Some people change the cut or color of their hair on an impulse. I went on an Amazon cruise. About a year ago, friends called and said, “Hey, we’re going on an Amazon river cruise, want to come?” I looked at my wife and, without research or reflection, said, “Sure.” I am normally a thoughtful and deliberate person, but some of my best adventures have come when I have just said, “What the hell, let’s go”. That’s how we wound up on a sailboat in the fjords of eastern Greenland and on a research ship in Arctic Norway.
Most of our trips are to first-world countries with nice hotels and restaurants. But some of the most memorable trips—maybe even life-changing—are the ones that feel as if we’re visiting the back of beyond. The Amazon was definitely one of those trips. We took a Lindblad cruise aboard the Delfin II in January of 2026. Our international flight was from Los Angeles to Lima. We then took a local flight to Iquitos and from there a two-hour bus ride to Nautas. It all went smoothly, but on each leg we felt more and more removed from ordinary life.
When one hears “jungle”, it usually connotes slogging through vines in humid air with an eye out for snakes and spiders. During the high-water season (roughly December through May) in Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, what you actually find is something very different. The forest is flooded. Completely. Water levels can rise 20 to 30 feet, turning vast areas of jungle into a submerged landscape where trees rise directly out of still black water. What would normally be the forest floor becomes a navigable labyrinth of waterways.
This Lindblad Expeditions cruise was less about trekking through jungle trails and more about exploring a flooded ecosystem by skiff. And that shift changes everything. By the way, if you came back in October, it would be a very different experience with low water levels and a transformed landscape.
Surprise #1: The Jungle Is Completely Flooded
One of the first things that surprises visitors is how thoroughly the landscape transforms during high water. Rather than traveling along narrow riverbanks, skiffs glide directly through the forest itself. Tree trunks rise from the water, branches hang overhead, and narrow corridors open between submerged vegetation. There are vast lakes covered with giant lily pads and sea plants.
The experience feels less like boating along a river and more like floating through a cathedral of trees. Because the water level is so high, expedition skiffs can enter small creeks—called caños—that are inaccessible during the dry season. These channels provide remarkably intimate access to wildlife and to parts of the forest that most travelers never see. The guides and boat drivers will suddenly turn the skiff straight at the wall of vegetation and pick a path through the trees. On the other side, they find a vast opening.
For many visitors, the defining experience of the trip becomes these quiet “water safaris,” drifting slowly through flooded forest while naturalists scan the canopy for movement.
Surprise #2: It’s More About Wildlife Than Scenery
Unlike destinations such as Patagonia or Iceland, the Amazon is not primarily a landscape destination. There are no majestic mountains. No volcanoes. No rushing rapids. The scenery is beautiful—endless green forest, vast brown rivers, glowing sunsets—but the real focus quickly becomes wildlife. And that wildlife operates on a very different scale than many travelers expect.
This is not an African safari where elephants and lions appear dramatically beside the vehicle. Instead, animals are often hidden in the canopy, high above the water. You might spend several minutes scanning a tree before spotting a sloth curled in a fork of branches, or watch a troop of squirrel monkeys dart across the treetops before disappearing into foliage. Birdlife is particularly spectacular. Scarlet macaws flash overhead, toucans perch on exposed limbs, and fruiting trees attract clusters of parrots and tanagers.
Meanwhile, pink and gray river dolphins frequently surface beside the skiffs, adding an almost surreal element to the experience. The key is patience—and sharp-eyed naturalists who can spot movement where most travelers would see only leaves. The naturalists have Ana’s almost supernatural ability to spot wildlife. A lump on a branch becomes an iguana. Leaves rustling in the trees reveal a troop of monkeys.
Surprise #3: Photography Is Challenging (and Rewarding)
Photographers quickly discover that the Amazon is one of the most technically challenging wildlife environments in the world.
Two factors make it difficult. First, the light is dim. Even at midday, the dense canopy blocks much of the sun, creating low-light conditions that demand higher ISO settings and fast lenses. Second, most animals are far away and often moving fast. And for an added bonus, it may well be raining.
