Amazon Travel & Tour Questions
Find here answers to your amazon trip questions:
Lodge and Stay
What is included in my stay at Grand Amazon Lodge And Tours?
When booking a bungalow at Grand Amazon Lodge, all the below is included with your Amazon jungle tour:
- All meals at our lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- All adventures or excursions you would like to do (Usually 3 activities a day, morning, afternoon, and night)
- A private guide that will stay with you the entire time and personalize your trip so you get what you want out of the experience.
- Accommodation: private bungalow with balcony, hammock, bathroom, and riverfront view
- 24/7 access to our coffee and tea area, and of course, drinking water.
- WiFi – free in common areas
- Transportation to and from the Iquitos Airport or your Iquitos Hotel
How will I get from the lodge from/to the airport or my accommodation?
If you book the Grand Amazon Lodge, your private English/Spanish-speaking guide will greet you at the airport when your flight arrives in the morning before 2:00 pm. There is less than an hour an half drive through secondary Amazon jungle and an hour and half boat ride on the Amazon river and the Yanayacu river to reach the lodge in the middle of pristine, primary rainforest. If your flight arrives after 2:00 pm, you will have to stay in an Iquitos hotel, which we can arrange for you, and start your tour the next day. We will pick you up from an hotel at 11:00 am. The earliest you can leave the lodge is at 6:00 – 7:00 am arriving in the airport around 9:00-10:00 am. Please plan your departure flight after 12:00 am if you want to go from the lodge directly to the airport. Otherwise we can arrange an accommodation in Iquitos for your last night.
If you want to stay in the city and tour Iquitos, we can also arrange all travel packages for you there. Be sure to check out all of the various itineraries that we offer.
Where is the best place to visit the Amazon rainforest in Peru?
The best place to see the Amazon jungle in Peru is Iquitos.
Only in Iquitos can you see, sail on, and swim in the Amazon River.
Only near Iquitos can you see and swim with the river pink dolphins.
Only near Iquitos can you see the largest aquatic plant in the world – the Victoria Regia
The most biodiverse rainforests are found near Iquitos, where you can find more than 10 species of monkeys and hundreds of species of birds, like the endangered Wattled Curassow, which is only found here.
You can experience all these at Grand Amazon Lodge and Tours.
Where is the best place to visit the Amazon rainforest in Iquitos?
The best place to visit the Amazon rainforest in Iquitos is up the Amazon River. Downstream the Amazon River, there are many inhabitants and the forest has been cut, and animals hunted, leaving secondary forest with little wildlife.
One of the few lodges in the primary rainforest upstream of the Amazon River is Grand Amazon Lodge and Tours. It is the deepest into the jungle than all the other lodges along the Yanayacu River, one of the rivers connected to the Amazon River.
How to get to Iquitos, Peru?
Iquitos is the largest city with no roads connecting it to any other major city. It is like an island in the middle of the jungle. The best way to get to Iquitos is to fly in from Lima and, in some seasons, from Cusco.
Once you arrive in Iquitos before 3:00 pm, we at Grand Amazon Lodge and Tours will pick you up and drive for an hour and a half to our speedboat on the Amazon River that will sail for another hour to the lodge.
What is the best time of the year to visit the Amazon rainforest in Peru?
The Amazon can be visited year-round. Wildlife viewing is excellent year-round, though seasonal differences in river levels and activities occur. During the high-water season from January to May, there is more exploration by boat and canoe, and more lakes form as the Amazon River rises. During the low-water season from June to December, exploration is more on foot, and fishing is easier because the river levels are low and the fish are more concentrated. Temperature and rainfall are about the same year-round, with daytime temperatures averaging 86-92 F (30-33 C), and rainfall slightly lower during the low-water season.
Will I get Malaria? Do I need to see a travel doctor?
Always see and listen to a travel doctor before coming to our lodge and make sure you get the recommended shots when travelling to Peru in general. We are on an Amazon Tributary known as Yanayacu, or black water river. That means the pH of our water does not support the mosquitos that carry malaria, zika, dengue, or other deadly illnesses. You can not get malaria at our lodge location. However, there is always a small chance these Mosquitoes exist in the town of Iquitos (where you will be landing) and on the way traveling to the lodge. For this reason, any lodge that claims there is no chance to get sick from mosquitoes while visiting the Peruvian Amazon is technically only speaking of the location of the lodge, like ourselves. Again, always listen to a travel doctor and get travelers insurance before coming.
