The Magic of the Amazon with Delfin✨
⚜️Welcome to the Jungle ⚜️
The jungle felt like another world as we slowly walked through it listening to the sound of unfamiliar birds and looking around intensely for any signs of life. The air was hot and dense and the smell of mosquito repellent lingered. Suddenly in the distance I saw a blue flash. Not blue like the sky but a bright electric blue. The colour was made even more vibrant due to the solid backdrop of jungle greenery that it flew past..
That’s a blue Morpho butterfly explained our guide. He continued to tell us it was quite rare to see one fly so close and that the local people see it as a sign of good luck - and after a difficult few years I was more than happy to receive a good luck blessing. We were extremely lucky on this walk as the blue butterfly flew past us 3 times.
It certainly was a surreal feeling to be standing in the middle of the Amazonian jungle watching this stunning blue Morpho butterfly glide past. Today was day 3 of my time cruising along the Amazon and so far it had been a magical experience and beyond anything I could have imagined.
To me the Amazon always felt like an out of reach place that other people would visit - the kind of person who was much more adventurous than I was. I had been offered this opportunity almost a year ago and several times I had considered cancelling - the risk adverse part of my brain was worried and didn’t think we should go. However as I stood there watching this magical blue butterfly I was so happy that I had decided to be brave and push myself out of my extremely comfortable comfort zone. The recent losses I had experienced have taught me that you only get one chance at life and you really do need to make the most of life and any opportunities you are given ✨
⚜️Starting our Amazon Journey⚜️
Our Amazonian journey began as we landed in the city of Iquitos - often described as one of the world's most remote cities. There is no road connecting it to the rest of Peru and the only way to get there is by plane or a days long boat trip. This was only the start of our Amazon adventure and just being in this remote city had already given me a sense of adventure.
The Delfin experience starts at the airport where we are met by the Delfin crew who check us in and take care of our luggage. We then board the Delfin private coach transfer and once onboard they even provided us with a lunchbox for the journey - with delicious food made from local produce.
From the airport we then drove to Nauta which is a port town on the banks of the Marañón River and our gateway to the Amazon. Once in Nauta we would board Delfin III and begin our journey into the Amazon and the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
The drive to Nauta was an interesting introduction to a much less-developed part of Peru. It took us through small but busy communities and along bumpy roads, with roadside stalls selling food, fruit juices and local produce - and there were tuk tuks everywhere! There were also lots of dogs. One of the things I found interesting from my time in Peru was how many dogs there are on the streets - and most of them seemed to be well fed.
Once we arrived in Nauta we were taken to Delfin’s private embarkation lounge - a beautiful open air thatched pavillion that felt a world away from the dusty roads we had travelled along. Here we completed our final embarkation formalities before making our way along the private jetty, where skiffs carried us across to the waiting Delfin III. And now the exciting part of our journey begins…
⚜️The Delfin Experience⚜️
The experience with Delfin was wonderful and offered a perfect balance between adventure and comfort.
Over the four days we were on our cruise we went piranha fishing, went on skilffs searching for wildlife, kayaked through the waterways, visited an Amazonian community and even had the opportunity to swim in the Amazon.
Delfin's itineraries are designed around an immersive style of exploration, with excursions taking place several times a day (depending on the itinerary and also the conditions).
We received our daily programme each morning on a chalk board. Days started early and there was plenty of exploration to do each day - along with a little bit of well needed relaxation time between activities. Our days were spent exploring the rainforest and waterways by skiff and taking part in different excursions, before returning to the boat to relax, enjoy a meal and take in the ever-changing scenery.
Cruising on the Amazon feels very different from a traditional ocean cruise. It is is of course a much smaller and much more intimate vessel (which blends well into the environment), and instead of looking out towards an endless ocean horizon, we were continually surrounded by dense rainforest and winding waterways.
And although you don't necessarily see wildlife around every corner, there was always the feeling that you were completely immersed in nature. There was an excitement that came from never quite knowing what might appear on an excursion - or in our case, what might occasionally make its way onto the ship!
At one point, a baby anaconda made its way on board, giving us a very close-up encounter with one of the Amazon's most fascinating creatures.
⚜️Accommodation on Delfin III⚜️
Our suite on Delfin III was an upper suite. It was extremely comfortable, well designed and a lovely retreat at the end of a day spent exploring the Amazon.
The suite has been design to blend naturally with the environment, using warm woods, natural colours and understated, earthy décor that feels very much at home in the rainforest.
The large floor-to-ceiling windows were one of my favourite features, giving us an uninterrupted view of the river and jungle beyond. There really was something very special about waking up each morning and looking out to the Amazon river or the rainforest.
**Delfin III accommodates up to 44 guests in 22 suites**
⚜️Dining on the Amazon⚜️
One of the things I loved about cruising with Delfin was the amazing food! As part of Relais & Châteaux, I was expecting a high standard, but the cuisine really was amazing and the dining one of the highlights of our time on board.
