The magic of the tropical forest in Iquitos, north Peru jungle, Amazon

Program of 3, 4 or 5 days in this  budget lodge.

We are pleased to present to you our lovely lodge in the heart of the Peruvian jungle: The Amazon rainforest lodge, on the slow moving Momon river, which is a tributary of the Nanay river which leads into the mighty Amazon River. The journey from the port of the city of Iquitos to the lodge is just 45 minutes by boat.

Come and join us for an unforgettable trip into the Amazon rainforest. Stay for a few days and nights and enjoy the feeling of being at one with nature with all the creature comforts. Our private English speaking guide accompanies each group.  We visit three indigenous tribes in the area (Yaguas, Jibaros & Boras) and trek through the rainforest to observe the fauna and flora (please see our detailed list for all the activities).

The lodge has 30 Large bungalows with private bathrooms; all bungalows are interconnected by wooden covered walkways.  We have our own kitchen, restaurant, bar, large swimming pool, monkeys, parrots, macaws and other animals and two lookout towers with wonderful views. Our skilled chef prepares delicious local specialties from food grown in the area.

We have our own speedboats and several canoes, and we also use Pamacari style wooden boats for larger groups. For transport inside the city of Iquitos we have our own bus and 4 x 4 Nissan vehicle.

The lodge is Child friendly, and perfect for families

Day One: Iquitos – City Tour – Momon River – Lodge

Our guide collects you from the airport or your hotel; the transfer by bus from Iquitos airport to the Bellavista port is a 1/2 hour ride. On the way we pass the fascinating vibrant jungle metropolis with historical roots in the rubber boom. If you are already in the city, our guide will pick you up from the hotel between 9am – 9:30am. At 10:00 am we board our speedboat on the Nanny River for a trip up the Nanny and Mom rivers, on the way we observe the Nanay River and Amazon River. You will note the “meeting of the waters” a blending of the Amazon which is brown andNanay which is black water. (Sometimes you can see the pink or gray dolphins). We will appreciate our natural wonder that is the “Amazon River”
Visit to “Barrio Florido – Fundo don Pedrito” a small village where you can see Victoria Regia plants, and see a collection of aligators and paiche fish.
On the way we make visits by boat, to the Boras Indigenous Tribe who lives further down the Momon River. They are a friendly tribe who will show us their traditional dancing and singing. The men chant and beat their drums and the women sing and dance playfully. After several songs the young Indian girls invite the tourists to join in the dancing and everybody ends up dancing together going round and round in big circles. After the dancing session is over we can take plenty of photos of the tourists together with the Indians and they will show us their lovely collection of handicrafts which they offer for sale to the visitors. Upon arrival at the Lodge we are warmly greeted with a welcome drink made of local tropical fruits. We have our first taste of the delicious lunch in our Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey”. Our Guide will explain the activities and he will give an orientation of the bungalows and the main facilities available at the Lodge.Free Afternoon: Boating, walking excursion or If you prefer,time to relax at the lodge such as the large swimming pool, the water slide, the Jacuzzi as well as going to the top of our two towers to enjoy the view or relaxing on the balcony overlooking the Momon river to watch the boats sailing by and observe the birdlife. Dinner in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungru Monkey” After dinner you have night tour in a canoe, after a while the Guide switches off the engine and in complete silence we drift downstream under the moon and stars, enjoying the chorus of nocturnal animals, fire flies, insects, frogs, birds,owls, jumping fish and other creatures of the night.he sounds of the night animals.

Your Guide fascinates us with tales of the jungle, telling us about jungle folklore: Tales of pink dolphins that turn into humans and seduce young maidens, the whistling of the Tunchi, and the one-legged ELF known as the Chulluchuki.

Day 2: Lodge
Bird watching (optional per the time), we rise at the crack of dawn, around 05:30 AM, for an hour long canoe ride up river to enjoy the great variety of bird life. Many bird species of the
Amazon are active at this hour feeding on fruit trees and diving into the river to catch small fish. We hear their joyful singing as they fly around. Breakfast in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey”.We take a hike through to the woods, and visit a Distillery Trapiche and taste his delicious juice sugar cane, we walk among the local sugar cane. Lunch in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey”. We will travel by boat to Piranha Park a private reserve. It is a place to enjoy nature; there are five lakes, in one of them you can fish piranhas, in another other fish of the region, take a ride on a Cayak; you can observe primates, a great variety of trees with long fibers and medicinal plants. In this area you can explore the mysteries of our jungle. Dinner in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungru Monkey”

