An Unparalleled Experience of Wonder!
Iquitos, Peru and the Loreto Region of the Amazon
This NCGE Around the Globe journey is a place-based intensive short course in geographic inquiry and field methods for in-service teachers and education professionals. The extraordinary wonders of life in the Loredo region of Peru, including Iquitos and the Peruvian Amazon are our classroom. All seven essential elements of geography will be incorporated as we explore how and why plants, animals, and humans interact in this extreme environment.
The experience and course will draw content from all of the geographic themes including physical geography, human settlement, and environmental adaptation; changing geopolitical spheres of influence; sense of place; and global environmental change.
Secure Your Spot
Space is limited-
July 23 - 30, 2025
What's Included
- All schedule activities & experiences
- Lodging
- 3 meals per day
- Ground and water transportation
- Course material
What's Not Included
- Airfare
- Additional beverages and snacks
- Souvenirs
- Tips ($150 us)
- Single room occupancy
Why the Amazon?
After experiencing NCGE – GeoCamp Amazon participants will be able to:
- Make personal connections and discover similarities between the Amazon and their own home
- Inspire their students about the Amazon through first-hand experiences and stories of their journey.
- Gain a fuller perspective of the planet in their day to day activities at home.
- Design and share geographic lessons for students based on place-based experience.
- Have a connection and resources for future questions or students experiences in the Amazon through the trip leader.
- Where is the Amazon?
- Why teach about the Amazon?
- What is there?
- Why take care of it?
- How can we care for the Amazon from home?
Frequently Asked Questions
No, contrary to popular belief, you will not get eaten alive. Mosquitos come out in the evenings especially, like they do any other place. Wearing long pants, applying some repellant and a long sleeve shirt to cover your arms in the evenings will prevent most bites. You will most likely get a few bites but not like you see in the movies! Also, they are also no bigger (usually smaller) than mosquitos in the states. Other insects are around but are not out to get you. Even tarantulas prefer to stay away from humans. They are around but will go back in their holes when they hear people coming.
I always recommend non-deet repellent. Deet is very harmful to the environment and is not allowed on the canopy walkway because it will eat away the hand ropes and netting over time. I recommend Picaridin spray for skin and Permethrin spray for clothing. You can apply permethrin at home, before you leave to your pants, socks and long sleeve shirts. Both can be found at sporting goods stores and online. Other natural repellants can work well too including sprays with Lemon Eucalyptus Oil.
Sneakers or hiking shoes work well. The climate is very humid and hot so shoes that breathe are best. There are no rocks in the area of the Amazon where we will be but many roots cross the trails. Flip flops or other sandals are fine at the lodges and walking around Iquitos.
Peru is actually in the Eastern Time Zone, however they do not observe Daylight Savings Time so during part of the year they will be later than Eastern by 1 hour.
Yes. All international flights into Peru fly through Lima. You may end up with a longer than optimal layover there. It is very common to see people sleeping in the airport throughout the night in Lima. There are hotels nearby, but if you decide to rest at your gate for a few hours you won’t be alone.
Spanish is the primary language, however there are many indigenous languages and all guides can speak English. Many people know just a little English. Trying out your Spanish skills is encouraged and welcome.
You will be staying in three different lodges (one to two nights each) during the trip. The amenities range from “modern” with air conditioning, internet access and hot running water to rustic (no air conditioning, pit toilets, cold running water and no internet connection).
You will be roomed with a person of the same gender throughout the program. Additionally, sleeping habits, and teaching level will be considered in assigning roommates. You may request a roommate if you know a fellow participant. If there is an odd number, a person may have a single room or may be placed in a triple depending on the availability at each location.
*Itinerary
*Subject to change. Please note, the start and end days/times are firm, however, activities may change due to unforeseen circumstances.
International flights into and out of Lima, Peru occurs overnight. Therefore when booking your flights take this into consideration. Your arrival to the final destination of Iquitos, Peru airport must be no later than July 23, 2025 by 3:20 pm (EDT). The program does not officially start until that time and any accommodations outside of the program days are the participants responsibility.
- Arrive in Iquitos, Peru by 3:20pm – Transport to hotel is included for all arrivals.
- 5:00 Introductory Meeting in the hotel lobby.
- Dinner in Iquitos, overlooking the river Itaya alongside a festive riverside promenade, locally referred to as the Boulevard.
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Breakfast @ Hotel
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Ride in motocarros (aka tuk-tuks) to the Belen Outdoor Market, largest market in Iquitos and chock full of everything you can imagine from fish to jungle fruits to spices and medicinal remedies. It is a sight to see!
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Walk through the streets of Iquitos, passing many tiled, rubber-boom buildings. Stop at an indoor Grocery Store, Supermercado, to see the stark difference from the Belen market just a few blocks away. The fusion of modern and historic in Iquitos is captivating.
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Walk to the buzzing main square, called the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by colorful buildings and historical architecture. Learn the fascinating stories of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral and the Iron House building which was designed by
Gustave Eiffel himself. The Iquitos sign in the plaza is a wonderful spot for a group photo before we head to lunch. -
Lunch in Iquitos. Feed some sabalo fish in the restaurant’s pond while enjoying local ambiance and cuisine.
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We’ll take a bus out of the city along the carretera to the Amazon Bio Park to see jungle animals up close including manatees, monkeys, turtles and the fascinating giant Paiche fish. We may see caimen, capybaras, pacas and sloth and others!
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Embark down the mighty Amazon river in a speed boat for 1 1⁄2 hours to reach our first jungle lodge. Mosquito netting will keep you cozy and comfy at this lodge.
