The Gen XY Lifestyle

Responsible Travel Should Be Your Modus Operandi This Summer

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Responsible travel has grown in popularity over the past few years and with a myriad of companies offering such experiences, there is no excuse to travel in a way that harms the planet.

Rainforest Expeditions, a Peruvian company with eco-lodges deep in the Amazon, are celebrating their 30th anniversary and have spent all that time developing science and conservation, including striving to improve sustainable and responsible tourism within the Peruvian Amazon. They believe that ecotourism is a key factor in conserving the forest, the wildlife and to economically benefit the local communities.

We are proud to say that our guests are not simply tourists anymore. They are active explorers that generate a positive impact on the lung of the planet.

Rainforest Expedition’s Marketing Manager Rocio Guzman

Urbanites can play their part by participating in activities that will protect and conserve the Amazon rainforest, and set individuals, adults and youths alike, on the path of responsible travel. This summer, journey over to Peru and be a part of the change with these 4 incredible experiences.

Stay at Refugio Amazonas

Responsible travel

Just by staying at this jungle lodge in heart of the Amazon, it will automatically decrease your carbon footprint. As a whole, Rainforest Expeditions offsets all operational activities through their partnership with Regenera, a Peruvian carbon offsetting scheme. All the rainwater is collected and recycled into drinking water for guests. Guests also enjoy the natural cool breeze of the rainforest in their rooms, therefore omitting the use for air conditioning. Refugio Amazonas is also home to Wired Amazon, their applauded initiative that connects regular people with the mind-blowing science of the rainforest. This collection of Citizen Science projects studies everything from mammal populations to the jungle canopy to stunning Tiger Moths. Just the very presence of you in the resort already does so much good for the environment!

Discover a New Species 

Responsible travel

Citizen Science is a way to get everyone involved in science. As part of Rainforest Expeditions efforts to preserve the Amazon Rainforest, they have established a project called Discover A New Species; led by Dr. Juan Grados. The project is focused on learning about the biodiversity of four families of insects; Tiger Moths, Scorpion Wasps, Leaf Hoppers and Tree Hoppers. Every night, light traps are turned on and all guests are invited to help collect specimens of insects. Just by guests taking part, the project team are able to collect more specimens for their study, therefore guests are essential to the the entire collaboration. The most amazing thing is if an individual collects a specimen, and if it is a new species, they have the chance to name it. What a great way to make memories and contribute to the preservation of nature!

Hike the Children’s Rainforest Trail 

Responsible travel
Posada Amazonas Lodge, owned by Rainforest Expeditions and the Infierno Native Community, in the Tambopata National Reserve in the Madre de Dios Department of Peru.

The Children’s Rainforest Trail is a fun and educational adventure for kids.  Partnered with ANIA, a non-profit organisation, the trail has been designed with a story in mind, and specially trained guides use the trail to connect children with nature and the way of life in the jungle. Children will learn and value their relationship with the Earth in a new way. Besides having a lot of fun, kids and adults will leave the Amazon with a newfound appreciation for all things nature, and fuel a passion for protecting it. By participating in the adventure, children are empowered with the knowledge to take care of the earth, and support ANIA’s goal to create the ‘Land of Children’, which will be 100,000 acres of protected land designed to engage kids about the environment. This activity will help plant a seed in a new generation of individuals to travel with a sense of purpose.

Meet The Ese Eja

Responsible travel

At Posada Amazonas, guests can get involved in true community based tourism. For over twenty years, Rainforest Expeditions has had a strategic alliance with the Native Community of Infierno, which own the Posada Amazonas lodge. The results of this partnership have been among the most successful of any joint venture between communities and tourism companies anywhere in the world, which is about creating meaningful profits and full-time employment.  In fact, each year profits are shared among the households of the community, providing a 25% increase to annual incomes, and around 20 full-time jobs are created in the community at the lodge. As a result, innovative community based tourism activities are available at the lodge, such as the Ese Eja Day, which is half a day spent with the community. It includes a visit to the Nape Ethnobotanical Centre, a traditional community medicinal centre whereby the experience is lead by a local shaman.


This article was contributed by Rainforest Expeditions, a Peruvian company that through conservation and ecotourism is helping to protect some of the last untouched lowland and tropical humid forests in the Amazon.

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