When you’re planning your Colombian trip, you get the excitement butterflies and the stress bubbles because there’s so much to see and do that one can easily get overwhelmed. No matter how much you research, everything looks amazing so how do you narrow it down? Easy.
I chatted with the travel experts at Uncharted Colombia to discuss what the non-negotiable activities are when visiting the Colombian Amazon and they filled me in. So whether you want to see lots of wildlife, become one with the locals or get some active thrills, this list should work for every type of adventure traveler. Just make sure to bring a good camera to capture the snaps!
Discover the Tanimboca Natural Reserve
The Amazon is known for many wondrous and sometimes dangerous animals so why not take a closer look in the jungle at the Tanimboca reserve. Known to house one of the world’s largest and most biodiverse snake populations, it’s no wonder many monster movies take place in Amazonian waters. But if snakes are not your speed, there’s also a variety of beautiful birds, small animals and butterflies.
This protected reserve is located near Leticia, one of the major ports located on the Amazon River. The small town has roughly 33,000 inhabitants and is known as Tres Fronteras as this is where Colombia, Brazil and Peru meet.
Fun fact: This major port located at Leticia is home to many tropical fish that are packaged and sent around the world to pet shops and aquarium enthusiasts. So if you look at your office freshwater fish tank, you’ll likely have a friend or two in there who started out in Colombia.
photo by Apollo via Flickr
Meet the Huitoto People
Once you’ve trekked through the Amazon jungle and have seen a few creatures, it’s time to meet the locals. One of the local indigenous people that live along the Amazon River is the Huitoto (also spelled Witoto). The Huitoto are very artistically talented and they make a variety of crafts and art including dolls, masks, rattles and blowguns. They use all natural materials to make these items like bark and their own vegetable dyes. They often use the bark from inside a fig tree and pound it until it gets to be a paper-like consistency. They then use this to create these crafts as well as their clothes. Today, the Huitoto wear western clothes and only the traditional outfits for ceremonies. But traditionally, both men and women wear short skirts made out of this special paper-bark with the women going topless.
Known for only farming for the need of the people, they do not sell any excess crops to the mass market and they are very diligent to practice the slash and burn method to make sure that they don’t deplete the land of nutrients due to over-farming. As for protein, they use blowguns to hunt everything from monkeys to wild boar.
photo by Zemlinki! Via Flickr
Visit Marasha Natural Reserve
Visit the Peru side of life in Marasha. Since Peru is so close, it’s easy to get here by boat. Just watch out for the notorious piranha! For those who love water activities and are starting their trip from Leticia, this is the best place to fish and enjoy kayaking. You might even see a pink river dolphin – they are both beautiful and creepy but definitely a must-see if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse.
Once you get to the reserve, you’ll enjoy the jungle atmosphere and the biodiversity and sounds of a variety of monkeys that live in the area. Marasha also has a host of resident wild animals that visit the lodge regularly. These include capybaras --- hog-sized rodents that are cute for most but terrifying for rodent haters!
Meet the Ticuna People and the Woolly Monkeys
You’ve met the Huitoto tribe so now it’s time to meet the Ticuna people. The indigenous Ticuna reside in communities in and around the Amacayacu National Natural Park and are considered the largest indigenous population in all of the Amazon.
Unlike some other indigenous tribes in the area, the Ticuna have practiced endogamy or the practice of only marrying within one’s own people and not mixing with outsiders. This was mostly due historically to not being too close to trade waters. They are also known for creating beautiful wood handicrafts and accessories. They have their own language called Ticuna but many today are trilingual, knowing Portuguese and Spanish as well. And like the Huitoto, the Ticuna wear western clothing and do traditional clothing for ceremonies and tourists only. They practice shamanism and have specific ceremonies for men and women when they come of age.
The Ticuna who live in Mocagua, an area just outside of Amacayacu, are particularly interesting because they have committed to being stewards of endangered species in their area, with a special emphasis on woolly monkeys which are vital to the ecosystem. You can visit Mocagua and see how the Ticuna have switched from hunting to protecting these animals.
Climb, Walk and Zip through the Rainforest Canopy
So now that you’ve met some local people and taken in the surrounding jungles and waterways, it’s time for an adrenaline rush. Enter ropes, suspension bridges and zip lines that get you up close and personal to the forest canopy. The jungle naturally lends itself to zipping through high tree tops and walking in elevated suspension bridges and platforms to get spectacular views. Just make sure to ask your travel guide for the best (and safest) ones to end your experience on a high note.
Let’s Go!
So whether you’re a die-hard adrenaline junkie or an anthropologist, you’ll find fun and value in all of these experiences during your Amazonian vacation. See the best of the Colombian Amazon in Uncharted Colombia’s Amazon adventure.