• Learn to survive in one of the most extreme environments on the planet with nothing but your hands, a machete, and some wisdom from one of our most experienced jungle guides.
• (Recommended 8 days / 7 nights but shorter or longer trips available)
• Includes all in Amazon (all transfers, lodging, meals, private guide, excursions customized to your liking, gear such as jungle boots, wifi, entrance fees, conservation fees, port taxes, etc.).
• Optional expenses only: cola or beer drinks, souvenirs, tips, and laundry

Day 1 (trip starts after the arrival of people on LA 2240, scheduled to arrive just past noon)

• Trip starts after arrival of people on LA 2240, scheduled to arrive just past noon
• Transfer in from airport or hotel
§ If airport: Look for our booth in the baggage area of Iquitos Airport, by the
restrooms, with our logo (head of a hoatzin bird on a diamond shape).
§ If hotel: please let us know the address for where to pick you up.
• Speedboat transfer (note–is 4 hours) up the Amazon, then the Tahuayo tributary to our lodge.
• Evening excursion

Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 2-3

From Tahuayo Lodge

• Acclimation to the Amazon rainforest and getting to know your guides; your guides getting to know you. A Long hike in varzea forest; exploring flood forest and the canopy experience.
• Learning some survival skills such as the utilitarian use of palm fronds, natural sources of insect repellant, natural medicines and some sources of food and fresh water.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 4

Boat to the trailhead in terra firme forest 

• Hiking to the interior of the wilderness to establish a campsite
• Hiking into the interior of the wilderness to establish campsite, building a shelter with plants found in the forest.
• NOTE: We choose a site for camping where we will not disturb wildlife. Also the movements and noise we create while camping will keep wildlife at some distance. So, while this is a great adventure in the Amazon wilderness, it is not the best wildlife viewing option.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5-6

At established campsite 

• Training in the identification of plants and other material found in the forest to make a fire, capture food and find water.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 7

Boat to Main Lodge 

• Morning exploration, then breaking down the campsite and returning in the afternoon by boat to the main lodge.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 8

• Morning excursion
• Afternoon boat to Iquitos
• Transfer to airport or hotel

Breakfast, Lunch

 

Some things you can learn

Construction of lean-to:
How to select site, soil and drainage aspects. What woods to use to set up framework; how to use irapay palm (Lepidocaryum tenue) fronds to rainproof

Construction of fire:
Recognition of wood that will have hard, dry interior even when waterlogged by rainforest humidity; use of copal resin as fire starter

Learn sources of pure water:
Immature yarina (Phytelephas macrocarpa) fruits; puca huasca vine (Doliocarpus dentatus) and cano huasca vine (Uncaria spp.)

Sources of food:
Palm fruits; palm hearts from Euterpe and Iriartea genera; edible beetle grubs; legumes, especially from Inga genus; using barbasco (Lonchocarpus species) sap to stun fish; canabrava (Gynerium sagittatum) to build fish trap; tamshi vine (Carludovica devergens) to make animal snare

Raft construction:
Recognition of balsa wood, tied together with tamshi vine, oar from remo caspii (Styrax acuminatum)

Mosquito repellent:
Made from Nasutitermes termites

Weapons:
Fishing spear from cumaceba (Cesalpina echinata); bow from cashapona (Iriartea exorrhiza), string from chambira (Astrocaryum chambira), arrowshafts from bamboo and arrowheads from cumaceba.

 

Survival Medicines
Venomous snakebite–piripiri leaves (Cyperus articulatus)

Venomous insect–curarina bark (Potalia amara)

Fever–sanango root (Sanango durum)

Disinfectant–pichirina sap (Vismia angusta)

Field dressing–fiber inside bark of machimango (Ceiba species)

Antiparasitical–oje sap (Ficus antihelmintica)

Dysentery or gastrointestinal distress–hierba luisa leaves (Cymbopogon citratus)