A Brief Guide to Staying in Colombia’s Amazon Region

Many people don’t know that the Amazon’s final frontier is in Colombia. It’s a region of the country rich in biodiversity, indeginous culture and, of course, adventure.

Visitors to the Colombian Amazon will find there are two ways of staying in the Colombian Amazon. You can stay in Leticia and do day activities in the jungle, or alternatively get to Leticia then take a speed boat and stay in a beautiful lodge deep in the Amazon. The amazing thing about the latter area is that it is a meeting point for 3 neighboring countries: Colombia, Peru and Brazil. In fact, it’s possible to stay in a lodge in Peru which is reached via Colombia, from where you can easily visit the Brazilian side to fish for piranhas! There are no borders in the area, so you’ll drift easily between 3 countries in just one day (don’t worry, you still get stamps on your passport).

A great way to get to Colombia through the Amazon could be to fly from Lima to Iquitos (about 1.5 hrs) and from there take a speed boat  to Leticia (about 8 hrs) which leaves at 5:30 am and crosses the amazing Amazon river. There is a cheaper option, these boats are bigger and take supplies to local communities and towns which mean that will take you 3 days to get to Leticia. You get to sleep in hammocks on deck, but if you want to do this remember to take a net to put over your hammock.

There’s no shortage of things to do in the Amazon, so for the adventurous it’s a great place to visit. Activities that can be done in the Colombian Amazon include the following:

* Observe the pink dolphins

* Visits to indigenous communities

* Paddle boats in the flooded forest

* Fishing and traditional craftsmanship

* Observation of exotic birds

* Walks in the forest with native guides

* Walking to the lakes that surround the reservation

* Night out watching alligators

* Swimming in natural pools

* Sightings of fauna and flora of the area

* Indian Tattoos

Important things to know:

· It is compulsory to have the yellow fever vaccination taken at least 10 days prior to the arrival date.

· You should stay at least 3 days to fully enjoy the area

Important things to bring:

· Head torch

· A hat

· Trousers and long sleeve t-shirts

· Walking boots

· Mosquito repellant

· Sun block

· Binoculars

· Water bottle that you must take back with you

· Ziplocs (plastic bags) to put your documents in

 

Ryan