Is The Amazon Dangerous, My Solo Adventure in the Amazon Rainforest Leticia, Colombia
- Aug 19, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 7
Is The Amazon Dangerous for Tourists? Reflections on my time in the mighty Amazon rainforest to help you prepare for your own adventure.
Visiting the Amazon, perhaps the most biodiverse place on the planet is high on the list of backpackers, explorers and holiday makers alike. 'The lungs of the earth cover over 6 million square kilo meters, have over 400 indigenous groups, and around 10% of earths animal species.
In this post I want to cover my mental state when entering the Amazon Rainforest, when starting to dose malaria pills in Colombia, there were a number of moments when I though, 'am I putting myself in unnecessary?'. It would turn out the, fear would be unfounded, but I am hoping by reading my fears, some of your own may disperse. Lets go into the rainforest.
I always imagined entering the Amazon from Brazil, not Colombia but during my trip from Mexico to Peru, the question, "Are you going into the Amazon?" Started being asked by fellow travellers. The Amazon has always been high on my places to visit, but not as a solo traveler/ backpacker, I always felt being with a group would be a far safer way to explore the rainforest!
For reference, at the time I was a 33 year old male from the UK and I flew into Leticia in Colombia for my Amazon adventure. Thats me over there > hello 👋🏻, that photo is from my Amazon trip taken at one of the stopping points during a 4 day 3 night tour. Yes this gorgeous little hut is deep in the Amazon rainforest nestled next to the Gamboa community.
There are always reasons at any travel destination but it all felt heightened. In my defence, at the time there were a few reasons for this heightened state of questioning if I was doing the right thing, so lets explore those and I will do a reality comparison of each point.
🛶 Problem 01 - The Murder of Experienced Individuals
A reporter by the name of Dom Phillips and an indigenous expert, Bruno Pereira had simply disappeared in the rainforest in June 2022. Their location was not far from my entry point to the Amazon, a town only accessible by plane called Leticia. These two gentlemen had vast experience, so my mind went to, 'if it can happen to them ...'
To understand a bit more about Dom and Brunos situation, from BBC reporting, it would come to light that Dom was undertaking research for a book on conservation efforts by the Amazon communities and Bruno had been outspoken about illegal fishing activities in the area. It seems they were ultimately murdered by one of the criminal organisations Bruno was campaigning against. After considerable pressure, the Brazilian authorities ran an investigation and arrested personnel who were charged with murder.
The Reality
The reality of this situation is as a tourist. You are going entering the amazon with a tour group. There is almost no other way around it, unless you have prior contacts or connections and know exactly were to go and how to get there! I explored with an organised tour and you should too, sitting on a boat as the guides take you up rivers and cut into what seems like mangroves but turns out to be hidden waterways is all part of the adventure. These guys and girls know this part of the world like the back of their hands and that knowledge is truly invaluable! With the right tour group, your guides are extremely attentive and informative and this keeps you safe. I will put my tour recommendations in my blog: Solo Backpacking the Amazon: A Three-Day Adventure of a Lifetime
🏛️ Problem 02 - Political Uprising
The final round of voting to elect the new Colombian president was to take place in June 2022, the town of Leticia was extremely pro-Gustavo Petro. Interestingly it is illegal to sell alcohol during a ballot weekend due to the level of uprising political votes can cause.
This election like none before had passion extremely high. Petro a leftist candidate represented the solution to help with increasing levels of inequality and rising living costs. If Petro lost the advice given to me was to spend the evening somewhere safe and ride out what would follow.
This is general advice for election days across Colombia, it can get rowdy and I would be returning into Leticia on the day the winner would be announced!
The Reality
Skipping over the 4 day 3 night trip, I landed back into Leticia from the Amazon and Pedro won!
Placing my backpacks in the next hostel La Jangada Hostel y Tours, I took a shower and headed into the streets.
Instead of turmoil, there was celebration. All the fear of the 'political unrest', it had all been unfounded. There were people lining the streets but in a state of pure celebration!
🔫 Problem 03 - The Murder of Fellow Travellers
This is truly tragic. The day before my flight into Leticia, a Dutch girl just 27 and a Brazilian girl of similar age were shot dead by two men firing into a building they were in. It is believed that the gunfire was directed at two other men in the same building and the Dutch and Brazilian girl were tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught in the crossfire. All four died, and this made headline news across Colombia.
The Reality
On the plane from Bogota, the person next to me on the flight was watching a live stream of the news unfolding about the shooting. I started watching also and made a comment about how awful it all was. The gentleman agreed and said he was a police officer from Leticia! I asked if this sort of thing happened often, and asked the very question we are here discussing today, Is the Amazon a dangerous place to visit? He reply, "No Leticia is usually a very safe place and this is a rare unfortunate incident".
We talked for the whole flight, and having spoken to him, I got off the plane feeling a lot more relaxed. The police officer even gave me some tips on where to eat in the area.
