Day 1    Iquitos - Sinchicuy Lodge - Yagua Community
We will meet you at the airport or your hotel and transfer to Iquitos. To begin we will give a brief orientation of Iquitos and its history of how it became the most important Amazonian river port during the 19th century and the famous "Rubber Boom". Arriving in Iquitos you'll meet your guide then transfer to the port where your boat will be waiting to take us to downriver (45 mins) to the Sinchicuy Lodge. This natively-styled lodge is built of natural materials and is surrounded by a garden of lush foliage on higher ground and safe from heavy rains. We will have a welcome drink of cocona, camu-camu and copoazú before we check into our rooms. From our lodge we will either walk or take canoes to visit the Yagua native community whose ancestors were first discovered in 1541 by Francisco de Orellana. There, we will learn about their customs and clothing made from palm fibers then try their blowgun "pucuna". We'll return to our lodge for lunch which consists of natural products from the river and local plantations "chacras". This could be fried catfish (Brachyplatystoma flavicans) with a cocona salsa and locally grown vegetable salad, yucca, beans and banana chips. In the afternoon we'll take a walk to learn about the nearby cat's claw, sour cane, copaiba, aguaje and ayahuasca where the local shaman will explain its properties and uses. We'll visit the Santa Maria de Ojeal plantation to learn about sugarcane extraction, fruits orchards, fish farming and cattle raising. Here, we'll learn more about the local residents' typical customs, houses, schools and projects in ecotourism. At night we'll explore the mysterious world of nocturnal insects of cicadas, spiders, praying mantises and learn how to recognize the owls' songs "ayaymamas" which are interpreted by the locals as the language of fantastic beings. We'll return to our lodge for dinner and a briefing on the next day's activities by our guide. Night in lodge.

Meals LD

Day 2    Sinchicuy Lodge - Yanayacu River - Kingdom of the Giant Trees
Early in the morning from 5 - 6 am we can set out to spot birds on the river banks or plantations of the community before returning to our lodge for breakfast. We'll enjoy hot dishes and drinks as well as fresh locally grown fruits such as papaya, orange, melon, cocona. We will then board the motorboat for the "opposite end of the Amazon" or "huashalado" according to the locals. Somewhere during these 40 mins of travel we will stop the boat in an area where it's more probable to see the legendary pink and grey river dolphins which are the famed protangonists in Amazonian mythology. Since they are very shy, we need to be patient and diligent in waiting for that one photo. As we reach the Huashalado community we will begin to see riverside agriculture and cassava (manioc), banana and papaya plantations. You will notice that unlike our lodge built on higher ground, this area is lower flood area during the rainy season. We'll explore the dark waters of the Yanayacu by motorboat or canoe looking for birds such as kingfishers, hawks, herons and others until we arrive at our lodge. From here we will go on a walk to the "Reino de los Árboles Gigantes" or Kingdom of the Giant Trees with its medicinal plants such as the "sachajergón", "ojé", "pan de árbol" and the well-known "cat's claw" (Uncaria tomentosa). We can also find groups of the epiphytic bromeliads in the tree tops. Here we can also find the "lupuna" tree (Ceiba pentandra) which can grow over 50 meters high. We can then visit Laguna Yaguacocha if it is during dry season (June - September) in order to see the popular aquatic lily plant "victoria regia" and prehistoric bird "shansho" (Opisthocomus hoatzin). We will return to the lodge for lunch then have the opportunity to do some fishing using native techniques for piranhas, mojarras, lisas and others, some considered delicacies. We'll return to the Sinchicuy lodge to rest in hammocks or in the gazebo or "Clavohuasca Bar" for a refreshing frozen or aphrodisiac drink. We can also take a canoe or walk in the calm waters of the Sinchicuy river before twilight. Dinner at the lodge. Night in lodge.

Meals BLD

Day 3    Sinchicuy Lodge - Fundo Neiser Custody Center
After breakfast we'll take the motorboat to the Fundo Neiser Custody Center which is a wildlife project where we can observe and interact with the sloth, monkeys, achunis, macaws, toucans, boas and lizards. Thanks to this project we are able to get up close and personal with animals which are extremely hard to find in the dense surrounding jungle. After learning about these animals we'll return to our lodge for lunch. We will return by boat to the port of Iquitos where your transfer will be waiting to take you back to your hotel or the airport.

Meals BL