When we planned our short but jam-packed trip to Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Mandy and I each picked one must-do that we built the itinerary around. My pick was the Inca Trail, but I am so glad Mandy picked the Amazon.

We started our journey here and while it was not without its challenges getting there, it was an incredible, unforgettable experience that still sticks with me a decade later.

The adventure started waiting at the baggage carousel in Lima International Airport. My flight from Sydney arrived about 30 minutes before Mandy’s came in from Toronto near midnight and we were so excited to see one another that it took a while for us to realise that Mandy’s bags never showed up.

After a stressful wait for the next flight to come in, the bags arrived and we dashed through customs and to the domestic terminal and just made our 5am plane to Iquitos.

The drama didn’t stop there. After being up most the of the night, I fell asleep on the short flight but awoke suddenly as the plane veered sharply and I looked out the window to see the ground directly below me as the plane was on its side! It turns out there was unusually heavy fog and the pilot had misjudged the landing. An announcement came over the loudspeaker to say they were going to make another attempt but if that failed, we would be returning to Lima – not how we wanted our holiday to start.

Luckily, the second landing attempt was successful, and it was first of several flights on this trip that ended with a round of applause from the passengers.

Iquitos is an island city in Peru that can only be reached by plane or boat. It takes about seven days to get down the river depending on the season and many people who live there have never left.

The town itself feels like it is stuck somewhere in the 1950’s with a dinner that would fit in in any American movie I have seen of the era.

Once arriving and removing all our warm clothes as the humidity started to seep in, we were loaded onto a boat and travelled two hours along the famous Amazon river to our home in the jungle fort the next three days.

Relaxing in our very necessary gumboots provided by the lodge.

On arriving at Amazonas Botanical Lodge, the relaxation pretty much set in. So much so that I ended up having a mid afternoon nap before we headed out for a short walk with our guide – a trained shaman – who showed us all the different medicinal plants that can be found in the jungle.

We also made friends with the resident toucan, Simon the tortoise and some very friendly macaws.

You would think after all the travelling we would be in for an early night, but off on a nocturnal tarantula hunt we went.

I was surprisingly relaxed exploring the jungle at night, mostly thanks to my confidence that Luis would keep us safe. Tarantulas were spotted and then it was definitely time for bed.

Our individual hut was open to the elements but covered in netting to keep the bugs out. It was nice to fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.

We rose before sunrise the next day to head down to the river and watch the show. The word amazing doesn’t even begin to cover the experience of seeing this wild world awaken from a custom-built tower for the very best views.

After breakfast, we visited a local tribe to see how life in the Amazon really is but my absolute highlight of the day was meeting my spirit animal on the hike there.

We saw two sloths literally just hanging off some small trees and I could have stayed there for hours if I weren’t worried about being left behind! The jungle is truly full of amazing wildlife. We almost lost Mandy a few times chasing butterflies into the distance.

The day was capped off at a sugar cane distillery where make rum and molasses. It is all done without any electricity and tastes delicious.

Walking to the boat from the distillery. In the wet season these stairs are completely submerged.

The icing on the cake of our first full day in the Amazon was a boat ride back to the lodge at sunset. I still struggle to find the words to describe the feeling of contentment seeing all the colours and just realising where we were.

The next morning, we were supposed to walk to somewhere called the Giant Tree but it was cancelled due to some serious jungle rain but by late morning the sun came out and we visited a local village where both Mandy and I had a fabulous time playing soccer with the school children.

After lunch it was time to leave the jungle and head back to Iquitos but not without one more lasting memory as we stopped the boat to watch some pink-nosed dolphins fishing. They were a little elusive for the camera but the memory still remains.

I may never make it back to see the mighty Amazon again but I hope all the memories never fade.