The Roenickes from Florida took a deep dive into the Peruvian Amazon in May 2025, beginning with a 7-day visit to Tambopata Research Center, before flying to Iquitos in the north of the country for a 5-day cruise on the M/V Zafiro.
Here are their thoughts on the experience:
What were your favourite natural destinations in the itinerary?
Blue-Headed Parrots at a Clay Lick in Tambopata.
The Clay Licks (both) were special.
We also enjoyed the walks in the Tambopata reserve.
The boat rides from the Zafiro seeing the pink dolphins on the Amazon river were nice.
The Manatee Rescue was wonderful.
Who were your guides? How did they perform?
Eric (Tambopata) very knowledgeable.
Daniel and Victor (Zafiro) were very personable and enjoyable and knowledgeable.
How was the accommodation?
Both the lodge and the ship were very comfortable. The ship crew made us feel much more welcome than the lodge.
View of Tambopata River.
We loved the location of the lodge but we felt that there could have been more interaction when not on an excursion.
The Tambopata room was beautiful and extremely spacious. We loved the outdoor shower and sitting area. Also being open to the outside area was a nice experience.
We are happy we selected a cabin with a balcony. That was very nice.
The Doubletree was not anything special- but for Iquitos it was nice.
How was the food?
A gourmet starter on board M/V Zafiro.
The food was very good and nicely displayed at the lodge and on the ship. But the ship did have superior food and service.
The food on the ship was very creative and they went out of their way to please a guest (we had a vegan on board and every meal she had something specially prepared)
The food at the lodge was a bit repetitive- but we figured out that most guests stay 2 or 3 days and they rotate the menu to that schedule.
At the lodge, it would have been nice to have guests sit together instead of at different tables. Several meals we moved settings to sit with other guests - we saw other guests do this as well. We did invite Eric to sit with us, but we did not see other guides sitting with guests. Other guests we spoke with said it would have been nice to mingle more with the guides and team.
It would have been nice to have the ship team sit with us for a meal or 2 as well, but if the ship was full, there may not have been space.
Did you lose or gain weight over the course of the holiday!?
We didn't gain or lose!
(Very) Local Amazon transport in Loreto.
What forms of transport did you use? Pros/cons?
The busses and boats were nice.
At the lodge for the evening sunset cruise (least favorite activity) it would have been nice to have a smaller boat without a roof to get into canals and to have better viewing. Also a smaller/quieter engine.
Did your itinerary involve any hiking? How would you rate it in terms of difficulty?
Nature hike in Tambopata Reserve.
We enjoyed the hiking. In Tambopata we did much more hiking than from the Zafiro. Neither were strenuous. We did not see anyone struggle - except for one woman who had a sprained ankle from Machu Picchu.
In Tambopata, after some of the guests left our group, we were able to set the amount of hikes we did. That was very nice being able to do longer walks.
We are split on whether having 1 guide for the whole stay was better than having different guides for different activities. It may be better for guides and clients to mix it up.
What was the most pointless item in your luggage!?
Rain jacket and pants. We used our poncho once. The poncho was much more practical- but in heavy rains, who knows??!!
Red Howler Monkey through telescopic lens.
What were your favourite natural encounters?
Seeing the macaws, pink dolphins and monkeys.
Did you suffer any insect bites? Other physical discomforts?
Mosquitos and insects were not bad at all. A couple of bites at the most.
We were healthy the entire trip- no upset stomach or other ailments.
What were your thoughts on the comparative differences of a lodge in Tambopata and a cruise from Iquitos?
Female Kukama shaman performing ceremony.
We are happy that we did both the reserve and cruise being they were two very different experiences.
The reserve was more serious about the environment and wild life.
The cruise was more about enjoying yourself while spotting some wildlife.
The guides were very good on both. The ship guides were friendlier and more personable.
On the ship we had the opportunity to visit local villages. The day we met the shaman was particularly nice.
If we were planning it again, we would definitely do both. Both experiences were very different and spectacular!
We are happy that we planned a night in Puerto Maldonado. It was a nice little city and we enjoyed some great food!