We're spending 5 nights/4 days at the Explorama/napo Lodges mid-June. What type of footwear should we have? Do we take our hiking boots (for the trails), rubber Wellingtons (for the mud/wild creatures), and/or beach shoes (for canoes)? We don't want to wreck our hiking boots with the mud but the Wellies might be too hot and the beach shoes excess baggage. On the other hand, are old-fashion sneakers good enough? Also, would face netting be advised? We're second guessing ourselves quite a bit and would appreciate experienced advice...help!!!!

vwr,

We took hiking boots and beach shoes (rubber flip-flops) for our stay at the Explorama Lodge in September. The hiking boots were great for keeping the bug bites off your ankles and support for the trails. Flips-flops are great for hanging aroung the Lodge. If you're not using boots for other hiking on your trip, old-fahsioned sneakers would be fine. Your shoes will get muddy whatever you take.

The beds have netting over them. Be sure to tuck in tightly when you get in. Take bug repellent and sunscreen.

Happy travels.

We stayed at ACEER and napo. The boots are good because you will be walking in mud and puddles, and your feet will be more protected. If you don't mind wet and dirty feet, sneakers would be OK. I don't think Wellies are appropriate. Will your boots really be wrecked by mud?

Be sure to post your experience on this when you get back so others may learn from it. Thanks.

Thanks, Scooter and Jed, for your help! We're going to Machu Picchu, too, so the hiking boots sound like that's the way to go. Six days to go...wow!

I spent 4 months living and hiking in the Amazon. You sound like you've decided to take hiking boots and not the rubbers, which is smart! Even on trails, your feet will get muddy, so you can't really avoid it. I had waterproof boots, and my feet still got wet. Take fast-drying hiking socks--they're expensive, but work great. And bring many changes of socks. Bring insect repellent---the STRONGEST stuff you can find. Forget the non-DEET stuff, nothing but poison works on relentless Amazonian mosquitos. Bring heavy-duty waterproof sunscreen with a high SPF. You'll probably have to reapply often (even the waterproof stuff melts off), so bring a good amount. I wouldn't bring sneakers except to walk around towns and cities. Face netting is not necessary. I never got a bite on my face---but I got bites just about everywhere else. Bring lightweight (cool and fast-drying) long pants and long-sleeved shirts for jungle hikes. Keep hydrated and don't forget the Pepto Bismol tablets!

Hi Mabel,
excellent info!
I do a good amount of amazon trekking and would be interested in the places you have found. always looking for a new adventure in the amazon!
dav
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We just back back from Peru yesterday. Hiking boots and flipflops were the way to go. The tread on the hiking boots saved me from many a fall (one poor soul with sneakers landed several times in the mud) and the gor-tex lining kept my feet dry. We took cheap, Wallmart beach shoes that worked fine but that didn't dry out when wet (rubber flipflops would have been better). Face netting was unnecessary. Total mosquito bites after five days - 6 for me (the t-shirt day), 0 for my husband. We wore lightweight, long sleeved shirts and long pants 95% of the time (treated with Permanone). Maybe we were lucky, but we've had more trouble with mosquitoes hiking the IL woods than we did in the Amazon.