10 Reasons to Visit the Amazon River

Written By: The Planet D

Here are 10 reasons you have to visit the Amazon River of Peru!

Visit the Amazon River

Our four days on the river with International Expeditions were spectacular.

It is a trip of a lifetime to see the world’s largest river. The Amazon carries more water to the sea than other river and to see the massive volume first hand is impressive.

There are so many reasons you’ll want to go to the Amazon.

1. The Amazon River

reasons to visit the amazon | the river

The Amazon River alone is an amazing reason to go to Peru.

It’s massive, beautiful and extraordinary. As you sail down the largest river in the world, you feel it’s power and understand why it has called explorers for centuries.

2. Monkeys!

monkey in the amazon

When we travel to South America we want to see monkeys.

And on an Amazon expedition, you’ll see a lot of them.

We saw spider monkeys, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and the capuchin monkey in just 3 days.

3. The Cruise

visit the amazon river boat

We went to the Amazon with  International Expeditions.

This is the exact boat we took to the Amazon and you are going to love it.

The new vessel has a range of amenities found on no other boat in the region including an air-conditioned multimedia lecture room, fitness centre and our favourite – nightly cocktails and entertainment.

It also has The Amazon’s largest observation deck. Rooms are spacious with modern ensuite bathrooms and everyone suite has a balcony!

4. Birds

visit the amazon river bird

If you like bird watching you are going to love the Amazon.

Make sure to use the eco-friendly paper and pen provided by international Expeditions (I loved that paper pad made of stone, it was waterproof, tear-proof and it didn’t use trees!) to take notes of each species of birds you see.

You are going to see a lot of them. Parrots, toucans, egrets, macaws, kingfishers….I could go on and on about all the animals you’ll see on the Amazon.

5. Meeting the Locals

dave

Life is thriving on the Amazon and you’ll have the opportunity to visit villages to see how the locals live on the mighty river.

You’ll see fisherman working, children playing and families going about their daily life on the shore. It’s a fascinating journey.

6. Pink Dolphins

hippo

The pink dolphin of the Amazon is a freshwater dolphin found throughout the Amazon basin.

It won’t be long before you spy them splashing in the river, but you have to be quick, they move fast!

7. Great Guides

boat

Each day we spent morning and afternoon excursions on a small skiff boat exploring the narrower tributaries of the river.

Each boat had a guide, a captain and a cooler full of cold water and cool towels.

We left the Estrella Amazonica in search of wildlife. Our guides kept an eye out for signs of life with their laser-focused eyes.

camera

I have no idea how they managed to spot sloths sleeping far off in a high tree or how they noticed minute iguanas sitting on a leaf.

They noticed everything though and without them, we’d miss most of the life in the jungle.

8. Spectacular Sunsets

sunset

I don’t think we’ve ever seen such dramatic sunsets night after night as we did on the Amazon.

You are going to love seeing the sunset on the Amazon, it changes each and every day, you never get bored of them!

9. Creepy Crawlies

spider

Now, I know what you are thinking. “Spiders scare me!”

But when you are on a safe and guided tour in the Amazon, you’ll want to see the creepy crawlies of the jungle. Seeing a tarantula or scorpion in the wild for the first time is an exciting experience you’ll never forget.

There are so many amazing reasons to go to the Amazon, you really don’t need an excuse.

It’s one of the most fascinating boat journeys on earth. So what are you waiting for? Go to the Amazon today!

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Book Your Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner. We have used them for years and have found that they have the best flight deals.

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor.

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

  • Safety Wing - Occasional Travelers.
  • Medjet - Global air medical transport and travel security.

Book Your Activities: Looking for walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more? Then we recommend Get Your Guide.

Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine, the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

Leave a Comment

19 thoughts on “10 Reasons to Visit the Amazon River”

  1. Waoh Mary, Amazon looks pretty and the article motivates to come there and experience the beauty. The pics are wonderful. Thanks a lot

    Reply
  2. Hi Dave
    Your article is great with photos too. Pink Dolphins and birds are really interesting to watch. Its a great tour with fantastic package but only for US people. Im from London and scare its not for me.
    One more thing “tarantula or scorpion” are seriously creepy, where ever you have a guide or not. 🙂

    Reply
    • Thank you! Sorry you aren’t eligible for this one, but we’ll be having other giveaways that I know you will be able to take part in.

      Reply
  3. Found some favorable information to travel in Amazon. Amazon is very exciting place. I love Boat trip so much. Great post with magnificent photos shot. Very interesting…really enjoyed reading this article.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Srimanta Ghosh

    Reply
  4. The Amazon is a very beautiful place. It is the world largest mangrove forest. It has so much importance in the world environment. The blog is very interesting and informative about Amazon. The blog will be helpful to the tourists of the Amazon as a travel guide and the blog also published the lifestyle of the local peoples of the Amazon.

    Reply
    • Yep, but this one is only open to US citizens I’m afraid. We have readers in both US and Canada and unfortunately we sometimes have giveaways where we only Canadians can enter, and sometimes only Americans can enter. A lot of our readership is in the US. We hate to leave people out, but we also wanted to share this amazing prize. Especially since it is with a great company like International Expeditions, who we travelled to the Amazon with ourselves. That’s just the way the borders work. It’s difficult for contests to cross borders. That’s why we like to be up front and let people know who can and can’t enter.

      Reply
  5. Hope you’re ok, Dave! That souds awful. 🙁

    On another note: gutted I’m not a US citizen. This trip looks incredible – despite the tarantulas!

    Reply
    • Don’t worry Katie, we’re always doing some sort of giveaway where we can include Canadians and even Europeans. Something will come our way soon. Keep an eye out!

      Reply