Refugio Amazonas

We spent four nights in this Amazonian eco lodge near the Tambopata River. It was an incredible experience made better by the Lodge itself. From the pickup at the Puerto Maldonado airport to bringing us back to their admin office near the airport it was all first class. It is expensive, but worth the price. Food was amazing. Rooms were well appointed. The guides were top calibre. Many activities to choose from inclusive of the famous Clay Lick on the river. We learned so much and saw so much flora and fauna that can only be experienced being in the jungle. The lodge has great employees and they are all trying to make this a unique and memorable time. Highly recommend this lodge that borders their national park.

We have traveled to several jungle lodges and this one was just ok for us in terms of experience and animals. We chose Refugio Amazonas because we have a science loving 10year old and it seemed to have many options related to citizen science that she was excited about. Unfortunately, they paired us with a family of 6 that had 4 teenagers. You have to stay with your group and assigned guide and you don’t really get to choose activities. So our family got outvoted by the big family on activities. Our guide also took forever at stops to explain things, and was totally insensitive to the shorter attention span of a 10 year old. He was nice enough to take photos for people, but with the family of 6 that meant that he spent at least 20 minutes at every stop taking photos for them, totally losing us. If I had it to do over again I would have asked to be reassigned or just pay for a guide of our own, but management was also not very available and never checked in. Our child did have a wonderful time with the charming naturalist who staffed the moth project and science talk (unfortunately we only got to attend one talk because our guide took us on a trip to the lake that should have taken 2 hours and took 4+). overall (and for the price) this was not a top tier experience for us. If you take elementary to middle school aged kids, have them commit to a plan for the guide in advance that will meet your needs and children’s interests.

We stayed at the Refugio Amazonas Lodge for 3 nights in July. This was planned as the last leg of our 13 day Peruvian family vacation (there were 4 of us), and we still couldn't decide what we love more: Machu Picchu or the Amazon jungle experience. Paul was our guide, and being a native of the Tambopata region, he is very knowledgeable about the animals, insects, and medicinal use of native plants in the area. Refugio Amazonas has a list of activities for guests to pick from each day, which includes taking a boat out to the clay lick for macaws, hiking out to the observation tower above the forest canopy, night hikes, medicinal plant tour, etc. Paul added his own flavor to these activities, including luring out a tarantula from its den, pointing out the cicada nests, and showing us the jaguar tracks. It's amazing how he can recognize the sounds of so many species of monkeys and birds, before they come into view. Back at the lodge, we enjoyed the hospitality of the staff and the meals. One of the highlights was watching the baby crested eagle in its nest. We went back two days in a row to observe the very rare baby eagle, and really enjoyed talking to the biologist stationed at the lodge. This place is a real gem for anyone who is a first-timer to the Amazon!

The Refugio is a beautifully established place to stay and experience the rain forests of the Madre De Dios region in Peru’s Amazonian rainforest. The rooms are open and airy and comfortable and the food was excellent, as was the well-stocked bar. We really felt we had spent time in the rain forest and not just as visitors but as residents. We were well-cared for from arrival to departure and very happy with our guides, Dennis and Alan. The activities - hikes, crafts, lecture, boat trips - are well thought out and fully occupied our days. Be aware that in May-August the “friaje” can make this a cooler place and so equip yourself accordingly - raincoats and fleeces - but they have boots to borrow for days when the ground is wet or muddy.

Stayed there there days on a Peru trip. Great, friendly place. At arrival we got our own guide who where superknowledge, friendly and really put effort into making the excursions tailored for our family. The food where Great, wifi even on the river boats and perfectly clean rooms.

Beautiful all-inclusive resort in the middle of the Amazon jungle in the Madre de Dios Region. Paul the guide was very knowledgeable and taught us how to survive in the jungle, knew how to call the various animals in the jungle and the botanical properties of a lot of the plants and trees.

Our stay in the lodge was one of the highlights of our trip. The lodge itself is beautiful, magical almost, with rustic open rooms providing a comfortable but immersive jungle experience. I especially loved the bathrooms, showering with the deliciously scented shampoo and shower gel provided whilst the jungle sounds were all around. (The heat meant multiple showers a day were necessary!) The food was some of the best I have eaten in Peru, and was plentiful. We especially loved the spicy salsas and packed breakfast for our early morning excursions. It was great to be able to unwind with a cold beer too, especially at the interesting pre dinner scientific talks. Our guide Boris was great- knowledgable and fun, and his keen eye made sure we saw lots of monkeys, capybara, caiman and spiders as we walked around. The excursions did have to all be agreed by the group you are assigned to, but luckily our group all seemed to have similar interests, and Boris was great at advising which ones he thought would suit all of our needs. The clay lick and oxbow lake trip were both once in a lifetime experiences. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a stay at this lodge, and would love to return some day. It is important to note that no matter how comfortable the lodge is, it is in the jungle so of course it is hot, humid, full of insects and does require a certain level of physical fitness, so I would suggest that anyone booking any stay in the Amazon considers whether their own needs would be compatible with a jungle stay before doing so. Some of the other more negative reviews do seem like they hadn’t considered the practicalities of visiting the jungle beforehand.

This Amazon experience was truly unique! We loved exploring the river and rainforest. It’s set up in a similar fashion to a safari. The activities are typically very early in the morning and evening or night time. The middle of the day is typically down time so be prepared to bring a book and have a rest. The food was quite tasty and offered a good variety for different diets. The lodge itself is stunning. The rooms are open to the outdoors and it is easy to hear people in the neighboring rooms. If you are prepared for this sort of adventure then it will be no problem, just make sure to keep quiet so you don’t disturb your neighbors. As a parent of little ones, I do not recommend bringing young children if they are not able to keep quiet when while on jungle treks or in the lodge rooms. We had a few very disruptive children in the room next to us that cried often and made it difficult to sleep. Definitely participate in the nightly lectures! The biologists were a true highlight of our experience and they are very eager to include the guests in their research. We were there during a rare cold front and had absolutely no issues with mosquitos or biting insects. Be prepared to wake up to the sounds of macaws flying overhead in the mornings or howler monkeys calling from across the jungle. It is truly unique! Our guide was Eddy, a man who is local to the area and extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. We had a small group of two couples and made group decisions which experiences we wanted to do each day. Ed was absolutely amazing at imitating all the bird calls and spotting different species. He taught us so much over our 3 days including information about the people native to the area and their spiritual beliefs. Be prepared to see many birds and insects! Many of the larger mammals in the area are nocturnal and not seen as easily as, say, elephant and giraffes on a safari. Do not miss the Macaw clay lick! It’s an early wake up but totally worth it! I felt that 3 days was a good amount of time at the lodge to see everything we were looking to see. The staff at the lodge was very accommodating and helpful. Definitely recommend this lodge!