Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria

I put my life in the hands of my guide Jose, to camp in the Amazon rainforest here, and it paid off handsomely. Diverse wildlife and unspoilt natural beauty at every turn, in this otherworldly National Park. It is really not an easy part of the world to get to, but that was part of the attraction for me. There are options such as river cruises and lodge stays for the travellers who don't want to rough it, but if you want to camp here, you need to abandon the modern luxuries you are accustomed to, and accept the dangers that present themselves here. I did not have a shower, brush my teeth, or have internet for 5 days, but I had one of the best times of my life. I also encountered many things that can kill you here, such as snakes, spiders, crocodiles and even lethal frogs, but my expert Amazonian guide prioritised my safety every time, and gave me an immersive educational experience, that your best nature documentary could never replicate. We brought food and camping and cooking equipment with us, but lived off of the land when we had to. We travelled by boat on the rivers to make up long distances and also stayed at an indigenous village along the way. The night walks in the jungle were exhilarating, wearing a head torch, the cacophony of nocturnal creatures ringing in your ears, with your guide ploughing the furrow while wielding his machete. One night we walked for 6 hours to get to a lagoon and back - not for the faint hearted! Everything seems giant in this place. The trees, the palm fronds, the birds and even the bugs. Real Jurassic Park stuff here. Do not attempt to explore here without an experienced local guide. It's probably more practical to jump off a high building to get the same result. This national park is one of the most uniquely beautiful places in the world and I would advise any nature lover to visit here to have some of the best memories of your life.

There are no words to describe the marvel of experiencing the amazing Pacata Samiria Reserve, this is one of the largest protected areas in Peru, covering an area of over 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles). Today I experienced a full day witnessing the biodiversity of this incredible rainforest. We were boating with specialist guides throughout the reserve crisscrossed network of rivers, including the Marañón, Ucayali, which are vital arteries of the Amazon Basin.! Truly a magical experience !!!

The reserve is a beautiful place to visit. We had a long walk in the jungle followed by a picnic along the side of the Amazon and then a side trip in a small wooden canoe. Oh yeah, we also swam in the river with the piranhas.

We stayed at The Treehouse Lodge and then cruised the river within the reserve on the Zafiro. The two experiences duplicated one another, so I would not recommend doing them both. The time we spent was focused on the confluence of the Marañon and Yucalali particularly the tributary Yurapa that went up along side the Tree House Lodge. It seemed we passed through the same stretches of water at least seven or eight times which was a little disappointing. The river banks appear much the same differing only in the width of the river. We visited a couple of villages which as one might expect are becoming somewhat commercialized. Perhaps the best part of our experience in the reserve was the night walks and the cool breezes just boating along the water. Naturally it was fun to see the pink dolphins and to watch monkeys jump from tree to tree along the shore.

If you look for an adventure and memories that will last this is a place to go! Unspoiled and beautiful nature as far as the horizon ... And, yes, it's a bullet ant in one of the pictures! :]

For me, this is my experience from an Amazon River cruise. Aside from the boat, as a visitor, the jungle is immense, a lot of nature to appreciate, certainly need a guide, can't do this alone. My best experience is finding a spot to swim in the waters of the Amazon.

Great place to go. I was lucky enough to go with a local family. I was able to see the real jungle life. Had fresh fish and fruit. Be sure to bring bug repellent!!!

The biggest of all the reserves in Peru, a truly beautiful part of the world, I went on a fishing trip and jungle tour from a small village on the río Ucayali through guest house "La Casa Del Otorongo" in Gennera Herrera. Very remote and unspoilt jungle it was perfect for me.