Page 72 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Spring/Summer 2025

The Peruvian
AMAZON
A SERENE ALTERNATIVE TO MACHU PICCHU
Far from Machu Picchu’s crowds, the often-overlooked Amazon offers a serene,
boat-accessible escape where solitude and deep connections await.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JENN SMITH NELSON
seats, I’m hit with a surreal, pinch-me
Minutes after settling into macaw-patterned
moment, nearly as intense as the humidity.
I have made it to the Amazon.
It’s hot but overcast with the sky sharply contrasting
the jungle-lined forest of green giants stretching for
sunlight. At the helm veteran Ese Eja guide and elder,
Rodolfo Pesha, shares plantain chips, Brazil nuts, and
Amazonian wildlife facts.
Drifting down river, we head toward Posada Amazonas,
a remote ecolodge accessible only by boat and located
within a 9,500-hectare communal reserve belonging to
the Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno. Co-managed
with Rainforest Expeditions since 1996, the lodge offers
immersive, community-based experiences guided by
the Ese Eja people. Soon, I step off the boat, scaling a
rain-soaked riverbank into the jungle.
Reaching the Amazon from the Canadian prairies
has been an adventure—flights to Lima and Puerto Mal-
donado, a 1.5-hour bus ride, and a two-hour canoe trip
along the Tambopata River—to finally reach the ances-
tral land of the Ese Eja, deep in the rainforest. More than
1,500 km from the well-trodden paths of iconic Machu
Picchu, Peru’s most visited destination, the Peruvian
Amazon is in the southeastern Madre de Dios region.
It’s here amidst untouched wilderness that the notion
of a tranquil and authentic cultural escape awaits.
Posada Amazonas Where Luxury
Meets Sustainability
As breezes carry primal sounds and scents that drift
through the open-air lodge, constructed entirely from
local palms and woods, I’m effortlessly connected to
the rainforest. Room details feel intentional, too: a
mosquito-netted bed promises restful sleep, while a
hammock and private balcony overlook the vast jungle.
At night, conservation meets adventure through
cultural exchange lectures. Curated by Rainforest
Expeditions, guests can participate in citizen science
projects like jaguar identification and discovering new
species.
Wildlife Encounters Galore
Home to 10 per cent of the planet’s known species, the
Amazon amazes at every turn. From a 36-metre obser-
vation tower, I watch toucans flit and squirrel monkeys
swing through the sunset-glowing canopy.
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DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2025