Hassan2022年9月

This place is special. Reserva el Porvenir is an enormous nature reserve located about an hour from Puerto Berrío, which itself is four or so hours from Medellín. The house is far enough from everything that you cannot hear any cars or other city noises. If you have any bags and need a ride from Puerto Berrío, I recommend paying them to pick you up. It seems steep, but it's far and the road can only be driven with a 4x4. If you are traveling very light, a cheaper option is to hire a motorcycle taxi. When you arrive, you will be greeted by Gladys and Francisco, the couple that runs the reserve, as well as four friendly dogs. Ellie (one of the dogs) will be your loyal friend during your entire stay, sometimes to the chagrin of the other dogs, who are nice but not quite as social as Ellie. During your stay, you will feel like part of the family. The room was big and well-equipped. I had air conditioning, a fan, and lots of electrical outlets. The private bathroom was very nice. The only thing I would recommend would be adding a mirror and making sure the shower drain is not blocked. The WiFi was also surprisingly good. Video calls have a delay because it is satellite Internet. The upstairs outdoor area (see pictures) is incredible. It is beautiful and very relaxing. I often dozed off during the hot afternoons in one of the hammocks. I was kept very well fed and hydrated the entire time. Gladys is a master chef, and she uses wholesome, healthy ingredients. I also went horseback riding with Leo and hiking with Walter, two activities I can highly recommend. At first I was resistant to horseback riding because I am a hiker. I also didn't understand the terrain and climate of the reserve. Trust me, you will be very happy to be atop a horse when you'd otherwise be knee-deep in mud, dying of heat exhaustion, and at the same time trying to decide whether that uncastrated bull over there is staring at you out of curiosity or because he wants to test your bullfighting skills. My horse was also very easygoing and easy to control. And I did not feel like the horse was upset about being ridden. On the contrary she seemed like she was having fun and would have run faster had I not slowed her down. Definitely don't leave the reserve without riding a horse! Hiking with Walter was very cool. I am an experienced hiker, but I would not have done what we did by myself because the rainforest was too dense and I am also not especially comfortable by myself around bulls (for the parts outside the rainforest). We did a big loop around the reserve that lasted the whole first half of the day. At times, we were hiking inside dense rainforest with Walter clearing a path with a machete. We walked along streams at the bottom of densely forested canyons, forded rivers, and scaled steep slopes in search of monkeys and other animals. I learned a lot during my stay. Francisco, Gladys, and the others are extremely knowledgeable about the animals that live in the reserve, and are happy to share their knowledge. If you don't speak Spanish, be sure to have a translation app on hand. If you are learning, the days you will spend here will accelerate your progress. In conclusion, BOOK BOOK BOOK!

Thomas2021年5月

The communication with Tatiana (daughter) was very clear, Francisco picked me up in Puerto Berrio and we drove together to the natural reserve (30 Min.). Gladys and Francisco are both wonderful hosts. They welcomed me, showed me around the place and gave me a super delicious organic handmade coconut lemonade on arrival. Also the other meals were very delicious and made with much love. Communication with my limited spanish was easy during my stay. The place was very clean and so charming, it looks exactly like the pictures or even better. You just need to be aware that the house is made out of local wood so isolation is limited, it didn‘t prevent me from having a lovely time there. The highlight for me were the external areas. I went to ride a horse with Norve a local guide and it was amazing to see wild monkeys and blue and yellow Macaws on my way, the rivers are so well preserved, I could connect with the nature, it was an amazing experience. There are some many things to see. The views of the cordilleras, and the sunsets were very beautiful, as well as the wild parrots singing and moving from tree to tree. Thank you very much Gladys and Francisco for your hospitality! The stay at your lodge was one of the highlights so far and I‘m going to recommend it to anyone who is looking for an authentic experience in the colombian rainforest. I wish you all the best with your biodiversity conservation project and look forward to stay in touch and hear about the next steps.