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No hype here. The 4 days I just spent with AJT in 2 separate camps in Colombia than Peru was fantastic. Not once did I feel cheated or badly treated. But more importantly, the Amazon ia awesome, and I got to see it in great depth thanks to the guides. And astonishingly, given that we were always in pretty rustic accommodations, the food was probably the best I had in 6 weeks in Colombia.A big thanks to Antonio, his son Michael and all the guides and staff that helped make this a wonderful tour.
Schmools
Sergio Rojas runs this enterprise with his sister Andrea and their forever smiling employee, Edwin. If you're looking for an unforgettable experience that takes you away from the standard tourist fayre, then look no further. This was a humbling and eye opening experience for me, leaving me in gratitude to Sergio, Andrea and the wonderfully hospitable and accommodating tribe that played host to us for four days. The 7 de Agosto community that forms a part of the greater Cocama tribe was reached after a long boat ride up the Amazon. The tribes folk couldn't have been more welcoming as we were embraced by everyone we encountered. We weren't treated as a novelty or a curiosity but simply accepted into their ranks as if we were one of their own. We fished for red and black piranha with them, rowed up tributaries with them, trekked through the jungle with them, hauled canoes overland, got chased by cows, climbed trees, met the first ever Amazonian policeman (called Canas), spotted pink dolphins, encountered bright green foliage enveloped lakes, literally stepped into Peru and then jumped back into Colombia, ate dinner with them, sat and laughed with them and felt as far away from the cosseted, pampered and sterile world from which we had come as was humanly possible. We made friends, we leant the local words for ferocious fish, we taught them the English words for scatological endeavours. Over the course of three nights I exchanged my duty free rum with a local gentleman by the name of Willington Vasquez, who dutifully reciprocated my gestures with an indigenous concoction of pure alcohol called Chirrinchi, that had been fermented in a plastic container with herbaceous roots known as Chuchuguazu. Drinks were shared with a village elder called Paturro. The food was cooked up every night by two women called Lucero and Nuria and served communally in a large hut. We ate all manner of fish (piraboton, caracolero and cucha) and even ventured into the realms of jungle meat one night when we sampled their equivalent of wild boar (Guangana) and a local species called Boruga. The Mayor was a 23 year old man of serene temperament by the name of Riley whose energy levels were staggering. Juaco was the boat driver who continually sported the biggest smile even when the heavens opened and he got soaked while we guiltily sheltered under the canvas cover. Carlitos, Chilo, Pablo and Niko were the young guides who helped us every step of the way. We stayed in our own hut owned by the family Tenazoa Ramirez who did their utmost to provide us with the basics we needed.One afternoon whilst venturing into the territory of the neighbouring Yagua tribe, my wife and I happened upon an inter-tribal womens soccer game. After watching for a minute or two, we suddenly found ourselves pulled onto the pitch and allocated to opposing teams. I hadn't played a game of soccer for years and very quickly found out that my years of lethargy and sedentary lifestyle had caught up with me. These women were taking it seriously though. I was covered in mud and after a few minutes the skies opened and an Amazonian deluge started …. but we kept on playing. Filthy and soaking wet …. it was as much fun as I can remember having … well, … in years.And that was the essence of it. It was basic but wonderful. After a couple of days there and just hanging out with the Sergio, Andrea and the people from the local community, you realized that you were having the time of your life.It was the people and the lifestyle and the fact that it was so different to anything I had encountered before and that they had so readily accepted me into their community. To get up at sunrise and sit on a branch next to a man who speaks no English and between the two of you manage to ably communicate, was something special.By the time we were due to leave the community it was Christmas Eve and we were the only remaining foreigners in the village. Just the two of us. We had to be up before sunrise at 5:00 a.m., as we had to catch an express ferry down the river to get back to Leticia. As we walked with our bags from our hut to the centre of the village, it seemed like everyone had gotten up. The kids were playing, Willington Vasquez looked hung-over, the women were preparing coffee and cutting up fruit and the young men were standing around waiting to take our bags down to the small boat that would take us up the tributary and to the point whereby we could join up with the large ferry. I really did leave with a lump in my throat as the boat pulled away from the riverbank and we waved goodbye to the community. We motored a few minutes out to the estuary and tied the boat up to some reeds as we waited for the bigger boat to arrive. As we sat there on Christmas Eve morning, the silence was only punctuated by raindrops pattering on the canvas roof of the vessel and a gentle breeze causing the water to lap at the hull. It really was a time for reflection. What a simple life and what beautiful people. I looked over at Willington, who was our captain that morning and he smiled back. The biggest, rum soaked smile you could possibly hope to receive in your life and at that precise moment, although I was sad to be leaving, I don’t remember ever being so content.If you have initially started to research trips into the Amazon and then come as far as the end of this review, then you simply must undertake a tour with Sergio and I can only hope that your resulting experience is as fulfilling and humbling as mine.