The food is a set menu with the chefs making wonderful use of local Peruvian and Amazonian ingredients. The meals were delicious and gave us the opportunity to try flavours and ingredients that we wouldn’t usually get to experience at home.
We enjoyed everything from heart of palm salad to Peruvian-style lomo saltado and corvina fish tiradito. There was also doncella fish served over a warm cocona sauce with quinoa solterito, and a delicious chicken breast stuffed with vegetables and served with bacon, cheese and yuca gnocchi.
Desserts were just as delicious and gave us another opportunity to experience some of the unusual flavours of the Amazon. While onboard we enjoyed an Amazonian custard apple flan with copoazú foam, pineapple bavarois with caramelised almond and arazá foam and aguaje palm cheesecake- all very tasty, beautifully presented and made with ingredients that gave us another taste of the region.
One evening we even had the opportunity to taste a piranha that caught during one of our excursions and then prepared by the chefs on board.
I was also impressed by how accommodating the Delfin team was with dietary requirements. I am gluten free and was well looked after throughout the journey, with the kitchen happy to adapt dishes and make sure I always had plenty of delicious choices. I certainly didn’t go hungry at any stage!
⚜️What wildlife will you see on an Amazon cruise?⚜️
At the start of our cruise we were given a guide listing many of the creatures that could be found in the area. Each time the guide pointed out a bird, insect or animal I made a note. The list kept growing and, just to name a few, included:
Squirrel monkey
Spider monkeys
Saki monkey - also know as a flying monkey for it’s ability to leap through the canopy
Pink dolphins
Grey dolphins
A poisonous dart frog - not the most poisonous type but I still didn’t want to get close!
Blue and yellow macaws
Scarlet macaws - which mate for life
Turkey vultures
Black vultures
Great egrets
Herons
Kingfishers
A hummingbird
Parakeets
Long nose bats
Black collared hawks
Red-throated caracaras
Horned screamers, whose call sounds strangely like a donkey.
A baby whip snake that can grow up to 7ft (which appeared in the water just after we had been swimming)
The Jacana - also known as the Jesus Christ bird for it’s ability to walk across the water using giant water lillies.
Seeing the pink river dolphins was definitely one of my favourite moments. One evening I was relaxing in our suite before dinner and watched several swimming alongside us as the sun was setting - it was certainly was one of those surreal ‘pinch me’ moments moments!
And as if seeing pink dolphins wasn’t amazing enough there were also grey dolphins! These were much more energetic than the pink ones (and also slightly easier to photograph). On a couple of our excursions we found a group of them swimming around our skiff and leaping out from the muddy-coloured water.
Until I booked this holiday, I had no idea that there were any dolphins in the Amazon - let alone pink ones!
One of the interesting facts that we learnt about the Amazon river dolphins was that the local communities traditionally believe that dolphins can take human form. Because of this they are treated with respect and traditionally aren’t hunted as it is believed that it could bring bad luck.
Another memorable highlight of the trip was spotting a beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly on our jungle walk. Its bright electric-blue wings stood out against the dense green rainforest.
Then there were the macaws - and the noise that came with them!. Seeing (and hearing!) pairs of them flying overhead against the vast green jungle landscape was another reminder that we were actually in the middle of the Amazon!
And after several days of looking (and on our very last excursion!), we finally saw a sloth in the wild - a brown-throated three-toed sloth. Our guide told us that they such a slow metabolism that they comes down from the trees only about once a week.
The Delfin guides really were amazing and so skilled at what they do. They were also incredibly knowledgeable and it was wonderful to learn more about the amazing creatures we were seeing.
Wildlife encounters are a big part of an Amazon adventure, but you never know exactly what you’ll see (which is part of the excitement). Although for me, spotting that sloth was the moment that made the whole trip!
⚜️Carola - the Shamaness⚜️
One day two of our trip we met Carola, a local shamaness. Becoming a shaman is a long journey and one that is often passed on from an elder. Carola’s grandfather was a shaman and her teacher. He recognised that she had the gift and she then underwent eight years of training. She told us how she spent the eight years living deep in the forest while she completed her traning learning about all about the plants and remedies of the jungle.
The process to become a shamen is very strict and those who have been chosen live on a diet of fish, water and plantain - they aren’t allowed to eat any salt, sugar, alcohol or fatty foods. Isolation is required to avoid distraction and temptations and no sex is allowed.
It is certainly a life changing commitment and not one suited to everyone who has been chosen. Carola trained alongside two young men who followed the restrictions but gave up after three years. Carola completed the full eight year process and became a shamaness.
Today Carola works as a shamaness using the plants and herbs found in the rainforest to make ointments and potions to treat a range of ailments. She showed us some of the ingredients she uses, including tree sap which turns white when rubbed between the fingers, and explained how it can be combined with black caiman fat to make an ointment. She also showed us patchouli roots and shacapa leaves, which each have their own traditional uses.
