Welcome back to Backpacker's Blueprint and our amazon series of blogs. I was fortunate enough to embarked on a three-day solo backpacking adventure in the Amazon. A journey that left me with unforgettable memories and a profound appreciation for nature. Even now when thinking back to that time I get an overwhelming sense of gratitude to have been brave enough and able to undertake this journey on my own. Join me as I recount my incredible experience, from landing in Leticia to exploring the vibrant heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Solo Backpacking The Amazon: Arrival in Leticia, Colombia
After the trepidation of entering Leticia (read my other blog for an honest memoir of what was going through my mind before heading to Leticia) I landed and was met by warm, humid air, a welcome change from the urban environment of Bogota. Leticia serves as the gateway to the Amazon, and I was eager to begin this adventure. Staying at a home near the airport I walked to Casa Nora & Alejo, a private home with a couple of rooms attached for travellers like us looking to explore the amazon. I was welcomed by a very lovely family. The father, Alejo sat me down in a communal garden space and, told me about Leticia, the Amazon, where to go for food, drink and really gave me the lie of the land. After a thorough briefing Alejo asked about me, where I was from how I was finding Colombia and over a coffee, he really made me feel at home!
After dropping my bags into the room, I spent the afternoon wandering through the bustling streets of Leticia, before heading across to Gambo Tours. Alejo had given me their card and sticking to my own rule of 'locals know best' I went to speak to them about there tour option. I settled on a 3 day 2 night trip. The guides told me the price, of course, it was cash only, so heading to the local ATM I managed to withdraw the cash.
*A quick aside, I withdrew from the machines highlighted below as the banks didn't work for my British cards!
Finally getting the money, I walked back to Gambos office, paid up and went home. With my tour booked, I spent the rest of the day preparing for the journey I would not be taking my larger backpack but just my day sack so needed to fit everything required into this. Excitement buzzed through me as I packed my essentials, knowing that the next three days would be unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
Solo Backpacking The Amazon Day 1: Immersing in Amazonian Culture
The morning had arrived and so had a tuc tuc. I said my goodbyes to Nora and Alejo. The driver said "buen día" following it with "Jack Thompson?" I nodded and said good morning back, put my bags on one seat took the other myself and the driver took off. Just 5 minutes later we were at Gambos office. After some briefing and chats and a little waiting around we walked to the dock before boarding a boat that would take us deep into the Amazon.
As we cruised along the river, the dense rainforest flanked us on both sides, and I felt a rush of exhilaration at the sight of homes on stilts, the extensive busting activity of locals going about their everyday lives and knowing I was undertaking a life long dream.
After bumping along the river for a while taking in sights and sounds, our first stop came into view, a traditional Amazonian village. The community welcomed us warmly, allowing us to mingle and look around. It was a blessing to be able to see the community laughing, playing and joking and wonderful that they did not mind us 'strangers' walking around. My understanding is the money from the tour is also used to help the local communities.
We (me and just a few other people) were able to watch the children play traditional games and later a football match seemed to get underway. We stopped by the local shop, a very small building with mainly drinks. Buying one I took the opportunity to practice a bit more Spanish with the shop keeper. The lady explained a little about the games the children were playing including one where a painted red stick is used the holder of the stick has to run around and mark as many people as possible.
The shop keeper also mentioned it was the dry season. The water level being much higher during the wet season means playing sports like football is not possible! The community went about there day and we were beaconed back to the accommodation to have lunch.
The accommodation was extremely comfortable and very pleasant. Mosquito netting protected each room with additional nets inside. The WC facilities were clean and tidy and generally the buildings looked well maintained and looked after, even being painted the green and orange colours of the company brand. This level of detail on the accommodation made me think Alejo was right, this is a good company that knows what it is doing.
Lunch was excellent and much more than I was used too! But not wanting to waste any I managed to finish my place of fish, rice, noodle and vegetables.
Below are some images including the location of the camp, the local kids and even a cute local dog who seemed to follow me around.
As dusk fell, we embarked on a night boat tour. The sounds of the jungle came alive, with the calls of nocturnal animals creating an eerie yet captivating symphony, the guides pointed out wildlife in the water and trees alike. This was not the only treat, the clear night sky was dotted with countless stars and here in the river highways light pollution simply does not exist, it was a sight to behold and a sound like no other. After slowly boating up and down the river for over an hour, we returned to the village for a traditional meal of fish and rice, a delicious end to a day full of discovery.
Solo Backpacking The Amazon Day 2: Exploring Piranha Lake
Rising early, we boarded a boat to witness the sunrise over the Amazon River. The scene was breathtaking, with birds soaring through the sky and the rainforest awakening in a chorus of sounds. Against the noise of the jungle the water was in stark contrast, so still it was acting as a mirror to the sunrise, the orange tones hitting the faces of us early risers from both above and below.
We returned to the village and after a hearty breakfast, we set off for Piranha Lake, a nature reserve just inside the Peru border. The journey was quickly brought to a hold when a pod of pink dolphins were spotted by the guide. The boat was shut off so we could just sit and watch as the dolphin passed by in all their beauty and elegance.
Continuing on we crossed the borders of Peru, Colombia, and Brazil before finally turning into an opening in the tree lines. The captain took us through the waters navigating slowly through tress and flora before the floating lodge at Piranha Lake finally came into view. This lodge was a serene retreat complete with breakout areas, dining spaces, and cozy bedrooms. It took us a while to get here but the journey was stunning. On arrival, I was informed we were waiting on a separate tour to have dinner with before heading out for another night excursion.
