The Amazon Rainforest spreads over a vast area and is the place with the largest collection of living plants and animal species on our planet. The rainforest is inseparably linked to the Amazon River, the longest river in the world, which during the rainy season spills into the surrounding area. Visiting the Amazonia is truly an unforgettable experience and one that will stay with you for a very long time.
For our trip to Peru, we chose to use the services of the company Jacamar Lodge Expedition, which arranges accommodation and tours to the Amazonia. They offer accommodation including meals right in the rainforest, as well as tours to the surrounding area. We have spent exactly 3 days/2 nights in the rainforest and it was the perfect length of stay. We recommend agreeing on everything right in the office and paying for the whole package including all the activities right then and there. If you do that, you won’t have to worry about anything later and will be able to simply enjoy the real jungle atmosphere. We were actually very surprised at how relaxing and calming could a stay in the rainforest be.
Our English-speaking guide’s name was Junior and he took care of us throughout our stay. We learned that he comes from an Indian tribe living in the jungle; the rainforest is a true home for them. He kept surprising us with his knowledge about all the plants and animals we came across. We could ask him anything that came into our minds at any moment and Junior would have an answer for us. The trips were expertly organised and everything worked out exactly as we agreed on.
The atmosphere in the rainforest was really relaxed and friendly. Everyone got along – our guides, cooks and also the individual travellers, who came to experience the jungle as we did. We went for several trips together and had a lot of fun.
Experiencing the Amazon rainforest in a canoe or on your feet
The most important means of transport in the Amazonia is a boat. To get where you need to go you’ll often be travelling by one. Among the activities offered by Jacamar Lodge Expedition are for example canoeing trips through the trees as well as a trek into the rainforest itself. These gave us the opportunity to see the various kinds of plants and trees from close proximity. During the boat ride, we were able to watch monkeys and birds, jumping around in the branches of the tallest trees. We saw toucans, as well as kingfishers and Junior, showed us huge river lilies – ones that can grow up to two meters in size. When we stepped out of the canoe, he led us to an enormous tree that looked just like the ones in the Avatar movie. On the way there, he pointed out a huge termite mound and found several large centipedes.
Fishing – catching piranhas
Our favourite activity was fishing, especially catching piranhas. We got to the place where these fish can usually be found by a boat and using a simple fishing rod with a line and a hook, we began to fish. Our guides prepared pieces of monkey meat for us that we used to lure the fish. It wasn’t as easy as it first seemed though. Still, we had a lot of fun and the cooks later served all the fish that we managed to catch for dinner.
Visiting the reservation and dolphin watching
During the visit to the sanctuary, we had an opportunity to cuddle a sloth and see several other animal species that stay in the reservation such as spider monkeys, ancient turtle and enormous python. The reservation operates as a rescue station, so all the animals that stay there can leave at any moment. Immediately after visiting the reservation, we set out to watch the river dolphins. These are pink and grey dolphins living in the Amazon River with a very specifically shaped snout. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to see them. However, we didn’t mind at all and enjoyed a refreshing swim in the Amazon River during a magical sunset instead.
Visiting an Indian village
The Indian village we visited was really impressive. Junior – our guide – explained that Indian tribes have been living in the Amazonia following their traditional way of life for many centuries. At present, the government is providing basic education and lessons of Spanish for their children, who couldn’t go to school otherwise. Still, there are tribes in the Amazonia, which are trying hard to prevent any contact with the outside world and don’t let any white people come near them. During our visit to the village, we tried out the blowpipe, which is a type of weapon that Indians use to hunt animals. It’s actually just a hollow tube, through which they fire poisonous darts directly into the prey. The Indians use a combination of poisons that can be found in the rainforest. The projectile itself is absolutely silent so it doesn’t startle any other animals in the vicinity and the hunter has a greater chance of hitting more animals.
