My Picks: World’s Best Wilderness Lodges

March 5, 2023 • Todd Smith
Ask an Expert
AdventureSmith founder Todd Smith stands infront of a teal glacier wearing an orange backpak and AdventureSmith logo hat

As a Condé Nast Traveler top specialist, I’m often asked my firsthand advice on what the best wilderness lodges around the world are. Here’s a look at my picks for the 5 best wilderness lodges in the world and why I find them so special:

Explora Rapa Nui – Easter Island

The Explora brand of hotels worldwide personifies the style of lodge I recommend to clients, and in many ways emulates the experiences my clients enjoy aboard small ship expeditions. Explora Rapa Nui’s remote location provides immediate access to natural and cultural experiences; expert guides lead daily, active small-group explorations away from tourist crowds; and evening programs enhance one’s understanding of the destination. Locally sourced food and an engaged staff ensure that delicious meals are an integral part of the experience, and the lodge architecture and design are inspired by Pacific Island archeology and culture, meaning that the experience literally surrounds you. I will not book clients in any other property on Easter Island.

Explora Rapa Nui Lodge, a circular stone buildings with wrap around windows sit on a grassy hisiude witjh wooden steps reaching to it.
a suite inside Explora Rapa Nui Lodge, natural earth tones used throughout a circular room with tall windows and a seating area
at Explora Rapa Nui Lodge, a female travelers lays on a bench seat infront of windows that open to the outside, a view of a green meadow and blue ocean in the distance
a group of travlers sit in the lounge of Explora Rapa Nui Lodge, they lsiten to their guides discuss the days activities
an aerial shot of Easter Island, a green land mass island that sits in the green ocean and matching blue sky
A group of travlers walk in a meadow on Easter Island while staying at Explora Rapa Nui Lodge
stone sculpures of faces on Easter Island sit on green hiullside ifnron of a blue sky, seen while staying at Explora Rapa Nui Lodge

Sol y Luna – Sacred Valley, Peru 

Sol y Luna is a microcosm of everything travelers come to Peru to experience. Its stunning location in the heart of Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, is the perfect base from which to explore the region’s archeology and culture. The grounds themselves host a working ranch with Peruvian Paso horses, a women’s textile co-op and market, and a pottery workshop. Llamas and horses graze in between comfortable cabanas while meals of traditional Peruvian food infused with modern accents are served in a dining room heated by a roaring fire. Peru has become known for outstanding hotels and there are many more upscale choices, but Sol y Luna continues to be one of my favorite authentic recommendations. I suggest travelers book early to ensure availability at this wonderful property.

Peru lodge Sol y Luna sits in front of the moutnains of the Sacred Valley
Yellow clay buidlings at Sol Y Luna, a lodge in Peru's Sacred valley, a stone walk way winds betwwen green grass and colorful flower beds
Pink clay buidling at Sol Y Luna, a lodge in Peru's Sacred valley, a stone walk way winds betwwen green grass and colorful flower beds
bright purple walls, chairs and fireplace decorate the inside dinning area of Sol Y Luna, a lodge in the Sacred Valley of Peru
A room inside Sol Y Luna a Peru Lodge inside the Sacred Valley, orange walls with red window covers, a white queen bed sits agains peruvan wall art
outdoor jaccuzi area at Sol Y Luyna, a Sacred Valley Peru Lodge, surrounded by grass and a jagged mountain range
the pool area at Sol Y Luna, a Peru Lodge inside the Sacred Valley, it is night time, the pool lit with lights

Napo Wildlife Center – Ecuadorian Amazon

Built and operated in partnership with the local Kichwa Anangu community, Napo Wildlife Center allows my guests to experience the best of Amazon nature and culture. Its location as the only lodge within Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park is hard to reach, requiring travel via a motorized and paddle canoe down the Napo River, but the remote location is one of its greatest advantages. Daily hikes and canoe trips with a professional naturalist guide and a Kichwa guide reveal the wonders of the rainforest in scientific and cultural detail. Due to its remote jungle setting, this lodge is not for everyone, but many nature lovers I have recommended loved it more than even the Galapagos Islands. 

