Region: South America
Location: Iquitos, Loreto, Peru (office in Iquitos; operations in remote jungle areas near Nauta and the Matsés territory)
Type: Survival Training Operation
Established: Not publicly stated
Accommodation inventory: Not a traditional lodge. Base of operations is an office in Iquitos. Programs begin with a night in a hotel in Iquitos, followed by expedition-style accommodation in villages, hammocks, or jungle camps.
Connectivity: Not applicable (survival programs require full disconnection)
Access: Commercial Flight to Iquitos (IQT). Airport transfer included in programs.
Best season: Year-round. Some programs (Wildlife Tracking) have clay lick access only June–November.
Languages: English, Spanish (guides and tour leaders)
Dining: Not applicable. In survival programs, participants eat what they catch or collect from the jungle. No special diets accommodated (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. are not possible on survival programs).
Chef: Not applicable
Dietary: Not applicable
Conservation: Programs operate in remote areas, including Matsés indigenous territory (with authorization from the Supreme Matsés Chief) and SERNANP-protected areas. Instructors are indigenous experts with ancestral knowledge.
Community: Indigenous instructors lead programs. Financial support given to local villages. Matsés communities visited with proper authorization.
Notable Experiences
- Survival Training: Courses from 5-day introductory programs to 20-day “Amazon Challenge.” Skills covered: shelter building, fire-making, water sourcing from lianas (“soga de agua”), animal tracking, trap building, improvised fishing, raft building, natural navigation, and emergency signals.
- Amazon Challenge (20 days): Military helicopter insertion, rappelling descent into jungle, 120 km trek through uncharted terrain, crossing rivers and aguajales (palm swamps), full isolation phase.
- Wildlife Tracking & Jungle Survival: Combine survival training with tracking giant anacondas, jaguars, and up to 13 primate species. Access to clay licks (June–November) in Matsés territory.
- Cultural Immersion: Led by indigenous experts. Overnight in native communities. Authorization to enter Matsés territory.
Important Visitor Notes
- These are not lodges. Amazon Explorer is a survival training company. Accommodation is expedition-style: hammocks, jungle camps, village houses, or brief hotel stays in Iquitos.
- Physical and mental preparation is essential. Programs are described as “risky” and open to participants with survival experience, great adaptability, and excellent physical and mental condition.
- Advance booking required. Minimum 20–60 days in advance depending on program.
- No special diets accommodated. Food and water must be taken from nature during survival phases.
- Helicopter availability is subject to Peruvian Air Force discretion and weather conditions.
Contact
amazonexplorer.com · peru@amazonexplorer.com · Contact via website form · Phone: +51 965 828 888
Coordinates: -3.75395821742629, -73.24624861154741 (Office - 176 Ricardo Palma St., 3rd Floor - Iquitos, Peru, South America)