The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s richest and most-varied biological area, home to millions of insect, bird, and plant species. Second only to Brazil, Peru comprises a large part of the Amazon rainforest. In fact, it covers nearly 60% of Peru!
Setting sail on a cruise down the Amazon River was a bucket list item for us. But the more research we did, we realized a cruise would just be scratching the surface. Instead, we opted to immerse ourselves in the jungle at an eco-friendly, no frills lodge on a small tributary. A once-in-a-lifetime trip!
Getting to the Grand Amazon Lodge
Getting to the Grand Amazon Lodge is the start of the adventure! Located on the Yanayacu Tributary off the Amazon River in the village of San Juan de Yanayacu, several modes of transportation are required.
- The closest airport is in Iquitos (IQT). We flew from Cusco, with a brief stopover in Lima.
- Upon arrival we were greeted by our English-speaking guide, Edson, and loaded into a van for a one-hour drive to the boat dock on the Amazon River.
- Getting from the road to the boat launch site was no easy feat. Recent rains had made the path down to the boat incredibly muddy and slippery. Mike even slipped and fell!
- The final leg of the trip was a 1.5-hour boat ride, first along the impossibly wide, main Amazon River, then down a narrow tributary.
Upon arrival we were greeted with a cold glass of lemonade, given some introductory information about the lodge, then shown to our riverfront bungalow #10.
Accommodations & Lodge Life
Considering we were in the middle of the primary rainforest in the Amazon, basically in the middle of nowhere, we were really happy with our accommodations. Our bungalow had a comfortable bed, tableside fan, and electric outlets so we could charge our devices. Each and every bungalow was riverfront, and had a private balcony with a hammock and chair and table set. There was another chair and table set indoors too. The bungalow had a private bathroom, including a shower, but no hot water due to the energy constraints of the rainforest.
There is no way around it, living in the jungle is a hot and sticky affair. Once clothes or towels become wet, they won’t fully dry. Therefore, we really appreciated the daily housekeeping in our room that included fresh sets of towels and sheets, a luxury we don’t generally indulge in.
The common area used for lounging and dining had wifi! This felt pretty insane and while we were generally unplugged, it helped to have the ability to check in every once and awhile.
This area is also where we ate all our meals, could purchase drinks from the bar, and where we had access to drinking water and hot coffee/tea 24/7.
Food
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were generally served buffet-style. What the chefs were able to churn out was local, delicious, and nothing short of amazing. Examples of typical meals:
- Breakfast: Omelets, ham and cheese slices, french toast, local fruit, fresh juice.
- Fresh fish nuggets, rice, potatoes, vegetables, mango slices.
- Fried rice, chicken, beef with gravy, yuca, salad, beans. More mango slices!
A Typical Day in the Rainforest
Meals were served at set times (announced by drum!) and there were generally three excursions per day, so a pattern emerged:
- 7:30am: Breakfast served
- 8:30-11:30am: Morning excursion
- → Rest in room, shower ←
- 12:30pm: Lunch served
- → Rest in room ←
- 3-5:30pm: Afternoon excursion
- → Shower #2, happy hour in lounge ←
- 7:00pm: Dinner served
- 7:45-9:00pm: Night excursion
Summary of Excursions & Wildlife Sightings
Two of the main reasons we chose the Grand Amazon Lodge:
- All guests are assigned a private guide for the duration of their trip. Our guide, Edson, was with us from the moment we stepped off the plane until it was time to return. We also had the same boat driver, Mr. Roger, on every excursion. Mr. Roger was from the local village and seemed to know every square inch of the jungle we explored. We found this partnership created a much better, more personal experience, tailored to our wishes and never repeating the same activity.
- There were a whopping three excursions each and every day, allowing us to make the most of our time exploring the various facets of the rainforest.
Daytime Excursions
Boat rides: The motorized, open-air boats we used to explore the Amazon allowed us to travel far and wide. Many of our daytime trips were by boat and it was a comfortable ride, with cushioned seats and plenty of legroom. We were amazed at all the tiny nooks and crannies the boat could maneuver into, and the thick vegetation it could plow through, with the help of a machete. Just some of the things we saw and did by boat during the day were:
- Macaws
- SO many horned screamers (birds) and we even saw a few baby chicks
- Iguana in trees
- Caiman lizards swimming and on logs
- An excursion to the mouth of the river to see pink dolphins that looked like hairless manatees and gray river dolphins, too
- Capuchin monkeys jumping in the trees
- Titi monkey group and squirrel monkeys nearby
- Master of disguise, potoo (bird)
- LOTS of 3-toed sloths
- Great white egrets
- Hoatzin (bird)
- Bats
- Hanging bird nests
- Termite nests in trees that looked like tumors
- Stingray trees that look like bamboo, and are used as an antiseptic
- Motored through mangrove-like mazes of trees
- An excursion, pretty far away, in search of giant lily pads, in a whole area that felt straight out of Jurassic Park…just beautiful!
