Just back to Iquitos after an incredible jungle tour with Maniti Eco Lodge. We decided on the 2 day tour as it was our first visit to Peru and the Rain Forest and we were worried about it being too overwhelming (plus we are in our mid fifties!) We needn't have worried from when Rene (our guide) picked us up from our hotel and said goodbye to us at the end of the tour, we were in safe hands. The walks were fascinating and not taxing at all. Rene took us on 2 daytime Jungle walk and 1 nighttime walk. His knowledge was absolutely incredible and so was his English. My husband was particularly fascinated with how the jungle can provide medicines for all sorts of ailments. He even ate live termites which are the best thing for Mosquito protection. (I didn't yuk!!) He also took us to see the Yahua tribe where we had a go at using a blow pipe, Monkey Island where I got to cuddle orphaned Monkeys and Piranha fishing. You can't go wrong with this team (especially if you are lucky enough to get Rene) Thanks Guys

To start out the tour I did was not even executed by Maniti itself. They outsourced to a completely different company without telling me anything about this circumstance. Other people in my group only paid 200 soles (~50 USD) per day, so basically half or a third of the price that Maniti sells you the tour of a different company for. I booked 2 nights of camping in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. In the end we spent the first night in a lodge. On the second evening we got driven with a boat to some spot right beside the Amazon river. Before sunset we had to quickly put up the tents and that was it. That's the camping experience - no expedition, no activity, at least you get to make a fire, so the other members of my group and me had a good time on the evening. But the guides did not sit with us. Partly this was because they kept drinking on their own, but additionally in our group of 6 there were 3 girls that all said they felt very uncomfortable with the guide Jair. To one girl he "only" kept making jokes about how she should cook and clean for us all. He kept harrassing another girl, offering her butt massages and trying to get close to her until she had to push him away from herself. The guide never explained which activities we were going to do that day. He only told us a time we should be ready and showed up late almost every time himself. If somebody else would ask him about the activities he would get angry. To be fair he is very knowledgeable about the different species in the Amazon - but on a personal level nobody in our group got along with him well. To be honest the activities themselves were great. I still had fun most of the time personally. But booking with another company will give you the same activities for a price that's much more fair and with guides that are much more responsible and trustworthy. If you're reading this I absolutely encourage you to do an Amazon Tour, especially in Pacaya Samiria! It's an awesome experience. But do not book it with Maniti and you'll be able to make the more out of your time and money

5/5 I had a phenomenal time. My guide Linder and the staff at Maniti were knowledgeable and hospitable! Almost everyday there was something that made me go WOW whether it was seeing river dolphins and swimming in the Amazon, playing with tarantulas, or getting close and personal with an anaconda. A few things tourists should know before attending: 1. It’s a lodge not a resort. There’s no AC, no fans, electricity for only 3 hours per day, and no hot water showers. There will be bugs (duh it’s the Amazon and my room had a very friendly and very large tree frog that kept me company. Meals are humble, delicious, and cooked with care. And if you’re polite the staff will share sweet mini bananas with you. 2. Unless it’s in captivity (reptile sanctuary and monkey island) you’re not guaranteed to see anything. Nature isn’t on your schedule. That being said I saw the following species in the wild: pigmy marmoset, squirrel monkeys, saddle-back tamarin, great egrets, Amazon kingfisher, green parakeet, gold headed manakin, herons, crimson-crested woodpecker, pink toed tarantula, piranha, pink and grey river dolphin, two species of poison dart frog, green vine snake, a three toed sloth and countless other species I can’t name. I also saw some of the freaky fish that live in the dark waters of the river when a fisherman pulled up his net. Truly sci-fi like things. 3. Bring bug spray and a good headlamp. Also long sleeve shirts and pants for night hikes. Good boots for when it’s muddy, sandals for lounging about, and moisture wicking shirts go a long way. 4. Your attitude matters. Be kind and be adventurous and you’ll have a great time. The people and communities you will interact with are fiscally poor but rich in life. They’re some of the most humble and kind people I’ve ever met. Many live without running water or electricity. I say that to remind you that entering the jungle is like entering their home. Treat it and them with respect. Leave your need for western comforts in Iquitos and embrace the jungle. It’s worth it.

We had an amazing time. Friendly staff, beautiful experience in the jungle. Our guide Linder was very professional, knowledgeable and he showed us many many animals in the jungle. Very grateful for all his support.

Excellent, safe, thoroughly enjoyable Amazon tour! Rene is an exceptionally knowledgeable guide who easily answered any questions. Highly recommend this tour!!!

This trip met all my expectations. As a solo traveler from the USA I was very comfortable at all times even during the pickup and drop off. Edwin was my tour guide for the group which had 3 other solo travelers. Edwin was the best. His energy and enthusiasm was always so positive. He is very knowledgeable about all the species and plants. The food was amazing and cooked fresh every meal. The adventures were everything I have dreamed of. Maniti definitely gives the most to the visitors. I will definitely be back for another adventure. I left my heart in the Amazon ❤️ Thank you for all your hospitality.

Fantastic tour. Our guide Edwin is the best. He is a true friend and his knowledge with amazon is incredible. I really do miss him and amazon!

