A planned holiday to the Amazon Rainforest is one experience you must add to your bucket list. Not only can you explore the jungle, but you can experience a number of memorable adventures and activities. The following information will provide you with some ways you can add discovery and excitement to a jungle holiday.
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1. Taking Nighttime Boat Ride or Hike
Do you want to see Amazon animals at night? An all-inclusive feature in an Amazon tour includes a nighttime boat or hike. This fun excursion will allow you to see some interesting animals. For example, the caiman is one of these creatures. The reptile, which resembles a crocodile, feeds on other reptiles and fish.
Besides caimans, nocturnal animals that emerge during a nighttime boat ride or hike include the margay (a small wild feline), Peruvian night monkeys, pygmy owls, and various types of frogs. No Amazon trip is complete without including this adventure in your travel plans.
2. Taking a Beautiful Drive Over the Iquitos-Nauta Carretera (Highway)
Rainforest tours often begin by taking this stretch of highway in the northern Amazon section of Peru. The road, which spans from Iquitos to Nauta, stretches for 46 miles, or takes about 90 minutes to drive.
The road was paved in 2004 and construction started for the connection in the 1970s. The idea was to link the highway so travelers from Iquitos could reach Nauta, the launching pad for rainforest activities. Taking a drive along the highway serves as a good introduction to the jungle landscape.
3. Searching for Howler Monkeys and Capuchins
One of the fun activities included in rainforest tours is searching for howler monkeys. If your hearing is good, or even if it is not so good, you will probably hear these simians’ vocalizations. Known for their immense howls, the noise the monkeys make can travel as far as a mile in the rainforest.
The primates and tree-dwellers, which live about 20 years, enjoy a herbivore diet, one that is made up of flowers, leaves, vines, and tropical fruits. While males weigh about 30 pounds and stand about two feet, females in the species stand about 20 inches and weigh half as much as their mates.
You can also spend time searching for capuchins. Because they like to live in groups, you can spot the cute little monkeys easily. They weigh about 7 pounds and stand about a foot and 3 inches tall.
The small primates and omnivores live about 25 years in the wild and like to eat nuts, insects, and fruits. Known to be highly intelligent, the capuchin resembles the “organ grinder” monkey of yesteryear. Therefore, it is exciting when you discover the primates and make their acquaintance in the wild.
4. Venturing to Sapote Lake to See the Dragonfish
Another fun thing to do on an Amazon adventure is to take a boat ride to Sapote Lake. The lake serves as a breeding area for dragonfish, which are about 6.5 to 15 inches long.
When preparing the fish, the cooks must cut out the spine and the fish’s poison sacs that it uses to protect itself. The fish is known as a dragonfish, as it resembles one when it is cooked.
The trip you plan to the Amazon Rainforest or down the Amazon River will, no doubt, leave you spellbound. Planning the journey is your first opportunity for creating a truly pleasurable adventure.