Monkeys, birds, and sloths are often 40 to 80 feet above the water, partially hidden in branches. That means long lenses are essential. In my case, I brought a setup with 420mm of reach, and it was barely enough. A 600mm lens would have been even better. Travelers interested in photography should strongly consider dedicating their weight allowance and budget to the longest lens they can reasonably carry.
In contrast, a smartphone is perfectly adequate for onboard moments—photos of meals, life on the ship, and sunset views from the deck. But when the skiff stops beneath a tree, and a troop of monkeys suddenly explodes into motion overhead, you will be grateful for every extra millimeter of focal length.
Surprise #4: The Days Start Early—and Are Surprisingly Full
Life on an Amazon expedition ship follows the rhythms of the rainforest. Wildlife is most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, so the schedule reflects that reality. Most days begin with coffee around 5:45 a.m. and boarding the skiffs by 6:00 a.m. Morning excursions often last several hours before returning to the ship for breakfast. A second outing usually follows later in the morning.
After lunch comes a welcome midday break, when passengers rest, edit photos, or watch the rainforest drift past from the observation deck. The afternoons frequently include lectures from the expedition team—covering everything from Amazon ecology to regional history and indigenous culture. Lindblad Expeditions works hard to explain the history, ecology and culture of the regions that they travel through.
Then it’s back into the skiffs again in the late afternoon as wildlife activity picks up. The experience is exhilarating—but the days are long. The food aboard the Delfin was constantly excellent. The menus were ambitious and featured local produce and Peruvian recipes. The crew from the captain to the deck hands were amazing.
Surprise #5: Life Along the River Feels Suspended in Time
Not all of the journey takes place in the wilderness. Lindblad itineraries also include visits to small Amazonian communities along the river. One stop on our itinerary was Amazonas village, where residents live in houses built on tall wooden stilts above the flooded ground. The villages feel both timeless and quietly modern. Wooden homes stand above the waterline, while satellite dishes and occasional electricity hint at the outside world.
Residents depend heavily on the river for transportation and daily life. Boats serve the role that cars do elsewhere. Education appears to be a priority in many communities, although children may travel significant distances—often by boat—to attend school. Visitors can also learn about local crafts and traditions, offering a glimpse into the human side of the Amazon ecosystem.
The Real Magic of the Flooded Forest
The Amazon has a reputation as an intimidating wilderness, but traveling through the flooded forest by expedition ship reveals a different side of the region. Skiffs drift quietly through submerged trees. Macaws pass overhead. Pink dolphins surface beside the boat.
The rainforest hums with sound—frogs, insects, birds, and distant howler monkeys echoing across the water. In many ways, the high-water season offers the Amazon at its most immersive.
You’re not simply traveling along the edge of the forest. You’re floating through the living heart of it.
Things you should know about The Amazon
Why the world’s greatest river system feels less like a destination and more like a planet unto itself.
1. It is enormous. The Amazon Basin covers about 2.7 million square miles — roughly 40 percent of South America.
2. It contains the world’s largest rainforest. The Amazon rainforest spans about 1.4 billion acres, making it the biggest tropical rainforest on Earth.
3. It crosses most of northern South America. The Amazon extends across eight countries plus French Guiana.
4. The river is one of the longest on Earth. At more than 4,000 miles long, the Amazon is generally ranked just behind the Nile.
5. It is the biggest river by volume. No river on Earth moves more water. The Amazon pours nearly 3 billion gallons per minute into the Atlantic.
6. It makes other great rivers look small. Its flow is more than four times the Congo’s and about ten times the Mississippi’s.
7. It holds a remarkable share of the planet’s freshwater. The Amazon contains about 20 percent of the world’s liquid freshwater.
8. Its biodiversity is almost beyond comprehension. Roughly 1 in 10 known species on Earth lives in the Amazon.
9. It is one of the planet’s great carbon vaults. The forest stores vast amounts of carbon, making it critical to the global climate.
10. In flood season, the forest becomes a water world. Huge areas go underwater, turning the Amazon into a landscape of skiffs, canopy wildlife, and flooded forest rather than conventional scenery.
