Amazon Explorer — Local services in Punchana

Hector and Edwin and Amazon Explorer are excellent, believe the reviews! They really care about the jungle, its people, and do everything they can to make sure you have an authentic and fun experience! And most of all, the trip is very flexible, so you can always do something exciting, or just relax!

We are two guys who went on a 5-day Pacaya Samiria trip. We chose to return after 4 days, but that is only because we just kept doing an activity after activity, and at some point figured that we could also spend one day exploring Iquitos if we kept going! So this was our choice, while we were really happy with our trip!

We got to know our crew very well and they were just excellent: Rafael the English guide (perfect English, very positive energy, kept things rolling), Lorenzo (Spanish-speaking, from the native village, continually amazed us with his wildlife skills and jungle knowledge), the cook and the boat pilot whose names I’ve forgotten but they both were excellent at their jobs and fun as well!

The jungle is no zoo, but Lorenzo the native guide was on top of his game, so we saw all the animals mentioned in tour description and more! Pink dolphins, a 2-3 meter snake during a night walk, howler monkeys, regular monkeys, piranha, a big lizard swimming, cayman at night, and a sloth. I’m probably forgetting some, and not mentioning the frogs, spiders and countless birds.

We also did a number of jungle hikes where we were shown how to make traps using a machete, get water from a vine, and a really impressive huge tree, and canoe rides where we saw much wildlife. We swam in the river, had a little drink with the crew (bring your booze!), went after howler monkeys when we heard them, and rode on a canoe at night lying down looking at gorgeous night stars which was one of my personal highlights.

“Basic jungle living” does mean sleeping under a tarp on a basic hard-ish mattress surrounded a mosquito net in a small campground in the forest, so be ready for that! Riding a canoe several hours a day can get tiresome for legs and back as well, but that is why it's great that the tour can be customized on the fly.

For Iquitos, I have two recommendations: Stay at Casa Morey, it is an unbelievable rubber baron manor just half a block from Amazon Explorer’s office (about 100 USD a night but so worth it); and go to places by the driver called Mrs Norma, Edwin will give you her number/WhatsApp!

Overall, this a lovely experience which I will remember for a long time! For future I’m thinking that with the party who really enjoys this kind of adventuring, a longer trek deeper into the jungle for 10-15 days would be just life-changing, as other reviews indicate! Thank you...

This is the best group out there to truly experience the remote parts of the Amazon. Everything they do is real which was a requirement for me. Many of the other tour company's out there gave me tourist trap vibes.

I was a solo traveler who was joining the 15 day wildlife Search and Survival training. There was a group of three people already signed up for the dates I was going, but they all canceled a week before the trip. With only me left on the trip I expected Amazon Explorer to cancel on me like many other tour company's have done when there is only one person booked for a tour. They instead worked out a discounted price which was very reasonable to me. A second traveler was then able to join in at the last minute.

The tour was great! I expected that we would be roughing it for 15 days, but Amazon Explorer was still able to make things very comfortable. They were very flexible and always receptive to what me and the other traveler wanted to do. They learned we really wanted to see an Anaconda, and we did find one after some searching. I really only speak English, and they brought an English-Spanish translator for me at no extra cost. Despite our very remote location, there was no time where I ever felt unsafe.

At the end of our trip, we got stuck for an extra day in Angamos which is a small town where we would take a little plane back to Iquitos. The weather took a turn for the worst and continued to look terrible. The flights out were constantly canceled. Our guides put a lot of effort into making us comfortable in Angamos while also trying to move mountains and get us on the next available plane.

I definitely plan on going on another trip with Amazon Explorer in the future. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an adventure. When I try to explain my trip to coworkers, everyone's reaction is, "How do you even find a trip like this????" Honestly, the only reason I found them was through some hard digging on google. I'm glad I did find them though because there aren't any other tour groups out there like...

I recently had the immense pleasure of joining Amazon Explorer's 8-day Matses Exploration, and it was an experience that surpassed all my expectations. It stands now as a highlight of my life. From the moment we met our guides and embarked towards the jungle, it was evident that this was not a "tour," but a deeply immersive and authentic experience.

Our guides, Hector, Armando, and Dennis, were nothing short of extraordinary. Their kindness, skill, and preparedness were evident in every aspect of the journey. They brought the jungle to life with their vast knowledge and stories, making us feel both safe and deeply connected to the environment and the Matses people. Despite the austere conditions of the jungle, I always felt secure, thanks to their vigilance and expertise. I want to highlight that I am a solo female traveler and was treated with the utmost care and respect.

This adventure allowed us to experience the true essence of the Matses' way of life. We interacted with the community with the help of our guides as translators. It was a life-changing privilege being invited into the hearts and lives of this indigenous group of beautiful people, to have the opportunity to learn from them and experience for one week what life looks like in the jungle in such contrast to our own in the western world.

I cannot recommend Amazon Explorer highly enough. This journey has left me with unforgettable memories and a profound appreciation for the Matses culture and the natural beauty of the Amazon. I eagerly look forward to joining Amazon Explorer on another adventure...