Taking action for rainforest conservation with Otorongo Expeditions, January 2020!.How? Just book a tour with us and we guarantee a portion of the cost will go to actively protect Amazonian Rainforest near Iquitos Peru.   In December 2019,the owners of Otorongo Expeditions (Ivy and Anthony Giardenelli) filed legal paperwork with the National Protected areas Service (SERNAMP)  for recognition of 100 hectares of primary rainforest in an area at high risk for deforestation.  

If you are not able to travel but would like to help anyways, please consider a donation for this cause. Email Ivy and Anthony Giardenelli otorongoexpeditions@gmail.com.

Tourism is an unstable industry in our area due to the distance and costs. Tourism is also one of the few viable options for sustainable development.  Iquitos is one of the most isolated cities in the world with access only by boat or plane. It is very important that you choose wisely when visiting, the future of the rainforest depends on it!   The levels of competition between companies is grossly cut-throat so there is a lot of false advertising  out there such as:  companies that claim to work with indigenous peoples or companies that claim to support  local conservation efforts. The level of sleezyness in marketing is abhorrent so make sure there is some proof of their claims. There are two companies other than Otorongo that have a proven track record of promoting conservation and sustainable development in this region, they are:

• Explorama lodges

• AyE tours Tahuayo Lodge

Both of these companies have specific programs in place for local education and conservation. Like us, they have a passion for the rainforest and will stop at nothing to make sure it is still around for people to appreciate and use for future generations.  Out of the hundreds of lodges to chooses from while visiting Iquitos, there are actually very few that support conservation programs or actually function in a sustainable manner.  Many locally owned lodges do not even consider separating their residues let alone properly dispose of it. If the tour you are taking is cheap, it probably falls into several of these categories of what we consider to be unsustainable and downright shameful

• No Good pay to staff

• No Proper residue disposal

• Probably very close to Iquitos

• Use public transport

• Cut corners and cheap on services

• Tout low- cost activities like Monkey Island, Ayahuasca

Please don't fall into the trap of " It's in the Peruvian Amazon so it should be cheap,"Bollocks! everything is expensive here, even a papaya can cost 3 dollars!

I will leave you on this note: The Amazon and its inhabitants need your help, needs you to visit. We are working very hard to reveal the actual value of our standing forest.

The modern economic system allows for tremendous destruction for profits without considering future generations. Help us, help everyone and every creature in the forest to continue living in paradise on earth. Donate Now or visit us!

2020 will be a year for great achievements