an aerial view from above the cabanas at Napo wilflife center that sit lakefront in the Ecuadorian amazon
a group of teal yellow and green parrots gather at a clay lick wall in Ecuador, seen at the Napo Wildlife Center
A row of bamboo and thatch cabanas sit amongst lush green lungle in the Ecuadorian Amazon at the Napo Wildlife Center
a traveler lays in a hammock on her front porch of a cabana at Napo Wildlife Center in the Ecuadorian Amazon
a second lounge area in a suite at the Napo Wildlife Center, two red accent chairs and a love seat sit inside a bamboo walled room.
inside a cabana at the Napo Wildlife Center, a king bed with a heart made of flowers sits infront of a wodden cardev headboard surrounded by a bug net

Lapa Rios – Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica 

Perched on a ridge high above the Pacific Ocean on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Lapa Rios Eco Lodge may have the best poolside wildlife viewing in the world. The lodge’s private rainforest reserve and network of guided hikes on nearby trails are designed to access this extremely biodiverse environment. Day trips to Corcovado National Park extend visitors’ reach even farther. But my experience, and that of my clients, is that the best wildlife viewing is right from the observation perch above the dining room and the pool at Lapa Rios. I advise clients to add one day to visit the nearby waterfall, chill by the pool and relax at the lodge letting the animals come to them. 

a view over lush jungle and to the ocean from Lapa Rios Eco Lodge Costa Rica
a cabana room with a king side bed and bug net, panoramic wrap around windows and a hammock at the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge Costa Rica,
an open air sink area in a cabana at the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in Costa Rica
A view from the pool at Lapa Rios Eco Lodge Costa Rica, the crytal clear pool matches the blue sky and the ocean below it
three travelers stand infront of a waterfall in the costa trican jounge at the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge
a row ot rubber boots hang to dry at the Lapa Rios Eco Lodge Costa Rica,
A black toucan with a yellow face and beak sits in a fruit tree eating fruit, seen from Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in Costa Rica

Winterlake Lodge – Alaska

Recent clients I sent to the Winterlake Lodge said that the experience changed their lives. They called me in a panic because a trip to Hawaii they had planned on in three days needed to be cancelled due to a tropical storm. Winterlake Lodge was available, and although they were not adventure travelers, I knew they would appreciate the upscale nature of the lodge, the five-star service and the personalized activities. They hiked on glaciers, picnicked in the backcountry, fished remote rivers and enjoyed gourmet meals. The husband is now a passionate fly-fisherman and he has even stopped in Lake Tahoe to take me fly-fishing as a thank you for their trip of a lifetime.

A bright red float plane sits in front of the dock at Winterlake Lodge in Alaksa behind it is lush forest with the lodge sitting ontop of the hilllside
three travelers stand along the banks of a river in Alaska fishing poles in hand, one has a fish on the end of the line, you can see it splash out of the river water. Along the banks are a short hillside of green trees.
a dock floats with two metal boats tieds up to it at Winter lake Lodge in Alaska the glow of the setting sun is seen over the forest of trees on the opposite side of the lake
An areal view of the Winterlake Lodge, surrounded with lush green forest, with a dock on the lake
Inside the rustic cabin at Winterlake lodge, wood log walls, with a wood burning stove and a kind side bed
A cutting board with knifes and vegetables sit in a row for the cooking class avalable at Winterlake Lodge in Alaska
The main building of Winterlake Lodge , and a frame log cabin surruonded by trees
View All Wilderness Lodges

AdventureSmith Explorations represents properties that perfectly complement our land tours and make great pre- and post-cruise lodging options for our small ship cruises. Browse our collection of hand-selected lodging to find more properties similar to my opinion of the best wilderness lodges listed here on our AdventureSmith Travel Blog, or contact one of our Adventure Specialists for more insights from our team: 1-877-620-2875.

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If you’re inspired to have a similar experience, check out each wilderness lodge’s details, including photos, room information and trips you can book at each property. Our expert travel team is happy to assist you in your own best wilderness lodge search with personalized recommendations to suit your travel interests, budget and wildlife dreams. Connect with us any time.

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