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Los Cerritos Jungle Lodge is
Ani Villanueva's ecological home.
She is a Venezuelan artist, conservationist and a consultant for sustainable
development projects.
Ani has undertaken the challenge of moving to the coastal
rain forest and creating a refuge for nature lovers. Los Cerritos is a village
by the side of the main road from Maracay to Choroni, in the
buffer zone of the Henri Pittier National Park, a large extension of
coastal rain forest in north-central Venezuela. The building is a
traditional rural mud house, built using the bahareque building
technique and Ani's creative touch. It is located in a small valley on the side of the Choroni River by the
river pool called "La Gallina". It faces the cocoa plantation of
El Casibo.
In
the garden there are magnificent trees, such as Caobas (Mahogany),
Mihaos, Yagrumos, and Higuerotes and the virgin coastal rain
forest is close by. Coexisting with the forest on the river banks there
are giant Bamboos, and under the canopy, Cocoa, Coffee, Cashew, Guama,
Papaya, Avocado and Banana trees grow, making it a charming refuge for
whoever is seeking peace, quiet and inspiration.
It has been designed to host people interested
in enjoying this environment. Those who have a special interest in it and
those who want to share their knowledge with the local community are most
welcome.
Birdwatchers and Biological Research Groups
will find this a very pleasant base camp.
Personal and custom-made attention is our
objective.
We also host workshops on the
following subjects:
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Sustainable Development
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Bahareque, a
traditional building technique,
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Cocoa from the plant
to the table,
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Alternative education
for the rural communities.
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Appreciation of the
environment.
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Yoga.
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Tai-chi
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Health and nutrition
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Self Knowledge
Workshops are organized on demand and require a
minimum of 8 participants.
Instructors who are interested and have
workshops of their own already organized can also contact us for coordination
and to reserve dates.
Visitors are welcome for a weekend, or ideally
a minimum of 4 nights to be able to visit all there is to see along the
coast and the mountains inside the Park.
Fees will be quoted on demand an can
include the following alternatives:
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The Rental of the Guest House, fully
equipped, and the private use of its facilities.
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Optional daily cooking and cleaning services.
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Prices will be quoted on a daily, weekly or
monthly basis.
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A Package Tour including personal attention
and a custom-made trip according to specific interests. This includes the
following options:
|
Management of the
tour |
Guides |
| Accommodation |
Specialized
bilingual
guides |
| Meals |
Excursions |
| Beverages |
Instruction in case of
the Workshops |
| Transfers |
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Accommodation:
The Guest House is newly built and can accommodate from two to six adults
comfortably. The Main House from six to eight adults depending on the profile
of the group. Between the Main House and the Guest House there are four rooms
with double occupancy, one large veranda bedroom with single movable beds
variable from four to six maximum, and hammocks for four. All beds and
hammocks have mosquito nets. The other facilities available are: three large
bathrooms and two equipped kitchens.
Excursions:
There are boat trips to nearby coastal fishing villages such as Chuao, Cepe,
Valle Seco, Oricao and Aroa. Extraordinary trekking excursions in the National
Park and visits to places of interest like Cocoa Haciendas, Sugar Cane
Plantations and Processing Centres [Trapiches].
Guides:
These excursions can include a local guide and/or a bilingual professional
guide in case of a specific interest trip.
Transportation and Transfers:
Transport to and from the camp to the nearby villages and transfers to and from
the Maiquetia airport can be provided on demand.
Meals:
The food is healthy and well balanced. A mixture of local cuisine and an organic diet is what
is commonly offered; however, we are flexible and adaptable on request.
Beverages:
Wine, Beer, Rum and other drinks can be included on request.
Tell
us what you would like and we will work it out for you !
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