Our Amazonia Team
One of the most important parts of your Amazon Rainforest experience will be the quality of your personal guide. Amazonia Expeditions has the highest credentialed and most professional staff in the Amazon, and regularly updates their knowledge with special training seminars. All of our guides are certified in wilderness first aid, which is an achievement that is unique to Amazonia Expeditions.
Full Time with Benefits + Equal Opportunities
While other lodges in the upper Amazon basin only offer their guides 90-day contracts to avoid paying them workers benefits, a practice that leads to high turnover, Amazonia Expeditions invests in offering full-time positions to our guides and other staff. Not only offering out employees good salaries, but we also invest in retirement pensions, full family health care insurance, annual paid 30 days of vacation and long-term employment with continuing training and educational development. Most of our guides have been with us for years, and have really gotten to know the ecosystems of the Tahuayo River basin. The morale is high as the staff of Amazonia appreciate the benefits of their employment.
Amazonia Expeditions was also the first tourism company in Iquitos to provide equal opportunity to both men and women in training and employment (we were told by other tour operators in the early 1980’s that it was a “crazy idea that would never be accepted by Peruvian men”). The high morale and dedicated work ethic that people note among our staff is a result of the owners’ commitment to have a respectful, pleasant, professional and productive working environment for the staff. We do not tolerate any ill-treatment among the staff based on gender, age, experience (in most tourism companies more experienced staff haze newcomers), position (staff who clean toilets, wash dishes and clean sheets are just as important for a pleasant tourist experience as guides and managers), strength, education, skin color (in much of Peru light skinned Peruvians enjoy privileges over dark-skinned Peruvians), sexual orientation, ethnicity (in much of Peru having Amerindian facial features or surnames is a basis for discrimination), or religious preference (we have Evangelical Christians, Catholics, believers in jungle mother spirits and atheists working respectfully together). New staff members are quickly taught the company’s ethic of treating everyone with respect.
Dolly Beaver
Dolly Arevalo Shapiama is a native of the Amazon. Dolly is owner of the lodges, Tahuayo Lodge and Amazon Research Center, on the Tahuayo River. Her mother taught in a jungle village before moving to Iquitos city to provide higher education for her children. From a young age Dolly was passionate about charitable work. Dolly’s deep love of the women and children of the Tahuayo River communities motivated her to start the women’s Asociacion Manos Amazonica, as well as make substantial contributions to education (Chino Village High School; scholarships for continuing education in Iquitos) and medical care (Esperanza Clinic; paying for advanced care for Tahuayo residents in hospitals in Iquitos, Lima and the USA) and start the Angels of the Amazon foundation .
Paul Beaver, Ph.D.
Dolly’s husband Paul Beaver is owner of Amazonia Expeditions ecotourism company. Paul received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1976 and came to the western Amazon in 1980 to do zoological field research. In 1981 Paul started the Amazon’s first commercial adventure camping company, Amazonia Expeditions. Amazonia Expeditions now operates specialty travel excursions in wilderness and wildlife reserves throughout South America, as well as in Africa and Asia, but the primary focus remains the Amazon forest of the Tahuayo River basin. In 2015 Paul was honored by the University of Chicago for his contributions to conservation and humanitarian concerns with a presentation of the prestigious Alumni Public Service Award.
Meet Our Guides
Claudio Huayllahua Sánchez
Claudio was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary school in El Chino and continued his education in Iquitos, earning a technical degree from SENATI Institute. He started working for Amazonia Expeditions in 2014 as a field research assistant with several biologists and as an assistant guide. Claudio was promoted to head guide in 2017 and is our camping and jungle survival specialist.
Fernando Manihuari Tapullima
Fernando was born in a small Kukama village along the banks of the river Ucayali river. Years later he began to work hunting and fishing in the surrounding area of his village. Fernando grew up in an environment where he was constantly learning about his family’s rich cultural traditions. Although Fernando spent most of his life hunting and fishing in 2005, he began to change his ways of thinking and decided that he no longer wanted to kill and take from the jungle. He now wanted to become a guide. In order to reach his goal Fernando went to high school and then after to technical school where he training to become a tour guide. He wanted to make up for all those years hunting by now doing what he could to protect the forest. In 2013 he had his first guiding job where he worked for 6 years until beginning his work at Amazonia.
