Published on Sep, 2024
My fiancé and I recently did the 3 day / 2 night Tambopata tour with PV Travel. For us, it was an incredible experience all around. Our guide, Franklin, has so much knowledge about the local plants, animals, geography, people, and culture. We appreciated how thorough and thoughtful Franklin was, often having to repeat all parts of the tour in English and Spanish. For us, Franklin was the best tour guide we’ve ever had. You can tell he really loves what he does.
During our stay, we saw SO many animals including squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, caiman, tarantulas, giant river otters, macaws, parrots, scorpions, bullet ants, a sloth, capybaras, many different birds and insects, and more. Franklin was very intuitive and able to find animals during all parts of the tour.
Activities we did during the tour include a jungle canopy walk, jungle night walk, zip-lining, a trip to monkey island, a canoe trip around lake Sandoval, Nighttime caiman spotting, a trip to the clay lick, kayaking on the Rio Madre de Dios, and a few more. The property that the lodge itself is on is beautiful and secluded from the city of Puerto Maldonado.
The coordination and communication was very clear - the agency was great about coordinating rides to and from the airport, as well as the boat to the lodge.
A few things worth noting before booking:
-we were here in early September and it was HOT. Temperatures reached nearly 100F during the day and it was humid throughout the entire stay.
-there is no air conditioning or fans in the cabanas. There are fans in the main lodge that can be used during meal times.
-there is only power in the cabanas for a few hours at night to charge your phones.
-the food served at the lodge represents what people native to the area eat. We found the food to be good, but don’t expect food from home.
-there is access to clean drinking water at the lodge.
All in all, if you’re looking to experience the jungle with a few of the comforts of home, and are willing to brave the heat and sacrifice some of the “creature comforts” we’re used to, this is the tour for you. We’re very grateful to have had this experience and to have had Franklin as our guide.
