Travel Plan: Visit the Marvels of the Amazon Rain Forests in Peru

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(Clay licks of Amazon; image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Hi traveller, 


If you are enchanted by the splendid sights of nature and want to experience the ultimate charm of a rainforest, you must travel to the Amazon Rainforest. Furthermore, it will be the journey of a lifetime if you explore the mysteries of the forests. Here is a plan for this trip and the places you must visit. 


Charles Darwin once described the Amazon Rainforest as “a view in the Arabian Nights.” The sunbeams filtering through tree branches (what the Japanese call komorebi), the light giving a godly glow to the hundred hues of the green forest, colourful birds and more magnificent Indigenous tribes, the adorable views from the forest canopy towers and lodges, the meandering mighty river, Amazon, its mist-covered surreal mornings, the giant lilies and tarantulas, the clay licks teeming with exotic animals, the list of wonders goes on and on. 


The Amazon rainforest covers nine countries. You cannot visit all of them on a single trip without spending many months on it. Hence, this plan will provide you with a simple and exotic travel plan to visit the rainforests of Peru. 


Visiting Peru’s Amazon Rainforests: Iquitos


The first stop on the journey is Iquitos, the Peruvian gateway town to the Amazon. It is located on the eastern side of the Andes. The city is accessible only by air or a voyage through the Amazon River. 


If you travel from Ecuador, there are cargo boats between Coca and Iquitos. The journey slowly progresses through the Amazon River and takes eight days. First, the ferry will enter Napo River, a large tributary of the Amazon and then the Amazon River. The favourite sight tourists have on this journey are the pink dolphins.       


Iquitos town was established by Spanish Jesuits in the middle of the 18th century. The Coronel FAP Francisco Secada Vignetta International Airport has passenger flights arriving from Bogota, Panama City, and the Peruvian capital, Lima. 


Equitos is one of the best places to see the Amazon. The national parks and reserves offer boat rides and wildlife viewing expeditions. 



(Image source: Neil Palmer/CIAT, Flickr)

The Allpahuayo-Mishana Reserve has plenty of colourful and gorgeous endemic bird species. 


Another place to visit in Iquitos is Pacaya Samiria, the largest stretch of flood forest in the upper Amazon basin. A flood forest is a freshwater swamp forest that is permanently or temporarily inundated. These forests are pristine, and only a few studies have tried to explore their flora and fauna. 


Boating in Pacaya Samiria will give you glimpses of magnificent animals such as the Pink Dolphins, Arrau turtles (South American River Turtle), Jabiru storks, and Large Black Caiman. The Arrau turtles are the largest side-neck turtles in the world. They can weigh up to 90 kilos. Used as food and medicine by the local people, they are fast moving towards extinction. 


The magnificent Jabiru storks have a grey-white body, black neck, and a big red patch on the neck. The name Jabiru is adopted from the Tupi-Gaurani language of the indigenous people and means swollen neck. 


The Large Black Caiman is the Amazonian Crocodile, having a body length of 5-6 metres and weight of 450 kilograms. It is the largest living species of the crocodile family, Alligatoridae. Its colour is dark greenish black. It is the largest predator in the Amazon Basin. These crocodiles are hunted for meat and leather and, hence, are classified as endangered. 


The Area de Conservacion Reserva Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo is a wildlife reserve in Iquitos where 16 species of monkeys can be spotted in one place. 


Iquitos is also famous for the ancient Shamanic practice of plant healing. Ayahuasca and Huachuma are plant-based psychedelic concoctions that the healers give to the patients to drink. If you are ready to go on a trip to the world of dreams, hallucinations, and the subconscious, you can try this concoction by meeting a healer. There are a few Ayahuasca and Huachuma healing centres in Iquitos. 


This healing process is claimed to have the power to cleanse your soul, heal you holistically, and your spirit reborn. Ayahuasca and Huachuma healing require you to spend almost a week in the healing centre to complete the ceremonies. 


Iquitos has a tropical climate that does not vary much throughout the year. As the city has no roads and is inaccessible by road, motorbikes and moto-taxis are the common modes of transport inside the city. A moto-taxi is a rickshaw-like passenger cabin added to the motorbike. The tourist office is at 161 Napo Street-4th, Plaza de Armas/Main Square. Phone numbers: +51 65 236144, +51 1 5748000


Anaconda Centre is a huge, sprawling craft market inside the city. The Iron House, built by the Eiffel Tower architect Gustave Eiffel, is made of metal sheets and is a favourite tourist place in Iquitos. Iquitos Cathedral is a landmark of the city and was built in 1919. La Plaza 28 de Julio is the city square where you will get good quality Peruvian Chinese food. 


The Amazon Rescue Centre houses orphaned Manatees and Ocelots. There is also a zoo, an alligator farm, a butterfly farm, an animal orphanage, and Monkey Island to visit. Jungle trips are also organised by tour operators. There are also jungle lodges where you can stay in the middle of the Amazon and wake up to the scintillating sights and sounds of the forest. 


