Iquitos, getting the bike on boats
 

Hey guys, looking to travel to Iquitos from Peru and then from there take and other boat to Ecuador.

Anyone done this and have any recommendations?

Any trouble finding boats to get a motorbike on?

Chances are, if there is a boat, it will take a motorcycle; preferably small motorcycle. Large motorcycles are not common, so if you may be charged extra for a big bike. Getting a large bike on and off a boat can be easy if the deck lines up with the dock. A wooden plank will do the trick. You may have to tip a few dock workers if lifting your bike a significant height is required. The tip is usually some small amount, but I suggest setting the amount in advance. Try to work with one person when negotiating and let him pick helpers. One loud mouth dock hand and you can be held hostage. Ignore pushy louts and lock in with a sensible helper...

>"...Hey guys, looking to travel to Iquitos from Peru and then from there take and other boat to Ecuador."

Iquitos is in Peru, so your post is a bit confusing. Sounds like you are trying to go from Iquitos (Peru) by boat to Ecuador, right?

See this blog posting from two backpackers that took a boat trip on the river that I think you want to travel:
Travel Blog - Two Bein' Chili

Information on boats is hard to source directly on the Internet, I've tried, I've been frustrated, I've failed. I speaking about schedules and rates. Sometimes you can find info on forum, but it's usually old details. My focus has been on barges downstream on the Amazon. Your mileage may vary.

Keep searching the Internet and mention the river towns where you want to start and end. Add "motorcycle" and see if you can find specific web pages. It's out there if you look hard enough; you will find someone who has been there already.

Leigh:

I have been to Iquitos many times, never with a bike, though (I used to deliver aircraft from a Canadian factory to a customer based in Iquitos).

It is a surprisingly large town for a place in the middle of no-where that has no road access to the Pacific coast of Peru.

I believe that the bulk of the river traffic to Iquitos comes from Manaus, Brazil. Having said that, there are settlements along the River Napo that leads into Ecuador, so there is likely some river traffic up towards Ecuador. But, like just about everything else in that area, it is probably kind of informal and not regularly scheduled - in other words, you would have a hard time finding schedules on the internet, and it won't be sufficiently organized that you ride up and "buy a ticket for a motorcycle & rider".

How do you plan to get to Iquitos in the first place? If you are coming upriver from Brazil, you should be able to get information about onward travel to Ecuador from the boat operators who bring you to Iquitos.

Michael

From a long time ago: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-amazon-12037

The search function will also provide other relevant links