Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
try to get it before coming to Leticia; otherwise, visit the
Brazilian consulate (C9 No. 9-73; 8am-noon & 1-3pm;
T
8 592 7530). All travellers require a yellow fever certi-
ficate to enter Brazil.
5
EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN
While parts of Peruvian and Brazilian
jungle are quite well trodden by now,
Colombian jungle remains pristine, and
Leticia can be your launching point for
multi-day jungle adventures: just you,
your indigenous guide, and indigenous
communities as yet virtually untouched by
the outside world.
Travel The Unknown
(
T
44 20 7 183 6371,
W
traveltheunknown
.com) can help you arrange your jungle
trip, including local guide.
ACCOMMODATION
Ì
Amazon B&B
C 12 No. 9-30
T
8 592 4981,
W
amazonbb.com. If you have just got off the boat from
Brazil or Peru, this lovely hotel will seem like paradise.
Think minimalist chic, silent a/c, crisp white sheets and
plenty of space in both
rooms and bun
galows to throw
your gear about. Doubles
COP$102,000
La Jangada
Cra 9 No. 8-106
T
312 361 6506,
W
lacasadefrancois.com. This Swiss-Colombian run hostel
wins extra points for friendliness and helpfulness; the fan-
cooled rooms are basic but clean, you can book your jungle
adventures here
and the kitche
n whips
up breakfast fo
r an
extra fee. Dorms
COP$25,000
, doubles
COP$65,000
Mahatu Jungle Hostel
C 7A No. 1-40
T
311 539 1265,
W
mahatu.org. On the outskirts of town, this hostel boasts
its own lake and lush grounds filled with fruit trees and the
odd animal. Gustavo the owner is a no-nonsense character
with a wealth of local knowledge, the rooms are somewhat
musty and pricey for what they are, but there's a large
guest
kitchen and it'
s a great s
pot to meet fe
llow travellers.
Dorms
COP$20,000
, doubles
COP$50,000
communities. However, that also means
that there are a number of unscrupulous
operators, so make sure you've agreed on
exactly what's included and avoid pushy
“guides” who approach you in the street.
Since the Amazon is such a vast area,
odds are, you won't see any big mammals,
but you're very likely to see monkeys and
numerous bird species, and a three-day
stint in the jungle is great exposure to
a unique environment. Recommended
operators include Amazon Jungle Trips
(Av Internacional No. 6-25;
T
8 592
7377,
W
www.amazonjungletrips.com.co),
going strong after more than 25 years,
and Tanimboca (Cra 10 No. 11-68;
T
EATING
In Leticia you'll find culinary delicacies you won't
encounter elsewhere in Colombia - an abundance of river
fish and a vast variety of fruit juices. The most delicious fish
include
gamitana
and
pirarucu
, though the latter is best
avoided out of season so as to discourage overfishing.
Places to eat are concentrated along C 8 and Cra 10, off C 8.
Ì
Tierras Amazónicas
C 8 at Cra 10. Unpretentious
open-air restaurant serving huge slabs of perfectly cooked
fish with
patacones
(plantain fritters) for COP$17,000, and
bandeja paisa
(COP$14,000). Wash it down with
borojó
or
copoazú
juice. Daily noon-9pm.
8 592 7679,
W
www.tanimboca.org),
both with English-speaking guides.
Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu
Around ninety minutes upstream from
Leticia, the 3000-square-kilometre
Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu
is
a spectacular slice of wilderness, home
to five hundred bird species, plenty of
crocodiles, anacondas and other reptiles
and 150 mammal species, including big
cats. Here you can go hiking, kayaking
and birdwatching, but come prepared for
squadrons of mosquitoes. Entry costs
COP$35,000, and it's very expensive to
spend the night here: the park's only
facilities are run by the Decameron hotel
chain and a bunk bed would set you back
around COP$200,000 in high season.
You can visit the park on the way to
Puerto Nariño from Leticia; any boat
travelling between the two can drop you
off at the visitor centre. To get back,
flag down one of the high-speed boats
AROUND LETICIA
Amazonas' biggest attractions are found
outside Leticia. These include the abundant
wildlife of Parque Nacional Natural
Amacayacu, jungle hikes and stays in
Puerto Nariño, upstream of Leticia - a
great base for dolphin-spotting trips.
Jungle trips
There are numerous tour agencies in
Leticia that can organize
jungle and river
trips
of virtually any length, taking in
flora, fauna and the area's indigenous
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