Are you an exotic animal enthusiast? Do alligators, monkeys, spiders, tarantulas, and other wildlife excite you? How about different species of plants and trees? If you are, then, a trip to The Amazon is probably included in your bucket list.

It is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, which covers around 5.5 million sq. km. or about 3.4 million sq. miles. No wonder, Amazon Jungle Tours are the perfect adventure for nature lovers like you. However, most of these trips cost a fortune, especially if you target popular destinations.

Well, good news! This famous jungle stretches across nine countries, with some of these can give you the same experience and more at a fraction of the price you would normally pay for, say, a Brazilian Amazon trip. The Bolivian Amazon Rainforest has them all, and then some!

Not many people might actually know that Bolivia was also a segment of the southern part of the world-famous Amazon Jungle so they are basically off the radar of jungle enthusiasts. Because of this, not a lot of tourists visit here. You may treat this as an advantage as it only means it is less crowded and you’ll get to enjoy the experience without much interruptions.

Depending on the season of your visit, it can be hot and humid, but some rains can occasionally pour which can make your tour a bit challenging. And since it is a forest, mosquitos can be an added distraction. Reminds me a bit of my visit to Queensland, Australia. I stayed with my friend, Scott, a Rockhampton pressure cleaning expert. We got hit by some might tropical storms that week!

How To Get to Bolivia’s Amazon Jungle

The gateway to Bolivia’s Amazon is the small town of Rurrenabaque in the northern part of the country. To reach this place, you have two options. The first and very convenient way, albeit a bit pricey, is a short flight (40 minutes) from the nation’s capital La Paz.

However, take note that depending on the airline you choose, flight delays and cancellations are not uncommon. Be sure to have plenty of lead time before your scheduled Jungle tour to avoid missing some of the things on your itinerary.

The second option is through a longer bus ride. This is cheaper but can be a little inconvenient. However, this is more reliable than taking a flight, especially for backpackers, although can be sketchy on rare occasions.

You can sign up for your tour of choice directly from here as this place is mainly the starting point. In fact, it is a lot cheaper if you do it this way compared to when you book in advance from La Paz like what most tourists do. What’s nicer is that you can search for a decent place to stay in this town at a very affordable price.

What to Enjoy in This Jungle?

There are two ways to enjoy Amazon in Bolivia: The Pampas and The Jungle.

The Pampas Tours

If you are working on a budget or just want value for money, this is definitely the inexpensive option without being shortchanged in terms of experience. Some of the main stars of this wildlife tour are alligators, capybaras, and squirrel monkeys.

Perhaps the main difference when compared to the classic Amazon jungle experience that some might have already tried was that the pampas, being wetland savannahs, are expected to be seen on the edge of the Amazon basin. However, in this tour, they are deep in the jungle. But the wildlife isn’t that hard to spot due to the lack of trees.

The tour will be composed of the following:

• You’ll be taken to the edge of the jungle via a three-hour jeep ride.
• You’ll hop into a motorized canoe for another three-hour river travel to your lodge. On this specific water trip, you’ll be up close with some amazing wildlife, including capybaras, turtles, squirrel monkeys, and a wide array of birds such as blue kingfishers, eagles, egrets, herons, hoatzin, and roseate spoonbills.
• The lodge situated on the riverside and set among the trees gives off a tranquil atmosphere, which is also a perfect opportunity to spot some wildlife even from your windows. On a good day, you can even spot monkeys taking a peek into your room. Your power source up to 10 PM is a generator so you could enjoy some cold drinks while chilling at the sound of howling monkeys or while watching the sunset.

Just don’t expect too much about the tour guides from cheaper tours as they will not be the most knowledgeable. But they are definitely not that bad and still better than exploring on your own. 

The Jungle

If you are after the real-deal Amazon experience, you should opt for The Jungle tour. This is, understandably, more expensive for a lot of reasons. For one, you will be staying at an eco-lodge, which is a nice and large bungalow where you can also do some nature activities and be served with great food.

Another thing is that all activities will be of higher quality compared to their cheaper counterpart. The trip will be professionally run and guides will be more expert in the field.

Depending on your tour company, these lodges can be reached through a similar three-hour canoe ride with a short jungle trek. There is a wide range of activities that you may want to explore, including, but not limited to the following:

• Canoe trips on the lake which some tourists prefer to do at night so that they can witness caimans and their red glowing eyes. They belong to the family of alligators.
• Piranha fishing.
• Day and night jungle treks.
• Jewellery making using seeds and nuts.

On a side note, jungle treks during the day can be very hot and humid where mosquitoes are plenty. So, make sure to bring any protection if possible.

Also, the possibility that you wouldn’t be able to spot any wildlife can be high at times. However, there will always be giant bugs and spiders to save the day, not to mention, different plants and tree species.