I mentioned in my earlier post about not surviving the Amazon Jungle that I stayed at one of the most unique lodges I have ever been to. The Tahuayo Lodge along the Tahuayo River is located 2 hours by boat up the Amazon and another 1.5 hours up the Tahuayo River from Iquitos.
You walk in and instantly feel like you are entering an adult tree house. Remember when you were 5 years old and you climbed the tree in your backyard, well this is kinda like that but with 16 cabins, a full kitchen, hammock room and reading room surrounded by natural wildlife. It is incredible.
Each cabin is raised up on stilts and connected by a board walk. We visited during dry season, so the water was about 100 feet lower than it will rise later in the wet season. The high-water marks on the buildings and trees are incredible. They had the highest water levels in 30 years earlier this year, and in many of the rooms you could see the water marks inside on the walls. Don’t worry about “sleeping in the jungle” here, this is one of the most rustic, yet luxurious lodges we have seen. Not only are the beds draped with mosquito nets (and quite comfortable!) but the entire room is screened-in, something you don’t find in many jungle lodges. We had room 16, which is one of the furthest back from the entrance, fully equipped with two hammocks and two lounge chairs. You could bring a family and comfortable sleep 4 in this room.
When you arrive your group is given your own private jungle guide for the week, and you can arrange activities daily depending on how active or adventurous you are feeling. We were lucky to get Josias, who had grown up in the jungle and was extremely knowledgeable about all of the flora and fauna around us. He got us up early before sunrise and we were out walking, fishing and experiencing the jungle for most of the day until late into the evening.
You will never go hungry in the Amazon, at least if you are in Amazonia Expedition’s hands. Every meal was a large buffet and delicious! Fresh fish was almost always an option along a healthy array of vegetables, soups and a small sweet for dessert. We could not believe the abundance of fresh vegetables available, at least 5 of the options in the buffet each meal were just fresh, delicious vegetables. Our two favorite meals were after we had spent the morning fishing, Josias brought the fish back and the kitchen made the freshest ceviche I had ever eaten and on a second occasion we cooked the fish we caught over a fire while we were out in the jungle.
All electricity at the lodge is solar or generator-powered. The generator is only turned on twice a day, which gives you a window to charge your camera batteries, which should be about the only thing you need electricity for (you’re in the jungle!). You may not believe it, but the lodge also has a satellite Internet connection! This came in handy when you’re as addicted as we are…
The nights are spent meeting the other guests at the lodge over a beer or on night walks with your guide looking for tarantulas and nocturnal species. It’s relaxing to fall asleep and wake up to the sounds of birds, frogs and other creatures out in the jungle. A big difference from the car horns and train sounds we are used to from the city!
More photos from our trip into the Amazon Jungle can be found on Traveling 9 to 5’s Flickr Page.
Disclosure: Our trip was sponsored by Amazonia Expeditions, but all opinions are our own.
I loved this piece! I’m going to be visiting Tahuayo in June before a retreat in Iquitos called Kapitari. I’ll do a couple of nights at their main lodge and a couple at their research center / and jungle camping! Thank you for sharing photos and some of your story. I would love to pick your brain a little before the trip (if you don’t mind) about things to do/not do/bring/etc. I’m also a writer and will be covering the journey at length on Contemporary Pilgrim (website above). I’d love to hear from you: ashley.m.halligan@gmail.com. Happy trails!