Tapiche Reserve

I was able to spent 1,5 months in this incredible project in April and May 2018.

The accomodation is simple but comfortable (there are mosquito nets, which is Importamt!) and the food was delicious!

Ultimately, I was planing to only go to the reserva for 4 days to do a classic Wildlife observation Tour, but ended up staying way longer. Murillo, the initiator of the project just saw how happy I was out there, and that's why I was allowed to stay as a volunteer.

As it wasn't Turtle recue season, there wasn't that much to do. I tried to help with whatever I could, tough (cooking meals, preparing picnics for the Jungle hiks, collecting trash out of the river, harvesting Mangos,...).

And If sometimes there was nothing at all to do, I simply enjoyed beeing there, chatting with the guests, murillo and the local workers, reading in one of the hammocks or taking a swimm in the river.

I still think about this magical place a lot, where the air is filled with the noises of nocturnal Monkeys and brething Dolphins in the night and every morning we were greeted by the friendly neighboring sloth. I can only recommend to go there and I promise you an experience, you will never forget.

This place is amazing - you learn a lot about the environment with its flora and fauna. You will be highly involved in all activities especially excursions into the jungle with the visitors and a local guide, have responsibility for the customers and their experiences. The sounds at night are absolutely mind-blowing, just as all the animals you get to see. You should be into nature and not be afraid of staying in simple huts where lizards sneak in and where water from the river is used for showers. Then you will be fine and have an unique experience with all your senses.

My sister and I were at Tapiche Reserve in December 2021 and January 2022.
There are several cabins on site and we volunteers share one accommodation. This is basic, but perfectly fine. We ate together in the kitchen, and the cook always fed us very well.
Due to the pandemic, tourism was just starting at that time and we were the only volunteers on site. Therefore, we basically helped with all tasks that arose. Among other things, we helped with the turtle rescue project. That means we took care of the turtles, protected them and released them back into the lagoons. We also cut back the water lilies in the lagoons so that the lagoons are accessible again and the animals use them for nesting. To keep the reserve and river clean, we regularly collected plastic from the river's edge. We also traveled to the surrounding communities and learned about the lives of the locals there. In doing so, we were able to drive the boats of the reserve on our own responsibility, which was a great experience. Lastly, we helped with the necessary tasks such as repairs of the boat, engine and the accommodations. We often did this together with the locals on site or the owner Murilo. Overall, we have had very varied tasks, which was really great.
However, we would strongly recommend to speak fluent Spanish, because otherwise the communication with the locals does not work so well. You should also be prepared to live far away from any city for a longer period of time (which we really enjoyed).
Besides the work, we saw a lot of animals in their natural environment during our jungle walks. I think there is hardly a place where you can see and experience so much in the wild and get an insight into life in the jungle. We enjoyed it insanely and would always return to Tapiche. Thank you for the great time!

I stayed and helped at the Tapiche Reserve 4 month (02/2019-05/2019).

After talking to the always busy but also always helping with everything owner, He gave me a job at the Hostel.

I helped with the Reception, Staff and different Tasks related to the hostel.

Additionally i organized transportation to and from the jungle lodge for the Visitors.

I got to know the Reserve and stayed for a couple of nights there.

Iam rly happy that i could be a part of the project and learned alot about ecological and sustainable projects.

I visited the Tapiche very briefly during the start of 2020 before the pandemic hit, unfortunately, it shortened my stay so I was only there 10 days or so. But even though it is still one of the most memorable experiences that I´ve had, and a place I'm dreaming of returning to one day. At Tapiche, I met a truly kind and accommodating team! Everyone from the kitchen staff to the tour guides and to the visiting guests was amazing. It just had that special atmosphere, connecting people through the common interest in the jungle and wildlife. The team consisting of extremely passionate people is inspiring you to become a better person, to think and act upon doing something for the fragile wildlife, protecting the eco-systems of the jungle. A truly important and for me now personal matter.