Peru Amazon Basin

Many regard Peru as the best country from which to experience the Amazon. Whether you stay in a luxury eco-lodge or cruise the Amazon on board a luxury ship, the rainforest is still pristine yet accessible. A 35-minute flight from Cuzco takes you to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon basin, the starting point for your journey into the rainforest. From there, you take a small boat upriver to well-equipped eco-lodges.

There is a choice of lodges with different facilities and locations. The lodges that are more remote and difficult to reach are often simpler and with fewer facilities, but because of their remoteness offer better opportunities to view rare species.

Wherever you stay, though, you can expect to see an incredible variety of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and trees. You may well be treated to such amazing spectacles as flocks of parrots at clay licks, families of otters swimming together, and howler monkeys noisily swinging through the trees. Small local communities welcome guests to observe their way of life and see how they have adapted to the modern world.

My Exploration Through The Amazon In Peru

“For me, the experience was all about the wildlife, and any luxuries after that were a bonus. I picked my lodge based entirely on this. Tambopata Research Centre is very remote and in the heart of the jungle. The journey alone exemplifies how deep in the jungle you are – a flight from Lima, a 1-hour road transfer and 7.5 hours motorised boat journey.”