Heading to the Amazon Jungle and seeking some useful Amazon Jungle tips and wildlife spotting techniques? Continue reading to learn some tips I learned when I visited the Amazon Jungle in Peru. Also be sure to read through the wildlife spotting skills and techniques to help maximize your viewing opportunities too!
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Intro
The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse and awe-inspiring places in the world! It is teeming with wildlife, different plant species, and small critters. It is literally a wild place where you will have a will adventure. But if you’re planning to visit the Amazon Rainforest, there are some tips you have to know before you go! These Tips will help you prepare and enjoy your time in the Amazon so you can feel safe, comfortable, and ready for an adventure of a lifetime.
Clothing Tips
1. Wear Lightweight Long Sleeves & Pants
Sure you can bring shorts and tank tops, but the best way to trek the Amazon forest is with long-sleeves and pants. These will keep you safe from mosquitos and any thorny brush and vegetation.
But if you so wish to wear shorts and a tank top, DO bring the GOOD insect repellant to keep your exposed skin safe (which I’ll link to later).
2. Wear Neutral Colors
Bright colors often detract wildlife but attract bugs and mosquitos. So wear neutral earthy-tone colors such as brown, green, and beige. These colors will help you blend into the environment, and won’t scare away wildlife.
3. Quick Dry Everything
Humidity is intense and all your clothes will get wet. Bring clothing made of synthetic fibers so that they dry easily and you don’t feel wet and soggy the entire time.
4. Bring Good Hiking Shoes
You will be walking a ton when out in the Amazon Jungle, so be sure to bring good hiking shoes with good ankle support, good sole grip, are waterproof, and that you’re already comfortable walking in.
5. Pack a Rain Jacket or Poncho
You are in a Rainforest, famous for its rains, so bring a light waterproof rain jacket or poncho to keep your clothes dry, and you comfortable.
6. Don’t Forget a Hat & Sunglasses
Bringing a hat is a must to protect your head from any falling leaves or brush from the trees above. Additionally, it will help protect you from the sun. Same with sunglasses.
7. Bring a Personal Fan
It is hot and humid out in the Amazon Jungle, so a big tip is to bring a personal fan. I brought a neck fan that simply hung around my neck and blew air up to my face. This also helps keep the bugs away from your face too! But be sure to minimize the fan sounds and keep it on the lowest setting if possible. I brought the below fan with me and used it all the time:
Small and perfect to use for longer durations and while doing activities as it simply hangs connected from your neck.
8. Bring a Backpack for the Amazon Treks
Do bring a backpack to hold your essentials during an Amazon trek. Things like bug spray, bug repellant lotion, water, personal fan, and any medications are must-brings on any trek.
Bug Protection Tips
9. Use a Strong Bug Repellant Spray
This is a big and probably the MOST important tip: BRING STRONG INSECT REPELLANT! Bringing one with either DEET or Picardin will surely keep you safe from pesky mosquito bites. I brought the spray linked below, and it kept me safe from bug bites even when I opted to wear a tank top in the Amazon Rainforest! So I can’t recommend it enough!
10. Use a Bug Repellant Lotion For Your Face
You still have to keep your face protected from insect bites, but spraying it is uncomfortable and also unsafe to breathe in directly. So bring an Insect repellant in lotion form so you can easily apply and re-apply it to your face. I brought this lotion and it kept me safe from but bits on my face! So I can’t recommend it enough!
11. Bring After-Bite Suction or Zapper
In case you do get bit by insects, bring a couple after-bite remedies to help minimize the bite effects. The After-bite suction is best used with new bites where it will essentially suck the insect “poison” out of the bite, therefore minimizing size and itch effects. The After-bite zapper will actually use an electric current which also minimizes the itch effects afterwards. Both of these are linked below:
12. Bring After-Bite Anti-Itch Cream
To further help not feel any itch effects, get after-bit anti-itch cream! This will help keep you from scratching your bites and making it much worse:
Amazon Adventure Tips
13. Keep Your Distance
You will be trekking through the Amazon Rainforest on foot, so if you come across a wild animal, keep your distance! Keep you and the animal safe and don’t approach it! The animals are wild so they can react in unexpected ways.
14. Listen to the Guide
Always listen to your guide and follow any directions they may have. They are the expert in navigating the terrain, trekking through the jungle, and also understanding animal behavior. So it’s best to listen to their advice for you own safety as well as the protection of the wildlife and forest health.
15. Stay Quiet & Patient
Spotting wildlife requires a ton of patience and silence. Animals will run away if they hear loud sounds so
if you remain still and quiet (also per your guide’s instructions), animals are more likely to come and stay in view.
Additionally, understand that the animals are wild and roam the forest as they please and may not be at every turn, so it helps to be extremely patient. On many of the Amazon treks, we did not spot any monkeys, but towards the end, we were pleasantly surprised to see so many different monkey species! It definitely took a bit of patience over a course of 3 days in the Amazon
16. Respect Wildlife and Their Habitat
This goes without saying but it also must be said – RESPECT THE WILDLIFE & THEIR HOME. If you’re near any animals, maintain your distance and never ever try to feed or touch them. They are wild animals and respecting their space ensures your safety as well as preserves their wild natural behavior.
Additionally, please do not litter! Dispose of your waste properly to minimize your impact on the environment.
17. Do Not Touch Unknown Plants
The Amazon Rainforest is filled with different and unique plant species. What makes some of the plants so unique are their defense mechanisms to keep animals from eating them, such as being poisonous or having sharp thorns. So to not test your luck, do NOT touch any unknown plants. Your guide should also identify these dangerous plants to inform and keep you away from them.
