When we were researching our itinerary for Peru, we discovered that the Peruvian Amazon was a very short flight from Cusco. This prompted further research to see if there was a way to see it that would fit our budget.

We found a lot of lodges that looked amazing, but were too expensive. Other cheaper options aimed at backpackers seemed like they didn’t offer enough of a wilderness experience to make a side-trip from Cusco worthwhile.

Eventually we came across the website for Chuncho Lodge. Their tour itineraries looked like they provided good opportunities to see the Amazon wildlife and environment, and the accommodation looked rustic but comfortable enough. After reading their positive reviews online we contacted the lodge and signed up for a four-day program.

Getting to the Peruvian Amazon

After our time in Ollantaytambo, we headed back to Cusco for one night. Leaving our large luggage at the hostel, we packed just what we needed for our Peruvian Amazon adventure and headed for the airport. It’s a short flight (about an hour or so) from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, which lies on an Amazon tributary and is the gateway to the Tambopata Reserve and Lake Sandoval. We were looking forward to seeing some nature, if nothing else as a change from all the Inca sites we had covered in our recent travels.

Despite the horror stories we had heard about cancellations and delays involved with domestic air travel in Peru, our LATAM flight left on time and the airport wasn’t too chaotic. We were glad that we had opted to fly, rather than taking the overnight bus.

We had our first sight of the Peruvian Amazon from the plane as we approached Puerto Maldonado.

We were met at the airport by staff from Chuncho Lodge who took us to their office in Puerto Maldonado. After some lunch and some paperwork we got in a four wheel drive vehicle to head to the lodge. After a little while on a nice sealed road, we turned off onto a dirt road and things got interesting. It turned out that the road to the lodge was under construction, being upgraded so farmers could more easily get their produce to market. This meant we had to wait at several one-way sections, and drive through some very dodgy temporary detours. Eventually we made it to the river, where we got on a boat for a short hop to the lodge.

Our Peruvian Amazon Lodge

We were met at the lodge by the owner, Jorge, who showed us to our room. It was everything you’d expect from an Amazon lodge, with mosquito nets and a thatched roof.

Our guide (confusingly also named Jorge) was out with some other guests who had arrived before us, so Owner Jorge took us for an introductory walk in the rainforest. We saw some very big trees, and some very small insects, plants and even a cool type of fungus.

Our introductory walk took us to the lodge’s canopy tower (the tallest in the region). Lachlan and I made it about halfway up before deciding to head back down, but Heide made it all the way to the top. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her phone with her, so we didn’t get any photos from all the way up.

When we got back from our walk with Owner Jorge, it was time to go for a night walk with Guide Jorge. This walk focused on the small things that come out at night. This included tarantulas. Jorge took great pleasure in skillfully luring them out with a stick.

After a basic but satisfactory dinner, we slept well after our day of travel and rainforest exploration.

Macaw Clay Lick

The next morning we were up at 4:30am for the long boat ride to the clay lick. Along the way we saw the sun come up over the river.

We also saw some capybaras. The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. It looks like a super-sized guinea pig. Unfortunately, the early morning light, the moving boat and the distance made it hard to get a good photo of them. So here is a bad photo:

When we eventually arrived at our landing point, we faced a challenging walk in to the clay lick. Some unseasonal rain the week before had left sticky mud that we had to navigate to get to the clay lick observation point.

We all managed to stay upright, but there were some close calls along the way as our boots tended to want to stay behind each time we took a step. Eventually we arrived at the observation point to find the clay lick covered in parrots.

The different species of parrot would take turns on the clay lick.

There were a few macaws high up in surrounding trees. There was still some early morning mist which made photography challenging.

Gradually, the mist started to clear, and more macaws arrived in the area. At this stage they were still either circling around, or staying high in the trees.

Eventually some macaws moved down to the clay lick.

The macaws were a lot more cautious than the parrots, often flying away from the salt lick spooked by something that we couldn’t perceive from our observation point.

By this time the morning haze had cleared, and it was easier to photograph the macaws in the trees and in flight.

Return to Chuncho Lodge

After eating a simple breakfast which had been brought from the lodge for us, the sun was pretty high in the sky and the number of birds in the area had decreased. It was time to head back to the lodge for a siesta after our early morning start.

After lunch we went for another guided walk on the trails surrounding the lodge. We saw some monkeys, but they were way up in the jungle canopy so I didn’t manage to get a photo.

The other highlight of the walk was a chance to try our hand at luring a tarantula out of its hole. Unfortunately, this proved to be too difficult for amateurs such as us, so Jorge had to take over so we could see some more of the hairy beasts.

There were some other lodge guests with us who hadn’t been to the canopy tower yet, so that was the last stop on our walk. Lachlan and I stayed down below, while Heide went to the top again. This time she had her cell phone with her, so she was able to document the view. The group at the top of the tower saw a toucan and a woodpecker, but the camera phone wasn’t up to the task of capturing these.

