One of the newest kids on the community-project block is wonderful Sadiri: six luxury cabins in dense foothill rainforest in the Serranía Sadiri. Community members staff the lodge, which has the best-trained wildlife guides in the Rurrenabaque area. Email bookings are preferred at sadirilodge@gmail.com. Rates include full board and return transfer to Rurrenabaque.
The indigenous San José de Uchupiamonas community rejected the advances of the courting forestry companies and with the assistance of local conservationists opted instead for a sustainable tourist project aimed at bringing long-term benefits to the area. The innovative lodge caters as much for serious bird-watchers and ecotravelers as it does to those who just revel in the beauty of natural areas.
What sets Sadiri apart from the other Madidi lodges is its highland location (between 500m and 950m), resulting in a much cooler temperature than in the sweaty lowlands. This means that there is a whole new set of animals and birds to enjoy, including mixed flocks filled with dozens of species of glittering tanagers, each one like a feathered jewel. Bird Bolivia organizes recommended trips.
Traditional home-cooked meals are served on a terrace flanked with hummingbird feeders, looking out over Madidi with some of the most awe-inspiring views of the national park that you could ever imagine. An office in Rurre is sometimes open.