Adventures in the Amazon: Ecotourism in the Rainforest

by Kraig Becker on

One of the biggest buzzwords in travel in recent years has been “ecotourism”. The term is generally used to describe a type of travel that is designed to minimize the impact on the environments we are visiting and is often used in reference to fragile or seldom visited destinations. It was my experience during my journey through the Amazon that ecotourism wasn’t a buzzword at all, but actually an approach to sharing the environment that has been in practice there for years.

When I arrived in Iquitos at the start of my journey, I was told that tourism was a large part of the economy there, although as I walked the streets and visited the markets in that city, I rarely saw anyone that even remotely resembled a tourist. Leaving the city aboard La Turmalina meant leaving nearly all semblances of tourism behind, something I was a bit surprised to discover.

When I elected to take a river cruise on the Amazon, I suspected it would be much like the cruise I took on the Nile a few years back. On that river, there are literally dozens of ships at every turn, and when you pulled into port, they would line up three abreast. You had to cross through other boats just to go ashore. But in over a week on the Amazon, I saw only one other boat that was carrying tourists, and the river was decidedly uncrowded.

We did see several ecolodges as we moved about. Some were located right on the main channel, within easy reach of the Amazon River itself, while others were tucked away, deeper in the jungle. No matter the location though, they all shared a common theme, respect for the jungle and a sustainable approach to protecting it.

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Built in the same style as the huts we saw lining the river, the lodges felt like they fit into the jungle both on an ecological and cultural level. Most of the bungalows were built on stilts and constructed in such a manner as to not endanger the plant life in the region. For instance, trees were not cleared to build these jungle retreats. Instead, they were built around the trees themselves, sometimes literally, with the trunks growing through the floor and continuing up, and out, the roof. It was clear at a glance that these resorts had been built with integration into the jungle environment in mind from the beginning.

Several lodges in the area offer canopy tours as part of their eco-friendly approach. These tours give travelers an opportunity to see the jungle from a whole new perspective, while at the same time protecting the environment. On a canopy tour, visitors to the lodge walk on rope bridges suspended high above the jungle floor and strung between two tall trees, sometimes hundreds of feet apart. The bridges can be forty or more feet in the air, keeping you well above the jungle floor, almost eliminating all impact on the environment.

I had the opportunity to walk one of these canopy tours on the morning after I had camped in the jungle. The bridges I crossed were not unlike something you would see in a B-action movie, swinging back and fourth precariously. Being agile on your feet helped to make things a bit easier, but not all of my traveling companions were comfortable with our little stroll amongst the leaves. Suspended 60 feet above the jungle floor, the bridges did indeed give us a new perspective however, while leaving zero impact on the environment around us. This was the very definition of ecotourism. In all, we crossed eight bridges, each connecting to a wooden platform built around one of the gigantic trees that grew out of the jungle. The last bridge gently angled back down to the surface, returning us to the muddy trail.

The eco-lodges of the Amazon do offer an alternate way to visit the jungle, with a completely different experience from the one that I had. While I spent the better part of a week and half aboard a river boat, cruising up and down the river and exploring its backwaters, a visit to an eco-lodge allows you to relax a bit more, while staying in one place, and still get an authentic rainforest experience. The best part is that at the end of the day you return to a comfortable bed and plenty of amenities.

From my personal experience there was a clear commitment at every turn to protect the environment and ensure that the Amazon stays healthy and strong for future generations to visit and marvel at as well. My traveling companions and I contributed to that effort be each of us planting small trees and giving a little something back to the rainforest, and although it felt like a small gesture at the time, it is also rewarding to think that that little sapling could one day be an integral part of the greatest biosphere on the planet.

Next: The Future of Tourism in the Amazon

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: Dolphins at the Confluence

by Kraig Becker on

The Amazon is a river of epic proportions. It stretches 4345 miles in length, making it the second longest in the world behind the Nile, but it is by far the largest in terms of volume, pushing more water than the next ten rivers combined. During the high water season, the Amazon can reach 25 miles in width at certain points, and more than 100 feet in depth as well. The Amazon is formed by the confluence of the Ucayalli and Marañon Rivers, which come together in the heart of the Peruvian rainforest. I traveled to that point, to see the headwaters of the Amazon for myself, and in the process, I had one of the most amazing experiences of the entire trip.