Yurimaguas, Tarapoto


From Iquitos, you can travel to Yurimaguas, Tarapoto, by taxi or ferry. This region has the most diverse butterfly and orchid biodiversity in the world. It is at the northern end of Peru, and the road ends here. On the eastern side, there are only uninhabited forests. 


There is a jungle market where you might be disturbed to find an occasional jaguar skin or live turtles piled up for sale. If you trek to the remote village of Balsapuerto, you can visit the Piedra de Cumpanama, a mammoth rock with ancient petroglyphs (rock carvings) from an ancient civilisation. 


Chachapoyas


Chachapoyas is the abode of ruins from a less explored pre-Incan period. The tallest waterfall in Peru, the Gocta Falls, is here. Its height is 2530 ft. Clouds are visible at the top of the waterfall and sometimes mask the top portion. 


The Chachapoya people who lived before the Incas on the eastern side of the Andes were called Warriors of the Clouds. The Incas conquered them. 


Tourists can visit the ruins of the Great Fortress of Kuelap, renowned as the Machu Picchu of the North. The settlement of Gran Saposoa, the Atumpucro Complex, and the burial sites in Revash and Laguna de las Momias are also worth a visit. 


Chiclayo and Trujillo are places similar to Chachapoyas, where you can find more pre-Incan ruins. 



(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)


The Beaches of Huanchaco and Chicama


Chicama has the longest surfing left wave in the world. If you love surfing, you must visit this beach that can be reached from Iquitos. The road to Chiclayo is through the thick forest, where you will spot many beautiful birds.  


Stay Safe


Before you visit the Amazon, you need to get anti-malaria pills from your doctor or pharmacy. The pill usually has to be taken two days before the visit and 7 days after the visit. 


You will also need to apply anti-bug creams generously on your skin before you venture out into the forest. 


Puerto Maldonado: The Clay Licks


Puerto Maldonado is a city in Peru near the borders of Bolivia and Brazil. It is on the shores of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers. The ferry will take 7 days to reach this city from Iquitos. Flights operate from Iquitos, and the journey will take five and a half hours. 


Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu, and if you have gone from Iquitos to Machu Picchu, you can take a bus ride to Puerto Maldonado. It will take only 2 hours and 25 minutes to reach. 


Apart from undertaking guided jungle trips, you can also visit Sandoval Lake here. Giant River Otters can be spotted in the lake. If you are lucky, you may also see a Peruvian pink-toed tarantula while on a jungle trek. Many giant tarantula species are endemic to the Amazon. Pygmy Marmosets, the smallest monkey species in the world, also belong to these forests. Tapirs are mammals similar to pigs and inhabit these regions. 


From this city, you can travel to the eco-lodges deep inside the forest. One such remote eco-lodge is the Tambopata Research Centre in the Tambopata National Reserve. 


This lodge is the nearest to the largest Macaw clay licks. These clay licks are where Macaws and parrots go to lick the clay. The spectacular sight of them flocking to the clay licks in hundreds and thousands alone attracts tourists worldwide to the Amazon. These birds and animals lick clay to get the minerals that their body has a deficiency of. Researchers who study Macaws are stationed at the lodge, and you can learn more from them about their research if you are interested. 


Canopy climbing is another exciting activity that tourists can undertake at the lodge. 


Posada Amazonas Lodge, a community-owned lodge, is located near Puerto Maldonado. Staying at such lodges will impart a special additional meaning to your visit by providing income for the Indigenous community members.  


Visit Machu Picchu


You can also combine your trip with a Machu Picchu tour. Trains take only 13 hours to reach Machu Picchu from Iquitos. You can also fly from Iquitos to Ayacucho and rent a taxi to Machu Picchu. The flight takes approximately 4 hours. 


Amazon is a difficult place to travel. Yet, the extraordinary experience makes it more than worthwhile. July to December is the dry season when the water level in the rivers is low, and there is a greater possibility of spotting wildlife on boat cruises. 


Or you can visit between January and May when it rains. As the water level will be high during this time, the rivers will give you better access to the inner recesses of the forest. 


You can choose what level of comfort and luxury you need on this trip. If you do not mind a little hardship, you can travel cheaply in wooden ferries and stay in small lodges.


Nothing can beat the travel experience of Amazon if you are a real adventurer and nature lover.  


Read more travel plans to amazing destinations-

https://www.brokenbangles.com/2024/09/travel-plan-vanavara-siberia.html

https://www.brokenbangles.com/2024/09/travel-plan-pellworm-suderoog-islands.html

https://www.brokenbangles.com/2024/09/travel-plan-trip-to-understand-bermuda.html

https://www.brokenbangles.com/2024/10/magnificent-orthodox-churches-russia.html

https://www.brokenbangles.com/2024/11/travel-plan-visit-himalayas-and.html 

 


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