Dan Cooper
USA

I am writing to thank you for the opportunity to stay at Sani Lodge and Amazon rainforest. I do not think I could have had a better experience, and most of that is due to both the staff and accommodations at the Lodge. I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of service and housing, and thought you might like to hear a little bit about my impressions.

Prior to arrival, I was expecting to be staying in nothing more than a rustic hut so I was very surprised to see the luxurious cabanas, with neatly presented interior. I had the feeling of being at a five-star hotel--without sacrificing the authenticity of the Amazon experience. I felt comfortable inside, as the room was very clean and the solid construction gave me confidence that my comfort wouldn’t be jeopardized by intruding outside insects.

Perhaps what I was most impressed with was the service and the food. The food was nothing short of spectacular—so I wasn’t exactly “roughing it” in the jungle--and Juan, Gustavo, and Ivan were very attentive and gave a personal touch that made us feel at home. In college I worked for a high profile catering company so I have experience with service, and I was very impressed not only with the presentation of the food, but also with the fact that the servers remembered everyone’s names and went out of their way to provide a personalized experience. I think the catering company could’ve learned a lesson or two from Sani Lodge. This was important to me because I felt like I could communicate easily with everyone and receive answers to all my questions, even though my Spanish is basic. In fact, on a few occasions after a meal, the Sani Lodge staff was happy to sit with us and give us a lot of information about the surrounding area. Because of this I felt very welcome, as if we had been invited into their home as friends instead of customers.

Service aside, the eco-experience was quite incredible as well. Miguel was our tour guide for all of our hikes and he had such a pleasant demeanor, complete with a contagious enthusiasm. We all appreciated the many stories he told us about the different plants, birds, and animals that we were viewing. Perhaps what made it so exciting was the fact that you could tell everyone at the lodge was passionate about their surroundings. The English speaking tour guide, Matthew, was a pleasure to talk to as well, as he possessed extensive knowledge about all the different wildlife. Although I was happy to be with a Spanish speaking guide—my Spanish is not the best, but I am continually learning more—I think that having someone who speaks English is very important, as all of the other tourists staying at the lodge were English speakers. These several groups of tourists were also very excited and satisfied with their experience as well, which both created an instant community for us, and added to the pleasantness of Sani Lodge’s environment.

Overall, I can honestly say that I can’t think of much that would have made my experience any better, as I was thoroughly satisfied and impressed with everything. I would like to congratulate you and the Sani Lodge community on creating a wonderful and impressive lodge, and thank you deeply for the opportunity to experience it. Best regards,

Dan Cooper
USA