Amazonia Sample Itineraries
The strength of Amazonia’s itinerary lies in the incredible amount of choices available to you. The great ecological diversity in the Tahuayo River basin allows an opportunity to see and do many things, so we encourage longer trips; one to two weeks is a typical length of stay. We can also accommodate short trips of less than one week.
Our lodges on the Tahuayo River have access to a great variety of ecosystems that we can explore as well as many native communities downriver. There are sufficient highly trained English and Spanish speaking native men and women guides so that each person can go at their own pace and according to their interests. This is ideal for people who do not want to be stuck with a large group on an itinerary pre-determined to serve the lowest common denominator.
You can choose a photographer’s pace, a soft pace or a ruggedly adventurous pace. You can concentrate on birdwatching, canoeing, canopy exploration, fishing or native culture. You can be active all day long, including before breakfast or well into the evening or relax and take it easy in our hammock room. All can be customized to your individual needs.
Families can have a private guide who specializes in working with pre-teens or young teens. Special itineraries are available for marriages, honeymoons, anniversaries, and other special occasions.
There are many facilities, offered by no other tour operators, to give you unique experiences in exploring the rainforest. One example is the canopy zipline system. Some companies have canopy walkways or towers, but only with Amazonia can you actually fly from tree to tree, with nothing to obscure your view, nothing underfoot except a hundred feet of rainforest.
Solo Travelers
At Amazonia Expeditions, we never charge a single supplement for solo travelers. Amazonia Expeditions values its solo travelers and is the only lodge in the region that does not charge a single supplement.
Our standard general-interest itineraries are the most popular choice for those who want to visit the Amazon rainforest. Your trip will include your private jungle guide, access to the Amazonia Canopy Experience, and your choice of excursions in and around the Tahuayo Reserve. Please remember that the longer your stay is, the more opportunities you will have to enjoy the wide variety of activities that we offer. If you have a specific interest in fishing, birding, camping, survival, or other specialized trips, please explore our specialized tours, or contact us.
Small Group Travelers
Our standard general-interest itineraries are the most popular choice for those who want to visit the Amazon rainforest. Your itinerary will include your private jungle guide, access to our Canopy Experience, and your choice of excursions in and around the Tahuayo Reserve. Please remember that the longer your stay is, the more opportunities you will have to see to partake in the huge variety of excursions that we offer. If you have a specific interest in fishing, birding, bug collecting, or other special interest, please consider some of our specialized itineraries or contact us
We have special rates for groups of five or more people. With large groups of 10 or more the leader goes free of charge. Please review our itineraries and contact us for more specific information. Organized school groups should refer to our School page. Groups interested in volunteer work should refer to our Service page.
Family Trip
Amazonia Expeditions has a great reputation for working with families. Our guides are very well experienced in creating a fun and safe itinerary for children of all ages. Along with being in a zone free of malaria, zika, dengue and yellow fever (Learn Why Here!), it is an ideal trip for families with young children. Contact us for a list of references of families who have recently brought children. The cost and activities available are the same as any other trip, but the cost for children 16 years and younger is reduced by 25%. Family groups of more than 5 people may have an additional discount, depending on availability.
Organized Groups
We have special rates for groups of five or more people. With large groups of 10 or more the leader goes free of charge. Please review our itineraries and contact us for more specific information. Organized school groups should refer to our School page. Groups interested in volunteer work should refer to our Service page.
Our standard general-interest itineraries are the most popular choice for those who want to visit the Amazon rainforest. Your trip will include your private jungle guide, access to the Amazonia Canopy Experience, and your choice of excursions in and around the Tahuayo Reserve. Please remember that the longer your stay is, the more opportunities you will have to enjoy the wide variety of activities that we offer. If you have a specific interest in fishing, birding, camping, survival, or other specialized trips, please explore our specialized tours, or contact us.
School Groups
Amazonia Expeditions has a great reputation for working with school groups, from middle school, through high school as well as university groups. We can customize an itinerary to concentrate on environmental education, short-term field research projects, community service projects or just recreational excursions in the rainforest. Safety is always emphasized. Along with being in a zone free of malaria, zika, dengue and yellow fever (Learn Why Here), we travel in boats with life preservers, have a staff trained in first aid and have the highest sanitary standards in food preparation. Contact us for a list of references of schools that have brought groups. School groups qualify for a discounted cost and free teacher escorts depending on group size. Please contact us below for more information.
