we had an amazing adventure in the jungle. this national park is very pristine, and contains real nature with "real" wild animals, and it is kept very well. our guide, Rive, was highly skilled and you could sense he "lives" the jungle. we were able to see lots of birds (that Rive could identify by species in addition to spotting it), bats, reptiles & invertebrates(mostly at the night walk), monkeys, tapirs, capybaras, caimans (both black and white), giant river otters and on top of all...a majestic encounter with the king of the jungle, the jaguar!!. Rive taught us a lot about the plants and trees. the rest of the crew were also great, especially Bernardino, our chef (that made great food from scratch) and the boat crew, led by Julio, the boat Captain (that spotted animals from a distance with his hawk eyes). overall, highly recommended for all nature lovers!!
We enjoyed our trip with Amazon Wildlife Peru in mid-June. Although it was a group tour, the company did run it just for the two of us, as nobody else had booked the same dates, and we are very grateful for that. Our guide, Rive, had a fantastic knowledge of the area and the wildlife, particularly the birds in the area. He really went the extra mile in getting us sightings, and photographs, of many of the amazing birds in the region. We saw so many different birds, but the smallest of the humming birds were the most incredible sight. We were also enthralled by seeing the Giant River Otters fishing on the lake, and the sunset trip on the lake where they live will be a lasting memory. We had sightings of capybara, caymans, turtles, various species of monkeys, and a tapir. We did have a spell of cold weather due to winds coming from Antartica over Patagonia so recommend windproofs, gloves and warm hats, particularly when travelling on the boat.
Richard, our chef for the trip, produced great food which was delicious and filling - even when cooking on the river boat! The river was an obvious challenge, with gravel shallows to navigate but our captain, Julio, and his mate, Herman, knew the river very well.
It was truly an adventure, and the wildlife was worth the early starts and lack of hot water:, which we were told about in advance). The gumboots were essential wear and very comfortable to walk in. All the lodges were good, but Jaguar Lodge was undoubtedly the best, beautifully built and very well thought out furnishings. Top tip: don't make the same mistake I did and wash through any clothes. Things just don't dry in that climate;).
We booked the package of 4 nights and 5 days in cultural area. We were a group of 4 people and went in march. We had a guide, a driver and a chef just for us. All of them were very nice. The whole trip was great, the guide was awesome and the food was delicious. One of us ordered the vegetarian option and it was great as well. I would deffinately recommend it. As a tip, especially if you travel during rainy season, don't forget to take a lot of mosquito spray and proper clothes!.
It was a great experience.
A once in a lifetime experience . Alex , the guide , was one of the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides we have met . Bernardino , the chef , was a magician - conjured up 5 star meals in the confines of the boat . Julio , the boatman , gave us a masterclass on navigating a swollen river full of debris . Even though we had been warned it was the peak rainy season , it exceeded our expectations .