The Amazon, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

When you go to South America you always have your top list of places to see, and The Amazon was one of ours. We chose to visit it via Bolivia because it is one of the cheapest way to see The Amazon.

Now, times have changed and prices are rising. However, you can expect to pay about $300 USD ($500 AUD) for a 5 day Amazon tour that includes 3 days in the Jungle & 2 days in the Pampas (2016 price).

Madidi National Park, the Amazon outside of Rurrenabaque (left) & Max Jungle Office in Rurrenabaque (right). The jungle camp (top right) & the river nearby (bottom) on our Jungle Adventure Tour.

Shaky footage of squirrel monkey in tree, put sound ON

The Jungle Tour

This is for the adventurers who want to experience what it is like to be in the Amazonian Jungle. We spent one night camping out in the open jungle, and we were rewarded by amazing wildlife & scenery.

We boated along the large river, saw squirrel monkeys, macaws, wild pigs & more. It is great to hear the stories of the guides here who know how to live and survive in the Amazon. They are very wise, and show you where to find water & food.

The Macaws that live in the mountainside in Madidi National Park. They dig holes into the side of the rock with their partner & raise their young there. We saw these birds in our Jungle Adventure tour. Jaguar paw print (top right) and monkeys sighted in the tree (bottom).

The Pampas

Wildlife lovers, this is for you. Expect easy river cruising surrounded by all types of Amazonian wildlife. You will see caimans, river dolphins, families of capybaras, piranhas, howler monkeys & more!

Activities include: searching for anacondas, fishing for piranhas & swimming in the river. I would not recommend swimming there, even if they say it is safe. I was bitten twice by the river dolphins and it is not an experience I would want to repeat. PLUS there are piranhas & caimans in that very cloudy river…

There is wildlife large & small in the Amazon. From alligators, to river dolphins, pumas, monkeys, wild pigs, and smaller insects.

Which provider?

We went through Max Jungle, a tour operator run by a family who are Indigenous to this part of the Amazon rainforest. They are very impressive with their knowledge of the flora & fauna of the rainforest, and practice sustainable travel.

Two of the men here married tourists who visited the Amazon. One of the wives is a passionate designer, and her imaginative creations of tree houses in the jungle are amazing to stay in.

I 100% recommend this tour operator, they are the real deal. They look after you. There is great food included, it is safe & the tree houses are a one of a kind experience.

One of the many tree houses designed & built by Max Jungle (left) & a piraña caught in the Amazon river on our Pampas tour (centre) and an alligator hidden in the wetlands (right).

How to get there?

You can arrive by a long, bumpy, unreliable bus trip OR get a 1 hour flight in a very small plane. It is a bit of a scary ride in the plane, but it cuts your journey time & is worth the extra money.