Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso
"wonderful luxury eco-lodge in the middle of Cristalino jungle reserve"
| Nearest Airport: | Alta Floresta - 55 kms | |
| Trip Style: | Boutique Luxury, Eco-tourism, Honeymoon + Romance, Nature + Wildlife | |
| Pousada Facilities: |
16 bedrooms accepts children, bar, hammocks, restaurant |
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| Room Facilities: | 110v; fans, laundry service, power showers | |
| Language(s): | English, German, Portuguese | |
| Recommended attractions: | birding, boat trips, flora & fauna, hiking, kayaking, walking | |
| Ideal for: | couples, families, friends sharing, honeymoon | |
| Price Category: | $$$$$ full board | |
| Cards Accepted: | Visa, Mastercard | |
| Web Site: | http://www.cristalinolodge.com.br | |
| Pousada Guest Book: |
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Note: Where pousadas are off the beaten track, Google maps only show the nearest town, and are not an accurate guide to location. |
About the pousada
What an extraordinary unique place the Cristalino Jungle Lodge is. We arrived in thick cloud which rapidly changed to rain (and immediately back to hot sun!), but even then it was clear that this is a lodge which is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. The amazing setting goes without saying, an 18 room lodge set in the middle of the jungle on the banks of the heavily forested black Cristalino River. However it is the details which catch your attention- the welcome drink on arrival where the staff and personal guides are introduced and the rules of the jungle explained (no going off on your own!), the quality of the accommodation, the variety of activities, from trails to boat and canoe trips to climbing the observation towers. This is a place where every detail has been thought through by owner Vitoria a pioneer in eco-tourism and son Alexandre, a place which has been planned for minimal environmental impact whilst supporting local communities and education projects, a place where guides are treated with respect for their own individual knowledge and professionalism, and a place where each individual visitor is treated as exactly that- an individual with specific interests and wishes in terms of what to do and what to see.
It makes a wonderful change to be saying that the rooms are not basic- indeed far from it! The generator is only on around lunchtime and between 5.30 pm and there is no airconditioning, TV or internet but the rest is definite luxury: spacious well designed rooms, solar heated power showers, excellent ventilation, comfortable beds wih quality sheets, a good table with light to work at, a private veranda with hammock and best of all no bugs!
Cristalino lodge is a place which offers packages in the sense that everything is included from transfers to full board, to all activites, but it is not a place where you feel regimented in any sense. Yes, the activities start early (usually between 5.30am and 7am ) but what you do and which guide you are given depends on the interests you state on the application form and I certainly felt like I was treated as an individual (with my own personal guide) whilst having lots of opportunities to mingle with and talk to other guests. Guides decide the night before where they are going to be taking people so no excursion overlaps and the number of people going out with one guide is limited to 8. I tried trails, boat and canoe trips and made it to the top of the observation tower at the end of a long peaceful day. And there was the biggest crimson macaw waiting for me ready to swoop over the backdrop of the forest behind. The trip would have been worth it just for that glimpse of Amazonian magic.
About the location
The RPPN Cristalino Lodge (meaning private reserve on government protected land) covers an area of 670 hectares of which 30 comprise thelodge itself. It adjoins the 185000 hectares of the State Park of Cristalino and the area as a whole is recognised as having the highest biodiversity in the Amazon. It is situated to the northwest of Alta Floresta in the most northern part of the state of Mato Grosso, the capital city of which is Cuiaba. Between Cuiaba and Alta Floresta there is a choice of a 12 hour bus trip (approximately R$150,00) or a 2 hour plane trip which frequesntly costs double the price. However the journey between Alta Floresta and the lodge can only be done by car over dirt roads (one hour) plus a half hour boat trip The latter is organised by the lodge and included in the package along with a stop at the sister hotel on the outskirts of Alta Floresta: the Hotel Floresta Amazonia.
The lodge itself was built to cause minimal environmental impact and is managed in accordance with eco- friendly principals, particularly in relation to power, treatment of waste. separation of rubbish, and organic farming. There is no fishing allowed on the reserve but the Teles Pires river is nearby and fish are plentiful. Also worth noting is the programme of initiatives run by the Cristalino Foundation NGO which not only supports the local community but also the School of the Amazon education programme.
This is an amazing area to visit for both nature lovers and anyone interested in the preservation of the Amazon- and Cristalino is certainly one of the jungle lodges which offers the best possibilities for observing birds, butterflies and other wildlife in the Amazon. Bring binoculars, camera and liberal bugspray and come between June and November for the best (and driest) experience.
Not to be missed
-The forest trails- particularly Castanha and Mirante-Lounging and swimming off the floating deck
-Barbecued fish and roasted vegetables by candlelight
-Boat trip to see the meeting of the waters and the sunset
-Watching the multicoloured toucans, parrots and macaws from the observation towers
Pousada Starpoints
- Location in the heart of thesouthern Amazon jungle
- The quality of every aspect of the lodge: accommodation, excursions, staff
- Eagle-eyed guides equipped with binoculars and telescope for pointing out individual birds
- Personal and indivudualised attention
- Peace and tranquillity
| Try a different place if... you have to be in contact with the outside world, or if you prefer exploring on your own.
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