Tahuayo Lodge (Amazonia Expeditions) - Office — Hotel in Iquitos

How do you fit the trip of a lifetime into a small, relevant review and still do the place justice? That’s how I feel about the Tahuayo Lodge/Amazonia Expeditions. If you want to be wowed, this is the place to come. Paul (the owner) was great about answering questions prior to booking, listing important things to bring and getting back to us quickly.

We stayed 5 days at the lodge and 5 days at the research station. Set up on stilts it’s like a gigantic tree house for adults (kids welcome too though!). The way it’s organized couldn’t be better. You get the same guide for your duration – both places if you are visiting both the lodge and research station (HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO BOTH). All the activities are included so you sit down with your guide and talk about what activities are available, what is recommended based on weather/time of year and what you want to do. We did the Zipline, Valley of the Frogs, Monkey Spotting, Dolphin Spotting, Cayman Spotting, Swimming, Piranha Fishing, Canoeing, Boating/Bird Spotting, Camping (Must request before arrival), Jungle Hikes etc. They are completely open to all activity levels and customizing everything to your comfort level. And we felt absolutely safe going with them – even camping overnight!

Food was one of our biggest concerns before booking but was spectacular at both places. Daniel and Xiomy made such delicious meals that weren’t too heavy for our daily activities. Great balance between western style and Peruvian style food options. Rooms and entire lodge was always clean. Nothing was locked and we didn’t have any fear about stolen items. Regular Day Set Up: Breakfast 8AM (6:30AM if you are exploring longer and are planning on earlier) Activity until 11/12 Lunch 1PM Activity until 4:30/5PM Supper 7PM

We had 2 guides, Juan and Marcos (Marcos was in training). Top notch guys, both of them. We joked that Juan is superman with x-ray vision. The wildlife he saw and pointed out was amazing! And he could identify and tell you all about almost every species we came across. If we saw something he didn’t know (rare), he would look it up and show it to you later. If we passed something, he went back so we could see and take pictures. Nothing was rushed. Both of them thoroughly enjoy their jobs and that makes a huge difference. Not everyone can be excited to see a sloth for the thousandth time lol. Juan saw my Dad having trouble sitting for longer in the canoe and got him either cushions or an actual chair so he could fully enjoy our excursions. Their English was very good but they were continually trying to learn more and they helped us with our Spanish too! Kind of felt like family by the time we left

I'm a fan of adventure/eco-tourism travels, having done a few with my brother. Amazonia Expeditions knocked this trip out of the park. Everything was great. We stayed long enough to visit the research center. Both lodges were amazing, at the Tahuayo Lodge, you'll meet all sorts of other travelers. The Research Center is quieter, but I'm more of a fan of their showers for sure. Both lodges had an amazing staff. Everyone was happy to see you and helpful with anything they could do for you. The bars were a nice treat after dinner, and there's a small shop for if you forgot some things or want a souvenir in the first lodge. I'd also feel bad if I didn't mention the meals. The kitchen is amazing, in both lodges, I've never had such fresh tasting fruits and such amazing meals on a trip like this before.

The excursions are amazing. Even with 8 days, I feel like there wasn't enough time to do and see everything, so I definitely want to go back. You'll plan out your trip with your guide(s) the night before, being able to choose from a variety of activities to pack the day. If you're really up for a challenging hike with chances to see rare sights, stay long enough to visit the research center and take a trek into terra firma. Otherwise, you can go at your own pace, since you and your group will have your own guide.

The guides are amazing. We were led by Julio, with Karina helping along as part of her training. We had some times with other guides tagging along since my brother and I joined up with other solo or pair travelers at various points. Every guide knew their stuff. Julio is a magician at the job too, I swear. I'm walking along at night in the jungle with him and he pauses and asks if I saw the stickbug. A stickbug in the dark!? No, Julio, I'm not a magician, lol. The things he was able to spot, or the tricks he'd pull out to help me get a photo of an animal was just inspiring. I've seen a guide spot a camouflaged owl while driving in South Africa before, so when I say I'm impressed by the guides here, trust me, if they're all like Julio, you're in for a treat.

My brother and I put Julio and Karina through the ringer, with treks filling every spot possible, including a couple of 8 mile hikes before breakfast. One of those hikes went through two swamps and &quotthe boss fight&quot swamp before we hit terra firma and then we had to go on them in return. At no point were our guides (or any other staff) complaining. They were always excited and happy right there with us.

If you're even remotely thinking of visiting the Amazon, visit with Amazonia Expeditions. I can't recommend them enough and I can't wait to be back for a...

The staff were like family and the food and accommodations were even better than I imagined considering almost everything has to be brought in by boat. Meals were buffet style and included both Peruvian and American dishes, it was delicious and I absolutely ate too much! (Warning, there's dessert at every lunch & dinner!) Juices are fresh-squeezed every morning, usually a choice of two or three different kinds. The cocktails are made with fresh-squeezed juices as well so highly recommend along with trying the Inka Cola which tastes like creme soda. Purified water is brought in daily by boat. Rooms were comfy and mosquitos were not a problem indoors.

There's a cool hammock room to hang out in (pun intended) and a wi-fi room if you need to charge devices or stay connected. The main dining room has a little library, games and plenty of space to play them or sit down and relax. They offer plenty of activities to keep you busy including ziplining, hikes, boat rides, fishing, bird watching, swimming in the river and visiting local villages. If you go to El Chino for a visit, be sure to bring some local currency to buy hand woven baskets & crafts from Manos Amazonicas, they do beautiful work! For context 40 soles will get you a really nice medium-sized basket.

A few additional tips for your visit:

It's hot and humid here year round - if the sun is out clothes that are hung out will dry, if not they may not. Highly recommend packing clothing in Ziploc bags to keep everything from getting damp. Laundry service is available and they do a fabulous job but it may take more than a day to dry.

Sunscreen, bug spray and a hat are a must! I found that the lemon eucalyptus oil repellent they recommended worked very well. I avoided wearing shorts and came home virtually bite-free.

They will issue you rubber boots to wear on hikes, which are also a must but if you need insoles or anything special, bring a pair to use in the boots and consider wearing two pairs of socks to avoid blisters.

Assuming you are considering this place because you want to see wildlife; don't be surprised if you run across the occasional non-human visitors hanging around on the walkways, screens and walls outside (frogs, bats, moths, etc.)

Be prepared to climb in and out of boats and up & down stairs and river banks - you will get your steps in here!

Amazonia Expeditions does make other travel arrangements in the country. They booked an Andes extension for us which was fantastic! Thanks Amazonia, hope to visit again...