We’ve all heard how enormous the Amazon rainforest is, how much oxygen it pumps out as the so-called “green lungs” of the planet and how vital it is to protect it. But what’s it like to actually stay in the Amazon? To go to bed each night cocooned in a mosquito net and awaken to the symphony of birds, beetles and monkeys squeaking, chirping and chattering at each other? To hike through the hot and humid jungle, growing more enchanted with the wildlife, trees and plants around you each step you take?

In this post, I’m going to share about my personal experience staying at Caiman Lodge in the Cuyabeno region of Ecuador. If you’re planning a trip to Ecuador, I won’t spoil the magic that is the Amazon rainforest but I’ll give an overview of what the tour involves, share my highlights and answer some common questions about staying in the Amazon. If you’re just curious what it’s like, keep reading because I’m sure you’ll find it interesting!

Accommodation Options in the Amazon

If you choose the Cuyabeno Reserve like we did, there are a total of seventeen lodges to choose between. We really liked the Caiman Lodge as we had a comfortable double bed, en-suite shower (without hot water) and a little terrace outside our room with a private hammock. There were lots of communal areas to spend time with the other people on your tour including a large dining room, a terrace with sun loungers, an area full of hammocks and another with comfortable arm chairs.

Unless you’re willing to pay a lot of $$$ for luxury accommodation, your stay will probably be quite rustic and basic. Our cabin was very nice although it was all made of wood planks with small gaps between, so we had to sleep with a mosquito net and still had a couple of bites!

We didn’t have any hot water in our shower, but the rainforest is humid enough that we were fine without it. We could only charge our electronics for five or six hours per day so the lodge could preserve electricity. There was no internet signal (for data or wifi) so we were completely off the grid for five days – which felt strange at first but was actually really refreshing!

Overview of Amazon Tour Activities and Excursions

Most lodges in the Cuyabeno Reserve offer the same programme, which includes day and night hikes, canoe rides, swimming in the laguna grande (lake), watching sunsets, a visit to an indigenous community, and boat rides around the area. The schedule isn’t jam packed; there’s normally one activity every morning and one every afternoon. Don’t worry, you will have plenty of time to rest and relax.

Whenever you leave the lodge, you are accompanied by expert guides who can answer your questions and give you tons of information. We had two guides during our stay and they were both incredibly passionate and knowledgeable. They had grown up near the Cuyabeno Reserve and knew the area inside and out. They really promoted sustainability, talking about how important environmental conservation is and what must be done to keep the magnificent rainforest thriving for generations to come.

The hikes were the highlight of the whole stay for me. The vividness of the green plants and trees around you is truly spectacular. If you’re lucky, you can get up close and personal with so many animals in the rainforest. Our guides were incredibly observant and able to notice the tiniest movement or different colour or texture on a branch. Sometimes they would ask us “Can anyone see something on that branch?” and we’d all confess that no, we couldn’t see anything – until the guide pointed out a teeny tiny creature none of us had spotted before.

So how fit do you need to be to hike in the rainforest? The daytime hikes lasted around three hours (easy to medium difficulty, partly flat and partly uphill). At night, we only hiked for one hour (on easy, flat terrain). The forest was very humid and sweaty during the day – by the end we all looked like we had been in a sauna! The guides walked slowly so no one got left behind, and everyone on our tour helped each other clamber over fallen tree trunks, duck under tree branches and wade through pits of mud. None of us looked particularly graceful during the hikes, but we didn’t fall face first into the mud either so that’s something!

The Animals You Might See in the Amazon

We were really lucky to see a wide variety of animals, including pink dolphins (they are actually grey but when they swim the blood circulation turns them pinkish!), crocodiles, snakes, butterflies, frogs, insects and SO many varieties of monkeys, spiders and birds. We hoped to see a sloth up close but could only see three high up in the treetops. We didn’t see a jaguar (fortunately? unfortunately?) but did find some very fresh claw marks gouged into a tree during one of our morning hikes.

If you’re squeamish about insects and spiders, don’t worry, you won’t touch any of them and you can stand as close or far away as you like! Keep in mind that nature never guarantees that you will see certain animals. It depends on the season, the weather and of course on the mood of the animal!

Food and Drink at the Amazon Lodge

We had three tasty, varied meals per day at the lodge; the portions were very generous and there was never any danger of going hungry! Breakfast usually involved a fruit salad, eggs on toast, and fresh juice. Lunch and dinner included meat or fish, a hearty portion of carbs (normally rice or potatoes) and fresh vegetables. Each meal ended with a small dessert. If you’ve got any allergies or dietary restrictions, let your tour agency know when you make the booking so the lodge staff can accommodate them.

There was a small bar area where you could order alcoholic drinks. During our visit, a cocktail cost $5, a glass of wine $5, a bottle of beer $4 and soft drinks $2. There was free herbal tea, instant coffee and filtered water available all day long.

When to Visit the Amazon

The Cuyabeno region has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, the dry season (mid-December to March) and the wet season (the remaining months of the year!). As the name suggests, it can rain at any time in the rainforest, but keep in mind the heaviest rainfall is between June and September. In the dry season, you should expect sunny weather with lower humidity. The river levels are lower and certain animals are easier to spot as they come to the water edge to drink. During the rainy season, you can see the jungle in full bloom and the water levels are higher, making rivers easier to navigate. The temperature and humidity will be higher too.