People come to find her by boat or canoe when they need help. She doesn’t ask people to pay her and sometimes they bring her food instead.
She also spoke to us about ayahuasca, the traditional Amazonian plant medicine, with a great deal of respect. She explained how the preparation involves the ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaves, which are boiled for many hours to create a concentrated drink. The ceremony takes place at night and, according to Carola, the experience can be very different for each person. She described people experiencing laughter and happiness, seeing things or hearing voices, and sometimes confronting physical or emotional issues. Vomiting and diarrhoea are also well known side effects and often interpretted as being a cleansing and often part of the process.
Although it was really interesting to learn about ayahuasca, I am definitely not tempted to try a ceremony myself!
⚜️Celebrating the Birthplace of the Amazon⚜️
On our final evening we gathered on the sun deck at the place our guides call the birthplace of the Amazon — the Unión de los Ríos, near Nauta, where the Marañón and Ucayali rivers meet to form what most countries consider the start of the Amazon itself. You can actually see the difference in the water, because each river is coloured by where it has come from. Everyone was handed a glass of sparkling wine and we had a little ceremony to mark the moment - and with perfect timing, a rainbow appeared over the forest.
⚜️Visiting the community of San Francisisco⚜️
The Amazon isn’t simply wilderness; it’s also home to communities who have lived alongside the river for generations. On our third day we visited the riverside community of San Francisco - where traditional indigenous life sits alongside the realities of modern life. It was really interesting to visit their community and learn about how they live.
We arrived by skiff and were welcomed on the hill by women dressed in beautiful traditional clothing - they wore white blouses decorated with colourful ribbons and geometric patterns. We then walked up the hill into the village, where we were met by some lovely ladies who were preparing lunch.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to learn about everyday life in the community - from preparing local staples such as yuca and fish to seeing how natural plants are used to dye palm fibres for colourful woven handicrafts.
We also learned how natural plants are used to dye fibres and watched as chambira palm was hand-spun into cordage, which they then use to make items such as baskets, placemats and jewellery. At the end of our visit tables of handmade crafts were set out for us to buy. I came home with a woven plate featuring a blue morpho butterfly and a little woven macaw - a lovely reminder of our visit.
As we walked around we saw children out doing their chores and also playing handball and volleyball - one of the girls in our group joined it to play volleyball with them. It was an active time of the day and the people of the community were out and about getting on with their daily tasks.
One of my most interesting memories from the community, was something so simple yet for some reason surprising. Inside one of the rustic wooden buildings, powered by the village generator, a group of local men were completely absorbed in a FIFA match on a huge television. It was the combination of the traditional and the modern that I found particularly interesting.
I had also imagined the Amazon as such remote part of the world, yet as we travelled around, I did notice how much modern technology was part of everyday life - from mobile phone towers in the town of Nauta to televisions in riverside communities. Although I was trying to live in the moment I did also notice that I had cellphone reception the whole time I was there.
It was such fascinating contrast: ancient traditions and lifestyles existing alongside smartphones, electricity and football on a giant TV.
The Amazon may feel a world away, but modern life has certainly made its way here too.
⚜️The people⚜️
Cruising with Delfin gave us the opportunity to experience the Amazon in a way that combined adventure, comfort and genuine immersion in the environment. The scenery and wildlife may be what brings you to the Amazon, but it was the people who really brought the whole experience to life.
The Delfin crew are all local to the region, and their warmth, enthusiasm and knowledge of the Amazon came through every day. From our guides taking us out on excursions to the team looking after us back on board, it was the Delfin people who really made the whole trip so special. There was also a genuine sense of pride in sharing their part of the world with us which made the experience feel much more than simply a cruise.
⚜️Memories that will stay with me forever⚜️
Four days passed by incredibly quickly, but I came home with so many amazing memories from our Delfin cruise - kayaking through the rainforest, pink dolphins at sunset, grey dolphins jumping out of the muddy Amazon River, stunning macaws flying overhead, the beautiful blue Morpho butterfly, piranha fishing, swimming in the river, learning from a shamaness, visiting the birthplace of the Amazon and finally, after all the searching, spotting that elusive sloth.
The Amazon really is such an extraordinary part of the world, with an ecosystem unlike anywhere else I have experienced. Our four days exploring this amazing part of Peru exceeded all of my expectations in ways I hadn't anticipated. Each day brought us a new adventure, unexpected wildlife encounters and moments that I know I'll remember for a very long time.
Visiting the Amazon also pushed me outside my comfort zone, which was part of what made the experience so rewarding. More than anything, it left me with a much greater appreciation for both the beauty and fragility of the Amazon and the importance of protecting it.
Jennie @ Deluxe Wanderlust xx
