San Miguel del Bala
San Miguel del Bala is a little village in Bolivia. San Miguel del Bala is an indigenous community in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest on the banks of the
San Miguel del Bala is only reached by boat 40 minutes upstream from Rurrenabaque. The community of San Miguel has 235 inhabitants. They have built the San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge with the help of
"Bala" means "bullet" or "cannon ball". The landmark is the ’shot hole’ in the nearby Mountain range that is visible from the lodge.
San Miguel is a small community of 32 families. They are
The inhabitants of San Miguel del Bala use the income from the community-based project to better their lives - education, health, and such - and to preserve the incredibly rich biodiversity in and around the Madidi National Park. When Madidi was created it was their biggest enemy, but tourism's many advantages to the community have completely changed their opinion. Instead of hating the national park they are now among its fiercest protectors and are proud to be nominated as honorary park rangers by the national park itself. Their way of living and the way they manage their lodge is completely sustainable and will allow their children and grandchildren to live maybe even better than they are living.