Amazon - tour operators OR lodges ?

bickerss says on Aug 20, 2008, 23:37:

Thats an outreageous price for a jungle tour - suspect it is at a very upmarket lodge. I was in Leticia 2 years ago, arriving from Iquitos. Was going to do a jungle tour there and gave up as the prices quoted were really expensive.

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adrimm says on Aug 22, 2008, 21:11:

Is it an english-language package? imho tourism in Leticia is very much set-up for Spanish speakers. I can see that a fluent English-speaking guide, who knows his stuff, would be able to charge alot, and get away with it becuase he has a corner on the market.

Regardless of the language the best way to save money, bar-none, is to arrange a group to share expenses -either through a packaged something - or on the fly.

I got a package from Aviatur that was 600,000 COP rtn from Bogota to Leticia, some nights at Amacayacu National Park (in the dorms - the private rooms seem to be a small fortune even middle-aged Colombian couples were in the dorms), and then made my own arrangements for Leticia (30,000 COP private room, no AC). The Agency tried really hard to book me into the Decameron resort, but it's not my crowd at all.

The package included a 3-hour jungle trek, a nightime canoe-ride the canopy walkway, a boat ride to see the pink dolphins, and a bracelet-making lesson with a local native lady..

Now, while Aviatur made the arrangements, I stayed at the same place as the regular lodge guests who did their activities on the fly, and my tour coordinator (sometimes guide) sub-contracted my activities to another guide in each activity. It was often the same guides who would do ad-hoc stuff with the other guest. My Aviatur coordintor would meet me at the lodge and then take me to meet the canopy-walk guide, the trekking guide etc.

It was tour of *one* - so I had my own personal guide for each stage, although I managed to get a few others from the lodge to join me on the fly. Once an American, and another time a Colombian. To be honest, it felt a bit weird - mostly no other non-locals to share the wonder of being in the Amazon with.

Altogether I think I spent about $600 for 5 nights. I could have done it cheaper but I don't feel gypped. It was a good introduction. I will do it differently when I go back. I'd like to go on a canoe trip up one of the tributaries and get away from the "package attractions".

If you can manage in spanish I can probably hook you up with the Aviatur Agent that helped me, or perhaps even my guide. I don't think I have the itemized list of what I did by email, so it might be harder to argue the same price, but maybe worth a try.

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shazam says on Nov 2, 2008, 00:00:

Anyone know any Amazon tours or agencies that do off the beaten path tours? We've done the Aviatur/standard Amacayacu, isla de micos, etc. tour, but are looking to revisit the Amazon and do something a bit different.

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