Visiting lodges in the Tambopata region of the Peruvian Amazon
After spending two days in Lima (see previous posts about the food tour and evening in Barranco, we headed to Puerto Maldonado, which would be our access point to the Peruvian jungle experience for a couple of nights. First day of this segment was busy, flying down from Lima and then visiting a handful of the region's typical eco-lodges. The hot jungle is not particularly my comfort zone, but it was interesting.
Part one was the short flight from Lima. The PM airport is small and efficient. Land, deplane on the tarmac, figure out which of the 2 baggage belts is yours, then get on your way.
I took a very quick video of the ground transporation area. First time I can recall seeing tuk tuks as an option leaving an airport.
From the airport we then had maybe a 90-minute ride to "Puerto Filadelfia". First hour of that is via local paved roads. Final 1/2 hour is a dirt road, but it's in pretty good condition. We rode in comfort, taking this recent model Hyundai van with solid a/c.
You can get the gist of the scenery for the first hour in this clip:
And below is a glimpse of the dirt road segment. Honestly it was a more comfortable ride than what we later experienced heading from Cusco to Ollantaytambo on 'paved' roads.
We emptied out of the van at Puerto Filadelfia, which is where we'd meet our boat shuttle over to the first lodge. Best I can tell the 'puerto' is this one building that can set you up with a quick coffee or bottle of water. It's also a covered place for the tuk tuk drivers to hang out under.
Here's a look at the Tambopata river that we'd be heading down:
We had help getting our bags down to the boat, which was appreciated.
Had to grab a quick video of my first boat ride in the 'Amazon' (guess it technically counts as being in the general Amazon rainforest region, but the river is the Tambopata).
Our first stop was Chuncho Lodge (note: google suggests it is a 5* property; it is not). Chuncho is the gentleman giving us some backstory during that boat ride clip above. According to Chuncho he was single-handedly responsible for getting Puerto Filadelfia built. After spending about 90 minutes with Chuncho, I can believe it. But I also believe Chuncho is a classic entrepreneur / sales type, so there might have been some extra mustard on that hot dog. Regardless, his property is lovely and charming and seemingly in a state of perpetual improvement. Here are few common area shots:
Chuncho treated us to a nice traditional lunch which was tasty. And the staff we engaged with were all very warm and helpful. Vibes felt like a family place where they take good care of you. If I were to head back to Puerto Maldonado for some jungle time, I'd be comfortable staying with Chuncho.
After saying goodbye to Chuncho we hopped another boat, this time heading to Wasai Tambopata Lodge.
Once you get up those stairs and you get an immediate impression that you're at a lodge of a different level.
Wasai is a bigger hospitality operation than Chuncho. They also have a 'lodge' (hotel) in PM proper, which is where we stayed the next night. (Strong a/c there and comfy beds. Not the best restaurant offering.) We got a property tour and saw that if you're looking for jungle comfort in an aesthetically pleasing setting, Wasai is a great option.
We had one more stop on the day, which was Refugio Amazonas. Refugio would be our base for the 'night' since it is further up river and somewhat closer to the Macaw clay lick experience we had on the schedule starting at 3:30am (!) the next morning. Our friends from Wasai dropped us off and after a good walk through the jungle at dusk, we arrived at the Refugio door step.
And for me, that was the high point of the Refugio Amazonas experience. The property is beautiful. And the common area lodge / restaurant is inviting. However the 'room' design is very open. Your 'room' has a net ceiling, but comes with zero in the way of exterior walls. No screens / windows / walls. Nada. So whatever is out in the jungle has full access to your room. While there is netting around your bed to protect against bugs, my guess is if something larger wanted to get into bed with you it could. And that includes some of the larger bugs that were racing around the bathroom. The design also implies (guarantees?) that if you turn on any light whatsoever (e.g., your phone, laptop, maybe a bathroom light to try and pull out your toothbrush), you are immediately flooded with flies, moths, etc. If your idea of communing with nature extends to the point of inviting into your pitch-black airspace whatever is in that jungle, then Refugio Amazonas gives you that opportunity in a very stylish fashion. I guess I was lucky in that I only found 3 massive cockroaches and a frog in my room. But then, I was only there for 6 hours. I also had to listen to one of my neighbors come back to his room around midnight -- maybe after enjoying some drinks in the lodge's bar -- then cough loudly a few times before going to bed and snoring loudly the rest of the night. Again, no walls, no ceiling, no audio privacy whatsoever. I'm sure people have heard less pleasant sounds coming from their fellow lodgers. But since I had just six hours to potentially rest before being off to the next activity, the disruptive snoring was unpleasant enough.
So, that will wrap up my thoughts on my stay in the jungle. For what it's worth I do also post some lightweight content on IG, like these shots from my walkabout in the town of Puerto Maldonado.
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