An Incredible Amazon Vacation
An Amazing Amazon Trip
You will have a special experience with us thanks to all the founders being scientists dedicated to educate, preserve and entertain with exceptional Peruvian cuisine, a beautiful lodge, and a secluded Amazon rainforest location, the deepest in the jungle, enriched with the best wildlife. The experienced and friendly private guide dedicated to you will ensure you will have an unforgettable Amazon vacation. By staying in our lodge, you will be helping the local community and preserving the Amazon jungle by providing the locals with work in ecotourism as an alternative to hunting and logging, as well as helping us provide medical, educational, and logistic support to the locals.
The Founders
Alfredo Dosantos B.S. (center) is the main manager and a founder of Grand Amazon Lodge. He is a native, born in Iquitos, Peru, who has gotten his biology degree from Universitad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana. He has also studied to become a nationally certified guide for 3 years in the institute of Senati, and has worked on the field as a guide for 14 years. Alfredo also loves wildlife and worked with conservation organizations such as World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana (IIAP). Now he is focused on conservation efforts near our lodge as outline below. Alfredo coordinate all activities and oversee the selections of the guides to ensure an enjoyable, educated and memorable experience to all visitiors.
Daniel Aizenman B.S. M.A. (lower left) is also a biologist who did his first degree at University of California at Davis in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior; his M.A. at Miami University and the San Diego Zoo for a masters in conservation biology. After being involved in the initial building of the lodge, Daniel has moved on to becoming a doctor and in the future plans to help the villigers with their medical needs as he has already done in the past (see below).
Patrizia Marchese PhD and Yair Aizenman PhD (right) are also both biologists. Patrizia graduated from Universita Degli Studi Di Genova in Italy and Yair graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Since the establishment of the lodge Patrizia is now focused in conductiong important research on Alzheimer’s disease, and Yair has moved on to dedicate his time to writing a book about happiness and the brain involvement in it.
Gabriel Aizenman B.S. (upper left) studied computer science at University of California Santa Cruz and his knowledge was instrumental in the website setup and maintenance. He has now moved on to studying AI applied to the medical field.
Education Outreach Program
We have partnered with Nevada Building Hope Foundation, headed by Dr. Barbara Land and run by the board that include one of us, Daniel Aizenman MA, to help the villages of San Juan and Ayacucho in their educational needs. Together we built the first high school in the area. We have also provided San Juan de Yanayacu with a boat named USS Dani to help transport the student to the school. In addition, we have supplied the kids with backpacks, school uniforms, shoes and various the school supply. We have also provided the kids with dance teachers, which they genuinely enjoy. Furthermore, we have provided the villages with food during the Covid pandemic. We also provide transportation and construction help to the community. If you are interested in more information and would like to donate, please visit https://www.nevadabuildinghopefoundation.org/
Medical Outreach Program
We have collaborated with Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine headed by Dean Elaine Wallace D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S., M.S. and attended by Daniel Aizenman, to bring medical assistance to San Juan, Ayacucho, San Joaquin, and the surrounding villages. These poor communities are far from doctors in the main town of Iquitos and have many people without medical coverage. We have provided free medical examinations, treatments, and medications to hundreds of people in these villages.
Wildlife Conservation and Research Program
We are committed to conserving and researching the wildlife in our area. We educate the locals about the importance of preserving the surrounding forest and animals who live within it. On April 5, 2023, in collaboration with Rainforest Awareness Rescue and Education Center – RAREC we carried two manatees on our boats that we have released near our Amazon jungle lodge. We are proud to host the biologists that will be conducting research on these manatees for the next two years. We plan to help release more manatees in the future. RAREC stated “We encourage our followers to check out this prestigious Lodge if you’re looking for an unforgettable experience in the Amazon rainforest. They’re making a real difference in conservation efforts and we’re proud to have their support!”
We have also helped in creating a program with the local village to reintroduce the Taricaya turtles into our area. They have placed eggs under the sand and once hetched they took care of them untill they were big enough to be released near our lodge.
The Private Guides
You are here only a limited amount of time, and to get the most of it, it is best to have a private guide that will go at your own pace and spend more time on whatever interests you, dolphins, monkeys, sloths, frogs, birds, trees…
In addition, you can have more intimate conversation with a guide that is dedicated to you
Furthermore, being in a smaller group and in a smaller boat you tend to see more wildlife. Check out our various tours.
The Culinary Experience
Having a Peruvian and an Italian cofounders who love good food, the cuisine in our lodge is no ordinary experience. It is a joy to the eyes and symphony to the palate and an introduction to the Peruvian culture. Our passionate and creative chef, Marco, does a great job coming up with new delicious dishes everyday.
The Location
We are the most secluded lodge located furthest than any other lodge on the Yanayacu river, which gives us privacy and much lower level of noise from boats passing by compare to other lodges. We are located 150km up the amazon river from Iquitos in a primary rainforst. After a year of searching the Peruvian Amazon for the best location, we chose to build the lodge in the area of the village of San Juan de Yanayacu because of the enormous biodiversity in the area and the care the locals already have for the environment. San Juan belongs to Tamshiyacu-Tahauyo communal reserve which has an incredibly high level of biodiversity. At least 10 species of monkeys including the squirrel monkey, brown and white fronted capucins, the mustached and saddle back tamarins, owl monkey, pigmy marmeset, saki monkey, howler monkey, and titi monkey, and over 600 species of birds, as well as two species of dolphins, capybaras, sloths and many other animals call the area home. This stands in contrast to most other lodges around Iquitos that are found in secondary forest where wildlife is scarce.
There is another important reason we chose to build the lodge here. The water in the Yanayacu river is acidic and the mosquitoes that carry malaria, yellow fever, and Zika do not live in this water.
The Lodge
All the rooms were built with river-view, and the whole wall towards the river has been covered with a mesh to provide best ventilation and view while keeping the mosquitoes out. Every room has its own bathroom, balcony, hammock, decorated cover with an animal picture, and animal pictures and views of the area on the walls, electrical outlets and a fan. The common areas include a lounge and octagonal dinning room with a high ceiling and an original Canoe bar and they all have free WiFi. We are also the only lodge in the area that is also equiped with solar panels to produce electricity and most days we do not need to operate the noisy generator. Check out our lodge.
In Conclusion:
Staying with us you will not only help the locals and preserving the Amazon, but you will also see and learn much about the environment. Having a private guide and staying in a river view bungalows in a lodge with great Peruvian cuisine and located in an area with high biodiversity will give you an amazing experience!
Grand Amazon Lodge & Tours
Coordinates: -4.31485, -73.302
This lodge is located 150 km (90 mi) up the Amazon River from Iquitos, in Paraiso, Loreto, Peru.
Grand Amazon Lodge & Tours Office
Calle Union 205, P.J. 9 de Octubre
Belen, Iquitos, Peru
WhatsApp
+51 940 582 330
info@grandamazontours.com