Zungarococha Amazon Lodge Review

Me and my husband Maksym visited Curassow Amazon Lodge for our honeymoon on 4night/5day trip. We swam with the dolphins, visited Ayacucho village and interacted with kids, spotted rare Curassow birds, and went night canoeing to see noctornal species. There are a few points that made this lodge the best place to stay in Amazon river
1) We contacted Barbara Land (anthropologist at University of Nevada, Reno) and she confirmed to us that this lodge is locally operated, gives back to the local villages, and is environment conscious.
2) The interaction that this lodge initiates with local villagers is not 'Gringo is bringing money' type of interaction, but a chill meet-a-new-friend type of interaction. When we visited the San Juan village, we met and talked to kids (and we also brought some Tylenols and aspirin from america so we gave this to the mayor too), and we sat down and watched the soccer game while sharing beer with people.
3) Although this lodge is not particularly luxurious (I mean, this is an eco lodge in Amazon - no internet, no signal), the small details they provide made us feel like this is a top tier luxury stay. The details we loved are: daily room service, fruits/coffee/snacks 24/7 available in lounge, small swans they roll up our towels into, Jorge serving us lunch/dinner and letting us know by knocking on the door whenever meal is ready, and after a hot day of excursion they will bring out cold towels and cold freshly squeezed juices for us as soon as we get off the boat.
4) All the staffs were really friendly and genuinely wanted us to feel comfortable - after they noticed that me and my husband can't deal with heat well, they provided us hand fans to use, and they are 100% flexible in choosing what activities to do and the time schedule too.

Tips for future travelers:
- bring insect repellent and spray your clothes in advance!
- maybe bring cash if you want to buy local handicrafts from village or tip the staff
- bring sunscreen
- bring fast-drying clothes if coming in wet season
- sunglasses & binoculars help A LOT; also, sharing binocular doesn't work too well since animals move fast
- bring a swimsuit!

Wonderful experience in the Peruvian Jungle. It is a spectacular, magical place, full of mystery and adventure, all in its natural habitat without disturbing the animals.
The best to relax and forget about the outside world. Highly recommended !!!

Ecolodge 3 hours from Iquitos, in the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve. You see animals.

5 fantastic days on Curassow Amazon Lodge - Peru. Excellent ecolodge, friendliest staff and pristine surrounding nature

Just finished 3 days in the Peruvian Amazon. Everything was incredible. We saw tons of wildlife, the guides were well informed and very congenial, the food was delicious. Don't hesitate, visit the Amazon with a group that cares about our world and preserving one of our great natural wonders

Excellent hostel. You see a lot of wildlife around. It is more than 3 hours of trip in fast boat (deslizador) from Iquitos, in the Reservation Tamshiyacu Tahuayo. Highly recommended for those who want a real jungle experience without losing comfort.

Cute lodge in the middle of the jungle, 3 hours from Iquitos in a sliding boat (fast). Its location in a protected area allowed us to observe many of the animals of the Amazon. With solar electricity and rooms with their own bathroom, shower and water. Excellent. Average cost of S / 400 Soles ($ 130 Dollars) per day per person, include lodging, food, jungle guide, taxes and everything you need.

Our family of 3 (adults) stayed at Curassow Amazon Lodge for 4 days / 3 nights and it was an amazing experience! I hope one day that we can come back.

The lodge is a 3 hour speedboat ride down the Amazon River from Iquitos, far enough out to see animals in the wild. It's a bit rustic, like cabin camping with housekeeping, but very comfortable and the staff treat you like family. The chef makes fabulous food and fresh squeezed juices. You won't go hungry.

We had our own guide who took us on expeditions 3 to 4 times a day, with rest & food breaks between - just the right amount of adventure & relaxation. And we saw many different birds & animals!

Best of all, they're a responsible lodge, with a small ecological footprint and working with local communities to ensure that the wildlife stays wild & safe.

My partner and I did 3 nights/ 4 days at the Currasow Lodge. The whole experience was brilliant from start to finish and great value for money. We got to see lots of wildlife (we saw sloths, pink dolphins, caymen, 5 different type of monkeys and lots of birds), ate great local food (the juices were particularly amazing), enjoyed piranha fishing (which the chef cooked up for us at night) and had a game of soccer with the lodge staff.

The experience
We were picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel in Iquitos (we arrived late at night). The next morning we took a 3 hour boat ride up the Amazon to the lodge with a stop off in a small village. That afternoon we watched the sunset over the Amazon while watching the dolphins feed.

We found the itinerary to be timed very well. We were never away from the lodge for more than 3-4 hours and in between activities there was time for a nap or reading a book etc. However, the staff said we could change the itinerary for instance, have more chill out time if we wanted, but we found the activities were very well timed.

The staff
Our guide, Marcos, spoke fluent English and had an amazing eye. He was funny and we loved hearing his stories and talking to him about Peru. If you are a bird watcher, ask for Marcos to be your guide. He knows them all!

Our boat driver was Jason who came with us on all the trips. He s a young local and we went to his village to meet some of the kids which was cool. He also took us to the local spots to catch piranhas.

Ricardo, the chef, served up tasty fresh food. And thanks to Whitman who was always so kind to us and was always there when we needed a hand with something.

Overall the lodge is well located out in Amazonia, and we had a great experience.

Highly recommend!