Hersog Chavez Yuyarima
Hersog first got the idea of becoming a guide after watching the tourist boats going by his village every day. He was fascinated that tourists would come to see his home and he loved the way that the guides he saw did their work. He knew that someday he wanted to be just like them. Hersog studied at technical school for 3 years leaning the basics of guiding. After graduating, Hersog worked as a guide for several years working with Peruvian tourists, later coming to work for Amazonia in 2017. Hersog was promoted to head guide in 2019. He has worked as a field research assistant in the study of the elusive pygmy marmoset. Hersog is known for his sharp eyes and his unique stories about the jungle.
Sila Hidalgo
Sila was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. She attended primary school in Diamante village and high school in the community of “El Chino” on the Tahuayo River. Her family moved to El Chino so Sila could attend high school, as it was the closest village offering secondary education. Later, Sila joined our Angels (AoA) scholarship program to further her education in Iquitos, where she earned a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. She completed her internship at Tahuayo Lodge. After graduating, Sila began her career with Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2022.
Javier Anibal Alván Arévalo
Javier has worked at the Amazonia Expeditions lodges for 10 years, starting as a young teenager as an assistant in building repair, then moving up to motorboat pilot, then camping assistant and assistant guide, and after passing his guide exams with high grades was promoted to head guide in 2014. Javier is also our Canopy Zipline specialist and has taken professional certification classes in Costa Rica. Javier is also a fishing specialist and is beloved by families with children.
Juan Walter Lomas
Juan was born and grew up in a small town near Nauta, a city south of Iquitos. Here he studied tourism at a local university and became an official licensed tour guide. Before starting at Amazonia in 2017 Juan worked at several other lodges in the region. Juan is now one of our head guides and has a specialty in birding, and his knowledge of 600+ birds in our region.
Aladino Jr. Hidalgo
Aladino was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school there and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. During this period and for some time after high school, Aladino worked with his father as a trailblazer, assisting primate researchers who came to study at a field station on the Blanco River. Afterwards, Aladino moved to Lima where he worked for several years while also studying guiding & English at a school in Lima. He returned to the Tahuayo region after some years to be closer to his family. Upon returning in 2019, he was hired by Amazonia Expeditions as a field assistant. During this time, he actively supported researchers studying diverse wildlife including giant river otters, pygmy marmosets, and various bird species. He then joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was later promoted to head guide in 2022.
Lander Juan Peña Ramirez
Lander was born in the remote jungle community of Santa Victoria. His boyhood dream was to become to best jungle guide in the Amazon. Lander studied at a local institute for several years where he learned basic English and the foundations of the being a tour guide. Later he worked for several years at other jungle loges as a guide, honing his skills as a survival camping guide. Lander came to work for Amazonia Expeditions in 2017 and along with a strong interest in birding and fishing is also one of our lead camping and survival guides.
Ronaldo Ricopa
Ronald grew up in the town of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. In this area he worked at several rainforest lodges before coming to work with Amazonia Expeditions in 2017. Ronald has proven himself as a talented head jungle guide with sharp instincts and a special interest in medicinal plants of the region. In addition, his kind and humorous ways make him fun for family guiding.
Welister Perez
Welister grew up in the small community of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. He lived there for most of his life, and later worked at several jungle lodges before starting at Amazonia Expeditions. Welister has proven himself as both a talented jungle man and team player with an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. After several months of training with Amazonia he was promoted to a head guiding position in 2017.
Jhony Hidalgo
Jhony was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school in his home village and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. Jhony later pursued further studies in Iquitos, where he obtained a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. After graduating, he worked at the Amazon Rescue Center in Iquitos (CREA), guiding visitors to the center. In 2021 he joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2023.
