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Check Before You Book An Amazon Jungle Lodge
Deciding on where to stay in the Amazon Jungle is not an easy task. The Amazon jungle spreads across 8 different South American countries. So before you even choose an Amazon jungle lodge you will need to decide on which country you are going to visit! The easiest areas of the Amazon jungle to reach are mostly in Brazil and Peru, in South America. They have a great set up for tourists and researchers who want to visit the rainforest and the Amazon river. We personally chose to go to Peru as it was a country we were visiting anyway, but around Manaus in Brazil is also a great place to find jungle lodges.
Choosing a Peruvian Amazon Jungle Lodge isn’t easy, so here are our 10 tips before you choose!
Choosing An Amazon Jungle Lodge
As mentioned above you first need to choose which country you are going to visit and then look at other available options from there. When visiting the Peruvian Amazon you will find there are two main centres of the Amazon jungle. The area to the North around Iquitos and the area to the South around Puerto Maldonado. Both areas have different reasons to visit, so you will need to decide which jungle lodge is best for you.
If you want to be on THE Amazon river then you will need to head to the Iquitos area. Puerto Maldonado is at the confluence of two of the Amazon’s tributaries, the Tambopata River and Madre de Dios River. Of course the Amazon rainforest has many tributaries that feed into the Amazon river, so it shouldn’t be that surprising. However, the Amazon river is just a name, you shouldn’t be put off visiting Puerto Maldonado area just because it’s a tributary!
If you have your heart set on seeing pink river dolphins then you are going to need to visit the Iquitos area, this is the area they are located in. They don’t live around Puerto Maldonado.
However, you will find more accessible clay licks in the Puerto Maldonado area and there also better chances of seeing wildlife if you are in the Tambopata National Reserve. However, if you choose a good lodge in either area you should be able to see a good variety of wildlife.
Rustic or Luxury Accommodation
You are not going to find top of the range beautiful hotel-like rooms in any lodge. It’s not really compatible with the forest environment, taking supplies in and cleaning. Most lodges accommodation will seem basic if you are used to 5 star luxury. But that’s ok, part of the charm is more basic accommodation and of course a hammock to relax in! As long as you have locking doors, clean beds, private bathrooms with a hot shower and protection against mosquitos you’ll be fine. If you can find somewhere with ceiling fans for air conditioning then that’s even better! It might just help you cool down enough to sleep in the evening!
What you will definitely want to check is that your room has mosquito nets to protect you from the infamous mosquitos of the Amazon jungle. Aside being annoying you can catch malaria from mosquitos in the jungle, so make sure you pack anti-malarial tablets! Wherever you choose to stay it’s likely that your lodge will comprise of rustic cabins with thatched roofs with a surrounding rainforest. Along the main rivers and tributaries you will find that is most likely secondary rather than primary rainforest. This is because the forest at the riverbanks were first to be cut when loggers arrived as it’s easier to access.
Top Amazon Jungle Lodge For Service and Price: Heliconia Amazon River Lodge Heliconia is the jungle lodge we chose and I would highly recommend it. Do check out their offers too.
Swimming Pool At The Lodge
A swimming pool in the Amazon jungle lodge is a bit of a luxury as it has to be cleaned out frequently. However, if you can find somewhere with a pool you will be very happy to cool off after a sweaty day walking about the jungle searching for wildlife. It’s also perfect for children as they need somewhere to have some downtime where they can splash around.
We chose to visit Heliconia Amazon Lodge a couple of hours in the boat North of Iquitos. It had a small pool that was perfect for the kids, it looks pretty, very clean and the children could enjoy playing after a busy day walking. The excellent lodges are of rustic accommodations were more than adequate for our family and we were well looked after.
Are The Costs of Meals and Snack Included?
The majority of jungle lodges in the Peruvian jungle should include the meals. There is no supermarket nearby to collect food and nowhere to prepare it either. So meals should definitely be included in the total price of your stay. Snacks are not likely to be included, so just make sure you eat a lot at meals instead. Even my two snack crazy kids aged 8 and 11 years old managed to just eat the meals and not snack when we were in the jungle! You will experience delicious food prepared in local ways, not generally the Western style food.
