Arriving in Rurrenbaque is a pleasure by air (only 1 hour from La Paz) or arduous by bus (20 hours from La Paz) but once you have arrived the magical atmosphere begins to weave its spell. Rurrenbaque is the starting point for a trip into the Amazonian Pampas or Jungle, mostly 3 day trips camping amongst the wildlife in very basic conditions. The amount of wildlife present is astounding and there is also an abundance of bird life...the only downside is the presence of far too many mosquitoes!!! You begin the trip with a jeep ride over a very rough dirt track then you hop into a duggout canoe and amble down the river Beni, a tributary of the amazon, gazing at the wildlife as it goes on with it´s daily life oblivious to your presence. Next day, a walk through the Pampas itself to try and find Anacondas and cobras, we also did some night time animal spotting with our torches. Sleeping under the stars, watching the fireflies was an experience in itself. I have to say I felt more than a little sad to leave, by air, of course, such a friendly and picturesque place.
Quick Tips:
There are many tour agencies operating in Rurrenbaque, not all as ethical as one would hope. Make sure you enquire whether they handle the animals or respect them.
Also ensure you have a mozzie proof sleeping and eating space, some of the tours seem to think that a piece of tarpaulin to keep off the rain is enough protection, and believe me the mosquitoes really are a problem, they even bite during the day and through your clothes.
Best Way To Get Around:
The only way to get into the amazon area is on a tour, use an agency and do not try to book a guide yourselves as there has been problems with tourists being molested in the past when they tried to organise their own trips.
In Rurrenbaque itself there are motorcycle taxis but the town is so small you really can get everywhere on foot.