Tambopata Research Center

An average lodge in the middle of nowhere! For the exorbitant price they charge, you expect more personalised service and better facilities. They skip the facilities/luxury part citing being in a forest where you shouldn’t be expecting too much. Well, they should take a leaf out of the book of some African lodges in Kruger or Serengeti to understand what it means to create an exemplary experience for guests. This place is more suited for researchers and scientists. Don’t waste your money here. Our guide though was more than excellent - what a wonderful and knowledgeable person!

My family and I had an unforgettable time at Tambopata and would highly recommend visiting the Madre de Dios region to anyone travelling to Peru. Overall, our visit was educational, humbling, and inspirational. Our guide (Jair) and the research center's scientists were extremely knowledgeable and approachable, and taught us so much about the local ecosystem and the human activities threatening it. We were so lucky to experience the rainforest's incredible biodiversity firsthand, and were able to spot 6 species of monkeys, innumerable birds, insects, and plants during our 3 day visit.

Mine is a mixed review from 4 days in August. Pros 1. Lodge is very well kept up and clean 2. staff overseeing the lodge is very friendly and helpful 3. bar is great and wll stocked 4. lots of activities 5. Spa is reasonable and good massages 6. Boat trip to and from the lodge was lovely 7. Saw monkeys, macaws, snakes and a ton of birds on our walks. Wildlife viewing was really good especially if you like mccaws. Two were literally outside our room in a nest. Cons 1. Nowhere to escape the heat. It was very hot when we visited and there was just a ceiling fan in the room overhead which did nothing to cool the temperature. The guests we spoke to were uncomfortable and we also found it hard to sleep. We got up multiple times each night to take a cool shower but it only lasted a short time and back to shot. Bring lots of clothes as you have to change multiple times a day. The lodge is not like being on a safari as they do not provide cool towels when you get back, etc. 2. They do not cover most of the food and bugs get in. For us it was hard to eat since we were really grossed out which is our issue but it would have helped if ALL the food was covered. The day after we left, my husband got sick and had stomach issues from something he ate for about 3 days and we found a pharmacy in Cusco which helped. The food is basic on the days where lots of guests. On days when the lodge is less full, very limited selection. Be prepared to pay for everything but water, coffee, tea, and one type of juice after breakfast. No sodas or other types of non-alchololic drinks during the day included. 3. Our guide did not show up for the evening walk the group scheduled. He was late the next morning. 4. They group you with other guests and luckily for us we all agreed on what activities to participate in. If you don't agree you have a problem as you would be stuck with those guests for your stay. So, if you are at different fitness levels or have varying interests, keep that in mind. We brought a lot of different bug spray and wipes and I would recommend doing that as you can be bit and not know it until later. What we brought kept the bites manageable. Bring a water bottle as the hotel does not provide for your hikes.

Deep in the jungle you find TRC Lodge embedded in nature and away from all the city activities. You are truly one with nature but also have the comforts of a nice facility. The staff are hard working, knowledgeable and friendly people. The jungle guides are experts in what they do and they offer multiple guided tours throughout the day. I liked that you are assigned a guide and group that you team up with for hikes during your stay. It is also nice that this is not an oversized facility so the guests are at limited in number. The food was great and they even have a cocktail bar. I loved the fact that our stay helps fund the researchers that study ways to preserve nature right on site. Highly recommend but do your homework on what to take for a jungle visit so you get the most from your stay. Thanks to our guide Dino who made our visit the best!

Pros - Cool experience being deep in the Amazon and higher chance to see wildlife. I spoke to other people not staying within the reserve and they didn't see the animals we saw. - Friendly staff, beautiful lodge, helpful guides. Cons - The rooms are more rustic compared to the photos on the website. Especially the standard rooms - I would NOT recommend these rooms at all. When they say on the website that they are close to the common area that is true. What it doesn't say is that there is no ceiling between your room, and the neighboring rooms, and the hallway. So you hear everything and have NO PRIVACY. There is also no "quiet" sign in the hallway near these rooms, which would be something very easy to do to keep the noise down. - The marketing related to all the activities is very deceptive. When they say "monkey trail" or "island visit", that pretty much means that they take you on trails close to the lodge. They also make it seem like you have a choice in what you do, but the reality is that you are put in a group of 6 and need to decide amongst your group. - Food is average. I heard of people having better food on the Inca trail. Prior to this we were on a cruise in the Galapagos and had the most amazing food. It's not because the place is remote - there are people and boats arriving everyday. - Very low value for money - to put the price in perspective - this is the same price per day as a luxury Galapagos cruise Extra tips - if you want to go for the macaws, make sure you go in the right season. There were none at the claylick when we went. It also seems that the patterns of these birds has changed, and I think that they are not being open with people about this, as this place is quite famous for their macaws. - pack clothes that you are prepared to get muddy, and plan to do a wash at your next stop after the Amazon - the animals scare easily, so be prepared to have sightings, but often they are brief ones. The above echoes what other reviewers have said and I've also provided feedback to Tambopata directly.

