I am the kind of person who reads the negative reviews first on trip advisor and then is put off, even if the goo massively outweighs the bad. In this case, there is nothing negative and those who did write negative reviews must have entirely different expectations to any normal traveller going to the Amazon.

The Amazon is a jungle, you are going to be far away from civiliasation, do not expect the Hilton and you will be fine. We spent 4 days at the lodge and 4 days at the Research lodge, both are well worth a visit and we actually preferred the Research lodge overall.

I had read that the Research lodge was more basic, it isn't. It is exactly the same just more peaceful. The only difference is that all the bathrooms are shared at the Research lodge. The lodges are built in stilts as the river rises by about 30 foot in the wet season. Everything is natural and blends in to the environment well.

Beds in both places are great. Nice and firm. Exellent pillows. Slept brilliantly every night here.

The food is abundant with great variety every sitting, I was overwhelmed at every meal. Americans will be fine! You can buy Coke and Sprite for about $1.

Mosquitos are bad if you dont wear repellent. We wore ‘Lifesystems Expedition Plus 100% DEET' which I swear by and we only got bitten when we forgot to put it on. I got maybe 10 bites in the week I was there, I know people bang on about deet, but the guests who wore less than 100% were the ones who were bitten, so its down to choice. Would you rather wear chemicals or rather get bitten?

Our guide was Wennie (Weninger) who is the best guide for tracking animals, although not very talkative. If Wennie cant find you an animal, it isnt there. Christian was very likely and fun, great for families with kids with brilliant English.

There is free water and this comes from Coca Cola, it had no taste, despite what some of the other reviewers said - and I am picky.

The showers are cold cold cold but at least they have showers.

There is now solar powered electricity, so the lodges and rooms are illuminated at night, so there is no need for batteries for the lamps that used to be in the rooms.

As all the other reviewers have said, there are numerous activites you can do. Your guide sits with you each night after dinner and plans for the next dinner.I spent one day just being paddled around in a canoe, reading my book. It was so peaceful and I will always remember it.

Paul, the owner who is based in Florida is extremely helpful and responds to emails, requests and changes at speed.

Overall, I couldnt fault this place and we are so glad we pciked this place over anywhere else. Would love to come back one day.

We really enjoyed our time at both the Tahuayo Lodge and the Research Center. The staff was very attentive and helpful. We traveled with children and had no problems. Our guide Christian helped to customize each day's activities and was very patient. The wildlife was utterly amazing and was everywhere we looked. Our kids kept saying "The rainforest is so cool!" The meals were buffet style with selections (occasionally plates if we were the only ones there that meal). There was also PB&J plus bread which the kids added to their meals.

Advice for travelers - we preferred ponchos for the heavy downpours (January), but the thin raincoats worked well on the waterways too. We preferred long sleeve shirts and mosquito head nets for hikes in the forest. The mosquitos will come out even in the rain, so if you are fishing for piranha in the rain, you may still want your nets in case the bug spray washes off.

I was very impressed by how attentive the staff was ... and knowledgable. I didn't really realize that we would have our own personal guide from start to finish which as really great making it so that we could completely personalize our experience. I will say though that the jungle really is tough for some people like myself during the high mosquito season and to make sure to inquire as to exactly what you need to bring to protect yourself. I thought i had totally prepared myself but found that I needed to borrow stuff once i was there.The lodges themselves are great and the guide makes sure that your are busy all the time ... if you so desire. I would highly recommend this company!

Amazonia Expeditions was great. Pre trip info/ communication was excellent. Accommodation at apartment in Iquitos was very good. Transportation to/from airport and lodge was good and part of the experience. Lodges were both very good. Guides were excellent, food was great, and all the people at the lodges, as well as at the villages were very helpful and friendly. Great Job! Gracias!