Amazon Adventures

Peru Tours and Travel

Sample Educational Program Rainforest/Jungle Itinerary:

Day 1
After clearing customs in Lima Airport look for a representative holding up a sign with group name on it. You will then be taken to a hotel in Lima

Day 2
Transfer back to the airport. Fly to Iquitos. Speedboat to lodge. First we travel on the Amazon River. Here we can see many marsh birds as well as small native villages that dot the river banks. Then we go up a smaller tributary, the Tahuayo River, which leads to the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve. We arrive at the jungle lodge by lunch. Orientation to the lodge, includes assigning cabin bungalows, research laboratory and library, dining hall and other facilities. The lodge was rated as one of the "ten best wilderness lodges in the world" by Outside Magazine. Evening excursion by boat to see caiman crocodiles and tree boas.

Day 3
Daily itinerary can vary according to the group's interests, weather conditions, etc., but here is a sample:
Before breakfast birdwatching along riverbank ecosystem. After breakfast hike through forest to see manakin lek and pygmy marmoset habitat. Then ascend into canopy onto platforms and use ziplines to travel to various canopy platforms. After lunch visit blackwater lake to swim with pink dolphins and use hydrophonic technology to listen to the sounds made by marine species. It was here that Sy Montgomery studied the pink dolphins to write her two books about these fascinating freshwater mammals. After supper evening excursion to see nocturnal birds such as potoos, nightjars and owls.

Day 4
Before breakfast visit to butterfly colpa, where these colorful insects swarm to feed on marine sediment deposits. After breakfast hike in terra firme ecology to study plant diversity including trek to frog valley to see poison dart frog conservation and breeding study project. After lunch visit to native riberenos village to learn about their culture and native participation in the agronomy conservation project. After supper a native shaman will perform a ceremony of good luck and good health at the lodge.

Day 5
Before breakfast birdwatching in varzea ecology. After breakfast hike through forest to identify medicinal plants. After lunch canoe into a blackwater lake to observe monkeys, nesting hoatzin birds and horned screamers. After supper evening excursion to view boat-billed herons and night herons.

Day 6
After breakfast a day long trip, first by boat, then trekking into the forest's interior, to see a lake with giant lily pads, tropical fish and electric eels, forests with monkeys and sloths; lunch by a cascading waterfall. Swimming in a pool under the waterfall Late afternoon visit to the native artisania market. Return to the lodge for supper. After supper discussion of native oral histories.

Days 7 - 10
Travel upriver to the Research Center Lodge. hike the trail grid, helping to habituate populations of 12 different species of primates. Participate in ongoing research conservation programs. Swim in Dolphin Lake. Return to the main lodge on day 10.

Day 11
Before breakfast birdwatching in a cocha (lake formed by a river meander). After breakfast by motorized boat up the Tahuayo River to see macaws, parrots and monkeys living in habitat by the river's edge. After lunch put on mosquito repellent for hike into aguajal ecology (swampy forest) to see the unique flora and fauna of this ecosystem. After supper farewell fiesta.

Day 12
Before breakfast, fishing for piranha. After breakfast hike to see giant kapok trees. Monkeys may be seen along the way. Afternoon return to Iquitos by boat. Brief tour of Iquitos city and markets, such as the "witches" marketplace. Transfer to airport. Fly Iquitos-Lima-USA.

We are in a region of unrivaled biodiversity, so there is a lot to see and do, and longer trips of 12-20 days are a possibility as well as shorter trips of 5-10 days. Itineraries can be customized to particular fields of study as well: native culture, ecology, art & music, Spanish language immersion, etc.

Trip extensions to Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Inca and/or Lake Titicaca and other areas are also possible.