Khamlia
We did the tour in 3 hours it was interesting and now I know how it is to go in the jungle. Wet it is LOL
Jvenegoni
I just recently returned from a 4 day trip into Leticia and to stay with the wonderful community of 7 de Augusto. The trip started out with Sergio's sister and niece picking me up from the airport and treating meal to an awesome, traditional meal in the park and showing me around Leticia as I picked up a few supplies that I needed for the trip. The family was super down to earth, spoke great English and created the atmosphere that would remain for the entire trip. I even went paintball ing on a whim later in the day with Both Sergio and Andrea. The next morning we headed by two separate boats to visit the community of 7 de Augusto. This was exactly what I was looking for. The entire trip felt very group oriented. Not at all a tourist vibe....just like a group of friends being guided by experts.In the village, my main two guides were community members Riley and Johnny. Their instincts were off the charts while we caught pirahana, bird watched, trekked and literally caught a acumen barehanded during a night canoe trip to the jungle lodge. One of the most serene experiences that I've had on my travels. The most obvious thing was the connection and mutual respect between Sergio and Andrea and the 7 de Augusto community. They are exposing this amazing lifestyle to travelers like myself and in turn the community is helped with a portion of the funds. I would recommend this trip to anyone, I was on cloud 9 the whole time
Chloebcollect
After reading all the reviews on Sergeo we were very excited for our tour of the Amazon but I'm saddened to say our experience with him was terrible! Sergio seemed to be on his phone constantly through out the trip organising everything last minute, we weren't told a initial plan of what we were doing and when we were told it seemed to change a lot. Not that I'm usually fussy with accommodation especially when your in the middle of the jungle but The first lodge close to Letisia we stayed was of a very low standard , there were 2 stray awful looking poor puppies eating the soiled toilet paper in the toilets and no one cleaned it up the entire time we were there, we never shown the facilities and the place smelt of rotting meat and dog poo. we were offered a night tour but because of Sergeos lack of organisation we didnt get there untill after 8 pm and after dinner we were all exhausted. Then they thought they would bring the "wild life " to us which included an anaconda with a bleeding tail that lived in a polystyrene box in the corner of the room with a brick on it a boa and a couple of frogs also housed by them .Sergio said that scientists were using them for research but because two of our group was spanish speaking he asked the lodge worker and the real story was that they were "pets" so they can show tourists. We realised that Sergeos translations were often un honest and he seemed to base the tour on sex and cocaine. Monkey island was the first stop after the boat ride on the second day and that is pretty much a zoo owned by a major 5 star hotel, again we were all disappointed as we came all this way to see the real jungle. When we got to the second lodge at the village it was 5 pm and we had been on an unstable boat for majority of the day and again exhausted. I thing every one agreed that we should of been taken to the village shortly after getting of the plane rather than doing the rest of the activities Sergio organised. The Family from the village that does the guiding cooking and organising was fantastic they did everything they could for us. i think that Sergio needs to translate better about the village and the importance of the jungle to the people, we learnt a lot about the culture and the wild life from Pablo a guide from the village but only because two of our friends in the group did all the translating for us whilst Sergio was busy with the other group and on the phone and telling stories about 12 year olds having sex And males getting to pick what ever girl they like ,we understand that that sex is a part of there culture but there are many other things we all wanted to learn and Sergio made the village people seem like un intelligent sex perverts which was not the case. unfortunately only had one day in the jungle which we were expecting at least 2 and a half. We didn't see as much wild life as we expected due to the short amount of time at the village we were left with. we were thankful for the time we got to spend with Pablos family and the village we stayed at. All in all i think Sergio and his family are in it for the money and getting the village people to do all the work and he is using the language barrier to his advantage. When we mentioned our dissapointmet to the company they didn't want hear it . Terrible company great village !
