PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
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.
With almost two thirds of Peru being classified as being within Amazonia, there are numerous entry points to the ‘selva’. However, the two most popular starting points for a Peruvian Amazon adventure are the cities of Puerto Maldonado in Southern Peru, and Iquitos in the North.
A common question, then, is which one is ‘better’. An understandable, but very tricky, question!
Elaine from Los Altos Hills, CA originally planned a solo Galapagos & Peru trip for March 2022, but had to postpone on medical grounds. She was finally able to make the trip, in the company of Morriss, in February 2024
Their itinerary included Lima, Cusco and - quite unusually - time at both an Amazon lodge in Southern Peru and on an Amazon cruise in Northern Peru.
Their original visit to Machu Picchu was cancelled, but luckily they had extra time in their itinerary and were able to rearrange.
Here are her thoughts on the experience.
Rochester, NY native, Margaret Riley, took here niece, Jessica, on holiday to Peru as a graduation present in June 2022. Their 10-day itinerary took in:
The Sacred Valley
2-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Cusco
Palccoyo (an alternative Rainbow Mountain)
Here is what they had to say about the experience:
“Our trip to Peru was remarkable.
Two thirty-something doctoral researchers in Biological Sciences from Mountain View, CA were drawn to Tambopata Research Center [TRC] for its history of scientific investigation deep in the Amazon jungle, and so booked a 4-day / 3-night stay in July 2022. Here are their impressions:
English couple, Jordan Fry & Annabelle Burt had a deep interest in the natural history of the rainforest and took the time to visit Muyuna Amazon Lodge (in the North) in June 2018 and Tambopata Research Centre (TRC) in July. Here is their comparative review:
Read the thoughts of an Anglo-US-Dutch couple who travelled to Peru in 2018.
PeruNorth arranged two sections of their trip:
an off-the-beaten-path Chachapoyas trek.
a classic Southern Peruvian Amazon jungle lodge.
Here is what they say:
