During our time in Peru, we spent 5 nights/6 days in the Amazon Rainforest. That part of the trip was the most different and perhaps required the most research and preparation. We wanted to stay somewhere remote so that we could fully immerse ourselves into the rainforest and be able to see lots of wildlife. As it was both of our first times visiting the Amazon (& it has always been on my bucket list), we really wanted the perfect experience as it seemed like a trip of a lifetime (I say "seemed" because now that we've visited once and loved it, I'm sure we would go back again someday). That was exactly what we ended up having with
Amazon Discovery Lodge!
We wanted a nice, comfortable, clean and well-kept lodge with friendly and knowledgeable staff who were passionate about what they do. Ideally we wanted somewhere that offered WiFi since we both work remotely, but we knew that likely wouldn't be a possibility if we wanted a remote location. Also we wanted to visit somewhere south of Iquitos since we heard that was where the most wildlife is. Luckily we ended up finding Amazon Discovery Lodge which fit the entire description perfectly. They are also located in a protected area of the Amazon Rainforest, where no wildlife could be hunted for food (besides fish). So that ensured we would be able to see lots of them in their natural habitat.
We did research on all different lodges south of Iquitos and Amazon Discovery Lodge seemed to be the best by far. Also they are the only one that offers WiFi at the moment which was a big bonus for us. Their website was easy to navigate with detailed itineraries. The accommodations looked clean and comfortable and (at the time of this post) they are fairly new. They first opened in early 2019 so we had the pleasure of being one of their first guests.
Our experience with them from before the trip until after has been incredible. Before the trip, they were super helpful with everything regarding our booking - from answering any type of questions we had to organizing a guide for us in Iquitos.
A drone shot of the property.
If you are visiting the Peruvian Amazon, you would first fly into
Iquitos. From there, whichever lodge you book will pick you up and transport you to them. We stayed a couple days in Iquitos and arranged a guide through Amazon Discovery Lodge to bring us around certain areas of the city. He ended up being our guide for our time at the lodge as well. That morning, we were picked up at our hotel and driven about 2 hours away to a town called Nauta. From there, we took a speedboat for another 2 hours until we reached our lodge. I really enjoyed the entire journey. The ~4 hours just flew by. From the car ride we passed a lot of villages and observed daily life on the banks of the Amazon. The boat ride was really nice with the wind blowing against us in the Amazonian heat, while gazing out at the scenery hoping to catch a glimpse of exotic wildlife.
Here are the rooms!
The common area.
None of the lodges in the Amazon have air conditioning (if they are as remote as ours) but each room at ours had a fan. Each room was open-air with mosquito nets enclosing the space. So at times it can get pretty hot, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The most difficult thing to get used to was the cold showers (as there is no hot water). But after a few hours trekking through the hot humid rainforests, a cold shower was the best thing to come back for.
We had cleaning service every day and our sheets and towels were replaced every two days.
Our schedule each day was something like this:
8am = Breakfast in the common area
8:30am to around 10:30/11:30am = Morning excursion
12:30pm = Lunch in the common area
3pm/4pm/5pm = Afternoon excursion
7:30pm = Dinner in the common area
8:30pm/9pm = Night excursion
One of my favourite things about the lodge was that each couple got their own guide. So each schedule/itinerary could be personalized in terms of timing and which activity you wanted to do.
The morning and afternoon excursions were usually boat rides, fishing or jungle treks, while at night it was usually boat rides or jungle treks to look for nocturnal animals.
Sometimes in between excursions we would lay in our hammocks to relax and read, or play board games in the common area.
All the meals were included in our package and prepared for us at the same times each day. During our time there, we didn't have any repeat meals and everything was delicious. I particularly loved the freshly squeezed juices made from exotic Amazonian fruits. We ate together in the common area with the other guests. It was a nice way to meet the other travellers and talk about our trips, where we were all from, etc.
Here is our guide, Carlos! He was bilingual in Spanish and English, and was super friendly. He really seemed passionate about the Amazon and showing us all it had to offer. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. He was also very knowledgeable about all the wildlife and plants. He had a very good eye for spotting any animals high up in the trees and was able to immediately distinguish which species/type it was. He also had a lot of interesting stories to tell us about his past, growing up in the rainforests.
Here is our other guide, Roger! He was the boat driver and second guide. He accompanied us on all our treks, which a machete to clear the way and keep us safe. He didn't speak English at all so I wasn't able to communicate with him but he always had a smile on his face. He was really friendly and patient (especially when I kept losing my bait during our fishing excursion!). He lives in a village close by the lodge.
Here is all of us on our boat! The photo was taken with our drone by the way.
Making this post is bringing back a lot of memories and making me really miss the Amazon! I really hope to go back again someday.
During our time there we were lucky to overlap a few days with when the owners of the lodge, an American family, were coming to stay as well. They were extremely nice and friendly. We were so happy to have met them during our visit. It was clear that they truly had a passion for the Amazon and providing the best place for guests to experience and learn about it. It wasn't just a business for them.
If you are planning a trip to the Amazon someday, we highly recommend booking with Amazon Discovery Lodge! You can view their different itineraries here:
Amazon Tour Itineraries.
We did the 6-Day one which was a good amount of time. I would definitely recommend at least 4 nights to get a full experience.
Here are my other Amazon posts with what we did each day:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
We are so happy we went with the decision to book them during our time in the Amazon. It was a truly unforgettable experience!
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