673pieterv
I booked the tour because of the good reviews and I didnt think that the tour could match the expectations from previous reviews. Well I was wrong! It was an unforgettable tour with an incredibly nice tour guide Sergio! He picked me up at the airport (before I have even booked the tour!) he took care of all administrative stuff (visa for colombia and peru) and showed me the local area around leticia as well. The next day we started the tour to the community we were staying at. Me and another guy from Britain were the only tourists there and it really felt like we were invited at friends in their town. We played football with the locals, went fishing for piranhas, swam in the Amazon, went for day treks in the jungle, visited the local Jagua town, did night treks in the jungle, saw monkeys, piranhas, aligators, eagles, kingfishers, tarantullas and much more. We even slept in the jungle in hammocks (obviously protected by mosquito nets). We did so much in these four days and nevertheless it never really felt like a tour. It was more like a gathering of friends who did activities together. This was thanks to sergio and his co-worker from the community, Johnny, who also did an amazing job. Every day some people of the community were joining along so at the end of the trip it really felt that we have been integrated in the family. I can only recommend this amazing amazon tour to anybody who is looking for adventures beyond the touristy tours.Thanks Sergio!!
811mar_an
This was the first time I visit the Amazon. Everything was simply spectacular! There are a lot of places to see and activities to do. The tour was incredible! They are an exclusive company so there are some places where you and your group are the only tourists around. The attention given by the members of the group, Daniel, Sergio and Andrea Is excellent, they are always taking care of every thing you need. The price of the tour Is fair enough for the service they are offering. This tour Is for me highly recommended.
AdamYT
There's no exaggeration in the other reviews, Sergio really is the best guide you could hope for. Although I paid for the 4 day tour in the jungle, Sergio and his lovely sister, Andi, ensured that I was looked after for the entirety of my stay in Leticia, 2 days either side of the tour, including going for dinner with them on two occasions and then partying in the city on our final night! The jungle tour itself was simply unforgettable. It was an intimate experience, just me and one other backpacker, staying 3 nights with the Amazonian community of 7 de Agosto that largely still live off the land and the river. The community is incredibly welcoming, friendly, smiley people who are happy to involve you in everything. We played football every evening with the locals and did night treks to neighbouring villages with dozens of the local children who just wanted to hang out and mess around, which was great fun and felt very authentic!Also, Sergio isn't your only guide. When doing the activities in the jungle, you never have less than 2 locals from 7 de Agosto accompanying you along with Sergio, on average there were 6 of us at any given time (only another guy and I were the tourists).A special thank you to Jhonny, Sergio's right hand man, and our main "local" guide. A truly warm, sincere and funny guy who's always smiling. As well as being from the community, Jhonny is well educated in agriculture and wildlife and knows pretty much everything there is to know about the surrounding Jungle and river. A memorable experience on the whole, one of my best in South America! Highly highly recommended.
LeinadS
From day one, Sergio was amazing. Excellent knowledge of the rainforest, wildife and flora, customs and traditions and on top of that he had friendly connections with the indigenous tribes, he was good fun to hang around with and he is just an overall awesome guy.The tour of the Amazon was everything you expect of it and more, but Sergio was what made the trip special. Besides the amazing time we had in the forest, he also showed us how to party in Leticia. Sergio was the reason for lots of laughs, lots of drinks, lots of fun. 11/10 stars if we could. Love from Mike, Pieter and Daniel.
skibuni
I can't say enough about Sergio and his tours. Due to complications at the airport we missed our initial flight to Leticia and had to fly out the next day, thus missing our initial tour with Sergio. I emailed him from the airport in Bogota apologizing (again) and asking if we could do a night tour. We got to our hotel just after 5pm and I had an email back from Sergio saying he could make it work - I emailed him that we had just gotten in and understood if it didn't work. We headed to the bar for a cocktail and next thing I know is Sergio is in the hotel lobby to arranging a night safari for us that night. He went well out of his way to connect with my mother and I and brought us on an amazing night safari int the jungle. He also recommended and helped set up another tour the next day for us to get the most out of our short trip as possible - leaving a pair of boots with my mom to use the next day. I absolutely will be back to Leticia and the first person I am getting in contact with is Sergio to help plan my trip - he is truly an amazing guide!
