Remote, little studied and virtually roadless, Peru’s Rio Las Piedras is an Amazonian tributary flowing through one of South America’s most pristine rainforest ecosystems. Home to a simply mind-boggling multitude of life forms as well as some of the last uncontacted tribes on Earth, the Rio Las Piedras offers a rare and very special opportunity to experience what a truly thriving and healthy Amazonian rainforest looks like.
"Imagine waking up in the rainforest canopy as the sun's first rays pierce the dense foliage, and the canopy comes alive with a symphony of colours and sounds."
Experiencing this wilderness frontier has up until now been, truth to tell, something of a slog. Only the most committed adventurers and volunteers have come this way, staying in rudimentary accommodation offered by a small handful of conservation projects operating along the Rio Las Piedras. However, there has been a growing understanding, not just in Peru but across Latin America, that conservation and sustainable luxury travel can work hand in hand. And the perfect embodiment of this new realisation is Alta Sanctuary. This wonderful lodge brought into being by visionary conservation group Junglekeepers, is a shining example of what can happen when purpose is allied to profit.
As a guest of Alta Sanctuary, you’ll explore by boat and on foot with expert guides one of the planet’s deepest rainforests, visiting salt and clay licks and, if you’re feeling brave, tree climbing. Over 500 bird species can be found here, along with 11 primate species, strong populations of endangered species like jaguar, giant river otter and harpy eagle, and untold species of invertebrates, plants and fungi – many yet to be described by science.
You will also gain a privileged insight into the working methods of a truly change-making organisation. Joining the rangers as they patrol the forests of the Rio Las Piedras, setting camera traps, documenting new species and protecting the forest from a variety of external threats, is simultaneously thrilling and deeply connecting.
And the crowning glory? Perched 110 feet up in the rainforest canopy, secure within the enfolding branches of a giant rainforest fig, is quite possibly the most beautiful treehouse in the world. Staying here offers a privileged perspective rarely seen even by scientists and explorers. Imagine waking up in the rainforest canopy as the sun’s first rays pierce the dense foliage, and the canopy comes alive with a symphony of colours and sounds. Such an experience, truly immersed within Nature’s wild heart, will stay with you forever.
