A trip to the verdant and wildlife-filled Amazon is an experience that ignites powerful curiosity and inspires deep awe of the natural world. When you first arrive and are uninitiated, the Amazon jungle feels like an impenetrable wall of trees, yet once you start hiking with an expert guide or riding in a skiff with a knowledgeable naturalist, your eyes will nearly jump out of your head when you realize just how alive and richly populated the jungle truly is. Animals and plants of wondrous colors plus fascinating people who call the jungle home have much to teach us about the extraordinary impulse to survive and flourish on this planet.
If you can tolerate at least a little steamy weather, go ahead and add the Amazon to your bucket list. Witnessing the plants, animals and tribespeople of the Amazon is so unbelievable that it's worth searching out a way to experience it that suits your comfort level and interests.
Not too keen about humidity? In that case, I’d recommend a stunning Amazon river cruiser. Amazon ships begin their journey in the upper Amazon of Peru and travel from Iquitos as their port city. You can easily fly from Lima to Iquitos. At Wild Nectar, we recommend a series of stylish Amazon ships with expert guiding that include the Aqua Nera, the Zafiro, the Delfin III, and traveling with National Geographic-level guiding on the Delfin II.
All of these ships will have spacious cabins with huge picture windows for habitat viewing in transit. They will also have fantastic fine dining. Plus, they will all have air conditioning so you can retreat to a world of dry coolness after your day in a motorized skiff traveling among the tributaries looking for Scarlet Macaws, Kingfishers and Toucans. River ships offer great opportunities to see pink river dolphins. Many travelers have heard of the amazing giant lily pads known as Victoria Amazonica. Ships in the upper Amazon traveling the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve help you see these incredible water plants.
Are you super active and does the thought of spending 4, 5 or 8 days on a river ship make you feel antsy? If yes, an Amazon lodge is a better idea for you as a land experience means you can do lots of hiking, observation tower climbing, canopy walking and even canoeing or boating from your land base.
At Wild Nectar, we’ve designed two custom journeys that can fit your preferred dates and our Signature Journey, Immersive Amazon: Mists, Monkeys and Macaws, includes visits to less often visited cloud forest, Manu National Park and then the lush and deep jungle at Tambopata Research Center. This program takes you way off the beaten path and includes meaningful encounters with local people such as learning bow and arrow making and fabric painting from the Machiguenka and Huachiperi people.This is the itinerary for people who want to get a sense of what authentic Amazon life is really like.
Other Amazon lodges in Peru are closer to Puerto Maldonado than the Tambopata Research Center (which requires both a motorized skiff and a canoe to get there) and are better for shorter visits. These come in a range of comfort levels and rates. Ask us!
Fans of an Amazon lodge experience who are looking to include the Galapagos Islands in their adventure, should know that there are a few lovely Amazon lodges in Ecuador such as La Selva and Sacha Lodge.
Our other custom Amazon journey, Iconic Amazon: Tambopata & Delfin III, offers the best of both worlds, ship and land. This program ventures deep into the Tambopata Reserve via the Tambopata Research Center and then whisks you to Iquitos to end your trip in the comfort of a lovely Amazon river cruiser, Delfin III.
Whether your travel style calls you to take a ship or stay on land, we at Wild Nectar can help you choose the Amazon experience that’s just right for you. Many of our clients choose to add a few days in the Peruvian Amazon to their Machu Picchu trip and others head to the Ecuadorian Amazon as part of a longer Ecuador adventure that might include Cuenca, the Mashpi Lodge in the Ecuadorian cloud forest, or the Otavalo region.
No matter what you choose, Wild Nectar is here to design an experience you’ll always remember. Contact us and we’ll help you start planning your Amazon adventure today!
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