The usual rules do still apply thought, you will be ok during the day but need to exercise caution in the evening and do not stray down dark roads or alleys and be mindful of the people around you. Do not carry to much cash or be flashy and blend in as much as possible.
🚪 Problem 04 - Where is the Exit?
Leticia is that it is only accessible by plane or boat. Flights are irregular and effectively if things go south there are no easy exits. You are on your own in a place you know little about with (in my case) poor Spanish.
Now Colombia is not the only entry point to the Amazon, there are also points in Peru and (naturally) Brazil that act as you springboards, I have written a separate blog on this (below) your entry point should have careful consideration based on exactly what you want out of your trip.
Travelling To The Amazon Rainforest: The Gateway points in Peru, Colombia and Brazil
From Leticia there is a secondary exit and I have also written a separate blog on this, its one you should read if you are thinking of going to Peru from Leticia because it is riddled with complexity and the border can be a continuous cause for concern and due diligence (check here for Peru travel safety latest).
Surviving the Amazon Rainforest: Tips for Solo Travellers on the Colombia to Peru Route
The Reality
The reality of this is that good people live in the Amazon. There is nothing that is going to be extreme to the extent of you needing immediate exit, your biggest safety concern here is going to be a medical emergency, more on that next.
🦟 Problem 05 - Medical Issues
After everything we have been though, this one may just be the biggest threat! You can do everything right but one unlucky bite can render you in a bad way. Do not, under any circumstance go to the Amazon Rainforest without the correct vaccinations and travel insurance. There are no real hospitals nearby so bills for medical emergencies could rack up quickly if you need evacuation for example!
However, even with insurance, there is unfortunately not much you can do about Dengue, all you can do is attempt to prevent bites, there are 2 ports of call here, your clothing and repellant! I have got a full guide for what to take to the Amazon Rainforest 👇
Amazon Rainforest Essential Travel Items
If you are looking for a quick win with your travel insurance try safety wings, who do a nomad package that you can purchase on a rolling subscription instead of guessing how long you will be away for. It also contains up to 100k for evacuation to a different hospital, which is a nice bit of piece of mind when deep in the rainforest.
The Reality
The Amazon Rainforest is hot humid, and the quantity of mosquitos here is extensive. The tour providers usually have fantastic set ups for your accommodation. These are well protected with anti-mosquito nets on the facades of buildings and within the roof spaces (almost making a mosquito net cube), there is also usually a secondary net around your bed also. Regardless of this I tend to always have on in my bag just encase (again see the essential travel items) However, you will likely go on night excursions and in these moments you need to be wrapped up in anti-mosquito clothing.
You also need to be mindful of your footing as you can quickly role an ankle or slip in the mud!
Beyond the mud and mosquitos, the rest of the wildlife leaves you alone (as long as you leave it alone!)
As for pharmacies, they do exist but are poorly stocked so make sure you have everything you need (particularly repellant) with you before you go!
Malaria
You need to start a cycle of pills before getting into the Amazon and take them throughout. These can have side effects and may not be suitable for everyone so please make sure to consult a doctor or pharmacist before you take anything.
-- So Is The Amazon Dangerous? --
Its a bit of yes, and a bit of no! Generally it is safe to roam around the towns like Leticia during the day, at night you need to be cautious. Cautious of humans up to no good, but also cautious of mosquitos. Whilst you can do everything possible to protect yourself it takes just one bite to end up with Dengue. I went to the Amazon as a person 'who gets bit a lot' but walked out of the rainforest with remarkably few bites. I like to think this is because I was very sensible with my clothing and regularly topped up my repellent, but I could have just been lucky!
The guides are the real safety guards for the amazon rainforest. Book onto an excursion with a reputable tour guide and these people will keep you safe. Combine good and responsible personal preparation with a great tour group and the reward its an experience you simply cannot have anywhere else in the world!
The Amazon rainforest sits in my mind like a stress ball for my mental health. I can take myself back there, to the early mornings sitting on a boat watching the sun rise and reflect across the water as the wildlife swims, climbs and flys all around you. When feeling blue I am able to take myself back to the sunrise and sunsets of the Amazon rainforest.
To experience the Amazon rainforest is to truly connect to planet earth in the most extraordinary way. If you want to know more about what an excursion in the Amazon rainforest is like then read my blog:
-- Return to Leticia; A Once in a Lifetime Moment --
On the evening of Pedros win and my return to Leticia, I was able to meet a friend and go to the top of the church. This is a viewing point and accessible for a small fee. Here we watched the sunset as thousands of Parakeets returned to Leticia, a daily phenomenon that I was unaware of until being amongst it. At the same time victory parades were taking place creating the most surreal end to a wonderful passage of time. If you want a little feel of the noises and sights of election night in Letica check out the video below (prepare for a lot of scooter horns).
For the intelligent explorer
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