Tips for traveling to the Colombian Amazon. Everything you need to know

Traveling to the Amazon is one of the most fascinating adventures you can do in your entire life. The Amazon is, perhaps, the place where the greatest amount of biodiversity in the world is concentrated, therefore, visiting it can be something that changes your life completlly, especially if you are a lover of ecotourism and nature.

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The first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Amazon , is forest and indigenous communities, which produces many doubts and insecurities, however this does not mean danger, the Amazon is first and foremost a destination quite safe, friendly and extraordinary, however, it is true that in the Amazon you will not find the metropolis you can be used to, so here are a few tips with everything you need to know to travel to the Colombian Amazon .

Tips for traveling to the Amazon

1. The best season

Any season of the year is perfect for traveling to the Amazon, however, the best months of the year to travel to the Amazon according to its inhabitants is from July to October, because during these months is the dry season. In July and August everything is super full, so it is best to travel in September or October. The months of November to May are usually rainy.

2. Always prepared

Be sure to pack the necessary medicines, such as antihistamines and analgesics in case you suddenly get a pain or an insect bite. Remember also to bring sunscreen and repellent, as well getting the yellow fever vaccine ten days in advance (you can get it for free at the transport terminal in Bogota or even at the airport). They may not ask for your vaccination card but it's better to always be prepared for anything.

3. Travel light

The Amazon is a very humid area and not very comfortable to carry a large suitcase, due to the swampy areas and boat trips that you will need get to do, so the best thing is to bring a big backpack just with the necessary, so you will avoid having problems with your luggage.

4. With the necessary clothes

Amazonas is a fairly humid department, hot and full of mosquitoes, so bring just the necessary clothes to be able to be comfortable in this place, you can take cotton clothes which is generally fresh, and long clothes that cover you arms and legs, which can be annoying due to the heat of this area. The best option is to bring short and very cool clothes accompanied with a very good repellent so that you do not get bitten by the moquitos. Also try to pack waterproof boots or similar footwear, and of course, your bathing.

5. Bags to protect your electronic equipment

Pack a couple of plastic bags, if they are Ziploc type or tightly closed better, because as we have already mention, the Amazon is a very humid place; especially in the jungle, so if you plan to spend a night or several boarding the jungle it is the best way to save your electronic devices and objects that can be damaged with the humidity and wet environment.

6. Contact with the indigenous communities and participation in rituals

In the Amazon there are a number of indigenous communities with which you can interact and learn about their culture which is simply fascinating and is one of the things that you can not stop doing on your trip to the Amazon , just remember to always maintain an attitude of respect towards them, and when taking photos, always ask them for permission before, because they have different beliefs about these matters The other recommendation is to be careful to participate in rituals with yahé or ayahuasca, since this can end very badly if you have not had the proper preparation or the people doing the ceremony are not well prepared or turn out to be untruthful.

7. Days needed

Unless you already have booked on your trip, we recommend you to stay as many days as possible; minimum five, since the distances and the cost of the tickets can make it very difficult to return to the Amazon. You might go to this place only once in your life time, so it's better to take advantage of it and stay there as long as possible, it's a trip that you will not regret.

If you want to discover more of this beautiful country, we invite you to get any of our Colombian travel guides entering here .