Our Professional Staff
Larissa Barker
Staff Biologist
Larissa is a behavioral ecologist from Austria. After collecting the data for her undergraduate thesis in Honduras she fell in love with tropical fieldwork and has continued to work across the tropics for the last 9 years. Larissa completed her PhD fieldwork here in the reserve looking at the impacts of anthropogenic noise on pygmy marmoset behavior. After successfully handing in and defending her PhD thesis she came back to work at the lodge as the staff biologist. She is continuing her work with the pygmy marmosets with a focus on how human presence impacts their anti-predator behavior.
Our Amazonia Team
Amazonia Expeditions was the first tourism company in Iquitos to provide equal opportunity to men and women in training and employment. We continue to provide opportunity to all, regardless of ethnicity, belief or sexual orientation. The high morale and dedicated work ethic that people note among our staff is a result of the owners’ commitment to have a respectful, pleasant, professional and productive working environment for the staff.
Dolly Beaver
Dolly Arevalo Shapiama is a native of the Amazon. Dolly is owner of the lodges, Tahuayo Lodge and Amazon Research Center, on the Tahuayo River. Her mother taught in a jungle village before moving to Iquitos city to provide higher education for her children. From a young age Dolly was passionate about charitable work. Dolly’s deep love of the women and children of the Tahuayo River communities motivated her to start the women’s Asociacion Manos Amazonica, as well as make substantial contributions to education (Chino Village High School; scholarships for continuing education in Iquitos) and medical care (Esperanza Clinic; paying for advanced care for Tahuayo residents in hospitals in Iquitos, Lima and the USA) and start the Angels of the Amazon foundation .
Paul Beaver, Ph.D.
Dolly’s husband Paul Beaver is owner of Amazonia Expeditions ecotourism company. Paul received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1976 and came to the western Amazon in 1980 to do zoological field research. In 1981 Paul started the Amazon’s first commercial adventure camping company, Amazonia Expeditions. Amazonia Expeditions now operates specialty travel excursions in wilderness and wildlife reserves throughout South America, as well as in Africa and Asia, but the primary focus remains the Amazon forest of the Tahuayo River basin. In 2015 Paul was honored by the University of Chicago for his contributions to conservation and humanitarian concerns with a presentation of the prestigious Alumni Public Service Award.
Meet Our Guides
Nixon Irarica Tello
Nixon was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary and secondary school in the village. He has worked with Amazonia Expeditions since 2012, including working as field research assistant of Fredrick Tegner’s research on poison dartfrogs, Ludvig Orson’s research on harlequin toads and Rebecca Sheehan’s study of pygmy marmosets. After a year as assistant guide, Nixon was promoted to head guide in 2017.
Aladino Jr. Hidalgo
Aladino was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school there and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. During this period and for some time after high school, Aladino worked with his father as a trailblazer, assisting primate researchers who came to study at a field station on the Blanco River. Afterwards, Aladino moved to Lima where he worked for several years while also studying guiding & English at a school in Lima. He returned to the Tahuayo region after some years to be closer to his family. Upon returning in 2019, he was hired by Amazonia Expeditions as a field assistant. During this time, he actively supported researchers studying diverse wildlife including giant river otters, pygmy marmosets, and various bird species. He then joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was later promoted to head guide in 2022.
Sila Hidalgo
Sila was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. She attended primary school in Diamante village and high school in the community of “El Chino” on the Tahuayo River. Her family moved to El Chino so Sila could attend high school, as it was the closest village offering secondary education. Later, Sila joined our Angels (AoA) scholarship program to further her education in Iquitos, where she earned a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. She completed her internship at Tahuayo Lodge. After graduating, Sila began her career with Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2022.
Jhony Hidalgo
Jhony was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school in his home village and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. Jhony later pursued further studies in Iquitos, where he obtained a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. After graduating, he worked at the Amazon Rescue Center in Iquitos (CREA), guiding visitors to the center. In 2021 he joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2023.
Claudio Huayllahua Sánchez
Claudio was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary school in El Chino and continued his education in Iquitos, earning a technical degree from SENATI Institute. He started working for Amazonia Expeditions in 2014 as a field research assistant with several biologists and as an assistant guide. Claudio was promoted to head guide in 2017.
