Five full days in Iquitos in May...recommendations?
OK, so it's my third trip to Peru but first to the Amazon part. Have got five full days and two partials in Iquitos, with a $26/night centrally located hotel already booked. Am leaning toward a standard daytrip out on the river for $75 for the first day, but the rest is wide open. Time and budget don't allow for something on a grand scale like the longer trips, though something of 1-2 nights might be doable. Or just stay in town (Lonely Planet seemed to like it). The whole ayahuasca thing seems a bit scary (i.e. drinking stuff that makes you throw up), but I guess some people go for that. The info on the boat stations was a bit confusing, but I gather there are boats up and down the river mostly not for tourists. Would an overnight RT on any of those be worthwhile? (Am thinking of a scenario like the Alaska Marine Highway where you can see a lot even from a boat that's traveling for other purposes). Any other suggestions welcome.
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Oh, 5 days is a lot there. But... go golfing! How many people have golfed in the Amazon jungle, but careful putting you hands in a water hazard.:eek: 1/2 day to the zoo. 1/2 day boat to Belen.... not much more. Watch sports in English upstairs at the Yellow Rose of Texas? Chat with the chicas on the malecon? Do not know the multi-day tours, but for sure somehow get immersed in the deep jungle to appreciate that aspect. And yeah, the whole ayahuasca things is a bit weird, una estafa.
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Well, 1 down and 4 to go...just booked the boat daytour on the first full day. I guess I can plan to do the postcard mailout out of there as well. There's also the manatee rescue center as an idea, though I saw somehing along those lines in Florida. Am also there on a Friday and Saturday, which is supposed to be a good time to be there.
Sometimes these trips are useful if for no other reason than to motivate (or discourage) more-ambitious subsequent trips. I'd need some selling with some of the prices I'm seeing on some multi-day expeditions, but OTOH a number of 'em with the company for the daytour are already sold out anyway. I guess others going there have more money than me. :p |
It was bad enough just spending a few hours in Iquitos. I couldn't imagine spending days.
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We are also going to be going to Iquitos, although our schedule our time in IQT is very limited as we are headed to Tahuayo lodge for six nights. From what I've read the Manatee rescue center seems like a nice place to visit. Also, I've read things about the butterfly farm.
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Originally Posted by RacingJunkie
(Post 22729647)
It was bad enough just spending a few hours in Iquitos. I couldn't imagine spending days.
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Did you see this post by fastair from last year?
We were only in Iquitos long enough to get to a lodge and back, but it seemed like a fun place. Though 5 days might be pushing it. :) We stayed at La Casa Fitzcarraldo, but unfortunately arrived late and had to leave fairly early. It was quite nice, though. I do wish I had had time to golf. |
I love Iquitos city for private reasons. Actually all depends on what you are looking for.
If you are looking for jungle lodges, I've read there are some very good lodges. However the best are in Puerto Maldonado area (Tambopata reserve), not Iquitos. Do a research about trips to Pacaya Samiria, if you are looking for adventure and nature. Besides, I've read also about very good jungle cruises that depart from Iquitos, some of them go to the Amazonas near the border with Brazil. |
Originally Posted by alamedaguy
(Post 22771361)
I do wish I had had time to golf. |
Greetings from Lima! Food is great, fog is around though it burned off just in time for sunset today, etc. Will head to IQT on Tuesday with extra bug spray. Hotel is half the cost as in Miraflores and maybe I do a daytrip or two and catch up on reading ;)
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Originally Posted by RustyC
(Post 22849369)
Greetings from Lima! Food is great, fog is around though it burned off just in time for sunset today, etc. Will head to IQT on Tuesday with extra bug spray. Hotel is half the cost as in Miraflores and maybe I do a daytrip or two and catch up on reading ;)
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Thanks to all who posted! I ended up doing all-daytrips, including Dawn on the Amazon's trip on the first full day. We were on 3 different boats for that, which was useful because you needed a small one to see Belen, but the big one worked better for the onboard lunch and dolphin sightings.
Did a more do-it-yourself thing for the manatee center and a hired boat ride from the malecon on another day, and then a lodge daytrip (Cumaceba, or something like that) to cover more of the Amazon and check out life at a lodge (looks like u need to bring several good books to read). The lodge daytrip was around $50 and included some touristy activities and a lunch. The central part of the town can be fairly lively, especially on Saturday and Sunday nights. Food was unexpectedly good, especially at Dawn on the Amazon cafe (steamed and leaf-wrapped riverfish and soupy, "real" hot chocolates!) and Kikiriki (portions even more out-of-control than the U.S., if you can believe that). One of the casinos even had a bank of 10-centavo coin-opeerated mechanical slots where it took an hour to lose $4. Yellow Rose of Texas was also pretty good. Everyone had ayahuasca menus but it didn't seem like a hige number of gringos were staying in the town. In Lima there was actually a sunny day without the fog! As it was a Monday, you could get a "view" table at Tanta in Larcomar for a 2-hour lunch there. Also got a Nikei ceviche at La Mar. |
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