We were greeted at the Iquitos airport and driven to the Bellavista boarding wharf to take a motorized boat to the Heliconia River Lodge with a quick stopover on Monkey Island.
We saw big-mouth Arapaima fish, snakes, crocodiles, pond turtles, water lilies, and other flora and fauna. Ironically, we did not see any monkeys.
The lodge, named after the quintessential Amazonian flower, is located on the bank of the Northern Peruvian Amazon River in the Yamamoto Communal Reserve about 50 miles from Iquitos. The archetypal architecture has rustic houses built on stilts connected by thatched-roofed corridors. There was hot water, limited electricity, and a swimming pool in the inner garden. We swam and hung out with other guests everyday. Our room had three full beds, a small closet, bathroom and screened in sitting area with a rocking chair and Hammock. Pedro, the resident parrot was usually outside but came into the dining area for some extra food.
The activities included early-morning walks and animal watching, late-night stargazing, evening hikes, fishing for piranha, watching pink and grey dolphins, visiting a local community to learn about traditions, and meeting a third-generation rum maker. Our guide, Vladimir, could spot the tiniest poisonous dart frog on the ground and a sloth resting high in the trees. There was a lot to see and do, but there was also time for swimming, reading and relaxing. This was the quintessential amazonion experience.