Day 3: Lodge

Breakfast in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey”. Hike through the jungle to explore the rainforest. We visit the river communities of Gen Gen and Centro Fuerte where we will learn the customs and habits of the mestizo people who live on the river banks of the Amazon region. These “River People” are humble subsistence farmers and fishermen. In their small plots they harvest manioc tuber and plantains. They use small canoes and fishing nets to harvest the abundant variety of fish in the river. We will have a game of
football against the local villagers from Gen Gen or Centro Fuerte (optional). Visit the Botanical Garden “Chullachaki”. The owner will give an explanation about medicinal plants growing in this beautiful garden. We visit the ‘Alamas’ Indigenous Tribe. They recently moved to our area and they have built a small community with a large communal hut where they offer us a typical friendly
greeting. They dance and sing and perform their traditional rituals. They offer us their home made handicrafts made out of local plants, seeds and wood from the area. Lunch in the Lodge restaurant The Hungry Monkey”. We will walk through the Forest, observe one of the tallest trees in the world and the “Palo Alto and Lupuna”, we observe the different birds typical of the region, and we see the sunset.

Day 4 Lodge – Yagua Indians – Pilpintuwasi – Iquitos

Breakfast in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey” We trek through the rainforest lo visit the Jibaro Indian Tribe, descendants of fearsome headhunting savages, they were
infamous and feared for the hideous practice of decapitating their enemies, heads and shrinking them. In this time they are our peace loving neighbors who are active in the making of  handicrafts and costumes. The Indian chief will demonstrate the use of a Serbatana which is a wooden blowgun used to shoot darts; they prepare the sacred drink of the jungle that is
the Masato of the Yuca. Lunch in the Lodge Restaurant “The Hungry Monkey”. On our final day, from here we make our way back to the city
of Iquitos.Visit to the Butterfly Farm, here you can see different species butterflies. It`s also a opportunity to take photos of tropical butterflies in their natural environment.
City tours:  The Main Square: Very colorful place and meeting point for tourists.The Catholic Cathedral: The Cathedral of Iquitos known as the Mother Church of Iquitos, located in the center of Iquitos, at the intersection of Arica and Putumayo streets, was declared a Historic Cultural of the Nation of Peru in 1996, considered an icon of Iquitos. The cast Iron House built by Eiffel, designed y the French architect Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame) in 1897.
The Boulevard: Located opposite the Itaya River, one block from the Main Square, overlooking the Amazon River; in the tour we observe important historical monuments, statues, restaurants and cafes.

“END OF TOUR”

THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

 Free transport from the hotel or airport in our bus to the port of Bellavista on the Nanay River.
 Transport by boat to the different tourist places mentioned in the Program.
 Boat ride to the Lodge and back to the port of Bellavista.
 Transport by our bus back to the hotel or to the airport.
 Free use of all installations at the lodge wich include the swimming pool, the look-out tower, the musical instruments, the games rooms, the hammocks, the canoes, etc.
 Three meals a day during the whole period that the tourist is inside the lodge: 3 breakfast, 4 lunch and 3 dinners: Tea and coffee 24 hours a day from our hot water fountain.
 A permanent English speaking guide will be assigned to the tourists during their visit to the lodge and will stay with them until they leave.
 All tours mentioned in the program are included in the price.

 THESE PROGRAMS DO NOT INCLUDE:

 Plane tickets.
 Food and drinks in the city of Iquitos the first and last day.
 All consumption at the bar.
 Purchases made from the Indian tribes for their handicrafts
 Any other personal costs not mentioned in this program.

What to bring to the jungle ?
* Insect repellent.
* Good walking shoes that cover the heals (to avoid twisting your ankle).
* Large sun hat.
* Sunglasses.
* Sun cream.
* Camera with plenty of film and batteries.
* Flashlight/torch to use at nighttime (plus spare batteries).
* Lightweight raincoat with rainproof hat.
* Umbrella in case of rain.
* A good book to read, plenty of magazines (to read while you relax)
* Pair of Binoculars.
* Water flask (fresh drinking water for jungle treks).
* Swimming costume (for swimming in our large pool or in the river).
* The native Indian tribes in the area are very poor and love to receive gifts of used clothing, old toys or anything at all that the tourist does not need and wishes to donate. Also, any items for children such as paper, pencils and pens are very gratefully received
* (For couples) Bring protection (there are no pharmacies nearby!!).