Visited dry season - late July 2024 Wow, this truly exceeded our expectations... leaving reviews isn't something I typically do.... We spent our first two nights at Posada Amazonas and paid additional in advance to get a private boat transfer to the Tambopata Research center. I advise booking this directly as it meant we got the best advice from the head office as many of the people working there have guided in the past, can answer any questions and know how to make the most of what's on offer. The amount and variety of animals/birds/insects we saw was incredible. Our guide Boris went above and beyond for us especially with his skill in seeing animals we would have otherwise missed. This alongside his knowledge of the rainforest, photography skills, birding ability, demeanor and sense of comradery meant we were always engaged, knew what was going on and felt safe. The rooms we stayed in at the resorts were exactly as advertised and the outdoor bath in the dulux suite was incredible. We had a good variety of tasty food every night and we didn't have any repeats across the two lodges over our five night stay, cocktails available at the bar and the willingness and understanding to include local native ingredients was elite. It being the Amazon you will be damp and depending on the season and humidity your clothes may not dry for days...be prepared and take enough clothes. A pair of binoculars are a must to truly feel like you've made the most of your time; we used them for elusive animals that move on quickly or whilst Boris was establishing a better position with his scope. On the water with a 360 degree view they were a must too! No need to be an expert, once we saw some trees or bushes moving Boris did the rest. The whole experience blew us away! Photos taken on our phones courtesy of Boris were national geographic worthy at times and are now digital treasures we can keep for ever. While five nights might sound like a long time it flew by and meant we could see a wide variety of wildlife and terrains, if you are staying for a shorter time just remember to temper your expectations, embrace whatever is put in front of you be it bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, arachnid or insect; you are choosing to travel to the Amazon rainforest, not a zoo!

Facility was beautiful,buffet was very good and they made special efforts to cook vegetarian dishes.However for having paid 800$ a night rooms were not upto par.They had separate twin beds with no accommodation for couples.The standard oom did not have any place to sit,The shower stall was dirty with stained dirty floors.Rooms are very poorly maintained and water was lukewarm at request.The rooms being open to back and therefore had no heating. It was very cold the nights we were there and there were no extra blankets and we got hot water bottles if lucky on request.

An exceptional travel experience. Expertly guided, we enjoyed days and evenings exploring and adventuring in the rainforest and on the river, seeing and learning about the plants, animals, ecosystems that make this one of the most precious places on the planet. Joselo from Rainforest Expeditions was not only a beautiful, friendly and fun person but an amazingly talented and knowledgeable guide. We can add that the food, service and facilities at the Center were also excellent.

A hard review to write, because while there were positive aspects to our stay at Tambopata (4 nights in July 2024), the grand majority of our experience was boring or even a little miserable. Giving a totally honest list of positives and negatives: Negatives 1. The price tag of $900 per night was absurd for the value we received. We got pretty unlucky and had non-stop rain with cold for 2 of the 3 days straight. While of course that is not Tambopata's fault, they made 0 effort to ensure we enjoyed our experience despite the less than ideal circumstances. They had one activity over the entire two days - a 15 minute "Pisco Sour Lesson" where we watched the bartender made ONE DRINK. That's it. They didn't even offer a taste of the Pisco. You'd think for $900 per night for the basic room they would include one drink for the activity. Ridiculous. To add even more aggravation, you could hear the staff playing billiards/pool the entire day and night, but there was no such entertainment provided for the paying guests... Lastly, they had an onsite masseuse, who sat in the corner on her phone all day. The resort could have offered a 30 minute massage for free to each guest or even a discount on the pricey treatments, again given we're paying $900 per night to sit at the lodge and stare at the rain... 2. The rooms were right next to each other and lacked a wall (which we were aware of in advance, just not the proximity to other rooms). On the left side I could hear a person coughing through the night and on the right, a person snoring. Furthermore, the room was tiny and lacked a fan so again, for $900, we were pretty unimpressed. 3. The food was just alright. The hot soups were very bland and the food was pretty repetitive. They didn't have too many options for me as a vegetarian either. 4. The claylicks, a highlight for most people, were so far away from where we were allowed to stand. You could barely see the birds even with binoculars. 5. We spent sooooo much time waiting for something to happen. Even on the day we had good weather, the activities were long and we had 2 interesting wildlife sightings the entire day (squirrel monkeys and capybara). So, after three days, it's a little hard to remain optimistic and enjoy the scenery. 6. The staff seemed completely indifferent, and no one, including our guide, checked in to see how we were doing the entire time. Positives 1. A group of about 4 macaws visit the lodge each afternoon around lunch. Getting to watch these animals up close was an exciting experience, and my husband got some great photos (see attached) 2. I thought the Night Lectures were really interesting and I enjoyed attending 2 / 3. 3. We were lucky enough to have 1 good day, and a few good pictures. The Amazon itself is a fascinating place. This could have been a fantastic experience, but unfortunately, the price tag is absurd for the value, and the resort did nothing to ensure our experience was as positive as possible when we encount