Who: Naomi and Todd Wells of Fort Collins
Where: Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
Best meal: After five nights of trekking through the dense jungle, sustaining ourselves on rice, gorp, and Maggie soup mix, arriving in the pueblito of La Florida was bliss. The señora of the small, guestless guesthouse cooked our dinner of fried rice, fried meat, with a side of fried plantains and fried eggs over her wood stove.
Best deal: Visiting the Noel Kempff National Park, 2,000 square miles in size, in the southernmost point of the Amazon Basin, one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to 130 species of mammals, 620 species of birds, 70 species of reptiles and encompassing five ecosystems. It is purportedly the paradise described in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel “The Lost World.” Despite this, the park does not have many visitors – fewer than 200 people entered through La Florida last year. The best deal? After departing Santa Cruz Bolivia, this week-long jungle trip cost all of us less than $400.
Best time to go: March, between rainy and dry seasons. Few bugs, the roads are not flooded, but there is enough cloud cover to stave off the mid-day heat.
Best travel tip: Hire a La Florida Guide. Besides that, pack in everything you need (excluding a camp stove but including food for you and your guide). Santa Rosa de la Roca is your last stop for supplies and the park office.
