Ted Tibbetts' Perspective: a guest that is not on vacation!

There are those things that people SAY they stand for, and the things that people ACTUALLY stand for, and actions always speak louder than words. The way owners Santi and Dani have integrated their grounds into the fabric of the rainforest shows that they are committed to minimizing their footprint and protecting the environment.

First, all their water comes from a rainwater processing system. A gutter collection system pipes all the rainwater to a charcoal filtering system. Water is then pumped from storage tanks to the supply lines of the bathhouse, kitchen, and cabins.

Graywater then filters through a hillside step system, reducing erosion and hydrating fruit trees.

Pacha Ecolodge is taking other steps at reducing erosion with their property reforestation project, hiring locals to replant trees and preserve the riverside vegetation.

On the rest of the grounds, form follows function. Raised pathways of crushed stone, manicured gardens, and masonry ditches control water flow but add to the beauty of the grounds.

While the grounds and facilities were superb, what really separates Pacha Ecolodge is its staff. Friendly, attentive, and skilled, they went out of their way to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. The little touches showed that they cared about us as people and not just paying guests. (I’d list them all, but I’m not sure I could.)

They are a hard-working, attentive, and talented bunch.

Dani, Kelly, and Aldair made sure that we had everything we needed each morning while Carlos and Jordan did likewise for dinner.

Carlos is an outstanding chef. We are not frequent go-out-to-eat people since we enjoy cooking ourselves, but after a couple of nights of world-class dishes at more than reasonable rates, we decided to spend two weeks allowing Carlos and his staff to spoil us. Fourteen consecutive days of meticulously prepared, well-proportioned dishes set new gastronomical standards which I doubt will ever be surpassed.

I paddled along with rafting trips 11 out of the first 14 days. As a kayaker and raft guide, I have paddled all around the United States and in Chile, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Santi and his guides Pancho, Arnold, and Alejo were skilled, safe, adventurous, and CLEARLY passionate about sharing their love for the river. I was impressed with how easily they interacted with guests from multiple countries and made sure that each person had a memorable experience.

We would like to thank our new Ecuadorian friends for making sure that our two weeks at Pacha Ecolodge were…perfect.