• Visiting local communities a fundamental element of Amazon cruise or lodge stay.

• PeruNorth’s advice on how best to enjoy these visits.

• Interaction is the keyword.

Many of PeruNorth’s clients are as fascinated by the human ecology of Peru’s Amazonia as the countless exotic species of flora and fauna found therein.

All Amazon River cruises and lodge stays includes visits to small, riverside villages for an insight into everyday life in this unique part of the world.

With the largest Amazon riverboat in Peru accommodating a maximum of 34 passengers, this is certainly not mass tourism, and you will not outnumber the locals or disrupt their routine to any great extent.

But it does raise the question of how a visit to an Amazon village, by a group of curious Westerners, can avoid being like a ‘human zoo’, with simply a voyeuristic interest in the different habits of the villagers.

How, then, to interact with people from a very different social and educational background in a way that benefits both parties, without being merely a financial transaction?

Here are a few pointers garnered from years of experience:

1. Skills:

Do you have a hidden talent that could be wheeled out to entertain the locals. Perhaps you play the recorder or harmonica? Or can juggle? Or have a few magic tricks?

If so, you will find very willing participants or audience amongst the Amazon villagers.

While not everyone is blessed with such talents, most of us can think of something that would amuse young kids, at least!

Remember to bring the items needed for your ‘performance’.

2. Gifts:

This is a problematic issue, as PeruNorth does not want to encourage a ‘begging culture’, whereby local villagers expect outsiders to bring presents and/or money. Once this happens, the tone of a visit is irreparably altered.

Moreover, you can be sure not to have enough pens, sweets or knick-knacks to satisfy the demand of all the children in a village, which will inevitably lead to disappointment … and possibly tears!

We therefore suggest that if you do have items to give, ask the guide to recommend a local authority, such as a school teacher, to whom to entrust the distribution.

Furthermore, if you do want to make donations, we suggest buying the items – such as fruit, or stationery or batteries – locally, so that you are supporting the business as well as giving people things they might want.

The Delfin cruise boats even sell ‘donation kits’ on board, with items they know not to be readily available in remote villages, such as pens and fishing line.

3. Sport:

Football (a.k.a. soccer) is a religion in Peru, and every village has a basic pitch with goalposts of sorts. During school break time, or just before dusk, there is usually a game going on.

If you feel like getting involved, remember that it is hot and sweaty, the pitch is uneven, and you are probably wearing inappropriate footwear.

So, why not offer your services as a goalkeeper (arquero)? You can always come out of goal later in the game, when everyone is exhausted, to show off your inner Messi!

Another sport that you will often find being played is volleyball.

Peru is very proud of the silver medal that their Women’s National Volleyball Team won at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and the game is still very popular, especially amongst females.

Again, don’t be shy: ask if you can join in.

4. Slow Down:

Itineraries in Amazonia tend to be at a relaxed pace, in a small group, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a few minutes to do nothing but watch the world go by.

Everyone is much more approachable as an individual or couple, rather than a group … and you may be pleasantly surprised by who and what comes across your path.

Buy a soft drink or beer at the local shop, and just sit outside. Buy some snacks, too, and offer them to passers-by.

If you have a smattering of Spanish, now is the time to try it out. If not, don’t worry: you will always be received with kindness and curiosity.

5. Images:

Wonderful photographic opportunities are to be had in an Amazonian village, but they will be even better if the human subjects co-operate in the composition. This enables one to get close-up photos, with natural - or exaggerated - poses.

Again, with just a little imagination, you will find many willing participants. Having ‘props’, such as finger puppets or a Paddington Bear soft toy, is a good idea, as it can take the attention away from the photo-taking.

Or you could even lend your camera/phone to the kids to take the photos for you!

A few things to remember:

• If taking video, most people feel awkward if they know they are being filmed. To be less intrusive, try holding the camera at waist height, with the screen pointed upwards.

• Always be respectful of the people you are photographing / filming. Ask their permission before snapping away.

• We urge PeruNorth clients not to experience the Amazon jungle entirely through a lens: take the time to absorb the sounds, smells, the voices and character of the people - none of which can be captured in pixels!

6. Use Your Guide:

The naturalist guides at the lodge or on the cruise boat are almost always from the low Amazon states of Loreto or Madre de Dios, and will often know some - or even most - of the villagers.

They will generally take you on a tour of the village, with a stop at the local school, if it is term-time, along with a demonstration of local practices, such as boat-building, climbing trees for fruit or cooking.

On top of this, you can ask them to introduce you to locals, and translate your questions, if necessary.

7. Remember You Are Welcome:

Visitors to Amazon villages are well-received. Aside from a natural warmth and curiosity, the villagers may be receiving other benefits from the visit.

For example, there is a resident medic on the M/V Aria, and they will be doing check-ups and treatments while the ship is moored near the village.

Equally, the lodges and cruise boats are consistent buyers of produce from local farmers, in order to feed their hungry guests.

They may also be a major source of employment. In the case of Posada Amazonas, a wonderful lodge near the Tambopata Reserve, for example, their staff are recruited almost exclusively from the nearby Esa’ Eja community of Infierno; while Tahuayo Lodge’s workers come from the neighbouring village of El Chino … where the school building was paid for by the lodge’s charitable arm.

So, the relationship between lodge and locals is usually very close.

In any case, with the size of Peru’s Amazon region - in conjunction with the low numbers of tourists - the arrival of a group of odd-looking outsiders is still an ‘event’.