Being at Curassow Amazon Lodge was like an adventure, three hours by boat from the civilization. We spent three days in a green place full of life, animal noises all around us, like a symphony, specially at night. And it was well worth it!
The accomodations were very good. Minimalist, yes, but confortable: ten bungalows and two common areas, connected by wooden walkways; no hot water, TV, phone or internet, and with limited electricity (take extra batteries to your cameras, and outlet adapters). And we had some little animals as night visitors, like small frogs. But all these were apropriate to the surrounding Nature and only made this place even more special. The food, with local products (dishes, fruit, juices) was cooked at the lodge, and it was very tasty. And they had drinking water at our disposal too. You just need to take one bottle with you and don t need to use disposable plastics.
As for the activites, they were all interesting: boat trips, wild life observation (and we saw a lot of animals, like monkeys, sloths, birds, and a baby cayman, ), hiking in the jungle, fishing and bathing in the river. Every nightfall, we were visited by rain and thunder, but that noise, instead of being scary, it was comforting.
It a was an amazing experience, thanks not only to the beauty of the Tamshiyacu Reserve, but also the people that make it all possible. We had a great staff and a great guide, Miguel Tello, who was like a shaman with super powers to find the animals. Always patient, he showed us a lot of species, and native plants, and we learned a lot about them. He spent those days working to provide us the best moments. The staff consisted in a little but very effective group of permanent workers: Leon (our Resident Manager), Ricardo (our Chef) and Hipolito (our Waiter). All very polite and nice, they made their best to make this a good and safe experience.A good word also to Edwin and Martin. Patiently, they guided us after the booking process, asking us, for eg., for food restrictions, and giving us advice. Later, we met with Martin in person at the Iquitos office the day we arrived, and again at the end, to check if everything went right with our trip.
All these men at Curassow Amazon Lodge have very importante jobs. They invite us to learn more about that amazing place where mankind still lives in connection with the wild without spending all its resources. They also play an import role helping the local communities into achieve sustainable development, and for all that, we felt really privileged to be there. Those were really amazing days, so we thank this team who made us feel like princesses. I have to say: the instant we left the lodge in that boat, I had a nostalgic feeling, almost like we were leaving home.

Amazing experience. Friendly staff. Great wildlife viewing. Great food. Fun, all around

The hostel is located in a place away from the city of Iquitos.
We visited the lodge on a tour of 4 days and 3 nights with the family: 4 adults and 3 children. They have private rooms with private bathroom, water, shower, toilet and everything like in the city. Of course, the lodge does not have electricity. The location in a reserve called Tamshiyacu Tahuayo allowed us to observe animals that we had only seen in books and on television, such as sloths, monkeys, the rare bird hoatzin or shansho, among others in their own habitat.
The prices are cheap for what they offer since they include the meals, the guide, the tours and activities in the jungle.
We recommend Curassow Amazon Lodge for anyone who wants to experience the real jungle. Their programs are of minimum 3 days and 2 nights, but it is totally worth it.

The most pleasant place to be in contact with nature and relax. The walks are very instructive and enjoyable.

This is the best lodge (jungle hotel) in Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Food, guides, activities and rooms are made all for delight travelers and let them learn about the nature.

Best adventure of my life so far!!!
I heard about Curassow through a friend who does lots of jungle excursions. He said that is was the best one he has been to and still really reasonably priced. Jazmin was great at communicating with us and I really appreciated how much she helped us before, during, and after our stay. They took very good care of us, with our transportation all the way from the airport and back. Their jungle guide, Remi, was amazing to be around. He knew about every plant and animal and just loved sharing his knowledge about the Amazon. We saw every animal and plant that we went to find with him and had the greatest time in the process. I lived in Peru for 2 years as a missionary and can honestly say that the typical foods that we ate in the lodge were some of the best meals I have ever had in Peru. The lodge is a comfortable place to stay and they do a great job at maintaining it. I felt like they treated us like family. I highly recommend this place to anyone.

This is a shelter located in a protected area where animals can be seen in natural habitat. We saw monkeys, sloths, various birds, alligators and insects. The staff is very friendly and the guide knows everything about the jungle. Highly recommended for Peruvians and foreigners. The price is worth: S / 300 Soles per day (approx USD 95 Dollars), all included.

A SERIOUS AND RESPONSIBLE COMPANY FROM BEGINNING TO FINISH.
FROM THE FIRST MINUTE THE HOTEL CONTACTED US UNTIL THEY WERE NOT TO LEAVE YOU BACK AFTER 6 DAYS OF OUR ADVENTURE IN THE JUNGLE, THEY PROVIDED TO THE MAXIMUM, SO THAT OUR EXPERIENCE WAS AS PLEASANT AS POSSIBLE, FROM EVERY POINT OF VIEW.
EXCELLENT JAZMIN IN CHARGE OF THE INITIAL CONTACT VIA POST.
EXCELLENT GUIDE WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE JUNGLE. THE SAFETY OF THE VISITOR IS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY AND DELIVERY ITS MANY KNOWLEDGE.
EXCELLENT ALL THE STAFF AT THE LODGE TO MAKE YOU ALWAYS FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING US LIVE THIS EXPECTACULAR EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE

They are the best ecolodge in Iquitos, Amazon Rainforest, Peru. Affordable rates for a wildlife hotspot in the jungle, 3 hours away by speedboat from the city along the Amazon River. We got a special rate thanks Emperador Terraza Hotel.

Excellent lodge You can see monkeys, dolphins, sloths and even anacondas with some luck. All in their natural habitat in the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve.