Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Our stay at Refugio Amazonas was wonderful! We had a 4 day—3 night package arranged by Cusi Travel, and it was the perfect amount of time. We were assigned Listen, as our guide, and we had a great time on all activities with him! The rooms were comfortable and meals were healthy (but they always had a dessert)! The lodge is perched at the top of the bank, so the many steps up could prove challenging for some. We were picked up at the airport, transported by comfortable van (with box lunch provided) then by boat to the lodge, about 2 hours. We’d highly recommend Refugio Amazonas to anyone wanting to experience the rainforest!

We loved our stay at Refugio Amazonas. We lucked upon a quiet week so there were only about 10 guests total. Meals were simple, but healthy and tasty. Really good considering how far from anywhere the lodge is. We participated in all the activities we could and enjoyed them. The only potential sticking point (that we didn't not experience) is that when you arrive you are put in a group and that is your group for the stay. As a group you need to determine the activities you will do. This could be a real challenge if you have domineering group members, or members with different interests. We didn't luckily. When we returned from excursions there were cold drinks and a snack waiting. The evening talks were all interesting. The room was great, sat watching some monkeys in the trees for an hour one afternoon! We had not issues with mozzies, though we did spray and repel all day every day just in case. The shower was perfect-no idea if it even has hot water as it was cold showers only due to the heat!

We have traveled to several jungle lodges and this one was just ok for us in terms of experience and animals. We chose Refugio Amazonas because we have a science loving 10year old and it seemed to have many options related to citizen science that she was excited about. Unfortunately, they paired us with a family of 6 that had 4 teenagers. You have to stay with your group and assigned guide and you don’t really get to choose activities. So our family got outvoted by the big family on activities. Our guide also took forever at stops to explain things, and was totally insensitive to the shorter attention span of a 10 year old. He was nice enough to take photos for people, but with the family of 6 that meant that he spent at least 20 minutes at every stop taking photos for them, totally losing us. If I had it to do over again I would have asked to be reassigned or just pay for a guide of our own, but management was also not very available and never checked in. Our child did have a wonderful time with the charming naturalist who staffed the moth project and science talk (unfortunately we only got to attend one talk because our guide took us on a trip to the lake that should have taken 2 hours and took 4+). overall (and for the price) this was not a top tier experience for us. If you take elementary to middle school aged kids, have them commit to a plan for the guide in advance that will meet your needs and children’s interests.

The Refugio is a beautifully established place to stay and experience the rain forests of the Madre De Dios region in Peru’s Amazonian rainforest. The rooms are open and airy and comfortable and the food was excellent, as was the well-stocked bar. We really felt we had spent time in the rain forest and not just as visitors but as residents. We were well-cared for from arrival to departure and very happy with our guides, Dennis and Alan. The activities - hikes, crafts, lecture, boat trips - are well thought out and fully occupied our days. Be aware that in May-August the “friaje” can make this a cooler place and so equip yourself accordingly - raincoats and fleeces - but they have boots to borrow for days when the ground is wet or muddy.

Stayed there there days on a Peru trip. Great, friendly place. At arrival we got our own guide who where superknowledge, friendly and really put effort into making the excursions tailored for our family. The food where Great, wifi even on the river boats and perfectly clean rooms.