How you want your Amazonian adventure to turn out will depend on 3 criteria: Budget (low or high), ease of access (flight or river) and nature of jungle experience (lodges, camp or cruise). The pros and cons of each choice are outlined below. The tour operators in this list are highly recommended, for more options, you can check out; tripadvisor.com, lonelyplanet.com and booking.com.
Low budget ($50 – $200 per day/person)
- Jungle lodges
Duration: 1 week or less, excluding riverboat travel time to reach the lodge which normally takes 3 days one-way or you could just take a flight if you want to save time.
Pros: Great for first-timers and the most popular option as it´s relatively safe and comfortable, some are children-friendly, travels by canoes and speedboats for river sightseeing, short-distance day hikes or 3-day survival hikes, some lodges offer the chance to sleep outside in the forest.
Cons: Fixed location and tour packages.
Tour operators: Tahuayo Lodge (Iquitos-Peru), Refugio Amazonas Lodge, Posada Amazonas Lodge, Sandoval Lake Lodge and Manu Tented Camps (Puerto Maldonado-Peru), Cock of the Rock Lodge and Villa Carmen Lodge (cloud forest in Cuzco-Peru), Tariri Lodge and Amazon Village Jungle Lodge (Manaus-Brazil), Uakari Lodge (Tefe-Brazil)
- Camping expedition with a guide
Duration: 2 weeks or more
Pros: Intimate jungle experience, travels by canoes and speedboats for river sightseeing, customizable itinerary, greater chance of spotting wildlife.
Cons: Tough unless you´re an experienced hiker with outdoor camping, not recommended for first-timers. Be prepared to cook and sleep in a hammock.
Tour operators: For excursions in the northern Peruvian Amazon, the tourist office in Iquitos has a list of registered freelance guides. In southern Amazon from Cuzco, check out the Manu Wildlife Center, Tambopata Research Center or Heath River Wildlife Center (Puerto Maldonado-Peru).
High budget (up to $1,200 per night/suite)
- River cruise
Duration: 4 to 10 days including airport limo transfer.
Pros: Travel in style and luxury, air-conditioned, good food and service. Reach remote areas and deeper into the national reserves in speedboats. Allows disembarking the ship to walk in the forest or kayak in the river. Customizable itinerary. No harassment from mosquitoes until you enter the forest on foot.
Cons: Few operators, may be packed during US & European holiday seasons. The solution is to book outside of peak seasons.
Tour operators: Delfin Amazon Cruises I & II, Aqua Expeditions (Iquitos-Peru) Tucano Cruise and Amazon Clipper Cruises (Manaus-Brazil), Amazon Dream Cruise (Santarém-Brazil)
Economic options: Junglex Expeditions, Queen Violeta Amazon Cruise, Selva Viva Cruises (Iquitos-Peru)
Flight or river?
Most of the jungle towns can only be reached by flight or river. For example, if you´re planning to travel the upper Peruvian Amazon by luxury cruise, you should take a flight from Lima to Iquitos and the cruise company will transfer you to their ship by land. Flights from Lima to Iquitos or Pucallpa (LAN, Star or Peruvian Airlines) usually cost $100 round trip (even less during promotion) if you book at least one month in advance.
If you are on budget and have time to spare, you could take the river route which will last a few days to a week depending on the route. It may sound romantic to travel by boat but the reality is far more tiring. The upside is that, you get to mingle with local people on deck and learn about their culture, so it helps to have a basic grasp of Spanish before you travel. Also, if the boat travels upstream, it will tend to stay close to the bank to use less fuel. You will then have a chance to observe the natives´ way of life up-close and perhaps spot some wildlife. But if you happen to be traveling downstream, tough luck, all you will see is a faint forest line in the distance as the boat will be in the middle of the miles-wide river. Below are some tips to help make your boat journey a little more comfortable:
- There are many riverboats which carry up to 200 passengers that you can choose from. Always take a look before buying a ticket, a newer and shinier boat is better and faster.
- If you´re over 6 feet tall, just rent a hammock space as the cabins are small and stuffy. Hanging out in your hammock is cheaper too. There are 3 decks, the first and second are for hammocks, the highest deck is for chilling out and dining. Choose a spot on the second tier to be far from the toilets and closer to the front of the boat to avoid the noisy motor.
- Be aware of any nearby speakers or TV and try to stay far from them for a better sleep. I recommend ear plugs and a sleeping mask.
- Be 3-4 hours early before departure to reserve your spot and set up your hammock, decks will get crowded and try to defend your space by not allowing a hammock to be tied above yours.
- Keep an eye on your backpack especially when stopping at ports, or you could ask the captain to stow it away in a secure area but the flipside is that you won´t have access to it mid-trip.
- Set up and sleep in your hammock properly to avoid the Folded Banana Syndrome and a bad night´s sleep. I´ve listed tips on how to do so in the Jungle Essentials section, under Sleep.
Next: Hiking the Amazon (Part V)–Best Time to Visit
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