Iquitos Travel Guide

If you are visiting Peru, dont miss the opportunity for a trip in the jungle. Like everybody else, I was mainly looking forward to trekking the Inca Trail (which I did enjoy a lot) but I had not given much thought about a trip in the jungle... had a few more days to use wisely at the end of my stay in Peru (October 2007) and decided to fly to Iquitos... Once there I made sure to find a guide who was a local - which i recommend to anyone. To be Peruvian is not enough... ask for someone who grew up in a jungle village... and you will be AMAZED. I was not prepared at all for the immersion in pure nature and it hit me big time... one of the best experiences of my life. 4 days in the Jungle, with a 21 year old local guide (nicknamed "the wolf") and I learned so much... I can never forget it... the feeling of freedom and beauty... unbelievable. The jungle is tough so do not go there without someone reliable to guide you and without some strong... insect repellent ;-) (only Deet works... Mosquitoes there are not afraid of much). But if you are up for the adventure, here are some of the life-changing activities that I was lucky enough to experience:

Bird watching (and the guide had a story for each species); holding a sloth (mind, I was told some of them can be agressive if they've eaten a certain kind of leaf); going to see the alligators at night; paddling through endless river arms; camping by a river lake and fishing piranas, watching the pink dolphins; swimming in the Amazon, meeting locals; playing football with the ppl of the jungle village; experiencing food and drinking a strange tea that has to be chewed and spat out by the host before serving (yukkkk... but what a laugh); cooking fresh fish for breakfast, just wrapped in a banana leaf and enhanced with fresh (and so deliciously strong) coriander; finding your way in the jungle by swinging your machete around (carefull) and nearly losing your boots in the deep thick mud... LOL I loved every second of it, far from any civilization... how small you feel... The Amazon and its jungle will leave you wanting for more.

I will go back one day, I promised it to the Jungle when I left.... Cheers to "The Wolf", his incredible wild life knowledge and his unforgettable laugh. :)

Mad Mick's Bunk House is the cheapest sleep in town, and a good place to book jungle trips from (we did and it was good.) The Plaza de Armas is beautiful at night, all lit up purple and famillies out. Keep in mind that unless flying out you are looking at  long journey out. It takes 2 weeks to get to Coca, Ecuador by boat. 3 to 6 days by boat to get to a road in Peru (the road is not always safe, apparently, though we did not take that route.) and a 11 hour Fast Boat to Santa Rosa/Tabatinga/Leticia (tri-border region of Peru, Brazil, and Colombia) where you can theoretically depending on safety work your way through the jungle to the more accessible parts of Colombia, or more easily, either take a 36 hour fast boat or a 4-5 day slow boat to Manaus, Brazil, and from Manaus you can go by road to Venezuela or by boat to Santarem and Belem on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Theoretically you could go by boat via Porto Vehlo to Bolivia. On the Amazon you don't have to worry so much of Mosquitos, but in the jungle it is CRAZY. The food is better in the Peruvian Amazon than in the Brazilian Amazon. The ATMs in Iquitos give you the option of US$ or Peruvian Soles.

ECOLOGICAL JUNGLE TRIPS.

 DOLPHIN LODGE is located 240 km away from the city of Iquitos, on the bank of YARAPA RIVER.
In order to arrive there, we must travel 110 km on a private vehicle to the city of Nauta, which is situated on the bank of Maranon river, entrance gate to the PACAYA SAMIRIA NATIONAL RESERVE.
From Nauta we continue the trip taking a typical boat, from which we can appreciate the formation of the magnificent Amazon River, (union between the Maranon and Ucayali Rivers). We will end up the trip on the Yarapa River. The travel time on boat is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Dolphin Lodge is a small shelter with capacity for 22 guests. The Lodge has been built and designed with traditional and local materials. The area is organized in Seven rooms for 3 people per room, a big dining room, hammocks and reception area. At night the shelter is illuminated with lamps, creating a charming atmosphere. Moreover, Dolphin Lodge is surrounded by beautiful lakes and big rivers; you will appreciate plentiful animals and vegetation.