Things to do in Putumayo Department, Putumayo Department: The Best Nature & Parks

Reviewed By chaz_bog - Bogota, Colombia

As we went as a couple we each wrote up our thoughts: 1. We stayed in Paway for three nights and had a fantastic experience. Mildred and Ivan are the most solicitous hosts, and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time. We stayed in the tree house atop a beautiful Amazonian “ceiba”, and loved its incomparable views and the sounds of the river and the jungle. The house is comfortable, and Ivan and Mildred offer the possibility to enjoy breakfast and/or dinner there. I enjoyed watching birds and monkeys in the morning and afternoon, and my wife relaxed with a book in the hammock. The property is beautiful, with birds and a small pool you can use while staying in the tree house. Ivan and Mildred also accommodated vegetarian meals for my wife. We highly recommend the place and are definitely going back. 2. I spent 3 amazing nights here in early 2018. Staying at the tree house on top of a 100 year old Ceiba tree—the tallest tree in the area is an unforgettable experience. The time between dawn and sunrise and between sunset and dusk are particularly magical as that is when the monkeys and birds come out around the house. The tree house and Paway are part of an important local initiative to preserve this ecosystem. The treehouse is built in such a way that no branches were cut. It’s an initiative very much worth supporting by staying there. The tree house is surprisingly comfortable for a treehouse—with a double bed covered by a mosquito net, a hammock, a table, toilet, etc. Your hosts—Mildred and Ivan—-are also a great help in making this experience very comfortable. They made great breakfast for us every morning, and brought dinner to us at the treehouse every night (you pull it up with a pulley). However, it’s worth noting the treehouse is not for everyone. You need to walk about a kilometer from the road (carrying your stuff) to get there, and then you need to walk up the 25m stairs up to the house. The toilet is not all that private from whoever else is up at the tree house. The shower is not so much a shower as a spigot and a bucket. I didn’t find any of these things to be a problem, but I mention it as would-be guests should know what they are getting into. Our hosts were very helpful in advising us as to what to do each day. We hiked each day. Our favorite was hiking to Ornoyaco with the guide Mildred and Ivan set us up with, Christian. If you’re coming to this area of the world, there really is no better place to stay. In fact, it’s worth making plans to come to this area of the world just to stay here.