PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
An adventurous couple from River Falls, Wisconsin spent a month travelling around South America in late 2023.
They organised the first two weeks in Argentina and (briefly) Chile themselves, then asked PeruNorth to arrange six days in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, followed by five nights on board the Rio Amazonas historical riverboat, joining in biological rainforest research.
Here are their thoughts on their time in Peru.
Read a review of a 5-day Amazon River cruise on the luxurious Delfin III.
US couple Michelle Leighton & Rodger Dillon, now based in Switzerland.
Travelled in January, 2020 during high-water season in Amazonia.
“We very much enjoyed the Delfin cruise, the sites, the excursions, and the people we met.
Visiting local communities a fundamental element of Amazon cruise or lodge stay.
PeruNorth’s advice on how best to enjoy these visits.
Interaction is the keyword.
Many of PeruNorth’s clients are as fascinated by the human ecology of Peru’s Amazonia as the countless exotic species of flora and fauna found therein.
Here is the feedback from Swiss couple, Jacqueline Achermann & Romain de Luz, whose Northern Peru trip covered the following destinations:
Lima - Iquitos - 3 days / 2 nights stay at a Maniti Lodge in the Amazon - Iquitos - Tarapoto - Chachapoyas / Gocta Falls - Laguna de los Condores - Leymebamba / Kuelap - Cajamarca - Huanchaco / Trujillo - Lima.
A natural highlight of an Amazon cruise or lodge stay in Loreto is the interaction with Amazon River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), known in Spanish as boto or bufeo.
A good maxim when packing to go on holiday is 'half the luggage; twice the money'! Peru has plenty of shops, selling everything from Alpaca sweaters to camera batteries, and by spending in them, visitors are doing their bit to support the local economy.
Moreover, we once had a client arrive for a two-week holiday in Belize with just hand luggage ... and this was by choice, not at the whim of the airline. He had two shirts and would wash one, while he wore the other.
Nonetheless, Peru North understands that this is not the norm, and so please see our advice on what to bring. Northern Peru is a very diverse place, geographically, climatically and culturally, so there will be variations according to your exact destination. We will start with the essentials, and then suggest additions, according to the region or activity.
Shipibo-Konibo is an indigenous Amazonian culture, most numerous in Peru’s Ucayali Department.
Renowned for distinctive geometrically-decorated textiles.
We examine the process behind this intricate art form.
Peru's immense bio-diversity means that it is a treasure chest of fruits and grains, the marvellous properties of which are only now beginning to be appreciated by Western scientists and consumers. Supermarkets are beginning to feature products containing quinoa and maca - two famous Incan superfoods from the Andes mountain region - for example.
Meanwhile, in the Amazon rain forest, nutrient-rich 'superfruits' have been nourishing and healing the indigenous population for centuries.
May 07, 2014: 14 years after first setting foot in Amazonia, I had finally arrived at the end of the Amazon River! But rather than this being a tale of an epic water-borne journey, battling vicious creatures, geographical challenges and bloodthirsty natives, in the style of the Conquistadors, I had rather mundanely arrived in the Brazilian city of Belem by plane from Sao Paulo
Iquitos is well-known as being the most remote city in the world, only accessible by air or river.
For those wanting to experience the latter, there are several ways of going about it.
