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In this episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast, host Chris Christensen recounts his immersive experience cruising the Peruvian Amazon on a nine-day “Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth” with G Adventures. This small-group journey, involving ~24 travelers, offers a deep dive into the culture, biodiversity, and challenges of life in the Amazon Basin.

The trip began in Lima, Peru, and then took the group via domestic flight to Iquitos, one of the world’s most isolated cities, accessible only by air or river. From there, they traveled 97 km by road to Nauta to embark on the riverboat Amatista. For five days, they cruised the Marañón, Ucayali, and Amazon Rivers, exploring tributaries like the Yanayacu (“Black Water”) River in skiffs and visiting riverside communities near and within the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

Highlights included:

• Spotting Amazon wildlife such as pink and gray river dolphins, spider monkeys, black-collared hawks, pygmy marmosets, capybaras, horned screamers, long-nosed bats, sloths, and dozens of tropical birds, including toucans, macaws, and herons.
• Visiting villages like Puerto Miguel and San Jorge, where the group interacted with locals, learned about subsistence farming, honey and butterfly projects, and even enjoyed a home-cooked jungle meal wrapped in leaves.
• Exploring the flooded Amazon forest and terra firme (non-flooded) jungle on foot, walking across hanging bridges, encountering tarantulas and social spiders, and learning about trees like kapok, rubber, and rosewood.
• Learning from two passionate and knowledgeable naturalists, Victor and Erick, who interpreted the biodiversity and culture of the region and infused humor and storytelling into every outing.
• Swimming in a blackwater tributary, piranha fishing (with beef bait), riding in dugout canoes, and experiencing nocturnal wildlife excursions under a canopy of constant sound.
• Meeting a female shaman who trained in solitude from age 14 and now practices plant-based spiritual healing and performs ayahuasca ceremonies for locals.

Chris offers practical advice for prospective travelers: this trip is best for those with a spirit of adventure, moderate mobility, and an appreciation for the rainforest rather than a desire for luxury. The Amatista riverboat is comfortable but rustic, with excellent food and a welcoming crew that even formed a band to entertain guests.

This journey showcases the delicate interplay between ecology and local life in the Amazon Basin. With a backdrop of stunning biodiversity, complex conservation challenges, and enduring indigenous culture, this G Adventures cruise offers more than sightseeing—it invites transformation.

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