Madidi National Park in Bolivia, established in 1995, is one of the world's most biodiverse parks. Covering an area of 1.8 million hectares, this park hosts an incredible variety of flora and fauna, including thousands of plant species, hundreds of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. The park's boundaries span from the lush lowlands of the Amazon to the majestic mountain peaks of the Andes. Despite its natural beauty, Madidi National Park faces challenges, ranging from mining operations to poaching. In this blog, we will delve deeper into the tour options within the park and the experience of a 4-day jungle trek with the tour operator Mashequipe, which provides visitors with the opportunity to explore this astounding wilderness
Additionally, we will also focus on Rurrenabaque, the gateway to Madidi National Park. This town, situated on the banks of the Alto Beni River, provides a pleasant base for travelers who are venturing into the park and its wetlands. We will discuss accommodation options in Rurrenabaque, as well as dining and drinking establishments in the town.
MADIDI NATIONAL PARK
Established in 1995, Madidi National Park is renowned as Bolivia's most biodiverse park and is even considered by some researchers to be the most biodiverse in the world. This expansive park covers 1.8 million hectares and hosts an astonishing variety, including over 8,000 plant species, more than 250 mammal species, over 1,200 bird species (equivalent to 14% of all globally recorded bird species), 200 reptile species, and 500 fish species. The local population, originally migrating from the Andes Mountains, speaks the Quechua language. Within the park, one can also find indigenous communities such as the Takana and the isolated Toromona tribe. The park's geographic scope spans from the lowland Amazon forests at 180 meters above sea level to the mountain peaks of the Andes, situated at 5,760 meters above sea level.
CHALLENGES
Madidi is a unique place to experience the Amazon in its natural state. Unfortunately, over the years, the park has faced various challenges, ranging from an increase in mining operations that pollute the remote parts of the park and the rivers leading to Rurrenabaque to jaguar poaching. The park has also long served as a drug trafficking route from Peru, but with the rise of small aircraft, such operations have nearly disappeared. Recently, a documentary titled "Tigre Gente," produced by National Geographic, highlighted the issue of jaguar poaching in this park, featuring the former head ranger. As of the time of writing, this documentary is unfortunately only available in Bolivia. If you're interested, you can visit their Instagram page through this blog link. Also, be sure to read our blog about the remarkable Biosferica Del Beni nature reserve, where we spent two weeks with the former head ranger of Madidi. Explore this unique yet exceptional way to visit the park.
SERERE
In addition to the former head ranger, there was another remarkable individual in the park who stood against all these threats: Rosa Maria Ruiz. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of Madidi Park. In its early years, Ruiz lived in the park and managed a jungle lodge. Due to her critical stance towards SERNAP (the organization overseeing all parks in Bolivia) and its shortcomings in combating illegal logging and poaching, the threats escalated to the point that she had to leave the park after her jungle lodge was set on fire. Nevertheless, she remained determined and started her own reserve, Serere, a three-hour boat ride from Rurrenabaque. Today, this reserve is highly regarded for its biodiversity and the opportunity to spot wildlife, even more so than the areas where tour operators operate in Madidi National Park. Be sure to visit their website through this link to consider experiencing the Amazon through their reserve.
TOUR OPERATORS
Most of the larger and more well-known tour operators have offices in Rurrenabaque. Within the park, each tour operator is assigned a specific area in which they operate. This means that with each tour operator, you will explore a different part of the jungle. These designated areas are not far from Rurrenabaque; most tour operator areas are reachable within a 3-hour boat ride. There are some differences among the operators, such as group size and the associated prices. The luxury of jungle lodges and the quality of guides also vary by operator. Not all operators work with local guides, and at times, there are groups of 6 to 8 people.
MASHEQUIPE
To be honest, we didn't take the time to compare different operators. We received advice from the former head ranger of Madidi to book our tour through Mashequipe. This is a relatively new organization founded by a former park ranger of Madidi. They work exclusively with local guides and have a beautiful jungle lodge. Moreover, their prices are reasonable, and the groups are small and personal. In our case, it was just the two of us and the guide. Our guide also spoke very positively about the organization, particularly their collaboration with the local community, in contrast to most other organizations. Their designated jungle area is significantly larger and offers various viewpoints across the entire region. While we didn't go to the pampas section with Mashequipe, other travelers told us that they also have one of the better areas there and take more remote routes on the river, increasing the chances of spotting wildlife. Visit their website hier.
Mashequipe is highly flexible and can accommodate all your preferences. For example, you can do a combination tour to explore both the jungle and the pampas, or, like us, only the jungle tour. Additionally, depending on the time you have, you can choose the number of days. A common choice is 4 to 5 days. Of course, there is also room for 2 days, such as jungle or pampas only. If your budget and time are generous, and you want to experience the real jungle in the northern part of the park, Mashequipe also offers custom tours of up to 28 days.
