Discover the Peruvian Amazon: Jungle Adventures from Iquitos

 
 
 
 
  EXCELLENT  
  
 Based on 424 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Kris M 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Fantastic jungle lodge stay
My partner and I did the 3 night stay with Gerson and his family at his lodge. We cannot thank him enough for hosting us and making our experience special. On various jungle expeditions we encountered monkeys, anacondas, tarantulas, toucans, macaws, caimans, piranhas, and (our highlight) a baby sloth, among many others. It’s very clear Gerson is passionate about what he does and takes your enjoyment seriously. Gerson has strong relationships with all neighbouring communities and has profound respect for the land and animals. The accommodations were simple but comfortable, with good bug protection for your sleeps. The food was healthy, fresh and flavourful. The transportation to and from Iquitos was well planned - even with a few bumps in the road (protest in Nauta) on our return trip that were outside of Gerson and his team’s control, Gerson remained with us and made sure we returned safely to Iquitos. We wouldn’t hesitate to book this again. Thanks again Gerson and family for hosting us.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Dalia P 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Best guide, best experience
We had a wonderful experience in Iquitos Amazon rainforest with our tour guide Gerson. Himself and his uncle Bala brought us through amazon and connecting rivers to different rainforest places to show us different animals and plants. Thanks to them, we got to see lots of different monkeys, coati, pink and grey dolphins, lots of different jungle birds. Went fishing caught piranhas, catfish and Sardines. Gerson caught white Cayman, Anaconda, Bull frog, Scorpion. We could hold them and take pictures. Our last day we were brought to jungle survival tour. We stayed in Curuhuinsi lodges located about 1.5 hr boat ride deeper into jungle's national park. Each lodge was very basic, but had private shower, sink and toilet. Each bed had protecting net from mosquitos. Towels and sheets provided. Bring your own toiletries and mosquito repellant for evenings. Meals were plenty and freshly prepared by Gerson's Aunt. We could not recommend enough Gerson and his family team for anyone who wants to visit Peruvian Iquitos amazon rainforest.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Rebeca N 
 
 
 
