PERU'S
AMAZON LODGES

This lodge enjoys an attractive position on the banks of the Madre de Dios River, some two hours from Puerto Maldonado.

There are 50 individual bungalows, each with a balcony and hammocks enclosed by mosquito screening. The bedroom windows are also screened although the beds do not have mosquito nets. All rooms have en suite cold water shower and toilet and lighting is by kerosene lamp.

The lodge is very flexible about the excursions it offers, and will suggest options suited to the capabilities and preferences of each guest. The guides are mostly Spanish speaking, though there are several with some English.

The surrounding jungle is very impressive, the highlight being the nearby Cocha Perdida lagoon, reached by a 6.5km trail through the rainforest. There’s also an 11m high observation platform within an hour’s walk. The lodge scores highly for its varied excursion possibilities and the relative privacy offered by its accommodation.

SANDOVAL, Puerto Maldonado, Peru

Lake Sandoval where giant otters are often seen, is renowned for its prolific wildlife.

This is a comfortable lodge, with 25 rooms located in two longhouses, with an open loft area below the steeply-pitched thatch roof. Each room is separate with a lockable door, and all of them have private bathrooms with hot water. There is electricity in all the rooms; the generator is switched off at 10pm.

Access to the lodge is an expedition in its own right - an hour downstream by motorised canoe, followed by 45 minutes’ jungle walk (baggage goes by rickshaw trolley) a short paddle by canoe, then twenty minutes by catamaran. The catamaran consists of a couple of dugout canoes lashed together with a sitting platform constructed above them - an innovative, not to say bizarre, form of transport.

Excursions offer good opportunities to observe wildlife, since this lodge is more distant from the town of Puerto Maldonado than the others, and a reasonable level of comfort.

POSADA AMAZONAS

This well-managed lodge is about 2 - 3 hours from Puerto Maldonado by motorised canoe, on the bank of the Tambopata River. There are two small clay licks nearby. Our view is that of all the lodges in this area, the guides here are the best and we consider this to be the most eco-friendly.

Accommodation has only limited privacy, since the 30 rooms are in 5 longhouse blocks of 6; each room is separate, but the loft space is open to the steeply-pitched thatch roof; there are curtains instead of doors. Each room has en suite cold water shower and toilet, mosquito nets over the beds and a hammock.

The generator serves the kitchen only, so there is no electricity in the rooms... only candles. The exterior pathways are candle-lit too. If your interest is in wildlife and understanding the rainforest environment, then this will suit you.