3 magical nights in an Amazon jungle lodge near Iquitos in Peru.
Our time in the Peruvian Amazons has been one of the best adventures in our world trip! You can travel independently through parts of the vast Amazon region with relative safety and ease but, even though we didn’t have a tight time schedule, on this occasion I sourced a reliable tour company run by local man Roger Salin – a once in a lifetime experience enhanced by the knowledge of an expert guide.
Roger Tours Peru is based in Iquitos, in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, a two hour flight from the country’s capital city Lima. Roger is an expert on Amazon wildlife and conservation in this part of Peru, and especially the fauna and flora in the remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
The agency is specialised in private tailor-made tours with itineraries designed to fit in with your plans, the dates and length of time you have available, the kind of experiences you are looking for, respecting your pace from total adventure out camping in the wild to a more leisurely stay at an eco lodge (these are not spiritual ayahuasca retreats). When planning a trip to the Amazons, ask your health authority about essential vaccinations, and remember to pack a tropical insect repellent to avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitos.
We had an amazing time from the moment Roger picked us up at Iquitos airport for the ride to our hotel by the central Plaza de Armas where we stayed overnight before boarding a private launch next morning at Bellavista Port with two other couples on a similar itinerary. The Amazon River is just as impressive as you imagine and the Queens Lodge is down a canal, hidden in a clearing in the jungle.
Juan and I could only stay 3 days but in that time danced with the Yagua Tribe, fed piranhas and caimans in Fundo Pedrito, fished and swum in the Amazon River, and went dolphin spotting -there are rare pink dolphins here! We also had the chance to visit local villages, see the daily way of life, and eat out in a food market…no tourists in sight.
Almost 7,000km long, the Amazon is the biggest river in the world, and though it courses thousands of kilometres across Brazil until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean, the source is found in Peru high up in the Andes; it gathers force from tributaries, widening up before reaching the Iquitos stretch, a breathtakingly beautiful area bordered by lowland selva in Loreto region.
The Amazon Rain Forest stretches across nine countries, including the Ecuadorian Amazon which is 2 days away from Iquitos up the Napo River (a combination of fast boats and motortaxis will take you to Coca via Indiana, Mazan, Santa Clothilde, Pantoja, and Nueva Rocafuerte).
Fundo Pedrito is a wildlife foundation by the riverbank. A touristy but interesting place to see endangered species of aquatic and terrestrial tortoise, huge iridescent paiche fish, vicious looking ‘lagarto’ caiman and a pool of snapping sharp toothed piranhas!
Navigating downriver towards Queens Lodge our tour guide Ester explained how the Nanay River meets the mighty Amazon, the two waters washing along together distinctly, one darker than the other.
The turning to Queens Lodge is a 60 minute ride by launch from Iquitos city, the meandering narrow waterway from here delves into the tropical jungle through a green canopy of overhanging trees. A couple of dwellings come into sight on the muddy banks by an opening where rudimentary fishing nets are tethered to waterlogged branches, and the incongruous appearance of a primitive tiered ‘stadium’ marks the plot where a playing field emerges in low water season.
The traditional wooden lodge appears in a gently sloping clearing, the raised dining room area open on three sides but protected by mosquito screens. A ramp leads off to 16 ensuite guest cabins set around a central garden. The bedrooms are simple but clean and once again three walls are mainly screened to let in cooling airflow at night. The vibes in this place are peaceful and positive, fellow guests friendly and polite.
Timucurillo village is a short walk away along a trail in the jungle. The local kids come running out to meet visitors, shyly hoping for a handful of sweets. Cows graze in the meadows and there’s a wooden stile to cross a fence that stops the cattle from going astray.
The houses are typically on stilts Chinese style, Ester explained, as settlers from the Asian country travelled to this part of Peru centuries ago and left their mark on the Loreto way of life; Loretanos typically have an exotic appearance with a ancestral lineage descending from indigenous tribes, the Chinese traders and Spanish conquerors.
We were coming back in the canoe after seeing the awesome sunset over the Amazons when there was a short storm, the boatman cut the engine and the guides rowed the canoe through the downpour along our narrow canal. The rain stopped and it was magical watching the glow-worms flickering on riverbanks, listening to the jungle sounds of frogs and crickets, with bright starlight overhead.
Suddenly a huge guy in a green halo of light came rowing past us very quickly passing straight through the waterlogged trees…it happened too fast to be frightening. Ester our guide spent the rest of the evening explaining the Amazon legends and the phenomenon of the mysterious Lamparillas or Amazon lost spirits.
I could have stayed here forever and am planning to come back some day for a camping trip, a real adventure out in the Pacaya Samiria reserve.
For more info on Amazon Tours contact Roger Salinas via Facebook
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