 Verified 
AUTENTICA EXPERIENCIA
He querido dejar una referencia porque de verdad pienso que vale la pena. Encontramos a Gerson mirando un poquito en internet. En nuestro viaje a Perú queríamos visitar la selva y que fuese lo más auténtico posible y lo hemos conseguido. Los traslados de ida y vuelta nos los facilito él de primera mano, incluso nos recogió y dejó posteriormente en el aeropuerto. Las actividades prometidas las cumplimos una por una; expediciones en plena selva, supervivencia, plantas y árboles medicinales, pesca, búsqueda de animales salvajes en diferentes zonas (de los cuales afortunadamente vimos la gran mayoría), visita de comunidades cercanas y muchas más cosas. Pero de todas ellas me gustaría destacar la convivencia con ellos en su pequeño hogar. Las personas que participaron de gran calidad humana, hicieron que nuestra estancia fuese algo increíble. Gerson, gran guía que nos regaló toda una historia a lo largo de nuestras expediciones, Tatiana haciendo que todo estuviese listo, tía Emilia con sus ricas comidas y sus historias que tanto me emocionaron, Rodolfo que nos acompaño día a día e hizo que todo fuera más bonito, y Ángel, Segundo y Bala que estuvieron con nosotros también colaborando y regalándonos sus charlas y sonrisas!!!!!!!! Mi viaje por Perú fueron muchas cosas, pero la que más me alegro de haber hecho ha sido esta. La más enriquecedora para mí, sin duda y la que me ha dado la oportunidad de conocer a mis nuevos amigos ;-)
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Javier 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Una experiencia inolvidable
Que suerte haber podido compartir estos 3 días en el Amazonas Peruano de la mano de Gerson y todo su equipo! Desde el primer momento nos sentimos como en nuestra propia casa. No tenemos suficientes palabras de agradecimiento por el cariñoso trato recibido por parte de Tia Emilia (fantástica cocinera y artesana), Gerson y sus guías de primerísimo nivel Ángel y Bala, Segundo, incansable trabajador del Lodge y Rodolfo, guardián del campamento y excelente conocedor de la región, de quien guardamos un especial cariño. En cuanto a lo visto, vivido y realizado podríamos hacer una lista infinita… 3 días en la selva desconectados del mundo, conviviendo con delfines rosas, monos, osos perezosos, aves de todos los tamaños y colores, caimanes, arañas e insectos nunca vistos, realizando pesca de pirañas, viendo la forma de vida y costumbres de las comunidades nativas y un largo etc… siempre bajo la atenta mirada de Gerson asegurándose de que todo estuviese bien. Tanto mi pareja como yo, valoramos mucho el cuidado del entorno y naturaleza y Gerson y su equipo son de sobresaliente. Recomendamos al 100% Curuhuinsi Lodge para conocer de manera profesional y segura el Amazonas Peruano.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Alexander L 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Incredible experience in the wild
This year i had the pleasure to spend some days in the peruvian Jungle. When researching for my stay i found Curuhuinsi lodge and contacted the owner gerson via whatsapp! After a brief chat i booked with him! I did so because i wanted my guide to be an actual local from the area and that was probably the best decision i could have made! On arrival gerson waited for us at Iquitos airport and picked us up with a taxi! After an adventurous car ride to nauta we switched into a boat and continued onwards the mighty amazon river! The lodge is located in the deep deep jungle surrounded by tall trees and right next to the river! We had our own cabin with mosquito netting and restroom/shower! On the first day i told gerson that i am a Hobby photographer and what kind of animals / nature i would like to see and he tailored our trip around that! In the following days we saw different kinds of monkeys, birds, dolphins and even sloths! We got served homemade food and fruit smoothies everyday and one could tell that it is a family owned business that cares! An honest review also paints a whole picture! This accommodation is not a luxurious resort, there is no wifi/ no tv and only when the generator runs there is electricity ! I wholeheartedly recommend Curuhuinsi lodge to those that want to experience the deep amazonian jungle! The raw and pure sounds of nature, the humid air and the knowledge about the area gerson and his experienced team provide! I also want to thank the team for an unforgettable vacation i never knew i would enjoy as much as i did! Best regards from Germany Alex
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Georgia W 
 
 
 
