When I first discovered that part of the Amazon rainforest is in Peru, I knew I had to visit it during my trip to Peru. Who knew 60% of Peru is covered by the Amazon rainforest! I thought it would be a great experience to stay in the Amazon rainforest for a couple nights at the Refugio Amazonas to explore the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
After landing at Puerto Maldonado airport, we met our guide from the Rainforest Expeditions who took us on a 40 minutes van ride to the Infierno Community Port. During the van ride, the guide surprised us with nice little basket of snacks, which included banana and Brazil nuts.
Once we arrived at the Infierno Community Port, we embarked on the Tambopata River to the secluded rainforest lodge, Refugio Amazonas. Since it was in the afternoon, we did not have to stop by the Rainforest Expeditions office in Puerto Maldonado to store our check-in luggage. Guests who arrived in the morning could only take carry-ons or backpacks on the boat and the remaining luggage had to be stored in the office. The limit for the carry-on or backpack is 22 lbs. I was glad that we were able to bring our entire luggage with us.
Lunch was served inside a jungle leaf during the boat ride. Along the river, we saw wildlife such as peccaries (wild boars) and birds. The boat ride lasted for 2.5 hours. It was comfortable and relaxing. I did not experience any motion sickness.
We arrived at the dock around 6:30 P.M and it was pitch dark. We had to use our headlamp and flashlight to see, which we were told in advance to bring with us on the trip. It was a little tough to climb 100+ steps of stair up the cliff with my heavy backpack. Good thing the Rainforest Expeditions staff carried our luggage and brought them to our room. From there, we followed the stone steps that led us straight to the lodge. We heard humming, buzzing, thrumming and howling sound. The howler monkeys were the loudest of all.
After 15 minutes of hiking, we saw light in the distance. There it wasβ¦ our lodge. I was so happy to see it. Hiking in the dark to our lodge felt like an eternity as I didn’t want to step on any snakes and run into any jaguar. When we got to the lodge, we had to remove our muddy shoes before we could enter it. Only sandals, socks or clean sneakers were allowed inside the lodge. We were greeted with a cool towel and a welcome drink. We then sat down at the common area to listen to the welcome briefing about the lodge before receiving the key to our room.
Afterwards, we booked activities for the next day since they do get booked up quickly. At the Refugio Amazonas, guests can choose a wide range of activities. It was recommended to pick 2-3 activities a day so we picked the macaw claylick and the canopy tour. We almost booked the night tour, but changed our mind, as we wanted to relax and hang out at the lodge in the evening.
Activities
Chunco Macaw Clay Lick
This tour started at 4:30 A.M. We took a 2 hours boat ride and stopped along the river to watch birds while the crew prepare breakfast. After having breakfast, we headed to the famous macaw clay lick. This clay lick is often visited by three species of large colorful macaws, parrots and parakeets.
Our guide helped us identify the birds seen at the clay lick, as well as other wildlife there and along the river. He was so good at capturing photos and videos of the birds through the telescope with our phone cameras. There was something magical about watching colorful birds eating clay. This is a “must-do” on every itinerary.
Canopy Tower
This tour started at 3:45 P.M. and we hiked for 30 minutes to the 30 meters (100 feet) scaffolding canopy tower. We climbed a banister staircase to the top to enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the Amazon Rainforest. Our guide was knowledgeable and pointed out the different species such as toucans, macaws and raptors.
Food
Before arriving at the lodge, we had low expectation on the food since we were staying in the middle of the jungle. We cannot expect the food quality to be like in the city. Surprisingly, the food was delicious and there was plentiful to eat. Meals consist of soup or appetizers, salad, main course, and desserts combining Peruvian and international cuisine plus fruit juices. They also provide unlimited amounts of boiled, filtered, cooled drinking water, coffee or tea through out the day. Breakfast starts at 4:30 A.M., lunch at 1:00 P.M. and dinner at 7:00 P.M.
Room
There are 32 rooms at the lodge. Each room has a 4th wall that opened up to the jungle, a private bathroom with hot water and mosquito net on each bed. We stayed in the Comfort room with two double beds, a hammock and a reading table. The wall does not go all the way up to the ceiling, we could hear our neighbors talking. Electric lighting was available in the evenings until 10 P.M. Guests usually slept when the lights were out.
I had a hard time falling asleep on the first night due to the jungle sound and fear of having animals coming into our room. I did hear stories that some guests saw possum, frogs and bats in their room. Luckily, we did not encounter any animals in our room. On the second night, I was able to sleep well thanks to my Bose noise-cancelling earbuds. I wore them the whole night to sleep.
The Refugio Amazonas is a luxury, all inclusive rainforest lodge offering guided tour, transportation, meals and accommodations. There are chargers in common areas to re-charge the devices. Wi-Fi is available in the common areas, but it is slow. The lodge does not have any phones and there is no cell phone service.
On the departure day, we tipped our guide and lodge staff for providing excellent service. The suggested tip for the guide is between $10-12 USD and $5 USD for lodge staff per guest per day. There is a box to tip the lodge staff near the entrance of the lodge and envelope for the guide. Overall, we are glad that we had a chance to visit the Amazon rainforest. The weather was great in June since is considered to be winter season where the temperature was cool and drier. It was definitely a memorable and “Amazoning” experience that we will never forget.
What to pack:
- Binoculars
- Camera gear
- Insect repellent
- Flashlight with batteries/Headlamp
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Broad brimmed hat
- Poncho
- Long sleeves/pants
- Hiking boots
- Sandals for walking around the lodge
- Small day bag
If you have stayed in the Amazon rainforest, what was your experience like?