Amazon Basin - Peru - page 1000

Dangers & Annoyances, Click here ) . The better lodges often snap up the best guides
quickly.

GUIDED TOUR

Gerson Pizango
( 965-012-225; www.amazonjungleguide.com ; daily per person US$50-70) Gerson
comes reader-recommended and is renowned as one of Iquitos' best independent guides.
Tours are tailored to suit tourists' needs but can include visits to local communities around
Gerson's home village 260km from Iquitos in addition to wildlife-spotting on little-plied
tributaries. Rates can be negotiated, depending on distances traveled.

Lodges
There are numerous lodges up and down-river from Iquitos. Take your time choosing: a
bewildering variety of programs and activities are available and quality varies consider-
ably. There is the usual mix of luxury options, where relaxation plays a key part, and more
rustic lodges offering camping, hiking, fishing (July to September are the best months)
and other adventurous side trips. Most lodges have offices in Iquitos.
Many of these lodges can be reserved from abroad or in Lima, but if you show up in
Iquitos without a reservation you can certainly book a lodge or tour and it'll cost you less.
Bargaining is usually acceptable, even though operators show you fixed price lists. If
planning on booking after you arrive, avoid major Peruvian holidays, when places swarm
with local holidaymakers. June to September (the dry months and summer vacation for
North American/European visitors) is also busy.
Lodges are some distance from Iquitos, so river transport is included in the price. Most
of the area within 50km of the city is not virgin jungle. Chances of seeing big mammals
here are remote and interaction with local tribespeople is geared toward tourists. Never-
theless, much can be seen of the jungle way of life, and birds, insects and small mammals
can be observed. More-remote lodges have more wildlife.
A typical two-day trip involves a river journey of two or three hours to a jungle lodge
with reasonable comforts and meals, a jungle lunch, a visit to an indigenous village to buy
crafts and to see dances (where tourists often outnumber tribespeople), an evening meal at
the lodge, maybe an after-dark canoe trip to look for caiman by searchlight, and jungle
walks to search for other wildlife. A trip like this will set you back about US$300, de-
pending on the operator, the distance traveled and the comfort of the lodge. On longer
trips you'll get further away from Iquitos and see more of the jungle, and the cost per
night drops.
There are many good lodges in this northern tract of the Peruvian jungle accessible
from Iquitos that will give you a rewarding rainforest experience. All prices quoted here