Javier Anibal Alván Arévalo
Javier has worked at the Amazonia Expeditions lodges for 10 years, starting as a young teenager as an assistant in building repair, then moving up to motorboat pilot, then camping assistant and assistant guide, and after passing his guide exams with high grades was promoted to head guide in 2014.
Welister Perez
Welister grew up in the small community of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. He lived there for most of his life, and later worked at several jungle lodges before starting at Amazonia Expeditions. Welister has proven himself as both a talented jungle man and team player with an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. After several months of training with Amazonia he was promoted to a head guiding position in 2017.
Juan Walter Lomas
Juan was born and grew up in a small town near Nauta, a city south of Iquitos. Here he studied tourism at a local university and became an official licensed tour guide. Before starting at Amazonia in 2017 Juan worked at several other lodges in the region. Juan is now one of our head guides and has a special interest in improving his knowledge of 600+ birds in our region.
Ronaldo Ricopa
Ronald grew up in the town of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. In this area he worked at several rainforest lodges before coming to work with Amazonia Expeditions in 2017. Ronald has proven himself as a talented head jungle guide with sharp instincts and a special interest in medicinal plants of the region. In addition, his kind and humorous ways make him fun for family guiding.
Lander Juan Peña Ramirez
Lander was born in the remote jungle community of Santa Victoria. His boyhood dream was to become to best jungle guide in the Amazon. Lander studied at a local institute for several years where he learned basic English and the foundations of the being a tour guide. Later he worked for several years at other jungle loges as a guide, honing his skills as a survival camping guide. Lander came to work for Amazonia Expeditions in 2017 and along with a strong interest in birding and fishing is also one of our lead camping and survival guides.
Fernando Manihuari Tapullima
Fernando was born in a small Kukama village along the banks of the river Ucayali river. Years later he began to work hunting and fishing in the surrounding area of his village. Fernando grew up in an environment where he was constantly learning about his family’s rich cultural traditions. Although Fernando spent most of his life hunting and fishing in 2005, he began to change his ways of thinking and decided that he no longer wanted to kill and take from the jungle. He now wanted to become a guide. In order to reach his goal Fernando went to high school and then after to technical school where he training to become a tour guide. He wanted to make up for all those years hunting by now doing what he could to protect the forest. In 2013 he had his first guiding job where he worked for 6 years until beginning his work at Amazonia.
Hersog Chavez Yuyarima
Hersog first got the idea of becoming a guide after watching the tourist boats going by his village every day. He was fascinated that tourists would come to see his home and he loved the way that the guides he saw did their work. He knew that someday he wanted to be just like them. Hersog studied at technical school for 3 years leaning the basics of guiding. After graduating, Hersog worked as a guide for several years working with Peruvian tourists, later coming to work for Amazonia in 2017. Hersog was promoted to head guide in 2019. He has worked as a field research assistant in the study of the elusive pygmy marmoset. Hersog is known for his sharp eyes and his unique stories about the jungle.
Larissa Barker
Larissa is a behavioral ecologist from Austria. After collecting the data for her undergraduate thesis in Honduras she fell in love with tropical fieldwork and has continued to work across the tropics for the last 9 years. Larissa completed her PhD fieldwork here in the reserve looking at the impacts of anthropogenic noise on pygmy marmoset behavior. After successfully handing in and defending her PhD thesis she came back to work at the lodge as the staff biologist. She is continuing her work with the pygmy marmosets with a focus on how human presence impacts their anti-predator behavior.
Erika
Our time in the jungle was an absolute highlight on our trip to Peru! Truly amazing! …Again, we had the most wonderful time. Almost more than words can say. The jungle and the Tahuayo Lodge hold very special places in our hearts and CAN NOT WAIT to return. Thank you again for offering such an amazing trip.
Renee
Our trip was INCREDIBLE. The lodge was great, the food was amazing, and the staff were all so friendly. We loved our stays at the B&B, the main lodge, and the ARC.
Tia & Paula
It was incredible and a trip of a lifetime Paul! My sister Paula and I had an amazing time and loved everything — your facilities and staff are top notch and I want to come back with my husband and daughters!!