HELICONIA LODGE IQUITOS

Itinerary:

Day 01: LIMA / IQUITOS / HELICONIA AMAZON RIVER LODGE
You will be received and welcomed in the luggage area of the Iquitos International Airport, where representatives of the lodge will assist you and transfer you to our office in Iquitos. You will be offered a short induction about the route, our services, what you should and should not do in the jungle, as well as some important tips. After a short wait, you will be transferred to the Port of Iquitos where you will be embarked on one of our fast boats that will transfer you to the Heliconia Amazon River Lodge through the Amazon River. During the tour you will be able to observe the convergence of the murky brown waters of the Amazon River with the dark waters of the Nanay River. Enjoy the wonderful landscapes of the Peruvian jungle accompanied by the small rural houses located on the banks of the rivers. After a few minutes of travel, we will make a short stop at Monkey Island, where endangered species of monkeys of the Peruvian Amazon are protected and conserved (in times of emptying of the rivers, the Pedrito Farm will be visited) The objective of this family-owned company is to show its visitors the work that is carried out every day in the process of reintegrating primates to their natural habitat, as well as the development of their survival instinct in nature. Appreciate the different species of monkeys that are completely free within this reserve; without cages, where their stay will depend on the development of their ability to re-adapt to nature. After appreciating the enormous effort of this group of people, we will continue our tour for approximately 60 minutes by boat. Upon arrival at the lodge, our staff will welcome you and receive a refreshing fruit juice from the region. Then, you will proceed with the check-in and location in your respective room, so that you can refresh yourself and immediately after go through the restaurant of the lodge and thus enjoy your first Amazonian meal. In the afternoon, start your first excursion accompanied by our experienced guides walking through the Yanamono reserve, for an approximate time of 2 hours. There they will teach you to identify various species of flora such as; heliconia flowers, medicinal plants and giant trees. During the journey you will be able to observe various species of birds such as the TurkeyVulture (Cathartes Aura), Black FrontedNunbird (Monasa-Atia), and with good luck you may be able to observe a family of small monkeys such as the marmosets (saguinusfusicollis), the Titi (CallicebusMollockMollock) and the squirrelmonkey (SaimiriBoliviense). We will depart back to the lodge to enjoy a few hours of rest and relaxation, and also be captivated by your first sunset in the Amazon. At nightfall, especially in the rising season of the rivers, we will enjoy a magical tour in an open boat through one of the affluent of the Amazon River, without any lighting, accompanied only by some glimpses of the flora and fauna. from the jungle. If we find a clear sky, we can appreciate the splendid brightness of the moon, as well as the stars and constellations. With a bit of luck you will be able to ask for what you most want in the face of the appearance of some shooting stars, which are common in this area and tend to dazzle us with their brilliant journey. Back to the lodge for dinner and also rest and recharge for the next morning to start activities from dawn.

Day 02: HELICONIA AMAZON RIVER LODGE
We start the day with the bird watching excursion, appreciating how the various birds gather in search of their morning food, it will start very early by moving by boat to one of the streams where you can appreciate the greatest variety of birds. You will be able to observe various species such as the Tuki (Jacana Jacana), RingedKingfisher (Ceryle-Torquata), Black CollaredHawk (Busarellusnigricollis), among others. After returning to the lodge for an energizing breakfast and a short rest, we prepare to visit the Yaguas community where we can appreciate their customs and traditions of their culture, we will have the opportunity to participate in the use of the “pucuna”, the main hunting instrument. Return to the lodge and lunch. In the afternoon we prepare to be part of the Artisan Fishing expedition, for which we will move to one of the affluents of the Amazon River, where we will learn about artisanal fishing techniques, as well as piranha fishing. If the expedition was successful, you can bring the fish to the lodge for preparation during lunch. Also, during this excursion we will also have the opportunity to appreciate the friendly pink river dolphins (IniaGeoffrensis). We return to the lodge to enjoy dinner. At night, dare to walk through nature within the perimeters of the lodge and witness the enchanting transformation of the jungle to a nocturnal environment. As you adapt to the dark environment of the jungle, you will appreciate how nature takes on a different character and observe the different habits of the nocturnal animals of the jungle. It is the best time to appreciate frogs, shy snakes and other creatures that only move around at night. We will be able to differentiate a completely different range of fauna from what is usually found during the day, listening to the magical sounds of insects, birds, felines and owls. After 30 minutes of travel, we will proceed to return to the lodge to enjoy dinner and rest pleasantly.

Day 03: HELICONIA AMAZON RIVER LODGE / IQUITOS / LIMA
Enjoy an excellent breakfast before starting the observation tour of the majestic Victoria Amazonicas, the queen of the water lilies. Currently known as Victoria Regias, this shallow water native flower of the Amazon River basin grows mostly in lakes and swamps. We will probably be able to appreciate some white flowers on their first day of blooming, to turn pink on their second day. This imposing lake and swamp plant can grow up to 40 cm in diameter and is pollinated by beetles. The Victoria Regia is well known for its immense circular leaf, which is generally shown with a child sitting in the center of its leaf in order to appreciate its magnitude and strength. Return to the Lodge to enjoy a delicious lunch and then proceed with the Check-out, and leave for Iquitos. Depending on the schedules of your flight back to Lima, the transfer to the airport will be made.