If it’s quiet then you may be given a set course of meals. However at busier times it is likely to be a buffet style meal. For kids it’s definitely much easier when it’s a buffet! the daily buffet breakfast was a particular hit for our youngest who loves a big breakfast!
If meals are not included then you will still be expected to pay separately for meals at the lodge. This could work out as very expensive. So make sure you work out the cost to see if it would be cheaper to stay at an all inclusive jungle lodge.
How Do You Get There?
Wherever you are going in the Peruvian Amazon jungle then you are most likely going to fly there! Iquitos can only be reached by either river or by plane. Puerto Maldonado does have a road to access the town, however it can take around 12 hours on a bus to get there by road. The time it takes also depends on the time of year. This is due to sections being impassable due to snow in the Andes or flooding in the Amazon. It’s a much better choice to fly to either Amazon city, particularly if you are short of time.
We chose to fly into Lima International Airport and then to Iquitos for a few days. Then back to Lima for 1 night before heading to Cusco via Lima again. It does seem like a lot of plane travel, but there are limited options. There are plenty of flights available, although you will need to be at the airport at a certain time for transfers to your lodge. Most require you to arrive in Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado before 9am.
Are There Good Wildlife Viewing Opportunities?
What wildlife do you really want to see when visiting the Amazon Jungle? You need to check if the lodge you choose has access to this wildlife. It’s also important to know what time of year is best to visit to see the wildlife. For example in the dry season many animals head further away from the main rivers. It’s harder to get to as the tributaries are often dried up! Bird watching is available year round, although the best time for seeing colorful parrots is in the dry season around October.
You are likely to see many types of bird species including macaws, which are always noisy and beautiful to watch. River otters are present on some of the Amazon tributaries. However it’s easier to see them during the shoulder season or wetter weather conditions.
You can also enjoy jungle hikes to visit monkey island near Iquitos (a non governmental organisation looking after rescued monkeys in a semi-wild environment).
Do They Use Local Indigenous Guides
It’s important that Amazon jungle lodges support the local community. For example employing staff from local villages can help people stay in the area. Otherwise they will need to move to bigger cities such as Iquitos. It can be difficult for young people to stay in the area, even if they really want to. So providing work to local guides is an important step in supporting communities. It also makes a better experience for visitors as local people will know a lot more than someone who has just learnt knowledge from a book.
Which Activities Are Included?
One of the main reasons you travel to the jungle is to take part in a variety of different activities. Whether this is piranha fishing, using a wooden canoe to paddle down the river or jungle treks. Most lodges offer various activities to entice you in.
Jungle walks should definitely be included wherever you stay. However, please do check if they also offer night walks or visits to local indigenous communities. Swimming in the river isn’t always safe, so do check with the lodge if this is a possibility too. If there is something that is important to you then you definitely want to check that your choice of lodge provides this before you book it.
For us the unforgettable experience of watching pink river dolphins surfacing in the Amazon and night time jungle excursions to look for local wildlife made this a holiday of lifetime experiences.
Is Jungle Equipment Provided?
This is an important point to check. Do you need to compromise your lightweight packing for travelling to Peru to pack wellies (rubber boots). Or are you provided with them at your Amazon jungle lodge? If they are provided then do check if they also have children’s sizes available. In the wet season you may also want to check if waterproofs can be provided or if you need to bring your own.
Read more about our travels in Peru:
- Find the best family friendly things to do in the capital city of Lima.
- Enjoy the Sacred Valley with children with these 5 brilliant things to do in Sacred valley with kids.
- Stay in Cusco with these awesome activities in the city, all reachable by foot.
- Choose the best Amazon Lodge for your needs with our handy checklist.
- Spend a day in the South of Peru with Peru Hop, with boat trips and sandboarding.
- 10 things we wished we knew before visiting Machu Picchu.
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