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En Route we will stop at Monkey Island, a monkey rehabilitation facility where many species of monkeys roam uncaged in their island habitat. If you are willing, one might take a ride on your shoulder as we walk around!
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Dinner @ Lodge
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Take a relaxing evening boat ride to explore in search of wildlife with a spotlight and see how the jungle changes at night.
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Optional Morning Birding
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Breakfast @ Lodge
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Yagua Feria: Craft stations will be set up by the local Yagua people to teach about the methods used to make
thatched roofing, separate chambira palm fibers, create natural dyes & prepare local dishes. Foods will include patarashca (fish cooked in a leaf), Suri (grilled palm larvae) &
Salsa de Cocona (delicious!). You will also get to test your accuracy with a traditional blow gun and purchase or trade for handicrafts made by the local villagers. -
Lunch @ Lodge
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Visit to a local treasure, the Yanamono Medical Clinic – Founded in 1990 by an American Doctor, Linnea Smith, it provides much needed medical services to the surrounding communities. Its history and accomplishments are extraordinary.
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Village Visit: Palmeras II – Stroll through a local river village. Visit the school, the outdoor classroom areas, and learn some Yagua (local language) words. Then our little village guides (Kids) will walk to their local Ceiba tree to share it with us.
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Dinner @ Lodge
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A truly unique and local experience – we will make Masato in the traditional
manner. A fermented drink made from yuca. It will be three days before will be
able to taste it!
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Breakfast @ Lodge
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Transfer by boat to Napo Lodge
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On the way, spot pink and gray river dolphins!
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We’ll make a short stop at a village where the ancient colorful bird called Hoatzin nest. This fantastic bird looks like a cross between a pterodactyl and a chicken with a colorful spiked
mohawk! -
Lunch @ Lodge
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Renu Peru Medicinal Garden: Learn from a local shaman about medicinal plants and their uses. Watch a demonstration of how to make cloth from the inner layer of tree bark and paint a piece with dyes made from local plants. You may also participate in a traditional blessing ceremony from the shaman’s tribe.
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Dinner @ Lodge
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The shaman will spend the evening with us in the lodge and you’ll have the option to get a huito tattoo (temporary). You choose any design you’d like or let
the shaman surprise you!
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Optional morning birding by boat
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Breakfast @ Lodge
- We’ll take a magical jungle walk to reach the Canopy Walkway – a series of 16 tree bridges where you can experience all of the layers of the rainforest and take in the view from high above it all!
- Return to the lodge by Kayaking down an enchanting narrow tributary where Blue Morphos are often seen!
- Lunch @ Lodge with Maijuna Speakers While you eat, a Maijuna elder will tell the tribe’s interesting history, how they are working with local NGO’s to take care of their lands and the proposed road project they are fighting against.
- Visit the Maijuna Village. Explore their history museum, learn about the stingless bee project, harvest yuca from a village chacra (planted area) and buy or trade for local handicrafts made by the village families.
- Dinner @ Lodge
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Breakfast @ Lodge
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Morning piranha fishing on the upper Napo river. Throw in your line with a bit of beef and see what comes up! We will fish from the boat.
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Transfer to our final lodge via the Napo river, crossing a narrow isthmus from Mazan town in motocarros to Indiana town. We’ll be riding on a sidewalk-like “road” through the jungle, where we’ll catch another boat and take a 10 minute ride to Ceiba Tops.
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Lunch @ Ceiba Tops Lodge
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Visit Ahuanari Butterfly farm where you’ll see a variety of butterfly species in different stages of life, from egg to adulthood. Release one into the wild!
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Dinner @ Ceiba Tops Lodge
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Night walk to see the Caimen.
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Optional morning birding by boat
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Breakfast @ Ceiba
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Full day of Service at a Local Village. Work side by side with local villagers to help them complete a project in their community. Examples of projects are painting and planting trees. We’ll spend the morning on the project and eat our lunch (provided by the lodge) in the village.
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Lunch in the village
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Our visit will end with a traditional Umisha celebration. The community band will play music while we dance around a palm tree. The festivities will culminate with the chopping down of the palm and running to the fallen tops of the tree to retrieve a gift from the many that will be tied to the branches. A truly local and unique celebration.
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Dinner @ Lodge
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Final Night Celebration and Mastao tasting!
Breakfast @ Lodge
Walk to a nearby pond to see giant lily pads, Victoria Amazonica, who’s leaves are the largest of any lilypad on earth. Our walk will end at the spectacular Ceiba Tree. This is a sight that just has to be seen to fully comprehend its majesty!
Lunch @ Lodge
Depart the lodge for a 50 minute boat ride back to Iquitos.
Flight departures must leave after 3:45. Transfers to the airport are included.
About our Partner
Jamazon Journeys is a relatively new company started by a veteran public school teacher from Montana, who was so inspired by the wonder of the Peruvian Amazon and its endearing people that it became her life’s passion to share it with others. Step by step, one customized journey at a time, Jackie McCann pulled from her extensive experience leading student travel groups, her firsthand knowledge of the Amazon and the many personal and professional connections with locals in Peru to build a solid foundation for this extraordinary company. Jamazon Journeys has traveled with groups large and small for 7 years and became an official llc in 2021. Partnering with NCGE Around the world in 2022, this year’s journey will be the 4th annual NCGE expedition. The company’s sole focus is to create immersive customized journeys and experiences that inspire its participants to make personal connections. Participants return home changed and inspired with a new appreciation and motivation to act in ways big and small to care about our natural world. Whether it is to the people, the animals, the plants or the culture, the experience will touch hearts, change lives and ultimately improve the world for all of us.
