Stepping into the World’s Largest Rainforest (Peruvian Amazon)

The Amazon has lived in my imagination for decades — a place of mystery, wildlife, and deep green silence. Iquitos the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, is home to almost half a million people yet surprisingly the airport is very small.

Stepping off the plane onto the tarmac you are immediately hit with a wall of heat and humidity. In that instant, you know that you are in the mighty Amazon!

After meeting our fellow travellers and collecting our luggage, we boarded a bus to Nauta, where the Amatista — our home for the next week — awaited us.

Life Aboard the Amatista

The Amatista is a charming, small riverboat with 14 cabins and blessed air conditioning. On our sailing, we had 23 passengers, two naturalist guides, and about 11 crew members.

The cabins are on two floors, with the dining room on the second floor. The top deck features an open-air bar/relaxation area and an air-conditioned lecture room where we received briefings about the area, the people and the wildlife; as well as entertainment on a few evenings!

Days aboard were relaxed yet full. Early‑morning excursions, midday siestas, and afternoon or evening outings kept us engaged without ever feeling rushed — a welcome balance in 35°C heat and near‑100% humidity.

Wildlife Encounters on the Amazon River

Every day brought new adventures: skiff rides along the riverbanks or hikes deep into the jungle.

The first night on board we went for an evening skiff ride to spot wildlife. It was so exciting to spot unique birds flying through the trees, young caiman at the sides of the river and even a giant frog!

As with any safari, wildlife spotting requires patience and a sharp eye. Birds are easy to spot, but monkeys are another story. Over the week we saw dusky titi monkeys, monk saki monkeys (nicknamed the Michael Jackson monkey), flying monkeys, pygmy monkeys, lion monkeys and marmosets. Sloths appeared occasionally, moving with their signature slow grace.

One of the most magical moments was seeing pink dolphins. Yes, pink! Some of them have grey backs and pink bellies, others are pink all the way through. They surface quickly, making them hard to photograph, but unforgettable to witness.

We did not see anacondas, but we did encounter giant tarantulas, teeny tiny poison dart frogs, bullet ants, two different types of bats and a massive boa constrictor.

Amazon River Communities and Culture

I was surprised by how many villages line the Amazon’s banks. Some villages have very few people, others are like small cities. Our journey immersed us not only in the wildlife, but also in the daily lives of the people who call the river home.

We travelled by dugout canoe, watched families wash clothes and bathe in the river, and visited communities working on wildlife‑related conservation projects.

In one village, we visited a butterfly project raising enormous owl butterflies. In another, we helped bury turtle eggs as part of a conservation effort to increase hatchling survival.

We sampled honey from stingless bees — collected with an eyedropper — and enjoyed a traditional lunch cooked in leaves. I learned that tapioca root is delicious and nothing like the tapioca pearls I’d imagined.

One of the most memorable experiences was meeting a local Shamana, who shared her training journey and explained how she uses Amazonian plants to treat various ailments.

Amazon Packing Tips

What I wish I had Packed

-Proper hiking boots and long socks. Long pants tucked into socks are essential — tiny insects are everywhere. My ¾‑length pants weren’t ideal, and hiking in rubber boots (required if you don’t have closed shoes) is hot.

-Sweat proof bug spray. Do they even make such a thing? There are so many bugs in the Amazon and bug spray wears off quickly in the humidity!

-Afterbite. all my bug bites were on my feet where my shoes rub off the bug repellant.-

-A high powered flashlight. Night exploration is magical, but my small flashlight wasn’t strong enough.

What I’m Glad I Brought

-Benadryl. One of our traveling companions must have disturbed an insect nest of some sort while we were hiking one day. He got stung several times and some of the spots swelled right up. I shared the Benadryl which really helped.

-Sport sunscreen. This stuff is excellent as it doesn't wear off when you sweat. And in the Amazon you will sweat from when you leave the air conditioning to when you get back in to the air conditioning.

-Binoculars. You can’t always get super close to the animals and if you are on the water, binoculars really help you see the details.

Biggest surprises

There are fish that jump more than a foot out of the water all the time!

Termites live high up in the trees because they need to be out of the flood waters. A termite mound can look a lot like a sloth. Good thing we were able to look through the binoculars and determine what we were really looking at.

Small dolphins, both gray and pink. Pinks are almost the size we are used to but grays are quite small.

The number of little villages along the river. There are around 100,000 people living along the banks of the Amazon's Pacaya Samiria reserve. Small villages dotted the shore line all along the river.

Final Reflections

Throughout the week I would stop and think, I am on the Amazon River! It was just so other-worldy. Like on any safari, you are never guaranteed to see wildlife, but the wildlife we did see and the cultural experiences we shared made the journey unforgettable.

Learning about other cultures, seeing how other people live, it makes us better people. For me, I am grateful to have had this opportunity to experience the Amazon taking in the sights, sounds and smells. It’s a journey I will not soon forget.

Next up

Following our Amazon adventure we headed to Cusco and Machu Picchu. In my next post I will share what it was really like and how we survived the extreme altitude.

If you’re dreaming of your own Amazon adventure, I am here to help it a reality. Message me today.

Gallery

Pictures from my Amazon Adventure

Let’s make your next adventure easy. Reach out anytime — I’m here to help you plan with confidence.

talitha@solderastravel.ca