Early one morning, just before dawn, we set out from La Turmalina in one of the skiffs once agian. Our destination was the conflunce and before long we were cutting the engines and drifting in the exact spot where the Ucayalli and Manañon met. All around us the Amazon was being formed, as the two smaller tributaries came together to form the mightiest river on the planet.

The stillness of the morning was broken by a large splash not far from the boat. Another soon followed, and before long we were all watching the surface of the river intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was causing the splashes. We were rewarded by some spectacular views of the freshwater river dolphins that are known to swim the entire length of the Amazon.

There are two species of dolphins that inhabit the river, a smaller gray variety, not unlike the traditional saltwater dolphins that we all know, and a larger pink dolphin which is unique to the Amazon. Both were on display that morning although the pink variety were a bit more shy, perferring to mostly stay beneath the surface. As is typical with the species, we generally only caught a glimpse of their torso as they would briefly break the surface.

In contrast, the grey, bottlenosed species was down right social. They regularly leapt from the water all around our boat, giving us ample opportunties to watch these beautiful and intelligent creatures. For twenty minutes we sat there, while the dolphins played, and while we had other places to go that morning, none of us was in a hurry to move along.

I can honestly say that watching those dolphins that morning is amongst my favorite travel memories of all time. It was a beautiful setting, with the sun coming up over the rainforest, and the most iconic river in the world flowing around me. It was a real highlight of the trip, and an experience that I can attempt to share with you in the video below. This is footage that I shot, and later edited together, to give everyone an idea of what it was like there that morning. Enjoy.

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Next: Jungle Trekking

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

Adventures in the Amazon: A Birdwatcher’s Paradise!

by Kraig Becker on

Cruising the Amazon aboard a beautiful, 19th century styled, river boat is a fantastic experience. The passengers aboard La Turmalina, the ship that was my home while I explored the river, spent a lot of time up on deck, watching the world around us drift by. But there was a lot more to our journey than just sitting on deck drinking Pisco Sours and admiring the scenery.

La Turmalina was outfitted with two twenty-foot skiffs, each powered with twin outboard motors. These powerful little flat bottomed boats became our shuttles to the backwaters of the Amazon, and we would make two or three daily excursions out into those remote regions to look for wildlife, visit local villages, and take in the beautiful scenery. The skiffs were maneuverable, making it easy to negotiate the sometimes narrow channels, that were often choked with vegetation, and yet they were still large enough to carry a dozen passengers, along with their gear, quite comfortably.

Riding in the skiffs allowed us to glide through the water and get very close to the wildlife that is so abundant in the Amazon. At various times we drifted silently under trees while over head monkeys played and sloths dozed. But the creatures that were in greatest numbers were clearly the birds, which came in hundreds of species and numbered in the tens of thousands.

%Gallery-63881%I’m personally not much of a “birder”, as bird watching enthusiasts are sometimes called, but even I couldn’t help but be impressed with the bird life that was on display in the Amazon. There were flocks of bright green parakeets zipping across the sky and white egrets spread their broad wings and took flight when ever we ventured too close. Under the dense canopy of the jungle, humming birds flitted about, no bigger than insects, while colorful toucans gave off their distinctive croaks.

All told, there are more than 600 species of birds in the Peruvian Amazon, ranging from the mundane like ducks and swallows to the more colorful and exotic like macaws and cuckoos. There are birds of prey, such as hawks and ospreys, as well as scavengers, like the vulture, which seems to make its home in all corners of the globe.

The Amazon is indeed a paradise for bird watchers, and some of my fellow passengers were very passionate about the pursuit. They would get very excited when we would spot yellow-tufted woodpeckers or masked crimson tanagers, and they were quick to grab their binoculars at the slightest movement at the top of the trees. One of the couples that I traveled with had circled the globe, spotting unique and interesting birds where ever they went. Near the end of our time in the Amazon, they proudly proclaimed that they had spotted 61 new bird species since coming to the rainforest. We added several more to the list that morning, raising their total even further.