Canoe paddling: One morning we set out in a non-motorized canoe instead. It was really slow going under our own power and we got “stuck” in the thicket several times. We only went 2 miles in 2.5 hours and were absolutely drenched with sweat at the end! But exploring the Amazon in this way gave us a new appreciation for our surroundings and it was wonderful to hear nothing but the sound of our own paddle strokes.
Along the way we were able to see two different groups of monkeys swinging through the trees above us, watch swooping bats, and hear howler monkeys. Our slow pace also gave the chance for a LOT of bugs and spiders to jump in our boat, including a hand-sized fishing spider.
Jungle walks: Jungle walks ended up being one of our favorite excursions. Since the mud was deep, we were given a pair of rubber boots and then headed out on foot, from the lodge, with Edson and Mr. Roger. Slowly picking our way through the jungle, we got to see things like pygmy, night, and squirrel monkeys who weren’t disturbed by the motor of a boat. We also got up close and personal with smaller insects like a 1-inch bullet ant and a fire ant, that bit Mike! He was fine. 🙂
Piranha fishing: Piranha fishing was another of our favorite activities in the rainforest. We had the opportunity to fish at several different locations. Our setup was simple: a wooden pole, a short piece of fishing wire, and a hook baited with chicken pieces. We were instructed to splash the pole around in the water to attract the piranhas’ attention, then quickly pull up if we felt a bite. It took some practice, but we each had multiple catches, some of which were fried up as part of dinner later that day.
Nighttime Excursions
Boat rides: Often after dinner we would do a short boat ride and see what was out and about. Our guide, Edson, would stand at the bow of our boat, constantly sweeping his headlamp from side to side looking for glowing eyes. Once something was spotted he would communicate with Mr. Roger using only hand signals, then we’d cut the engine and paddle over quietly.
Jungle walks: Quite possibly our favorite activity? But also the most scary. We would put on our boots and head out into the pitch black behind Edson and Mr. Roger. We saw the most amazing and gorgeous insects and reptiles on these walks, which is what made them so special.
What Edson, and Mr. Roger, were able to spot at night was incredible! A sampling of what we saw:
- Tiny glass frog
- Spectacled caiman
- Fishing bat
- Sleeping 3-toed sloths
- Sardines that would literally jump into the boat
- An adorable, furry mouse in a tree
- Bullfrog, tree frog, and king toad
- (Poisonous) green waxy monkey frog
- A parade of leaf cutter ants
- Tailless whip scorpion
- Red snake and coral snakes
- Red-sided possum
- Pink-toed tarantula
- Leech, caterpillar, huge moth
- The STARS! On a clear night, boating under the canopy of stars was incredible. We could see the Milky Way and constellations like the Southern Cross that were new to us as Northern Hemisphere-dwellers.
Our Review of the Experience
In short, we had a wonderful experience at the Grand Amazon Lodge. Spending time in the rainforest was something we dreamed about for years, and we’re so glad we did the trip. If we had the chance to do it again, we would have spent one less night (4 nights instead of 5). We feel we would have been able to see and experience everything we wanted to in that timeframe.
Things we liked best/pros:
- Grand Amazon Lodge accommodations with the private bungalow and balcony, a fan to keep cool, and daily housekeeping with fresh sheets and towels.
- Friendly staff, and private guide and driver for the entire duration of our stay.
- Delicious, filling food, and the communal nature of dining which led to great and interesting conversations with other guests.
- Amenities such as wifi and an onsite bar.
- Doing three varied excursions a day kept us busy, and being asked about our preferences.
- Experiencing pristine nature in the primary rainforest, not simply taking a day trip or doing a cruise along the main Amazon River.
Things we didn’t love as much/cons. Note most of these things absolutely cannot be helped (you’re in the jungle after all), but they can wear on you after several days:
- There are bugs, so expect spiders in your room, ants near the food, and to be covered in crickets (and cricket poop) during the boat rides. One time I found a worm on my pillow! From my hair? Who could say?
- Anything that gets wet, from rain or even just sweat, will never, ever dry. Our strategy was to wear the same outfit every day during excursions, then shower and change into dry, fresh clothes when we got back.
- It is hot and sticky, day and night.
- Even with access to a motorized boat, there is really only so much area you can cover from the lodge and it got repetitious by the last day.
- The van transportation from/to the airport left a lot to be desired. In fact, leaving, the van ride was horrendous. The 1-hour ride took 2 hours thanks to going 25mph the whole way (the van felt like it was going to fall apart at any moment). There was zero AC, so the whole trip was stressful and hot, but we made our flight.
