Amazon Adventures

5 stars simply aren’t enough for our tour guide, Titan. He was incredible from start to finish, extremely knowledgeable about the area, full of fascinating information, absolutely hilarious, and just a genuinely lovely person. When we look back on our time in the Amazon, we will think very fondly of Titan. The staff at the Amazon Eco Lodge were also absolutely amazing. The food was delicious every night, and I really appreciated the variety of vegetarian meals they made especially for me. Everyone was so attentive and consistently went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. What did let the Amazon Eco Lodge down, however, was the quality of the accommodation compared to other lodges at a similar price. The rooms had no air conditioning, were generally quite worn, and the bathrooms were poor. The biggest issue for us was the cockroaches, as we found five in our bedroom, which suggests there may be a real infestation. The staff were great at responding to the problem, helping us tape up holes and spraying bug killer, which we genuinely appreciated. Overall, we do feel the Amazon Eco Lodge needs some updating to remain competitive, as it is quite tired and outdated. There are now better options available that offer air conditioning and Wi-Fi for a lower price. That said, the quality of the tours with Titan, the wonderful meals, and the kindness and helpfulness of the staff made our stay enjoyable despite the disappointment with the accommodation.

We (myself and my family) have a long association with Jim and Amazon Adventures. We are interested in wild life based trips. Jim has arranged for us trips to Amazonia and Pantanal (Brazil), Patagonia (Argentina) Borneo, Papua New Guinea and finally Antarctica peninsula. For next year 2020 we have reserved a trip to the Arctic region with him. Jim is very patient and considerate and always manages to provide the best possible option once he learns about our budget, duration and interest. We make innumerable email correspondences before zeroing on the final itinerary. Another very important plus point of arranging with Jim is that he manages to give a long credit period that is even if the payment deadline is passed, through Jim the reservation remains intact for a later period. All things considered we have excellent understanding with Jim and Amazon Adv.s and we totally rely on them to arrange our trips abroad.

WE booked a 12-day self-drive road trip through Patagonia in October 2018 (both Chile & Argentina), and were extremely happy with how it went, and felt it was good value for money. All our accomodation was part of the booking - and this was one of the highlights of the trip, as every single place booked was expecting us, and were very hospitable; the standard was a little variable as we were often well off the beaten track, but all were comfortable, with very nice hosts, especially Horacio, at Casa Patagonica in Lago Posadas, Argentina, who was a wonderful and entertaining gentleman. Also Chico, who repaired our punctured tire (the only one in 12 days - not bad considering some terrible road surfaces) early on a Sunday morning in the tiny town of Puerto Guadal. The trip organisation was well thought out, with 2 nights in each of the key tourist places so we could explore (a little bit more guidance here might be useful), but we definitely got to all the main places, and the locals were always keen to advise us! We come from New Zealand, where no Spanish is spoken, and were a bit nervous as we arrived at Balmaceda Airport in the middle of nowhere to pick up our car (a near new Rav4), but the agents were there, with our car and all the documentation we needed for two border crossings and all accomodation - every single thing worked as expected, which meant we had a relaxed holiday (except perhaps for the enormous potholes on the Argentinian 'sealed' roads - we preferred the Chilean unsealed roads!).

I recently returned from a 5-week custom-tailored Amazon trip, Peru and Brazil. It involved and included lodges in Peru, visits to native villages, lodges in Brazil, a deluxe riverboat cruise, rowboats, canoes, kayaking, hiking, domestic airline flights, meals, guides, transfers. Jorge, the new owner (Jim has retired), did a magnificent job. In at least 2 instances where lodgings got messed up because of the lodging's bureaucracy or inefficiency (the nature of traveling), Jorge was right there by phone or text, speaking to owners and managers to correct the situation. In one instance he got me a free transfer for something I should have paid for (it was not included in the tour), and in another case he got me an upgrade in my lodging. It was a very involved and long itinerary, and I felt very looked after. Jorge was readily available. His planning was excellent. I must admit that I originally contacted Amazon Adventures because of all the amazing reviews about Jim's (the former owner) help and guidance. When I found out Jim had retired, I was skeptical. But my doubts about Jorge were unfounded. He was there. Planning, helping, available. I cannot recommend Jorge and Amazon Adventures highly enough. PS . I do not always leave excellent reviews. Elsewhere on google, I left one that was pretty scathing (it was not about travel). In this case I am leaving AN EXCELLENT REVIEW Thank you, Jorge.

Amazon Adventures provided the trip of a lifetime to the Pantanal, and so much more than we expected! The wildlife and scenery is there but it takes an experienced guide and perhaps a little luck to put you in the right place at the right time. Our guide and friend Munir accomplished more than that during our 5-day trip. It was clear from Day 1 that the Pantanal is in his blood. Munir is the most knowledgeable and delightful guide we’ve ever had. His passion for the wildlife (the reason we traveled here) was infectious. He meticulously planned and worked tirelessly to share with us the most awe-inspiring sights and sounds, and found just as much joy in every moment as we did. We cannot recommend Munir and Amazon Adventures enough – the personalized care, from the reservation process with Jorge to our last drop off, was beyond compare.