We had an unforgettable day, which started with our guide Luis picking us up very punctually from our hotel. We then drove to Banos, at the upper Amazon region.
There was a small delay in getting to the Whitewater rafting site, because of an unavoidable rock slide. This was cleared up, relatively quickly, and our local guides, William and Edwin, made the most of the time by showing us a local store where sugarcane candy was made, and we were able to see the process.
When we got to the Whitewater rafting area, we were given all our equipment, and felt very confident that William and Edwin would take good care of us. The rafting was amazing, going through a beautiful valley in the Amazon. There were waterfalls and beautiful, vegetation all around. It felt almost unreal. The white water rafting itself was exciting, and due to rain was almost a class five at points. However, we felt safe the whole time with Edwin in a kayak, guiding our boat, and William steering Edwin was even able to take some amazing videos and pictures which they sent to us with no extra charge. We then had a delicious local lunch, and our guide Luis picked us up again. To make up for the small amount of last time, Luis extended our trip, which was very much appreciated. We then went to the Avenue of the waterfalls, where we saw beautiful waterfalls, and crossed some exciting suspension bridges to get there. We then took an extremely high gondola across the valley, with a spectacular view. Once across the valley, Luis took us on a walk, explaining the life of the indigenous people there, as well as showing us the local vegetation. It was really interesting! We had a great day, and only wished we could’ve stayed longer. Luis was friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful, everything a guide should be. We highly recommend this trip if you’d like to mix a little adventure with your exploration..
Our guide, Luis, picked us up right on time in a nice and clean vehicle with area in the back for our valuables like cameras and phones to be stowed. We had an unavoidable delay getting to the rafting site from Banos due to a rock slide, but our local tour guides made the most of the time by showing us a local site where sugarcane candy is made, and how they make it. The Whitewater rafting itself was exciting, with class five rapids. The environment was beautiful, and it felt very unreal. The surrounding mountains and vegetation looked beautiful. The local guides, William and Edwin, kept us safe and helped us to enjoy this experience to the maximum. Edwin was even able to take videos and photographs of the experience from a kayak that accompanied us for safety.
After White water rafting, we had a delicious local lunch, and then Luis picked us up again. He extended our experience to make up for any delay from earlier. We went on a short but beautiful hike to the devil’s cauldron waterfall, and saw several other waterfalls along the valley. The suspension bridges to the waterfalls were amazing! We then took a gondola across the valley, which was breathraking. Luis took us on a nature hike, showing us how the indigenous people live. It was definitely a highlight of our trip, and a great way to get a flavor for the upper Amazon.