How to help save the rainforest in Peru while you travel
The air is thick under the humid rainforest canopy in Peru’s Amazonian basin. Insects hum and the squawks of circling macaws echo through the trees. I’m silently crouching on the forest floor when the rainforest ambience is briefly interrupted by gasps as a large tarantula leaps out of a hole and darts toward me.
It’s not entirely unexpected, though, as our Posada Amazonas lodge rainforest guide, Ines Duran Perdomo, has been gently stroking the outer rim of a tarantula burrow with a twig. She’s doing this to try and lure out the resident spider for the assembled visitors. A moment later, her hack has worked, and we are greeted by a massive hairy arachnid in attack mode. “As soon as they feel some movement, they attack as they can feel the vibrations in the ground,” explains Ines.
“That’s why I told you don’t move much because they can feel that something big is outside, so they know it’s dangerous and not prey.”
Tarantulas in the wild are a sight to behold, and I am mere inches away from one as Ines describes how these gigantic spiders ambush and kill their prey with large fangs. I hastily take a few steps backwards.
Spiders are one of the many species of arachnids, insects, and animals found in the 69 million hectares of forest in southeast Peru – where the threat of deforestation and environmental destruction lingers. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, roughly 1,100 square miles of Peru’s forests are cut down annually—around 80% of them illegally. Thanks to a recent international alliance between the UK, US, Peru, Germany, and Norway to preserve the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, serious steps are now being taken to protect this delicate ecosystem and resident wildlife.
Despite Peru’s political instability, the UK has worked closely with the country since 2021 to pursue sustainable and forest-friendly business solutions such as community-led agroforestry in the Amazon area and eco-tourism initiatives. This new financial support is vital to help Peru mobilise private sector investments for nature-based solutions.
Peru can now work towards tackling climate change and biodiversity while supporting the 330,000 people who depend directly on the country’s forests for their livelihoods. The protected forest reserve of the Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno is one of the best long-standing examples of community-led eco-tourism, with an upscale lodge inside the reserve called Posada Amazonas catering to monied tourists.
Here, curious visitors can observe howler monkeys, macaws, giant river otters, white caimans, and capuchin monkeys traverse the dense forest trails and expansive river systems. Guided wildlife spotting is also one of the many curated rainforest activities at Posada Amazonas, where I’m spending a few days on my Peru trip.
It’s a 30-bedroom rustic lodge in the heart of the reserve, owned by the Community of Infierno, just a short hop from the city of Puerto Maldonado. This lodge offers a visitor-friendly excursion into the Amazon basin, with en-suite rooms, a self-serve restaurant, a souvenir shop, guided activities and an on-site bar.
Jungle chic rooms are simply styled and have just three walls; where the fourth one would be is open to the forest. An immersive soundtrack of native birds, monkeys, and insects will lull you into a restful slumber while cascading nets protect you from mosquitos.
It’s certainly an accessible and comfortable way to experience a tropical rainforest without having to trek for days to reach it. As I sat in the wood-panelled open-plan common area, I found myself simultaneously connected to the dense forest yet cocooned by the safety of the mahogany structure. Through the open walls, I looked at the canopy while boozy pisco sours were served and monkeys chatted nearby.
Home feels a world away here, especially at night when the electricity shuts off at 10 and darkness descends over the forest sanctuary.
It’s a surreal experience for a city dweller like me, used to traffic, light pollution and noisy neighbours. Home feels a world away here, especially at night when the electricity shuts off at 10 and darkness descends over the forest sanctuary.
By morning, the lodge is back in full swing, with aromatic coffee poured as staff chat with guests and point out wildlife in the adjacent treeline.
Guest relations and hospitality are highly prioritised at Posada Amazonas and with good reason. Since the lodge opened in 1996 in partnership with Rainforest Expeditions, responsible tourism and community cooperation have been at the forefront of its ethos. According to Rainforest Expeditions, 75% of the lodge’s profits go directly to the native community, and 80% of the staff are locals.
Working closely with a private enterprise and developing the tourism offering of the lodge has been vital for the development of the community. “They changed our lives,” says lodge manager Edgar Cesar Carrasco Moroco. “Young people have opportunities now. Before, they finished high school and moved out from the village to work in mining and logging, but now they are working here.”
Sat in his homely lodge office, Edgar explains that he sees his community as the guardians of these ancient, forested lands. “We used to hunt wildlife before we started working with Rainforest Expeditions,” says Edgar. “Because their focus is on the environment, we now must protect, for example, howler monkeys, macaws, jaguars, and river otters.”
“We are doing this for the next generation,” Edgar adds. “So they can see pristine forests and even more wildlife, so education is very important.”
Preserving these animals is now more economically viable than hunting them, with tourists paying a premium to connect with the natural world. “The rainforest is one of the most popular visitor requests after Lake Titicaca,” says Marita Nuñez from travel agency Peru Trip Advisors. “They want to be close to nature and see monkeys playing in the trees.”
Staff guide guests on night walks, river cruises and canopy walks to spot sloths, spiders, monkeys and praying mantises.
On a guided night walk, I encountered my first tree frog in the wild, perched on a gnarled tree.
The rest of the group is further ahead, so for a moment, it’s just a brightly coloured frog and me staring back at each other as the forest gently vibrates around us.
I walk the moonlit trail, filled with hope that these creatures will be protected for generations to come.
Peru: Need to know
Posada Amazonas packages can be booked through Peru Trip Advisors. Prices start from around £500pp for a 3-night stay, not including airfare. To reach the lodge, you must first go to Puerto Maldonado, the gateway city to the forest reserve.
There are daily flights to Puerto Maldonado from Lima or Cuzco, at least three times a day.
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