For experienced birders, there are few places on Earth that can rival the Amazon for the pure number of birds that can be seen. Fully one third of the world’s avian species can be found in the jungles that surround the river, and there seems to always be a new one to see. It is safe to say that the bird watchers who traveled with me were quite content with what they saw, and were glad the made the journey just for the birds alone.

Next: Piranha Fishing!

Read more Adventures in the Amazon posts HERE.

European river cruises: AAA travel show tidbit

by Jamie Rhein on

The one presentation I was able to attend at my cyberspace AAA travel trade show, “Europe is Closer Than You Think” was the one by Uniworld Grand River Cruises. As I watched a slide show from the comfort of my home-based office, the presenters talked about what the cruise ship company offers and then answered participants’ questions.

For people who would like to tour Europe, but are afraid of the costs, a river cruise has some advantages. Since you sleep on the ship and meals are covered, that takes care of worrying that you could end up spending much more money than you had planned. Wine comes with dinner and is included in the price. The ship also is your transportation. That cuts down on the wondering about how much getting from place to place will cost you. Since at each stop, local entertainment comes on board, you won’t have to spring for entertainment tickets either.

One of the things the presenter mentioned is that such a trip also cuts down on the hassle of needing to pack and unpack at each destination. There are 5 to 8 hours at each port, but you could stay longer at the city where the cruise starts or ends. Just arrange for your flight to arrive a few days early or leave a few days late.

Another feature I like about Uniworld Grand River Cruises is that there are experts who give tours of the places on the shore excursions and the admission to the places on the tour are included in the cruise price. You won’t be dinged over and over again when you want to maximize your experience. On board the ship, there are programs as well, or you can chill out.

Another plus about these cruises is that the ships are not big so you’re not traveling with huge crowds of people, and because the ships are small they can travel where large ships can’t. Cities are not the only stops–so are small towns and villages.

There are several itinerary options. Here is a link that leads to the page of European river trips. The company also offers trips in Egypt, China , and Russia. There’s a trip that cruises the Black Sea and takes in Ukraine and Turkey.

The AAA virtual travel show

by Jamie Rhein on

Technology can certainly be an awesome thing. Yesterday I attended my first virtual travel show through AAA. The show, “Europe is Closer Than You Think” was designed for people to find out about various trips and deals about traveling in Europe. It was set up similarly to a trade show one would attend in person–physically. After registering, with a click of a mouse, an attendee had a variety of choices. One could attend presentations in the auditorium, chat with travel agents and vendors in the exhibit hall, chat with other customers and travel agents in the lounge and find out about other AAA products.

This was a real time occurrence with scheduled events that began and ended at a specified time, although people can still head back to the conference until 11:00 p.m. tonight to catch parts they missed. The presentations were actual talks accompanied by a slide show and time for questions and answers. If you want to check it out, click here for the web site. I think you can register still.

In the hour I attended I:

  • attended a talk about Uniworld Grand River Cruises, a company that conducts cruises on Europe’s rivers,
  • chatted in the lounge with travel agents and travelers who were offering up advice
  • emailed a travel agent about traveling to Europe with children since lately some Gadling readers have posed questions about that. The travel agent emailed me back and is getting back to me today.

This was a fun way to get information, particularly the chat room. I found out one person is going to Ireland on a honeymoon, one guy is going to Denver in April, someone else wanted to know what was the best scenario for enjoying Europe with kids and there was some smatterings of advice about rail tickets. I took notes and will be fashioning posts to cover the details I “heard.” I also dished out some advice myself.

I registered for this event through an email I received a few weeks ago and received a reminder yesterday. For registering, I was enrolled in a chance to win a door prize. For attending, I received more points. I didn’t have a good strategy though since this was my first time to wander around a cyberspace trade show. You accumulate points by attending the various presentations, requesting a private chat and for clicking on the various vendors. At the end I only had 110 points. To be entered in the grand prize contests, I needed 300. Next time, I’ll have this down. There was a trade show in January, so I expect I’ll be getting another email in a couple months about another one.