Extreme Calderon

Amazing experience, but not for everyone. The experience of being in the jungle and meeting the people who actually live there is unbelievable and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves nature. Also the groups can be really small, I happened to be a solo tourist with 2 guides (I didn’t need a translator) and no other groups around. And I would recommend to go either solo or with a very small group for the best experience. Now to what to be aware of: 1) I would not recommend this tour for anyone who is not at least in good physical condition - the road is hard and long and you are carrying a lot of equipment on foot. 2) Mosquito repellent may fail to work in the jungle (as I unfortunately found out). Guides had repellent for the camp but it was also ineffective, only mosquito nets really worked. 3) Bring as little weight as possible with you. I would recommend bringing only 1/3 or even 1/4 of the stuff they recommended (but don’t discard water bottle - I drank almost 2 liters of water per day). Also keep in mind that you’ll need to carry a hammock on top of your personal belongings. 4) You can drink water from the streams, so there no need to bring a lot of your own. I drank it crude without boiling or disinfectant (guides have one if you need it) without any negative consequences, but you’ll have to judge for yourself. 5) Expect to be wet almost all the time. Either from sweat or from rain. Only at the base camps you’ll have the chance to dry off. 6) Depending on your luck and weather conditions you may not see any animals - it’s nature, not a zoo.

I generally don't write review but for this adventure, I have to. It was literally amazing! The translator Jimmy and the two guides Rocky and Patricia were simply the best. Besides the beauty of the jungle, they made this trip unforgettable. Rocky and Patricia are natives and taught me so much about their culture, animals and plants. Rocky can recognize any bird species by its song. Patricia cooks amazingly well. And Jimmy is a great translator. And we had a lot of fun. If you can choose your guides, I would highly recommend them. Now for the trip itself, here is what you need to know. Be prepared to walk a lot. The first day we walked approximately 7 hours. There is a trail that is quite easy to walk. But with the temperature and humidity it's quite challenging. The agency lands you boots to supposedly keep you feet dry. I totally understand the intention since the trail can get pretty muddy or even covered by large puddles after the rain. But my feet ended up wet anyway because of humidity and sweat, and the third day because of the rain. So if I had to do it again (which I will most likely), I would take my hiking shoes. Since my feet were wet most of the time anyway, I would have preferred being at least comfortable. Because my feet were in real pain with those boots. But if you are ok with walking a lot, go for it, it's magical! The first night we camped next to a small river with totally transparent water. Rocky built a shelter with wood and leaves as a roof (normally they carry plastic for better protection). Patricia cooked on fire and we cleaned ourselves in the river. We slept in a hammock with mosquito nets. It was amazing the sleep in the jungle with all those beautiful sounds of the crickets and frogs. I had a very good night. The day after, we left the main trail to walk for 4h on a small trail in the middle of the jungle. The vegetation was super dense and it was sometimes not easy to walk because of it. But I loved it. The sounds and the atmosphere of the jungle were really enchanted. It was the best part of the walk for me. At noon we arrived at the house of a family that lives far from civilization next to the Calderon river. People were super welcoming and warm. The owner was very nice. We went fishing and had the chance to visit their land where they cultivate various fruits, vegetables and cereals. We were lucky enough to see 3 types of monkeys (squirrels monkeys, tocon monkeys and tamarin), tarantulas, two types of frogs, lizards, many species of birds and of insects. The third day we walked back by a different path under a strong rain which was very welcome considering the heat. We slept at the same place than the first night in the jungle and then came back by the main trail the day after, exhausted, but with unforgettable memories and new friends. Thanks again Patricia, Rocky and Jimmy!

This is not a comfortable but an impressed trip. We walked one and a half day in the deep forest to our final destination and another 1.5 days back to the entrance of the jungle. 70% of the time is trekking in the hot and humid forest harassed by mosquitoes. We also need to backpack our personal items, clothiers, hammock, mosquitoes net all the way. However, those difficulties are parts of the purpose of our visit: exploring and experiencing the Amazon jungle life. I would like to thank our jungle experts Rocky and Jesus (Chucho)! They introduced to us various interesting species in the jungle, carried our cooking wares, raw and precooked food, cooked our meals, set up our tent at the camping site, and most important - took care of us so we were never engaged in any danger like stepping on snake. They also found us wild pineapple, mojojoy (a kind of edible worm dwelled in dead palm tree), chontaduro (one kind of palm tree fruit), and caught fish in the creek for us. After twisted my left angle, they gave me traditional herbal remediation which really released my foot pain. I can't imagine how to complete the journey without their help. I would also like to thank Stefeny who did a perfect job to translate Spanish to / from English and hosting us before and after the journey. We saw monkeys, many kinds of birds, tried mojojoy, pineapple, sugar can from Amazon. We participated in setting up campsite from scratch in the jungle. We spent a day with local villagers near the Calderon river. What a unforgettable experience!