The Night Amazon Jungle
A night ride through the jungle has its own unique charm. We admired our two guides, who were able to spot various animals for us even in the dark. Probably the most impressive experience was visiting a place where poisonous tarantulas can be found. Junior let one of them crawl on his body and we had the opportunity to do the same. Indeed, there were only a few brave people who willingly picked up a poisonous spider and let it crawl over them.
Nowadays, active deforestation of rainforests is a pressing issue, which causes irreparable damage. Cutting down trees for the purpose of gathering wood or creating farmland changes not only the local landscape but also the environment of our whole planet. However, the ever-growing population has to be fed somehow. These are serious problems that the rainforest has to face and probably will face in the future as well, which is why if you’re considering visiting, you should do so as soon as possible.
Contacts
Email : turismo@jacamarlodgeexpedition.com
Web: www.jacamarlodgeexpedition.com
WhatsApp : +51 964 221 486
Tripadvisor
Thanks to Jacamar Lodge Expedition for support during our visit to Peru. All our views are based on our own experience.
What lovely photos! I’ve seen my share of big spiders but I wouldn’t dare to let one (especially a poisonous one) crawl on me! And I was surprised to see how small piranhas are – I’d have thought they would be bigger, given their reputation. The ancient turtle is very cool too. I was surprised to see that the animal sanctuary lets visitors handle sloths – I recently read that sloths are very delicate and when they are handled by strangers, their hearts beat extremely fast, which can lead to their premature death (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/10/wildlife-watch-amazon-ecotourism-animal-welfare/) But since it was an animal sanctuary, I assume they know what they’re doing – at least, I hope so!
Hi Michelle, thanks for your comment. Well about the spiders, I was afraid to put it on me as well, only Tomas did it 😀 And the piranas, I knew they are small, but I did not expect they are so small. They are strong in the group, but one single fish is not dangerous. About the sloth, I am not happy to read this, so to be honest we did not think about it so much. I put my trust on the local people who work in sanctuary. They care about all animals with love and the sloth looks normal and healthy, so I can only hope they know what they are doing. 🙂
Wow that sounds like a great experience and you were lucky to have such a knowledgeable guide. I didn’t realize that you could eat piranhas. Glad to hear you liked them, now I want to try it. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
We were also surprised to find that we could eat piranhas, but even more surprised by their size. In general, there are so many things to see and do in Amazonia.
Omgosh, this particular post has both amazing things and things like snakes and spiders I wouldn’t go near! But visiting a real tribal village and seeing how they live must have been a truly amazing experience!! Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
There are so many things to see and do in Amazonia. You can choose what you want to do and of course, you don’t have to touch snakes and spiders.
Looks like a great way to experience the Amazon. I opted for the southern region (near to Puerto Maldonado) when we went, but this looks just as good. Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
We heard that Puerto Maldonado is similar to Iquitos where we were. We just wanted to see the real Amazon river 😉
Whoa…that is a big tarantula! Not sure we would do that. These pictures are awesome. It really looks like a great adventure. We would love seeing the tribal village, and learning more about their history and culture. What an experience that would be. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard!
This looks amazing! We are looking at going there next summer, are you able to choose which activities you want to do for the three days you stay there? In looking at their website, the activities they have outlined for the three days are different. We don’t want to miss the village and the reserve! Thanks!
Hi Jenn, it was an unforgettable experience! Most of the activities are just for half days, so you can do two of them per day. Usually, there is a guide for every two persons so you can decide with him which activities you want to do.
Loved your photos. What travel operator do you use. We ve traveled the amazon from iquitos to tabatanga, brazil and leticia, columbia. We want to do it with our grand daughters and go to the places where we went! Thanks!!
Hi Carolyn, that nice you like our photos. We have use company Jacamar Lodge Expedition, but I don’t think they do trip to Tabatinga/Leticia. Probably the best would be to arrange a tour/boat trip after you arrive in Iquitos. You can also as at iPeru official tourist info centre.