LordHenchen
Being the first experience in South America outside of Bogotá, the trip to the Atacuari with Sergio made it hard for everything to come afterwards to impress us more! After being picked up at the airport of Leticia and being invited for lunch by him and his sister Andrea, we spend some hours on the boat arriving at the little village (if you look on the map, its at the most western point of Colombian Amazonas). The two of us and guide Sergio were the only tourists there and felt really integrated in everydays life, which is very basic, but so close with nature and very harmonic (at least what we experienced :-) ). We went piranha fishing, swimming 300m away from the fishing spot (no piranha bites, though), took a walk through the jungle discovering the delicius cocoa fruit and many others, did canoeing at night, dolphin watching etc. etc. One day we went by boat to the next village's anniversary party and watched the soccer game between the colony teams - on a very muddy place, but so passionate! Some animals didn't appear (pink dolphins, caymans), but this didn't make the experience altogether less beautiful. Coming back to the town of Leticia on the National Holiday, we joined our guides for an afternoon in town and a great night out with a Salsa crash course and nice cocktails... It's not a cheap tour, but the very good work of Sergio and Andrea is worth every Dollar, and while in the colony, you don't spend more, it's all inclusive. Do it!
OysteinS13
If you are looking for a unique, authentic, exhausting, entertaining and friendly tour in the Amazonas, look no further. Sergio is the best guide you could get. The four days tour will be a memory for life for me.
219ANDREWH
Firstly just want to say that we had for the majority of the time a really positive and memorable trip with Sergio. He bends over backwards to make the trip work well. The Comunidad de 7 de Agosto were great people and so friendly and willing to discuss their lives, culture and opinions. Don't expect a tribe that's half naked and unaffected by the modern world, they have some trappings eg TV(actually that's about it) but they very much live their lives by the will of the rivers and forests around them. Not so impressed by the Brazil leg of the trip, but there we go, and that's why it's not 5 stars. Sergio sand Andrea both speak great English if you need translating, but it will help to understand some Spanish to chat with the community directly. It really was all things considered a memorable experience and really authentic, away from the main tourist trail. Recommended.
dfernandezor89
The Amazon is definitely one of the most amazing places in the world... But believe me, If you travel with Sergio and Andi, it will simply be the best trip of your life. Since we got off the plane until we left we were always super spoiled by Sergio; he is such an amazing guide that after a couple hours you feel like hanging out with your friends instead of with tour guides. Our trip was a 100% personalized... we decided what we wanted to do, what we wanted to eat, if we wanted to stay longer in a given place it was totally doable... Everyone was super friendly and funny! We had a lot of fun and we always felt very safe. My advice would be... if you go stay at least 6 days.... make sure you visit the indigenous community and sleep in the middle of the jungle! Also don´t forget to visit the amazing Chef in Brazil and do zip lining! My favorite part.... I went with my partner and Sergio and Andi were super gay friendly! We never felt uncomfortable or found ourselves in a weird situation. They are simply the most generous, funny and open minded people in the world. If you travel with them... 100% happiness guaranteed!
Lifeisgood81
This was an amazing trip! I would say this is a once in a lifetime trip, however it I will be going back. It felt like I was hanging out with old friends. Andrea Serglo and did everything to make sure we felt comfortable, safe and always having a good time. This Gives you a tour behind the scenes all access pass to the Amazon. You experience everything from a private chef famous in Brazil, to Living with an amazing indigenous village in Colombia. Paul aka Tarzan, who is our guide in the indigenous village, makes you feel like your part of his community. Make sure you are ready to EAT! The food on the vacation was out of the world! If you really want to experience the Amazon, VACATION THIS BOOK! Serglo Thank you, Andrea and Paul for giving me a life experience I will never forget.