 Verified 
We love Bala and Angel
We had an amazing 7 day trip exploring the jungle with our guides Angel and Bala. These two seriously went above and beyond - I’m talking laying down sticks in the mud after watching us flail around in it, climbing up trees so we could see the wildlife better, and cooking us the most delicious local indigenous meals from food hunted and gathered whilst on our 3D/2N camping trip. Bala and Angel’s knowledge of the jungle is so deep and we are so grateful that they were willing to share this with us and teach us about it too. We learnt a lot about natural plant medicines, foods and different uses of things found in the jungle. We really enjoyed the night tours (these guys are crazy good at spotting animals), fishing, spending time with a sloth and the whole camping experience in general. The camping was very special. Bala and Angel worked tirelessly to look after us jungle princesses. During our 3D/2N trip, we drove 3hours by boat deeper into the jungle from the lodge. The boys set up tarps and mosquito nets and we learnt how to spear fish, went for walks through the jungle during the day and night (learning how to find water, different plants and their uses, how locals hunt etc.), and floated down the river during sunset where we got to spot wildlife along the way and watch the beautiful starry sky - an exceptionally peaceful experience. What makes this tour stand out from the rest is that they are true locals. The whole family running this lodge grew up in the area and are Cocama, so the places that they take you too are genuinely in their backyard. Most of the other lodges employ guides that are from Iquitos and are not locals. A few cons - we found the organisation of the lodge to be dreadful and Gerson to be difficult to communicate with. Despite promising us over WhatsApp that he would be our guide it felt like he abandoned our tour only joining us on the first day and then on the last day and a half of our 7 day tour in what felt like a ‘seal the deal’ attempt to get us back on his side. Whilst in the end this was ideal for us as our time with Bala and Angel was so exceptional (!!) we were initially confused. Additionally, Gerson messages like a scammer but he is in fact real. Despite this I would still strongly recommend booking with this lodge and requesting to go with Bala and Angel. It is 100% worth it and we would book again. I really recommend doing the camping trip if possible as we found this to be a really authentic experience that I’m not sure you can find anywhere else. Thank you so much Bala and Angel!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Siddharth Gurjar 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Authentic, unadulterated, local rainforest experience
My wife and I first went to Curuhuinsi Lodge in December 2014 as a couple. After nearly 12 years we chose to go there again, this time with our 7 year old child. Their USP according to us is their people and their expertise. Gerson himself is a local with tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in the jungle, but he had assigned another guide, affectionately known as Bala (bullet in Spanish). He blew our mind the first time with his tracking skills and knowledge. This time also we specifically asked for him. And it was no different this time. An extremely humble and simple person. Besides Bala, Angel who is equally good at tracking animals was our another guide this time. Bala with his simple demeanours and Angel with his humorous strike made it an unforgettable experience for us, especially our child. The lodge itself is rather basic, but that is another plus in my opinion. It can be somewhat uncomfortable if one is used to living in resorts and star rated hotels. But it is an authentic experience which a visitor to the jungle should have. Also since they do not have running electricity, one is forced to use one's mobile phone frugally, which is great. In 2014 we saw plenty of birds (not many macaws though), caimans, tarantulas, monkeys, river dolphins, and numerous sloths. But we did not have any luck with anacondas. This time though it was more than made up for, with Angel finding a 4 meter long anaconda on one of our treks through the jungle. We saw more macaws this time. Although caimans were more elusive this time, Bala and Angel, determined to show our little one managed to get their hands on one literally on our last night at the lodge. And all the usuals like sloths, birds, and monkeys. The only thing which is amiss where the lodge is located is that there are no clay licks nearby. Everything else is gold. If you want an authentic, unadulterated jungle experience while at the same time supporting locals, I cannot recommend Gerson and his time more.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 pierre 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Excursion de 4 jours.
Nous avons fait l’excursion de 4 jours, et on recommande fortement ! Vous vivrez chez Gerson sur les bords de l’amazonie, et verrez des animaux exotiques (paresseux, caïman, dauphins, anaconda….). Prévoyez une batterie externe si possible, car vous ne pourrez charger vos appareils que quelques minutes le soir (l’électricité n’est pas courante). Gros big up à Angel le bras droit de Gerson, notre star du voyage !! N’hésitez pas à discuter et sympathiser avec lui !! Et passez lui le bonjour de Pierre et Valentin si vous le voyez ça lui fera plaisir ❤️
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Hannah S 
 
 
 
 Verified 
The Best Amazon Adventure!
Fun, adventurous experience! Gerson Pizango is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. He grew up in the Peruvian Amazon, on a nearby tributary. It was awesome to be guided by a local. Also, I was blown away with his passion and excitement for his job! We did the three day tour and got to see so much in a short time! Swimming in the Amazon, spotting dolphins, seeing anacondas, sloths, monkeys, and a baby caiman was awesome! Gerson also provided interesting information about the animals and the Amazon. Also, the food was great! Homemade by his family. It’s been some of my favorite food here in Peru. During our stay, only one other group was with us at a time. Having a small group was awesome- Gerson made sure we all got to do the activities we wanted and also had a great itinerary planned. Overall, I highly recommend this tour! Gerson Pizango is a talented guide, and you’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Raf 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Best guide ever
As our guide, this man proved indispensable; his dedication, enthusiasm, and eagerness to show us as much as possible were invaluable. He would happily get up in the middle of the night to head into the jungle with a smile on his face—his passion was truly palpable—and he would even jump into the water to catch an alligator, all while remaining constantly cheerful. His team was amazing and always at our service; the cook seemed like someone he had recruited from a top-notch restaurant—the food was delicious. I give the entire crew the highest possible rating because they all truly earned it. If I had to choose a guide again, it would definitely be Gerson. The place where we stayed was right by the river, deep in the jungle—isolated from civilization and cut off from the outside world. It’s exactly what someone looking to unwind needs: peace and quiet. The rooms were very comfortable, and the setting itself was incredibly relaxing and tranquil. On top of that, he speaks excellent English, so there were no communication issues whatsoever. He is the best at what he does. Thank you, Gerson. It was the trip of a lifetime.