Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Otorongo Lodge $$$
( 065-22-4192, 965-75-6131;
www.otorongoexpeditions.com
;
Departamento
203, Putumayo 163, Iquitos; 5 days & 4 nights per person d US$761)
Travelers have been
giving great feedback about this relatively new, rustic-style lodge, 100km from Iquitos.
It's a down-to-earth place, with 12 rooms with private bathrooms and a relaxing common
area, set back down a magical tributary off the Amazon and surrounded by walkways to
maximize appreciation of the surrounding wildlife. Otorongo is run by a falconer who can
imitate an incredible number of bird sounds and get you up close and personal to a huge
variety of wildlife. This lodge comes recommended for a magical, personal experience of
the Amazonian wilderness. The five-day option can include lots of off-the-beaten-path
visits to nearby communities, and camping trips deeper in the jungle. Otorongo offers
passersby (!) en route to the Colombian border a daily rate of US$50. Ask about its 'ex-
treme fishing' trips: the owner is an expert on this.
LODGE
Amazon Yarapa River Lodge $$$
( 065-993-1172;
www.yarapa.com
; Av La Marina 124, Iquitos; 4 days & 3 nights s/d
US$1020/1840, s/d without bathroom US$940/1680; )
Approximately 130km upriver
from Iquitos on the Río Yarapa, this lodge is simply stunning. It has a huge and well-de-
signed tropical biology laboratory, regularly used by Cornell University (USA) for re-
search and postgraduate classes. The lab has solar-powered electricity; there are also satel-
lite phone connections. Facilities are beautifully maintained: elaborate woodcarvings in
the restaurant-bar and even on the bed heads were made by local artists, and fully
screened rooms are linked by screened walkways. Eight huge bedrooms with oversized
private bathrooms are available (professors stay here when Cornell is in residence) and 16
comfortable rooms share a multitude of well-equipped bathrooms. With its scientific
agenda, the lodge offers top-notch guides for its jungle tours, which visit remote areas.
The boats take about three to four hours from Iquitos but have a bathroom aboard. Re-
commended.
LODGE
Tahuayo Lodge $$$
( 1-813-907-8475, 1-800-262-9669;
www.perujungle.com
; 10305 Riverburn Dr,
Tampa, Florida 33647, USA; 8 days & 7 nights per person US$1295)
You'll hear the
phrase 'Pacaya-Samiria' bandied around a lot in these parts but this is only one of several
reserves in the northern jungle. This lodge, 140km from Iquitos, has exclusive access to
the 2500-sq-km Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo reserve, an area of pristine jungle where a record 93
species of mammal have been recorded. The 15 lodge cabins are located 65km up an
Amazon tributary, built on high stilts and connected by walkways; half have private bath-
LODGE
