Lupuna jungle tours — Local services in Iquitos

Review of Lupuna Jungle Tours – Peru (4-day jungle tour)

Our 4-day jungle tour with Lupuna Jungle Tours was a worthwhile experience, mainly thanks to the extensive knowledge and passion of our guide, Jay (Jair). Jay was truly the highlight of the tour, with his deep understanding of the jungle and the flora and fauna we encountered. He provided us with fascinating insights during the treks and ensured that we felt connected to the nature around us.

Positives: The Guide and Jungle Experience

Jay had a wealth of information to share, showing us various aspects of the Amazon, from medicinal plants to diverse wildlife. Although we saw fewer animals than expected, Jay’s knowledge more than made up for it. He had a keen eye for detail and made sure we got the most out of the jungle, even when nature didn’t fully cooperate.

Guide, Transport, and Friendliness

On a positive note, aside from what’s mentioned below regarding the sleepy driver (Not the first time according reviews), the transport service was well-organized. From the start, we were picked up and dropped off efficiently, without any logistical concerns. This made for a relaxed beginning and end to the tour, adding to the overall comfort. Moreover, the guides, cook, and other staff were very friendly and helpful, making our stay in the jungle very pleasant. Everyone was eager to assist and made us feel truly welcome.

Caveat: Discrepancy Between Reality and Brochure

However, we would like to point out that some expectations set by the website and social media of Lupuna Jungle Tours do not fully match reality. The photos of animals and fishing spots create a more idealized image than what you will actually experience. This can sometimes lead to disappointment. While it’s true that you cannot control nature, the gap between the brochure and the actual experience is quite significant. Showing a broader range of wildlife could help set more realistic expectations.

Sleeping Driver (happens more according to other review

The adventure got off to a rough start during the ride to the jungle. Our driver seemed tired and struggled to keep his eyes open, which created an unsafe situation. The seatbelts, where present, didn’t function properly. We had to wake him up several times, tapping him on the shoulder to keep him alert. When we reported this to the tour coordinator, it was brushed off with a laugh. After insisting, we did take a short break, but even then, our concerns were not taken seriously.

Tip Regarding the Food: Balance Between Meat and Vegetables

A small tip for the organization concerns the meals. While the food was tasty, it would be nice if there were more attention to a better balance between meat and vegetables. If you say you’re vegetarian, you get decent vegetable dishes, but if you eat meat, the vegetables are mostly replaced with meat. Meat should complement the vegetables, not replace them. A better distribution would make the meals more varied and balanced.

Conclusion

The Lupuna Jungle Tour had several wonderful moments, thanks to the guide and the impressive Amazon nature. However, the organizational side of the tour (the sleepy driver, the way how our guide (not) guided us) and the somewhat misleading information on the website led to some disappointments. If you book this tour, go with realistic expectations and be prepared for a few bumps along the way. Jay made up for a lot, but the overall experience could have been significantly better with a more accurate and careful presentation of...

Short version: Lupuna offers an incredibly good value tour, with kind and knowledgable guides (I had Jair) that take you deep into the jungle. I was extremely happy and would definitely return.

Long version: I decided to expand as I’m on a long journey and I’d like to help other travelers decide :) When I arrived in Iquitos I spoke with 3 or 4 companies and it was tough to pick which group as their sales pitches are similar, so hopefully this helps ease that pain.

The accomodation Rustic, but beautiful. Very tranquil with hammocks looking out to the birds. Decent mosquito nets and the beds were comfortable. It is very clean and the team were really kind to ensure we were happy. The food was really delicious given that the place is so remote, the kitchen had a good variety of dishes and we we never hungry. Free tea, coffee, water etc.

The tour I did 3 days 2 nights which was perfect I think. Usually you do 3/4 activities a day with time to chill after the meals. It was laidback which I wanted, but still very organised. To give you a taster we did several boat trips to spot wildlife, a night walk, a day walk for medicinal plants birdwatching, swimming, fishing etc. We saw caimans, monkeys, loads of birds, an iguana in a tree and lots more. As someone who loves animals I loved how respectfully it was done, all in the wild. Jair was great at locating them all based on sounds, footprints, etc. He is super knowledgable!

The staff What can I say, they made my experience. From the chef, to the trainees learning to become guides, to those driving the boats, and of course Jair. They are what make Lupuna great, as the owners of each company working in Iquitos are fairly similar.

Group size They say never more than six, mine was me (solo female, 31) a couple my age, and two peruvian ladies in their 50s who were great fun. Jair delivered the information in spanish and english - most of us understood the spanish so he only expanded when we needed to, so I got a free language lesson too.

In summary, I couldnt fault this tour. I enjoyed it all, and think I was very lucky to choose it. Its worth noting that it is rustic, but if you’re venturing to the amazon I hope you realise there will be bugs, insects etc and embrace it. It is beautiful.

Now I will stop writing as I feel carsick - check...

We wanted to visit pakaya samira in one day, and I knew from several reviews that it may be not worth in a single day because it takes 4 hours the trip in just one way. This agency seemed good as they were offering to leave very early in the morning at 6:00 AM only with a private tour and to spend only 2:30 hours to get to pakaya samira as they had a fast boat (while it would take 4 hours with a normal boat). We agreed to explore the jungle as much as possible, and to leave pakaya at 16:30 to be back at 19:00. We explicitly asked to write down the activities and estimated time, as we already had a bad experience with a different agency. Among these activities there were 3 walks in the jungle, two of 1,5 hours and one of 30 minutes. They were punctual and we started at 6 AM. The journey until their base camp in pakaya took 3,5 hours of which 30 minutes we stopped to see dolphins that was very nice. We did the first walk in the jungle for 2 hours, some other activities and we went for lunch at 13:30. Until here everything was very nice. However, after lunch at 14:30 we wanted to continue our tour as agreed until 16:30 but the guide told us there were no more walks in the jungle! So we asked to go back to iquitos as we had a private tour, but it was not possible as we needed to wait another person!!! So we paid for a private tour and we need to wait other visitors??? This is called GROUP TOUR! In addition, what we saw was exactly what a group tour is visiting with the difference that they leave later, around 8 AM and they pay less, of course. So we left very early for nothing, as the second walk in the jungle was not existing. We finally started to go back at 15:40 but this time with a very slow boat and not anymore with the promised fast one. We arrived in iquitos at 19:45, therefore spending 4 hours!! (And the day before I explicitly asked the agency if the trip was not taking 4 hours, that is too much, and they reassured it was just 2,5 h with the fast boat). These agencies just want your money and try to cheat on you in all possible ways. If I pay for a private tour with walks in the jungle until 16:30, with fast transport and you write down the activities, I want them as agreed, not missing some, finding out it’s not a private tour and half of the transport is...