Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
| Lodge
EXPLORAMA LODGES $$
( 065-25-2530;
www.explorama.com
;
Av La Marina 340, Iquitos)
This well-established and re-
commended company owns and operates various lodges at different price points in the
area and is an involved supporter of the Amazon Conservatory of Tropical Studies
(ACTS). It has a lab at the famed
canopy walkway
, which gives visitors a bird's-eye
view of the rainforest canopy and its wildlife. You could arrange a trip to visit one or more
lodges combined with a visit to the walkway. Children under 12 pay half price.
Puerto Maldonado
082 / POP 57,000 / ELEV 250M
Unlike Amazon cities further north, this is a rawer, untidier jungle town with a mercilessly
sweltering climate and a fair quantity of mosquitoes. But there's a payoff: the watery wil-
dernesses in this area offer some of the most unspoiled-yet-accessible jungle locales in the
country - as well as excellent accommodation options for travelers who want a dash of
luxury with their rainforest. The best part: it's all situated at an easy flight's reach from
Cuzco.
Sights
OBELISCO
(cnr Fitzcarrald & Madre de Dios; admission S2; 10am-4pm)
Although this strangely cosmic
blue building was designed as a modern
mirador
(lookout), its 30m height unfortunately
does not rise high enough above the city for viewers to glimpse the rivers. But the view is
still fantastic: a distant glimmer of jungle and plenty of corrugated-metal roofs. Photos
displayed on the way up document historic moments, like when the first
mototaxi
arrived
in town.
| Tower