Conservation Research
Customized itineraries at both our Tahuayo Lodge & Amazon Research Center Lodge (ARC) are available for qualified people interested to assist scientists and/or staff in conservation related projects. The ARC is formally recognized by the Peruvian Governmental organization CONCYTEC (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación) as an official Research Institution. Some degree of education or training in the biological sciences may be required.
Projects include working with camera traps or drone cameras to collect data on animal species of interest, assisting scientists in describing new species, working with Amazonia’s staff biologist, assisting regional conservation NGOs, or working with university scientists investigating the flora and fauna of the Tahuayo River basin.
Birding
For those with a serious interest in birdwatching, we highly recommend our specialty birdwatching trips with one of our extraordinary birding guides. This itinerary was made just for bird watchers in mind. It includes visiting a variety of different ecosystems and locations we do not usually frequent on our standard trips. We strongly recommend this itinerary for veteran birdwatchers. Those with a less serious interest should refer to our standard itinerary page, as this provides options for a wider variety of activities.
This specialty itinerary includes your own master birding guide and your own excursion boat. It would not be unreasonable to think you could add well over 100 species to your life list during this trip. Just last year we were able to spot over 262 species in one single day.
Photography
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding places to be a photographer. Individuals or small groups interested in nature, landscape, or portrait photography can have a private jungle guide who will customize excursions to a photographer’s pace. This means if you want to wait two hours until the lighting is just right, your guide will do that. Our guides have experience working with photographers and are knowledgeable about the pace and requirements of serious photographers.
Equipment
Suggested equipment to bring would include a good telephoto lens as much of a rainforest’s life is just under the canopy, as well as a good macro lens to photograph small, beautiful beetles, frogs, toads, and orchids. A good tripod is recommended as you will most likely want to be taking some long exposure shots under the milky way. There is no extra cost for a specialized photography itinerary and cost is the same as any of our standard customized itineraries. (Please let us know well in advance if you are interested in a specialized photography itinerary!)
Service
If you have the desire to volunteer in the indigenous communities and have the skills, knowledge and
School volunteer
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When school is in session, mid-March through mid-December.
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1-3 days (minimum) of
specific art project for students of elementary school. -
3-20 (min) days for
science project or English instruction for high school students. -
2-5 (min) days assist in the kindergarten class, provide some games.
Required: Spanish skills & teaching skills required
Medical or dental volunteer
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1-7 days volunteer to assist in the Esperanza Village clinic
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English to Spanish translator provided (some Spanish skills preferred but not required)
Required: proof of medical or dental background
Conservation
We offer customized itineraries for qualified people interested to assist scientists and/or staff in conservation related projects. Some degree of education or training in the biological sciences may be required. Projects include working with camera traps or drone cameras to collect data on animal species of interest, assisting scientists in describing new species, working with Amazonia’s staff biologist, assisting regional conservation NGOs or working with university scientists investigating the flora and fauna of the Tahuayo River basin.
Internships
Internships are also available for a modest number of high school and college students. Internships and conservation project itineraries typically involve a commitment of 3 weeks to 6 months. Cost is dependent on the background qualifications and project type. More information about ongoing research that you may assist in can be found on this page. Or please contact us for more information.
Fishing
The Amazon rainforest is a fisherman’s paradise. Over 2000 different species of fish inhabit these waters, with many new species being discovered every year. This is more than double the amount of species found in all of the Atlantic Ocean. Can you imagine casting lures or flies into these remote waters searching for that prized peacock bass? Perhaps you may want to go after the legendary giant catfish from the depths? Maybe you would like to try your skill with a hand spear under nothing but the moonlight? You can do all that and much more; join us on the remote Tahuayo River for the ultimate fishing adventure.
Fishing in our region
The rainforest is a dynamic ecosystem, constantly changing due to the yearly influx of water from the Andes Mountains. At times water levels can rise more than a foot in one day. Generally, the best season for fishing is August to November. This is when we would recommend more serious fisherman to visit the Tahuayo. During this time water levels are at their lowest and fish are concentrated into the main river channels.
Species
The Tahuayo is home to some of the most prized game fish in the Amazon. Some of the most popular of which include the peacock bass (butterfly), arowana, catfish (many varieties, some which grow over 200lbs), piranha, pacu, oscar, and vampire fish (payara). Whether you are a professional or just an amateur you never know what you will find when you cast a lure into the river.
Fishing Gear
We do provide basic gear and tackle only for simple piranha fishing. This includes a cane fishing pole or for those interested, a fishing spear. For those with a more serious interest in fishing it will be necessary to bring your own gear and tackle. Please take a look at our full itinerary which includes a detailed bait and tackle list.
Hardcore