As for personal experience: Dani, one of our co-founders, has gotten all the recommended vaccines but does not take malaria pills while working in the Amazon because he reacts badly to the medication and the chance of getting it are very small.
Mosquitoes still exist in our area, so still bring and wear repellent!
Where exactly are you located?
Grand Amazon lodge is located on the Yanayacu Tributary off the Amazon River in San Juan de Yanayacu, a village part of the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve (ACRCTT). We are in the middle of Primary Rainforest. San Juan de Yanayacu puts extra protections on their land that are even more stringent than on the reserve itself, meaning that the animals come closer because they feel safer and that you see more biodiversity in our area when compared to other lodges in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve or ACRCTT locations. It is a really unique spot because the community works with ecotourism to coexist with nature.
Grand Amazon Tours Office is located in San Diego California, USA. By having a USA base, you can rest assured that credit card transactions are handled safely through Stripe and that we hold high standards for both countries.
What are the accommodations like?
We provide hotel accommodation in Iquitos, Peru along with our Grand Amazon Lodge in the middle of the Amazon jungle. At the lodge, each room comes with a private balcony, a hammock, and a complete bathroom.
We provide free WiFi in the common areas and 24 hours electricity. Being in the middle of the Amazon the WiFi is not fast.
The showers run at a cool temperature but since the weather gets hot and humid, they will be refreshing! No hot water is available due to energy constraints in the middle of the jungle. As we don’t recommend drinking the sink water, we provide every room with a fresh water pitcher and free drinking water, coffee and tea in the dining room that is accessible at all times.
Your stay will include meals for your party along with a private guide. For those of you seeking the thrill of backpacking into the Amazon, we provide backpacking tents, sleeping mats, and food for your expedition. Please note that the minimum age is six years old.
Is there free WiFi at the lodge?
Yes. You can communicate with friends and family.
Why name "Grand Amazon Lodge & Tours"
With the world’s largest freshwater source and being the largest rainforest in the world, Grand is a perfect word to describe the Amazon. Since our beautiful lodge is located here and our goal is to give incredible tours to discover the Amazon, we decided to go with the name Grand Amazon Lodge and Tours.
Preparation
Should I get travelers insurance?
Yes! We always recommend travelers insurance since they can help you with any accidents, including injuries, illness, and sometimes even flight delays depending on your travelers insurance.
Where is the nearest hospital?
We are 150km upstream the Amazon River from Iquitos, meaning the nearest hospital is roughly three hours away from us under good weather conditions and travel situations. We are a remote location in the middle of the jungle in primary rainforest.
What do I need to bring and pack for an Amazon jungle trip?
❏ Sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher recommended)
❏ Insect Repellent (we recommend Picaridin since it is safe on clothes, not as harmful
to the ecosystem, and used by the Australian military. Our guests also like mixing it
with natural sprays, or using only DEET)
❏ Sun glasses and/or hat, Poncho and/or rain gear
❏ Lightweight long sleeve insect repellent shirt (Easy to find options on Amazon.com)
❏ Lightweight long insect repellent pants
❏ Cash for tips & bar
❏ Small Backpack or drawstring to bring on hikes to carry water, etc and a flashlight for
night excursions
❏ Water bottle (Drinkable water of course provided free at lodge)
❏ Short sleeves and short pants for boat rides and around the lodge (still possible to
get mosquito bites, but less likely)
❏ Toothbrush, Toothpaste, bodywash, shampoo, and other personal care items all
natural if possible (Tree To Tub is one company we recommend, most bar soaps or
shampoo bars work as well. This is to help protect the environment)
❏ Deodorant, Personal wipes
❏ Travel medications and personal medications.
❏flashlight
❏camera
❏ EXCITEMENT!!!!
Still need more information?
Feel free to Contact Us at info@grandamazontours.com,
or from our Contact Us Page, or by phone at 1-858-435-0234.