With academic degrees in Zoology and Science Education from North Carolina State University, and as a former teacher of high school Biology, Pam has a unique perspective of what is important for people to take away from a life changing rain forest experience. While working at Peter’s side for 23 years, she has also received insight into what it takes to run a company the size of Explorama, with over 100 employees, in the middle of the rainforest. Time and business may not permit her to physically travel the streams and tributaries of the Amazon River basin visiting “riberenos” villages handing out school supplies to literally thousands of eager teachers and students as part of the Adopt-A-School program, but count on her to be sure this yearly event continues on schedule.

Jaime Acevedo
Marketing Manager, Iquitos

A native of Lima, Peru, Jaime has worked at Explorama for nearly 20 years and holds the title of Marketing Manager, where he oversees the production of promotional brochures and Explorama's web site. Equally important on Jaime's list of credentials is his expertise in peering into Explorama's future position in the travel marketplace and developing and implementing plans to modernize its facilities, and much to his credit is the construction of Ceiba Tops Lodge which satisfies a huge segment of travelers who want rain forest luxury while experiencing its natural biodiversity.

Most recently Jaime has capped a long-held desire to add private bathroom facilities to Explorama's original lodge, Explorama Lodge. In addition, he has been instrumental in planning and installing a new "Canopy" communications system providing WiFi Internet and telephone service at Ceiba Tops, Explorama Lodge and ExplorNapo. We don’t want to modernize the rainforest but if emergencies occur anywhere along Explorama's one hundred mile+ penetration into the Amazon rain forest, its sensible and responsible to be prepared and thankfully, Jaime is just that.

Marisol Rivera
Reservations Manager

Marisol has worked for Explorama for more than 20 years making sure the reservations Department is run with the utmost care and eye for detail. According to Marisol her job is to make sure that our guests don’t have to worry about any of their travel details so they can spend their time enjoying the rainforest and forget about the rest of the world!

Although Marisol works with guests from all over the world her passion is getting fellow Peruvians to come and see the grandeur of their rainforest. “Every Peruvian should have the chance to see the amazing things that are ours, we should be so proud of the diversity we can share with the world.” Marisol’s favorite groups are students; they can learn about our incredible natural resources and then think about how we can conserve them for everyone.

Luis Gonzales
Administrative Manager

Luis started off with Explorama as a guide over 30 years ago while he was saving enough money to be able to enter the local University. After receiving both an Undergraduate and Master’s degree in Business Administration, he began working in the banking industry in Iquitos. However, his heart was looking for a way back to his roots, to being a part of bringing people to the rainforest. When an opportunity presented itself to work for Explorama in his field of expertise, he jumped at it!

If you wake up early enough you can find Luis jogging or bicycling at the crack of dawn around Iquitos. He calls it “the best time of day” but adds “it’s also the coolest.”

Dr. Linnea Smith
aka 'La Doctora', Iquitos

Dr. Smith, affectionately known as La Doctora, really cannot be considered a member of Explorama's 'staff' but she holds a permanent position as one of the most influential people behind Explorama's success because of her dedication to treating the river people ("ribereno") within the vast reaches of Explorama's influence along the Amazon River and its tributaries. Dr. Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School in 1984 with board certification in internal medicine and while vacationing at Explorama in 1990, decided that here is where her calling was and soon convinced the Rotary Clubs of Duluth, MN and Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, to lend a hand (and money) to build a clinic for the "ribereno" where she could treat them as needed (and if they were willing to be treated) and thus was born the Yanamono Medical Clinic.

Today the clinic has three rooms for treatment, plus a laboratory, office, dental room, and pharmacy. Solar panels provide electricity and a well provides running water, and most of her 2,400 yearly patients arrive at her doorstep by dugout canoe or they walk the forest trails to be treated. It's truly amazing the medical situations Dr. Smith encounters and she has chronicled some in her fascinating book, La Doctora, that can be purchased from a variety of outlets including Amazon.com.

You may view Dr. Smith's web page at the The Amazon Medical Project

Paul Caira
Manager/Itinerary Planner, Boston, MA (USA)

Paul has to smile when he recalls an outdoor lobster/clam bake in the Boston area in 1971 when he first met the late John Casey who was then part of Explorama's management staff, and signed on to be Explorama's hotel rep in the States and Canada. So many years ago, and it's been his privilege to have worked with Explorama's staff and to have seen the that company grow from one boat, one lodge and few employees to a fleet of boats, 5 lodges and over 200 employees.

Paul, a travel industry veteran having published hotel directories, managed his hotel reservations company that numbered hundreds of properties worldwide, and developed a hotel voucher system used by Hertz Affordable Europe in the 80s. But now he is quite content to oversee his reservations staff that works exclusively with Explorama and having been to all of the lodges, and having hiked the trails and paddled a dugout canoe along the Sucusari River (off the Napo River). He is able to bridge the gap between people who are anxious to experience true rain forest wilderness but who have concerns about what to expect in terms of animals, food selection and choice of lodging.

Yes, the InterNet is a wondrous conveyer of information, as this site demonstrates, but people still like to talk to someone who has 'been there, done that', and who can vouch for the integrity of the services they wish to reserve in a country far from their home town.

Paul's staff is here to answer your questions and to help you plan your itinerary. No pressure, no deadlines, lots of information. Do things at your own pace, take your time because Explorama is an experience-of-a-lifetime and its yours to enjoy.

Elaine Budnik
Reservations Manager, Boston, MA (USA)

Coming from a background of meeting planning, hotel reservations and travel throughout Latin America and Europe, Elaine brings a wealth of experience to her job of overseeing and taking reservations for Explorama Lodges, and loves every minute of it. She has been to the lodges, as evidenced by the photo to the left (Elaine is on the right with La Doctora), and she proudly displays her piranha catch (photo on the right) after paddling and fishing at stream's edge. So when she is speaking with anyone interested in Explorama's rain forest itineraries, she speaks with authority and enthusiasm and although (affectionately) we try to rein her in, it's not that easy.

Elaine loves to talk about Explorama. A mother wondering if her teenage children will have enough to do need only ask that question and after hanging up, will be convinced that her kids will learn enough to earn high school biology credits after visiting with Explorama's resident shaman and naturalist guides at the ReNuPeRu Reserve. Or a honeymoon couple who have chosen to stay at the rustic ExporNapo Lodge only to learn from Elaine that the Matrimonial Suite at Ceiba Tops, with a day's excursion to the Napo's Canopy Walkway, would be more romantic and environmentally more comfortable for such an important occasion, and they'll still have a wonderful and exciting rain forest experience.

In addition to reservations and organizing people's itineraries, Elaine does color commentary for spots that Explorama has on radio station WRMN Chicago, and will often engage listeners with trivia questions: Where does the Amazon River Begin? Answer: In Peru where the Ucayali River meets the Maranon River. Or, Where are pink & gray fresh water dolphins found frolicking together? Answer: Just a few miles downriver from Ceiba Tops.

Elaine is in constant touch with her counterpart in Iquitos, Pam, and communication between the two offices is seamless. Our Boston sales & reservations office plays an important role in the success of Explorama and much of that is attributable to Elaine's personality, dedication and expertise.