Tambopata Research Center

Our experience at Tambopata Research Center was excellent. From the pickup at the airport to the return the staff we encountered were fantastic and are a credit to the organisation. Juan Carlos our guide was fantastic and made the visit the highlight of our trip to Peru. His knowledge and understanding of the area was obvious, as was his passion for the country. The facilities, food and venue are great, but it is the staff that make such a difference. They are true ambassadors for Peru.

Even though we were only there for 3 nights we saw so much. It was an amazing experience. Although we were there during the dry season it rained at least part of every day, so make sure you're prepared with a raincoat or poncho. Boots are provided when the trails are really muddy. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Our guide, Boris, was fabulous! He was gifted at spotting wildlife we would have missed. His knowledge of the flora and fauna was vast. It was clear that the protection and conservation of the rainforest is extremely important to him, and I think it made our experience even better. My only regret was not being able to stay longer, it was very hard to leave.

Staying in the rainforest was a spectacular visit. Our guide, Listen, was wonderful. He was able to spot owls, hawks, woodpeckers, monkeys, macaws, and so many other animals from seemingly out of nowhere. Tania and the whole staff were such friendly, warm hosts that enhanced the magical experience. They provided some extra TLC after my wife had a little fall :). Watching mesmerized by dozens of squirrel and capuchin monkeys frolicking in the trees above our heads; spying on the brilliantly colored macaws fluttering to and fro along the clay lick; and listening to the otherworldly calls of the howler monkeys throughout our stay were encounters like no other. The scientific discussions by the researchers in the evenings were fascinating and elevated the visit. We can't thank Listen, Tania, and the whole group at TRC enough for making the stay so special. Everything from the room, lounge, food, transport, communication, etc. was seamless and let us focus on the wildlife experience that was so special.

We stayed here for 4 nights. After reading about it and looking at the photos/videos we had high expectation especially because it was inside the jungle. It was a long trip from the airport; bus trip followed by a boat trip. Though initially excited, boat trip became a bit too long for us. They catered for vegetarians; food was good first couple of days and then were a bit tired of potato dishes. We felt 4 nights were too long and something was missing in the being in the jungle experience. Unless you go for walks and the guide spots animals , one wouldn't see the animals; that too one has to look thru the binoculars. Lastly the price we paid was very high and didn't give us the value for money. The guide was very good and all staff were friendly and courteous This is our experience and you may feel different......

What an experience! We had the best guide, Juan Carlos. So thankful we had him- he was so knowledgeable about all the animals and spotted things I could have never found. We had such an amazing time- the rooms were beautiful especially for being completely open to the outdoors. The staff was so accommodating. It was very difficult to leave because of all the wonderful people we met. We went on beautiful hikes, sunset cruises, and hiked up the canopy tower. I would totally recommend if you love the outdoors and adventure!

We had an amazing time in TRC. From the guide, tours, lounge staff, food and room, everything has exceeded our expectation and like an amazing dream came true. We highly recommend to directly book with the lounge website, so that you got a private guide for your group. Special thanks to our guide Saul, who made this experience extra special! We were so impressed by his knowledge about all the animals and the rainforest.

My partner and I stayed at the Tambopata Research Center in Feb 2024. We had a great time! This place was recommended to us by a friend who stayed there in 2019. My partner and I are more used to a backpackers budget, so this was a splurge for us but we scored a great Black Friday deal though the Rainforest Expeditions website. Still, the $$$ spent was totally worth it. Boris, our guide, was super flexible with our itinerary depending on our energy levels. Fortunately, we were feeling up to everything, so we saw 5 different species of monkeys, countless macaws, and two families of capybara during our various activities. Boris won’t rest until you go home with some good pics. Check out a couple pics he snapped through his binoculars lens (using my old iPhone 8).

Our family of three took the red-eye flights from and to JFK, and never opted for breaking journey in either Lima or Puerto Maldonado! So we had the longest possible stay in TRC itself in the heart of the Amazon. The entire experience was a dream come true for our 13-year old son, who has been interested in animal facts from when he was 5, and has more recently begun to express that interest through his wildlife photography. If we had done this trip any sooner, both in terms of age and photography skills he would have been under-prepared to derive joy from the experience. So if a family with young children is looking to explore a bit of the Amazon, they might be better off considering other lodges owned and operated by the same Rainforest Expedition company - named Posada Amazonas and Refugio Amazonas. 

 Tambopata is the place where the macaw clay licks were filmed and narrated by David Attenborough of “Planet Earth” fame. TRC offers this beautiful and hospitable lodge to be able to stay comfortable and safe, and delve deep into the real-deal Amazon experience. Resident manager Ms Tania, bar manager Mr Luis, the excursion guides, staff, the boat captain and navigators, and the resident researchers all contribute to making the stay a memorable one. The rains, heat and humidity, and animals are more willful and put in their appearances as they please! Having given ourselves a full week, we had the flexibility to enjoy even the unpredictables! It is dramatic to see how the river swells and goes down in 3-4 hours when it rains for 16-18 hours at a stretch. Trails around the lodge hold and discharge water the same way, making the walks more or less “adventurous” at a moment’s notice! One activity is called “Island Exploration,” and it happens on the same island that provides the viewing for the Colorado Clay lick. In our case, the 18 hours of rain had toppled over several cane grasses and bamboos onto the trails. Our guide had a use a machete to partially clear the path for us! 

 Just 3 weeks before we arrived at the lodge, a new tower for canopy watching had been completed and commissioned. Also, since we stayed a decent length of time in the low tourist season, we also got a chance to observe the constant maintenance and upkeep activities around the lodge. New, higher capacity solar panels were installed; the walls were given a coat of paint; the wood beams were given a coat of protective varnish. All of this goes to highlight the commitment of the company toward ensuring quality, and striving to make the experience new and varied for guests. Two lookouts set up by Rainforest Expeditions on the island meant for the island exploration activity (mentioned above) had been brought down and severely damaged by the rains. Within 24 hours of reporting the first one, the debris had been cleaned up opening up the trail once again. Can you imagine how hard working the staff must be to have such a quick response time to an unexpected event?

 Taking care

We had a wonderful experience in an amazing place. Everyone was so kind, knowledgeable regarding the area and wildlife. It was an honour to be here. We will never forget this experience in the Amazon and hope that this place achieves it's aims in preserving this part of the world