One of the best experiences of my life! Rene was our guide and he was wonderful. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and patient (we were a large chaotic group)! If you don’t want to feel like you’re living off the grid, the trip isn’t for you, but if you want to experience life without your every day distractions and dive into the culture, I highly recommend.

Great experience well organized tour guides are great very knowledgeable. Navigated through the Amazon went fishing for Pirañas, saw monkeys, Pink Dolphins I recommend this tour 100%

We loved this excursion! If you want to disconnect for a couple of days, this is for you. Bear in mind, it’s pretty rustic and you’ll be limited to electricity for only a couple of hours each day. That said, the two-day tour was perfect for us. The visits, activities and food were great, and we appreciated being around nature and the tropical environment. Our group was also pretty awesome, which made the trip that much more fun. I know that there were some reviews and comments about the speed of the boat, but it was nice to slow down the pace a bit to appreciate the beautiful scenery. It’s why we took this tour to begin with. Monkey Island was absolutely our favorite, but the hikes and piranha fishing were super fun as well. I highly recommend this for anyone who isn’t skiddish about being a little sweaty and dirty, and loves nature.

I had the most incredible time on the 2 day jungle tour with Maniti Lodge! The lodging was comfortable, the food was fresh and delicious, the staff were welcoming and our guide Linder was super knowledgeable. He took us on multiple jungle hikes to see giant ceiba trees, monkeys, tarantulas, snakes, frogs, birds, sloths and many more cool animals. We stopped at an animal rescue center which gave us the opportunity to play with and hold tons of exotic animals from the jungle. We got to go swimming in the Amazon, piranha fishing and we visited a local indigenous tribe to see their way of life. For those who are interested you can even do Ayahuasca with Shamans there. Overall a great experience and I can't recommend it enough.

Our 4-day stay in the eco-lodge was an amazing experience! Our guide Edwin really made the tour for us. He knew so much about the plants, trees and local way of life, and most importantly you could tell that he was really passionate about sharing his knowledge with us. Particularly memorable was a dawn dolphin-spotting trip. It was on a long jungle hike, though, that Edwin’s expertise really came into its own - he seemed to have an incredible ability to spot even the smallest species, and knew everything there was to know about them. The food and accommodation were both excellent, and the staff were very friendly, constantly inviting us to take more food or asking if we needed anything. Luxuries like air-con and 24-hour electricity will of course not be found, but they make this very clear on their website, and it was nice to disconnect for a bit. Private bathrooms, showers and 3 hours of electricity every day felt like enough luxury for us. Everything seemed very well organised, arranging pick-ups and drop-offs from our hotel in Iquitos without a hitch. During the trip, there was lots of flexibility in the itinerary, with Edwin very willing to adapt to what we wanted to do. Our safety was also clearly something they cared about - when we had crossed to the opposite side of the Amazon and a sudden heavy storm broke out, Edwin made sure a bigger, more stable boat with a roof was brought to us to take us back to camp - a more disreputable firm may have run the risk of taking us in the small, uncovered boat we had been using in the calmer weather. Overall a really great trip, organised by people who really care.

We did the 4 day trip at the eco-lodge and it was fantastic from start to finish. The accommodation was great, the food fantastic, and everyone at the camp was very friendly. Our guide, Edwin, was incredibly knowledgable, and was able to spot all sorts of insects and frogs in the jungle, and he even knew how to get the pink river dolphins out to play. He definitely made the trip for us. Some other highlights included swimming in the Amazon and visiting the local village. 10/10 would recommend if you want to experience the Amazon.

Best trip ever Tour exceeded my expectations. Guide Rodrigo was knowledgeable, fun, professional. As a solo female traveller I felt very safe and comfortable in his presence. Extremely knowledgeable with degrees in Biology, ornithology and herpetology you will learn so much about the history, culture and way of life in the Jungle. Already planning my next trip there! The lodge is basic, but it’s all you need as you’ll be too busy exploring to to just chill. Food was amazing and I really pigged out on the delicious fruits. Best to bring a battery operated night light, flashlights and flashlight headband, mosquito face cover, loose clothing so the mosquitoes don’t bite through… People ask what my highlight was, basically every moment. Don’t book through your own country, your tours will be basic. Book through Maniti and you will get to do things beyond what others can offer. Ask for Rodrigo, he was the reason my tour was 20 out of 10 stars 🙂

If you're not used to any jungle or tropical environment or have no sense of adventure; this place will probably test your limits. If you're easily put off by something out of your comfort zone, or you're going to complain about the natural environment, or that your expectations are a 4-5 star resort that's going to bend over backwards for your every request then stay at home. But if your keen on being the opposite of the person I mentioned above then all of your senses will be tingled by the Peruvian Amazon. The last day of the tour we managed to see a few interesting birds and quite a number of iguanas. As we were about to make our way back for lunch it started raining and it really came down but it changed the entire scene of the river. It almost continued to rainthe entire day which meant we didn't do much else but the rain certainly got rid of the heat and the mosquitoes which meant an afternoon spent laying down with a good book even better. During the time of the tour our guide René made sure we had plenty of opportunities to see the wildlife, which he insisted on saying he can't promise we will see everything as it's wildlife. Which I understood well and told him 'I know you can't make the animals come to us, it's stupidity to think like that'. Regardless of this I saw plenty of different spieces for the tiny pocket of the Amazon. All in all a great trip into an relatively unknown world to me.