Otorongo Lodge

Top choice in Amazon Basin


Travelers give great feedback about this rustic-style lodge, 100km from Iquitos, and no wonder. It's set down a peaceful tributary off the Amazon and surrounded by walkways to maximize appreciation of the surrounding wildlife, and has 12 rooms with private bathrooms and a relaxing common area. It's run by a falconer who imitates an incredible number of bird sounds.

This gets you up close and personal to a huge variety of wildlife, and so this lodge comes recommended for a magical, personal experience of the Amazonian wilderness. What is more, the lodge land encompasses what is known as a Pleistocene refuge (an area of the jungle that has historically remained unchanged for millennia despite surrounding ecosystems oscillating between dry savannah and wetland, and thus contains tremendous biodiversity).

There are also two stand-alone houses (a family house and a honeymoon suite!) tucked away in the trees with exemplary bathrooms by the Amazon's standards. The five-day, four-night tour can include lots of off-the-beaten-path visits to nearby communities, and camping trips deeper in the jungle. Also ask about Otorongo's ‘extreme fishing’ and jungle survival programs: the owner is an expert on these.

The lodge office is in Iquitos.