18. Embrace the Unexpected
Amazon treks are very unpredictable, so it’s best to be prepared for any unexpected events. In the rainforest, it will be weather. For me, it spontaneously rained pretty hard and made all the trails muddy, wet, and full of small pools of water. But, the lodge I stayed with had rain boots for their guests for exactly this reason. So we were walking through deep pools of water while on our treks. This turned out to actually be sort of fun for me since it was different and really made me realize I was in the rainforest. However, the best unexpected moments are hands-down a surprise animal since the best sightings happen when you least expect them.
Contrarily, however, animal sightings are also not guaranteed since the wild animals will be where they’ll be. It’s important to acknowledge and understand that sightings aren’t always to be expected so that not seeing any wild animals won’t get you down on your trip.
Regardless of what unexpected mishaps or blessings you may encounter though, embracing them will add to the adventure and make your Amazon experience unique.
Wildlife Spotting Skills and Techniques
19. Scan the Trees
To start looking for wildlife, scan through the tree tops in a zig-zag motion, top to bottom. You’ll likely spot birds, monkeys, and even sloths in the trees.
Scan the Trees and spot Monkeys • photos by Jeanie A
20. Use Binoculars
Start scanning the trees with the naked eye first to see if there’s anything obvious, then move on to using your binoculars to look for any details/clues of wildlife. Binoculars (like 8x, 10x, or 12x magnification) would be ideal. I also used the large zoom on my camera to help spot (and also photograph) animals.
21. Look for Movement & Colors that Stand Out
If there’s no obvious whole animal in view, then look for movements, colors, or shapes that stand out from the rest of the surroundings. Things to look for that can be indicators of nearby wildlife include: tails swaying, sudden tree/bush movements, or birds suddenly flying.
Spotted different colored animals • photos by Jeanie A
22. Check Water Sources
Animals tend to live near or visit water sources frequently to hydrate themselves. This is usually a sure fire way to find some animals, especially caiman. During our Amazon visit, we took a boat ride on Lake Sandoval and this is where we saw the most wildlife! We spotted monkeys, bats, caiman, and tons of different bird species!
Lake Sandoval Animal Sightings • photos by Jeanie A
23. Listen to Sounds
This is when being quiet really comes in handy. When listening for animals, try to listen for sounds of leaves or bushes rustling, twigs cracking, and birds chirping. These sounds are clues for wildlife activity. Birds and other animals can also signal the presence of predators as well.
24. Camera with a Zoom Lens
Capture all the wildlife sightings of your Amazon Jungle adventure with a high-quality camera. Be sure to bring extra memory cards, batteries or its charger and a power bank. These items made sure I didn’t miss any incredible photo opportunities. To photograph wildlife from afar, I also had a zoom lens, which is extremely useful to capture amazing close-up shots.
Capuchin Monkeys in the trees • photos by Jeanie A
Health & Safety Tips
25. Bring Blister Care Band-aids
It is always best to bring hiking shoes that are already “broken in” and that you’re comfortable hiking in, but I understand that having these aren’t always the case. So since you will be walking a lot in the Amazon Jungle, bring blister care band-aids in case your shoes cause you discomfort.
26. Bring Stomach Medicine
You will be eating foods in seemingly the middle of nowhere. So just to be safe from any unexpected stomach issues, bring stomach/gastrointestinal medications. Medicine such as Tums, Gas-X, Imodium, and Pepto Bismol will aid in any unexpected issues that may arise. This is really just a precaution too by the way. I, fortunately, did not have any stomach issues in the Amazon Rainforest but it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.
27. Bring Water & Stay Hydrated
On every Amazon trek you take, bring water!!! Keep yourself hydrated while hiking since dehydration hits faster when out in jungle heat.
28. Consult Doctor for Vaccine Requirements/Recommendations
Consult with your doctor and ask if there’s any vaccines you are required to take, or that they recommend before heading to the Amazon. They probably will recommend taking malaria pills, and some countries may require yellow fever vaccinations.
Lodge & Tour Planning Tips
29. Pick a Lodge that Includes Amazon Tours
The most convenient way to experience the Amazon Rainforest is by selecting a lodge that also already offers tours, or even multi-day tours! These tours usually comes with an expert guide that will go through the Amazon jungle with you and provide interesting facts and information about the Rainforest and all the flora and fauna you come across. They’re also expert wildlife spotters, so they are your best chance to maximize spotting wildlife.
Amazon Lodge I Went With
I stayed with Corto Maltes Amazonia Lodge who included a 3-Day tour of the Amazon Jungle. I highly recommend them! To find out why, check out my post 3-Day Lake Sandoval Tour Review (Corto Maltes Amazonia Lodge).
You can book your stay with Corto Maltes Amazonia Lodge (includes the 3-Day Lake Sandoval Tour) by clicking here, or search availability for your dates in the widget below:
30. Understand that Comfort is Relative
This Amazon Jungle tip is a biggie and one that I didn’t realize until I was out there. It is important to understand that comfort is relative. Your lodge might have strict electricity outages and limited Wi-Fi connectivity. Even the luxury lodges may have these comfort limitations.
31. Be Prepared for Bugs
I gots to mention: the BUGS! They do run rampant as the Rainforest does harbor these pesky critters, even when you’re on lodge grounds. So:
- Make use of the mosquito net over the bed and tuck it under the mattress
- Stuff your shoes with small towels or socks (especially if you’re keeping them outside to dry)
- Always zip up your luggage and bags when you’re not actively using them
Final Words
Visiting the Amazon Rainforest is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you heading to this world-famous Jungle, then it’s best to be prepared for anything! Following and applying these tips will ensure your the Amazon Jungle adventure is the most comfortable, safe, and enjoyable as it can be.
What are your favorite Amazon Jungle Tips?
Tell me about them in the comments below!
(peruvian spanish “thank you!”)
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