Because we were recommended to choose this tour operator and also heard positive stories from guides, as opposed to stories about other operators, we are sticking with Mashequipe. Moreover, the prices are not very different when compared to other operators. For instance, the Dolphins Tour is only a few tens of dollars lower. If you don't mind, for example, sharing a bathroom in the lodge or staying in a dormitory, this can also save costs. However, you need to inquire about this yourself. In the image above, you can see the map of the Mashequipe area and the prices at the time of writing. For two people, look under the 3 PAX table, and this is the price per person based on the number of days you want to go.
THE JUNGLE TOUR
As we were traveling through the eastern part of Bolivia and the Pantanal of Brazil, the option for the jungle tour alone was the best choice for us. We opted for the 4-day jungle tour, with the added bonus of camping by the river on the last night in a self-built camp. Additionally, Mashequipe has quite an extensive area, allowing for a round trip through the region in 4 days. If you decide to go for 5 days, you venture deeper into the area to a camp at the end of their territory.
DAY 1
On the first day, you depart early from their office in Rurrenabaque by boat, heading into the park. After about an hour of boating, you enter the park at the end of the Andes Mountains. Following a brief stop at the park rangers' station to present your entrance ticket, you continue your journey on the Alto Beni River. The first stop of the tour is a visit to the local community, the community of our guide, Luiz. After getting acquainted with the community, offering a brief photography lesson to the local children, and sampling homemade sugarcane juice, we proceeded by boat towards the Mashequipe camp.
After another hour of boating, you arrive at the shores of the Mashequipe area and are greeted by the lodge's staff after a short walk. The grounds are spacious, featuring a large communal area where you enjoy meals together. Various bungalows on the premises provide accommodation for the overnight stay. These bungalows are roomy and comfortable. The food is fantastic and quite flavorful, which you might not expect in the heart of the jungle. After lunch, we embarked on a jungle hike to one of the viewpoints. Following dinner, we went on a short night hike to spot wildlife.
If you choose the trekking option, you'll spend the first night at the lodge. The second night, you'll sleep at a small camp in the jungle, and the third night, you'll stay at another camp or on the riverbanks in a self-built camp.
DAY 2
After breakfast at the lodge, we packed our belongings and hiked for a few hours to reach the next camp. Along the way, Luiz shared an incredible amount of information, and his knowledge seemed endless. He knows everything about various animals, plants, and trees. Moreover, he is familiar with the medicinal properties of plants and trees, and he can even distinguish different tree species, even if they appear similar to us at first glance. Luiz grew up in the jungle and learned everything from his father. You can specifically request Luiz as your guide at Mashequipe.
On day 2, in the afternoon, we veered off the trail to search for the elusive spider monkey. Luiz was attentive to every sound and movement. Once we were on their trail, we dashed through the densely vegetated jungle, following Luiz, to catch a glimpse of the monkeys. It was an amazing experience.
The second camp is comfortable, equipped with mattresses for sleeping, toilets, and a shower. Cooking is done over an open fire, and the meals are prepared by the chef accompanying us during these days. After dinner, we embarked on a short night hike to search for the numerous nocturnal animals that inhabit this area.
DAY 3
After a comfortable night and a tasty breakfast, we made our way towards the riverbank. Along the way, we encountered the macaws. While it's rare not to spot macaws here, at the moment we reached the lookout point, there were no macaws to be seen on the cliffside. Fortunately, we had already observed them from above during the hike along the cliff before descending.
Because we planned to fish in the river that afternoon, so the chef could cook it over the fire afterward, we started by fishing in a small tributary for small fish that we could use as bait to catch the larger ones. With the passion that Luiz had for all of this, we walked through the dense undergrowth along the tributary's banks to catch some small fish.
Upon arriving at the riverbank where we would spend the night, we needed to set up the camp first. The camp's frame was already in place; we just had to secure the tarps. You sleep on the ground with a thin mat and a sleeping bag under a mosquito net. In the afternoon, we went fishing. Fortunately, Luiz caught a catfish because we only managed to catch a poisonous stingray. In the evening, we made a fire and took a short night walk along the riverbanks.
DAY 4
After breakfast and another somewhat unsuccessful fishing session, the final activity was on the agenda. You would then descend the river from the riverbanks using a Mashe (a raft used by indigenous peoples) towards the lodge. After building the raft, you would navigate down the river. After a few rapids, you would arrive at the lodge, and following lunch, you would return to Rurrenabaque.
WILDLIFE
Unfortunately, during our tour, we didn't have the opportunity to see the large mammals like jaguars, tapirs, and giant otters. However, we did discover traces of a tapir on the riverbanks. Additionally, we spotted the five different species of monkeys that inhabit this area, nocturnal animals like the armadillo, a wide variety of birds, capybaras, and caimans. It's a unique environment where you certainly have the chance to see the larger mammals, but they are generally more common in the northern regions with less tourism.
