Guapi Assu Bird Lodge is situated in the heart of the Atlantic Forest, or Mata Atlântica, in south-east Brazil. Part of the REGUA project, Guapi Assu Bird Lodge was opened in 2004 to provide high quality accommodation for visitors to the reserve. The Lodge is non-profit making, with all income generated going towards our conservation work.
Location:
The Lodge is beautifully situated on a small hill at the edge of the restored wetlands, overlooking the forested Serra dos Órgãos mountains. Guests have access to low and high altitude forest and the reserve wetlands and we run excursions to a variety of other habitats for species not found at REGUA.
Facilities:
The Lodge is equipped to a very high standard with a spacious and comfortable lounge, a large dining area, an excellent library, a small swimming pool, 24 hour electricity (110 volt) with numerous power sockets, hot solar heated water and free satellite internet access nearby at the reserve office where facilities to download photos onto CD are also available. For a small charge a laundry service is available as well as soft and alcoholic drinks.
Rooms:
The Lodge has six double, two twin and two single rooms accommodating up to 18 people (there is also an additional room available for guides/drivers). The premier double rooms (the two upstairs double rooms and one downstairs double room) have their own private balconies with superb views, and all rooms have their own bathrooms, are kept immaculately clean and include:
- All linen, bedding and towels
- Comfortable beds
- Air conditioning
- Screened windows
- Hot showers (solar heated)
- Flushing toilets
- Plenty of power sockets (110 volt), ideal for charging cameras and laptops.
- Bottled water
Food
All accommodation is full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. All of our meals are delicious local dishes freshly prepared by our cooks (we also cater for vegetarians). Hot meals are served for lunch (if you decide to stay out all day then we will provide you with a packed lunch) and dinner and early breakfasts are available for birders wanting an early start.
Library
The Lodge has a comprehensive reference library with an impressive range of books and journals on birds and natural history, including The Birds of South America: Volumes 1 and 2 (Ridgely and Tudor) and The Handbook of the Birds of the World (Josep Del Hoyo et al.).
Laundry service
They offer a laundry service for a small fee. This service does not include undergarments and socks, however, laundry soap is available on request if required. Please note that clothes are line-dried so drying times are weather dependant.
Guides
Two local guides are available to hire either in advance or during your stay. Our guides have an excellent knowledge of the Atlantic Forest birds and their services are extremely popular. We strongly advise that you book early to avoid disappointment. Please note that we cannot guarantee the exclusive availability of guides and visitors may be asked to group together.
The Lodge gardens
Our beautifully maintained gardens provide superb birding and photography opportunities from the veranda. Fruit feeders attract noisy groups of euphonias, chlorophonias and tanagers such Hooded, Ruby-crowned, Brazilian, Sayaca, Palm, Green-headed and Burnished-buff. On the hummingbird feeders Swallow-tailed Hummingbirds fight off Rufous-breasted Hermits, Black Jacobins, Violet-capped Woodnymphs and Glittering-throated Emeralds. Around the gardens Orange-winged Parrot, Guira Cuckoo, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Channel-billed Toucan, White and Blond-crested Woodpeckers, Chestnut-backed Antshrike and Long-billed Wren are among the birds often present, while at night Tropical Screech-Owl, Tawny-browed Owl, Short-tailed Nighthawk and Pauraque may be seen while sipping a cool Caipirinha.
To date over 455 bird species have been recorded at REGUA including 62 Brazilian endemics and 118 Atlantic Forest endemics.
