots of interesting insects, frogs etc. A truly magical place despite being only a short boat ride from the nearest city and airport (Coca). The main lodge is beautiful, the food was excellent and the cabins clean and really cute. When booking through booking.com don't be surprised if you are contacted by the Yuturi conservation group and asked to pay through wetravel.com, rather than directly interacting with the lodge,. It's all legit and there was someone from Yuturi waiting at the airport when we arrived.

− The lodge is not part of the Yasuni National Park.

Sweet spot for three nights, four nights were too many...

8.0

Set your expectations. Going to the Galapagos on this same trip? Come here first. Back story, my wife and I went to the Galapagos for a week and were blown away by all the critters. Then we came here. You have to work a lot harder to see animals here and if you just left the Galapagos, you could be in for a let down. The staff and food were great, the lack of animals just made for a long four days. Henry our guide was wonderful but working so hard to find animals made for some long outings.

Lovely place, ridiculous extra costs

6.0

The bungalows, the lodge, and the grounds were beautiful and well-maintained. The location, and access by boat, is enchanting. However, the rooms do not meet the standard of luxury you would expect anywhere else for the same price. The bathroom, for example, was worn down, and the shower really didn’t have hot water. It felt more like glamping. So, what you are paying for is the experience - all meals included, pick-up and transportation to and from the airport, the guided activities, and the equipment (they provide the rubber boots that you absolutely need for walking in the jungle). But still, it seemed considerably more expensive than other eco-lodges in the area, and I’m not quite sure if that difference was justified. I will say that all of the staff members we came in contact with were wonderful, especially our guides Eddy and Winter, and also the kitchen and wait staff.

− The director / administrator seemed a little shifty. He came out and greeted us our first day and said a few words in English, but he seemed to prefer dealing with us through other staff rather than directly, even in Spanish. And, why is this place charging extra for wi-fi? I get that there is a price to bringing civilization to the jungle, but at the rate they are charging per night, it should be included already. It seemed a little cheapskatey to charge an extra $10 per PERSON to use the wifi. Not only that, but they asked us to pay our accommodation fee and extras via an online link. So, I need to access wifi to pay my bill, but you’re also going to charge me extra to do that?? Furthermore, when booking the accommodation, I had to provide a credit card to hold the reservation. So I naturally assumed that the lodge has the capability to process credit card payments. But instead, they are sending the customer a link to a third-party platform that charges a service fee just to process the payment, plus an additional 12% fee to pay by credit card (rather than bank transfer). WTF? When we went to ask if there was any way to pay the hotel directly with a card (as in any normal establishment) to avoid those outrageous fees, we were told sure, no problem. So we gave a card to pay, and they confirmed the total with us, but they basically just used a cell phone to access the same third-party platform which added in all the extra fees anyway, but without our agreeing to it, and they ran the charge. A long discussion ensued, and the director (through another staff member - he did not come talk to us directly) said they would refund us the difference (the added fees). However, we have yet to see that refund. I get that there is a cost to using credit cards in the jungle, but if you’re running a place like this and catering to foreign tourists at foreign prices, then you should invest in proper credit card processing tools or else just absorb the fees.

Guest review

10.0

Staff was excellent in helping me adjust and also help me in getting a tour guide last minute. My room upgrade was wonderfully amazing and everything was very clean. Breakfast was delicious and I really enjoyed my time here. My experience in Machupicchu was incredible and this hotel made it perfect! Highly recommend this hotel to anyone coming to Machupicchu!