I had a good amount of time here as the only tourist. I look back on it now as a fairly enriching experience. Other than taking some photos and taking some recordings for this post and you guys reading it, there was nothing else to do! No phone signal, I had not brought a book! So I was forced to do something I rarely ever do ..... Stop, sit and be in the environment with no distractions.
Whilst sitting on the deck of a floating lodge, I found myself feeling immensely gratified towards the circumstances that had brought me to this place. Everyone has their personal reason for why they travel and this moment allowed me to truly reflect on it. Those reasons have perhaps lead me to here (Backpackers Blueprint) writing, recording and trying to share journeys with you all. However thats another story so lets get back to the Amazon.
Once the second party arrived we all dinned together. I though this group would be coming on the night excursion with us however they dinned and then jumped back onto their boat to head to their next stop.
Alone again, I was given the opportunity to take a boat out on my own to watch the sunset from the river and thats exactly what I did. This allowed me to take some of my favourite photos from my travels (see below). With the earth in all its beauty and with the lake so still it looked like glass again I was able to sit and enjoy planet earth in all its glory.
After the sun had set behind the trees I paddled back to the dock where two guides had prepped a boat. I stepped on the dock for just a few moment before jumping into a small motor boat. The three of us went into the night to explore. I do not have many photos of this just one taken by one of the guides of me with a small croc.
Back at the lodge, we enjoyed a late traditional dinner by candle light whilst reflecting on the day's adventures. Eating with the guides and staff I really stretched my Spanish and tried to teach everyone a bit of english (at their request). Finishing our dinners we all retired to bedrooms, the tranquility of the Amazon at night provided the perfect backdrop for contemplation. With the sounds of the jungle in full chorus, I went to my room laid down and drifted off to sleep.
Solo Backpacking The Amazon Day 3: The Final Trek and Farewell
The final morning began with an early breakfast. I was told we will do a spot of fishing before heading off to do a short trek through the rainforest then finally we would return to Leticia.
Just me and a single guide this time, a boat was pulled up and I was passed an ore. We paddled to the edge of the lake or at least where the tree line started, and made our way slowly around to find a small opening where we 'parked up'. Here in the shade of some trees a rod was passed to me and with a brief bit of instruction, the line was dangled into the water to see if we could catch a piranha.
In this spot, moneys were passing over our heads through the trees, birds were in abundance and fish were poking there heads up in the distance, the amount of wildlife here is staggering. Finally a small tug on the line and yes, its a piranha! My guide gave me a detailed explanation of the fish showing me its razor sharp little teeth. Feeling happy to have caught this remarkable fish, we released it back into the water before returning to the lodge.
A short wait back at the lodge and then it was time for the final excursion, the rainforest trek. Hopping on yet another boat we headed to the start location. Although boating through the trees again the rainforest looked incredibly different. It seemed to have everything; open areas like the lake, areas dense with trees, areas thick with flora, it truly is diverse beyond the imagination.
The rainforest was hot, humid, extremely muddy, but extremely beautiful. The trek felt like I had stepped into an Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider film. Around 40 minutes later, we made it to an opening where a boat waited. Boarding, we sped our way back to Leticia, mission complete.
Upon returning to Leticia, I took one final look back over the docks. A tatty broken looking space. It was the entrance to beauty often only seen in dreams what a contrast. I retrieved my bags from Gamboa’s office thanked them for the tour and walked to a nearby hostel. The adventure had come to an end, but the memories and the impact of the Amazon's beauty remained with me (and always will). After I had checked into a new hostel, I took some time to allow the experiences of the past few days to sink in.
Final Thoughts
My three days in the Amazon were nothing short of magical. The journey was a perfect blend of adventure, culture, and natural beauty. As an architect, I was particularly inspired by the harmony between the local communities and their environment. If you're looking for an authentic Amazonian experience, I highly recommend Gamboa Tours. One thing I will add however, is I did this as a solo traveller! Other groups seemed to come and go to join for night excursions for example, however I would have like some fellow backpackers to share the adventure with. Gamboa are also largely Spanish speaking also. This really stretch my Spanish, but perhaps this is a good thing?
So if not Gamboa then who?
There are other tour options, for example the hostel George of the Jungle Leticia is known to undertake these excursion style tours and have english speaking guides. Given my time again I would love to try another company to compare the experience. Perhaps I will one day get an invite for a review. However until that time, if you have undertaken this journey with Gambo or a different tour company, please let us and your fellow backpackers know how you got on in the comments below.
The other final thing I will mention is the costs, whilst there are different options to suit different budgets, it is also worth checking your next location (Peru or Brazil). I guess coming from Bogota, Leticia was a natural spring board so contextually it made sense to go from here, but Iquitos also provides similar style tours that can be cheaper! Just one to keep in mind. Overall I enjoyed my time in Leticia, and with Gambo, vastly more than I ever though I would.
After this a friend and myself met back in Leticia to take on the boat trip to Iquitos, make sure to read the blog and also find out about the history of Iquitos and finally find out the answer to the common question is Iquitos is a safe for tourists? Please like and share and joint our growing community of backpackers by subscribing at our Backpacker's Blueprint home page.
Until the next adventure, keep exploring and stay inspired!
Jack
For the curious explorer
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