Lake Sandoval

The next day we had a more reasonable wake-up time. After breakfast we headed back to Puerto Maldonado. After lunch at the Chuncho Lodge office we were driven to a dock where we boarded a boat to Lake Sandoval for part two of our Peruvian Amazon adventure.

While on the boat trip, we became aware that once we disembarked we would have a three kilometer walk with our luggage ahead of us. If we had realized this earlier we could have left some of our belongings at the Chuncho Lodge office. Nevertheless, we soldiered on and at the end of our forced march we were very happy to see the canoe that would take us to our Lake Sandoval lodge.

Our Lake Sandoval wildlife experience started before we’d even made it out to the open lake. Shortly after we left the dock we spotted a small caiman lurking in the shallows.

Reaching the open lake we saw a line of tortoises photogenically arranged on a fallen palm tree.

The lake itself is an amazing sight, surrounded by seemingly impenetrable jungle.

As we were in the final stretch of our journey to the lodge, we saw movement in the water ahead. It turned out to be Lake Sandoval’s famous giant river otters. Our guide had been very careful not to promise that we would see them, as they can be elusive. We were very fortunate to see them early in our time at Lake Sandoval, as it turned out we didn’t see them again after this.

Lake Sandoval Lodge

After this excitement, we landed at the lodge that would be our home for the night. We had read some reviews that mentioned that the lodge for the Lake Sandoval part of the tour was more rustic than Chuncho Lodge, but we found the lodge they put us in about the same. It had a great screened hammock area which was perfect for a siesta after lunch.

There were nature viewing opportunities right at the lodge, including a large praying mantis.

Lake Sandoval Sunset

After our siesta, we headed off for a canoe trip around the lake. Although this involved a long time sitting on a hard wooden seat, the scenery and wildlife made it worthwhile.

We mainly saw birds on our voyage, including the amusingly-named stinky bird. More formally known as a hoatzin, this brightly-colored bird ferments vegetation in its stomach. This enables it to detoxify certain leaves that form part of its diet. It also has the unfortunate side effect that gives it its common name.

We saw other, less stinky birds as we continued on.

As the sun crept lower the breeze subsided, leaving picturesque reflections on the lake.

The decreasing light made it harder for the camera to capture birds in detail, so I went for more artsy silhouette shots.

At one point we came across a heron with amazingly intricate coloring.

While we drifted close by checking it out, it decided to join us on our canoe, riding with us for quite a while before heading back to its perch overlooking the lake.

We stayed out on the lake until after the spectacular sunset.

Leaving Lake Sandoval

The next morning after breakfast we packed up and loaded up the canoe for the journey out from Lake Sandoval. We took our time and did some more nature viewing along the way.

The most interesting thing we saw on the canoe ride from the lodge was a group of bats hanging out on a palm tree.

After the canoe ride, we saddled ourselves up with our luggage for the three kilometer walk back to the river dock. Our Peruvian Amazon nature experience hadn’t quite finished yet, as we saw a toucan up in a tree next to the boardwalk along the way.

We also saw the famous blue morpho butterfly. Unfortunately, all attempts to capture the vivid blue wings with my camera were unsuccessful. I had to settle for a shot of the reverse side of its wing (an interesting pattern, but not what this guy is known for).

These distractions helped pass the time on our walk, and before too long we were on the boat headed back to Puerto Maldonado. After saying our goodbyes at the Chuncho Lodge office, we headed to the airport in a taxi. Unexpectedly, there was a lounge there that we were able to access with our Priority Pass membership. We enjoyed the air conditioning, some snacks and a sneaky beer (for me) before boarding our flight back to Cusco.

The Peruvian Amazon – is it Worth it?

We were definitely glad we made the side trip to the Peruvian Amazon and would recommend it if you have a few days spare in your Peru itinerary. It wasn’t as luxurious an experience as some of our adventures in Africa, but Chuncho Lodge is a good budget option that provides an authentic Amazon experience.

If you have more time and want a more in-depth Amazon experience you can check out some of the other lodge options in the Tambopata Reserve area. As well as a bit more luxury, some of these lodges are deeper in to the reserve which can mean better wildlife viewing opportunities.

If you have even more flexibility, you could also consider the lodges in Iquitos (accessed via flights from Lima). Iquitos is right on the Amazon River itself, as opposed to the tributary that we visited. There are also options to visit the Amazon in Brazil and Ecuador.

Whichever option you choose, seeing the amazing biodiversity of the Amazon is definitely a bucket-list activity. Even if you’re staying in a luxury lodge, there will be some discomforts and possibly some scrambling around in the mud. However, it’s worth it to see this place that is so important to the world’s ecosystem. Tourism provides economic benefits with a lower impact than many of the other economic activities in the region. Also, most of the tourist operators seem to be working to preserve the environment. It’s obviously in their interest to preserve the things their clients come to see. So, do your research to make sure you travel responsibly, then go visit the Amazon.