RURRENABAQUE
The gateway to Madidi National Park is Rurrenabaque. This picturesque town is an 8-hour drive from La Paz and is situated on the banks of the Alto Beni River. While the town isn't very touristy and many local people gather here to sell their homegrown vegetables and fruits on the streets, and the numerous shops are geared toward the local population, there are plenty of good lodging options, as well as enjoyable restaurants and coffee shops.
WHERE TO STAY?
Hotels and hostels in Rurrenabaque are often used for an overnight stay upon arrival before heading out on a tour the next day and upon returning from the tour. There isn't much else to do in Rurrenabaque, so it's not necessary to stay longer, unless, like us, you're coming from a few weeks in the pampas and want to experience the first hostels and hotels in Bolivia with a swimming pool. It's quite pleasant to take a couple of days to relax.
We stayed at Hostel El Curichal. This fine and small hostel is reasonably priced and has the highest rating on Booking.com. The hostel offers various private rooms with or without shared bathrooms, family rooms with three single beds, or a single room with a private bathroom. The private rooms for two people can also be chosen with a fan or air conditioning. Naturally, there are mixed dormitories as well. There's a pool, a relaxation area with hammocks, and a space where you can sit with your laptop and where breakfast is served. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and the staff is helpful. Breakfast is quite good according to Bolivian standards. Prices range from $26 for a private room with a fan to $43 for a single room with air conditioning, and $39 for a family room with a fan, and $12 for a dormitory bed. You can park your vehicle for free on the street in front of the hostel. Click here oto view the hostel on Booking.
If you're looking for more tranquility and nature surrounding you, and you prefer a bit more luxury, La Isla de los Tucanes is a good option. Although this hotel is located slightly further from the city center, about a 10-minute walk, it's situated in a quieter part of town. It features a pool with some shaded areas around it. Breakfast is included, but they don't offer lunch or dinner options. They have double rooms and single rooms, all equipped with air conditioning. Prices range from $40 for a double room to $31 for a single room. Click hier to view the hotel on Booking.
FOOD & DRINK
Rurrenabaque offers several excellent dining and drinking options. While the tourist restaurants might be considered a bit pricey by Bolivian standards, the quality is outstanding.
One example of a European restaurant is Luz de Mar. This restaurant has somewhat higher prices, but the quality is indeed excellent. They offer good vegetarian choices and have an extensive menu featuring various European dishes.
Many people recommend visiting the French Bakery across from Luz de Mar, but we find it a bit overrated. They offer various types of croissants with fillings and other pastries that are quite tasty, but they are on the greasy side. Unfortunately, the croissants aren't very French, and the coffee is nothing special. We prefer Roots Coffee. Not only is their coffee excellent, but they also provide breakfast and sandwich options. Although we haven't tried the food options, the reviews are positive.
We also visited TaimNaim, an Israeli restaurant that offers homemade hummus with pita bread, shakshuka, fruit salads, and a Sabbath meal on Fridays, among other dishes. This restaurant, run by the Dutch, is a pleasant place where you can relax in hammocks or shower after your bus journey from La Paz. The owners are very friendly and welcoming, making it a nice spot, especially when you've just arrived and can't check in at your hostel yet or have returned from one of the tours.
TRAVELING TO RURRENABAQUE
The most likely way to travel to Rurrenabaque is by taking the night bus from La Paz. This 14-hour journey used to be one of the most dangerous in the world as the bus traveled over the Death Road. Fortunately, a safer bypass has been built, making it a safer route to Rurrenabaque. The bus arrives around 7 o'clock in the morning, and a ticket costs $11. You'll be traveling with the company Trans Total, and you can easily book tickets through busbud.
Another option is to fly, but it's not as common and straightforward as you might think. You can't book tickets through Skyscanner, and the only airline flying from La Paz to Rurrenabaque is AmasZonas. The airport where you arrive is known for random surcharges that you must pay in cash without a clear reason. If you prefer flying over taking the bus, you can submit a flight request through this link and then pay with PayPal. We haven't verified if this option works well. Of course, you can also go to the La Paz airport and arrange your flight at the AmasZonas counter.
If you're traveling with your own vehicle, you'll either be coming from the east and Biosferica Del Beni or from La Paz. Most roads are paved, except for a few sections, and work is still being done to further asphalt them. As a result, the roads are generally in good condition, even up to the border with Brazil. If you're heading towards La Paz, you can stay overnight in Coroico, but this village has been heavily affected by Covid and has significantly deteriorated, despite once being a tourist attraction. From Coroico, you'll make a rapid ascent towards La Paz, which is located at an altitude of over 3500 meters. Along the way, there are few to no places for acclimatization to the altitude or for camping.
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