Indiginous Spa in the Amazon Rainforest
La Selva Jungle Lodge, The Amazon Basin, Ecuador
The world of the spa has just been given an Amazonian manipulation spa novices and sophisticates alike will not soon forget. La Selva Jungle Lodge, located in the heart of the pristine Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador has created what they call The Indigenous Spa. Two native Quichua Indian women who reside deep in the forest but near the remote lodge walk barefoot for an hour through the forest from their huts to give their spiritual version- all one hour and 20 minutes of it- of the spa experience in the attractive spa rooms on the lodge grounds.
For $69 the participant is treated to a magical dusting away of evil spirits with special leaves brought fresh for each guest, next a footbath and foot massage with special scented plants also from the forest sets the transcendental mood, followed by the two women in harmony massaging the body. The women, who are immaculately clean and wear uniforms which do little to conceal their glowing aboriginal cheekbones and other attractive features, have very strong hands after toil since childhood in fields and in the home virtually without tools, but are surprisingly soft and tender when they massage just the right places. They add an organic milk-rice facial mask after they have worked the muscles of the backside and continue working the frontside as the mask dries.
La Selva Jungle Lodge began this project as yet another way to find sustainable work for its rainforest dwelling neighbors. Since women are in short supply for work outside the home the labor pool was small. Three groups of two have now been established and the women work in tandem for $69 the lucky rainforest resort guests are clamoring to shell out. La Selva Jungle Lodge (http://www.laselvajunglelodge.com) hopes to develop more Spa options for their female neighbors to develop and are considering a line of rainforest products like those used in the spa. La Selva shares the wealth as broadly as it can with most profits from The Indigenous Spa returning to the community as donations through their foundation, Helping Hands In The Forest.
With the guest now like putty in their hands they escort the thoroughly relaxed participant to a large stone tub where he or she sits in the center on a stool and receives what the women call their “Rainforest Shower” a final organic dousing with a concoction of herbs that have been brewed and cooled to a luke warm temperature which is lovingly poured over the guest removing the facial, and supplying new organic rainforest nutrition for the skin.
A Final rubbing of oil, based on Amazon ingredients, and the supple guest is given over to some fluffy towels and a lounge chair. If they are not in jungle heaven- the lodge’s surveys concur- they are certainly within whispering distance.
A tray of gorgeous tropical fruit arrives for the participant freshly prepared from the lodge kitchen and an energy drink, also fruit based which among other fresh juices, contains Noni and acai. With the guest now sated inside and out the women, (one of whom has no identity papers and has never been to a city) smile and relax for a moment with the client. An intimacy has been shared, for the women, who speak only a handful of words in English and speak Spanish as a second language to their native Indian dialect have communicated much to their guest. And their guest understands everything.
About La Selva Jungle Lodge:
Founded in 1986 by North Americans Eric and Maggie Schwartz, La Selva’s (http://www.Laselvajunglelodge.com) longevity is a testament to the quality of their service and the preservation of the wildlife that guests come to view. Typically guests in groups of 8 or less go with an English-speaking Naturalist and native Tracker to learn and see the sights of the Rainforest in short hikes combined with canoe trips. The lodge sleeps 36-40 people in trips that usually run for 3nights /4 days or 4nights/5days. La Selva has accommodated more than Fifty thousand guests from almost 40 countries and was a pioneer in Ecotourism. The company has won many ecotourism awards and is always at the vanguard of the industry in jungle tourism.
The lodge also features a butterfly farm and is currently undergoing a 2 million dollar project to turn many of their standard bungalows into luxury suites so that those of our guests who put a premium on comfort when not in the forest will have everything luxury implies in the rainforest. That does not include television, internet, or recorded music. The balconies, however, will be so wide and so equipped that they can have the Indigenous Spa Treatment come to them. After which they can lounge in their living room or take a siesta.
For more information go to:
La Selva Jungle Lodge