The guides were masters of life and brilliant. Really grateful for the show of resilience they showed us. I recommend wearing many pairs of dry stockings because blisters come out.

What an impressive experience! I was lucky enough to be able to do the Calderon Extreme tour alone with two guides. The 1.5-day hike to the accommodation was challenging and very adventurous; if that's what you're looking for, you definitely won't be disappointed! From rubber boots getting stuck in the mud to river crossings where the water reached up to your shoulders, it had it all. The guides were always in a good mood and very motivated. There wasn't a question they couldn't answer for me - after all, they grew up in the jungle themselves. I still think it's amazing how much we did in those 4 days: made açai into juice, went on a canoe tour, went fishing, went on a night hike, tried to climb palm trees, went swimming in the river a lot during the day and, of course, went hiking a lot. There were monkeys, huge spiders, toucans, parrots and even a sloth and a snake to marvel at. I would 100% recommend this tour and will hopefully come back again myself.

Calderon extreme trip made by Tarapoto Amazonas was a unique, with great fun, excellent guide service. The trip was perfectly organized. For 2 tourists, we received 3-person service: two local experts in jungle knowledge: Amador and Gilberto, and a phenomenally beautiful English translator named Luvia. We spent 4 complete days with this group together and in every minute of this trip was something new and interesting for us. The first and last day of the trip were the most difficult part, because it involved an approximately 8-hour walk with a backpack to the camp where we were later stationed. Only gum boots, will work in the jungle, because you have to walk on wet, clay and hilly areas. However, it is possible to complete the route without being in extremely good condition. The guides served meals and took breaks to rest along the way. Even though the water available in the jungle is very clean, it is not recommended for people from outside the Amazon to drink it directly. We were equipped with bottles with a bacteria filter, so we did not have any health problems during our whole trip. The camp in the middle of the jungle is run by the greatest optimist I have ever met - Anibal. Great guy! For 4 days we experienced life in the jungle, we were shown what the life of loners in the jungle is like, we also had a super exciting night trip around the jungle. We felt a family atmosphere in this small group what was absolutelly unexpected. The conditions during your stay in the jungle are primitive, but completely ecological and fully harmonized with the omnipresent nature. A unique trip, LLuvia, Amador and Gilberto are absolutely the best team for jungle expeditions. I recommend it 100%

I’ve never had a better experience. The guide are very good and competent and also always happy to help and explain. I did the calderon tour and it was really well organised. I can only recommend.

It was huge. A huge experience. Completely 100% recommended We walked in on the first day, which was 7 hours walking with light pack.I was told, incorrectly, that "the jungle will eat your shoes...." so "only wear these gumboots". Instead, the tracks are like any national park tracks. If you are happy side-stepping a few puddles you will never have to get your feet wet. At the first stop I switched into my bush/mountain shoes, even though gumboots are the _de rigueur_ wear in the (local) Amazon area. Everyone (else) is wearing them. However, for me, I don't think that it is/was a good idea to wear (effectively) "new" gumboots for seven hours of walking on the first day, and then for three days, and for 8 hours walking on the last day. Stayed at this guy's (Hannibal's) finca in the jungle/amazon/forest which was exceedingly cool and really made the whole thing. Happiest guy I ever met, not a problem in the world. He'd been there for 10 years and what did he have to worry about? If the Apocalypse came he wouldn't even notice. Cool to see that such a life is possible. The guide was great. He'd grown up in this area of the forest, the Amazon, so it was like his neighborhood. Super nice guy. And . . . they supplied a translator who was also excellent, soon to be running his own Amazon adventures. Neither complained about how slow I walked. Did an overnight stay in an impromptu spot in the forest. Everything was very cool. Over the days picked up lots of details about how life works out there, little things. Saw a few of the locals of the forest. It was great, all was good. I think this adventure is only for solo individuals; not sure how they would handle two people. Possibly better suited to guys than girls, but they're pretty inventive, they'd sort something out. Take very little with you - food including coffee is supplied - and it is _really_ hot. Do take maybe seven (or more) t-shirts. When walking you want to put on a new, not-sweat-drenched t-shirt at each stop. Take some soap to hand wash your clothes (i.e t-shirts). *Do* take antihistamines. They should have been supplied. 50% chance you'll need them. Sun screen, though you are usually under the trees. I didn't pay (it was a gift) but I understand that it is around $100/day, which is seems to be around the going rate, what other multi-day, accommodation-and-food attractions are charging.