Amazon Adventures

Peru

5-8 Day Manu Lodge & Cloudforest Lodge Trip

Manu lodge is the only lodge offering all inclusive services within the Manu Park itself. All other trips offered in the Manu National Park are camping trips. A few other new lodges and camping sites are located well beyond the limits of the Manu National Park. Two park stations strictly control the access to this pristine area. Since there are no roads near or inside the protected Manu lowlands, the river is the only access. Only authorized tour and research boats are allowed to the interior of the Reserve.

The Manu Lodge is constructed entirely of fine mahogany cut from logs left on the beaches of the Manu by the annual January-March floods. The lodge is elevated on reinforced stilts and is divided into two communicating blocks. A and B. Block A is in three levels, a spacious lower level containing a bar, meeting area and a dining room/lounge for up to 44 people, a smaller second level containing two double rooms with a magnificent vista of the lake nearby, and a still smaller third level that features an observation room. Block B contains ten double rooms spaced along a wide, screened corridor/porch. The entire lodge, including both blocks and porches, is screened and accessible from outside through screened double doors. The kitchen, showers and latrines are located away from the main building in clean, comfortable buildings. We have outfitted the Manu Lodge with as many amenities as the Peruvian Government has allowed in the past 12 years.

From the boat landing on the river bank, you walk 600 yards on a clear flat forest trail to reach the canoe landing from where we can paddle you to the secluded Manu Lodge. The Manu Lodge overlooks a 1.2-mile-long and 590 ft. wide oxbow lake, which is surrounded by huge, vine-festooned tropical trees. Herons, kingfishers, hoatzins, monkeys and black caiman may be seen from a couple of lake piers or from a comfortable catamaran, and on the edge of the lake there is a mineral lick where rare birds such as Razor-billed Curassows and Piping Guans are often seen.

Manu Lodge is considered the best place in the tropics to see and photograph or film Giant River Otters. These two and a half, 70 pound-mustelid is a gregarious mammal that lives in small groups. A family of six to eight Giant Otters visits the lake every other week and our clients may see them from within 50 ft. right in front of the Manu Lodge building without disturbing them. Using the lake riverbanks, or our lake piers and being quiet guarantees wonderful sightings of these large carnivores as they fish, feed their cubs, preen and play. We strictly forbid the use of canoes or catamarans to try to see the otters. Giant otters have successfully bred on several occasions near Manu Lodge.

After cruising on the lake you can explore many kilometers of marked trails near the lodge. These trails, which were designed in consultation with internationally known ecologists, wind trough the full mosaic of different forest types of the western Amazon, including tall floodplain forest, terra firma (never flooded) forest, stands of lush Heliconia species, sun dappled cane "Caña brava" and 7-meter-tall thickets of bamboo. Jaguars and ocelots frequent the trails too, though normally you see only their fresh tracks.

A 75 meter-high ridge only a less than a hundred meters from the lake offers views of macaws, parakeets, hawks, toucans and scores of other species of tropica birds flying short and long distances over the forest. On a clear day, the lookout yields a view of the lake below and the distant snow-capped peaks of the Andes, a vista stretching more than two-hundred kilometers. No other lodge in South America simultaneously provides a pristine tropical lake in a protected wilderness and a view of the majestic Andes!. Using Manu Lodge as a base, you can travel by boat up or down river for comfortable day-trips or overnight camping trips to other lakes and concentrations of wildlife in the lower Manu region. Whether you stay at the lodge the entire time or explore other parts of Manu, our itineraries provide one of the finest jungle experiences available in Central and South America, if not the world.

An old oxbow lake within 15 minutes from Manu Lodge, presents large stands of dead Mauritia Palms, which make wonderful roosting and nesting sites for dozens of Gold and Yellow Macaws and Red-bellied Macaws. An elevated platform provides visitors with "next to stage" seats, as these colorful birds, play, preen and display while their bright plumage reflect the golden light of the setting tropical sun.

Day 01. 6:00 am. Departure on our comfortable Trans Manu bus, equipped with reclining seats and HF radio (*). Our destination today is a 1,300 Ha. Private Reserve in the cloud forest near the southeastern boundary of Manu Park, nested between the grasslands and the lowlands of the Upper Madre de Dios River. We travel southeast through small Andean villages while we observe cameloid shepherds and native peasants in their colorful attires. We travel at leisure making several stops along the way, including many photo opportunities, a group of pre-Inca "Chullpas" or funerary monuments, and the colorful colonial town of Paucartambo. As we reach the Acjanaco pass, near the southern-most tip of the Manu Park, a delicious lunch is the perfect complement to the magnificent views of the elfin forest, cloud forest, and the lowland Amazon Basin below.

Llama Taxis: As we reach the southern-most point of Manu National Park, in the grasslands, you will have the chance to ride a Llama Taxi. Led by local peasants and pulled by a couple of these intelligent cameloids you will have a chance to get off the bus, and ride from the Andean grasslands to the elfin forests as you watch the Amazon basin in the far horizon, 11,000 ft. below. This is an opportunity to learn about the Andean culture, their way of life and the use of cameloids to participate in ecotourism, while preserving these wild ecosystems. The Llama Taxi initiative has been funded and started by Manu Nature Tours in an effort to include local Andean peasants in the benefits of ecotourism. Two, llama-assisted treks are now being planned to descend from the Andes into the rainforest.You may ride a Llama Taxi for segments of 30´minutes. If you want to bird watch, these vehicles are ideal. At a 5 km/hour speed, they are slow, silent, and patient.

Mountain Biking: For those with the energy and a sense of adventure we will offer the choice to use a sturdy mountain bike to descend effortlessly on the most scenic and beautiful part of the single-lane dirt road into the heart of the cloud forests. For your security, and since this is not a competition but a chance to enjoy nature, you will have to ride behind our transport. We provide bike helmets. You should bring a well-padded pair of mountain bike gloves.

We reach our Manu Cloud Forest Lodge to have a relaxing evening by the lodge's veranda. The sound of the Union Creek by the lodge and a visit to the lodge sauna will put us into a pleasant sleep. Some of the attractions of the lodge include one "lek" or dancing ground of Andean Cock-of-the Rock, which are nearly crow-sized, bright red birds in the Cotinga family. Troops of acrobatic Woolly Monkeys are also frequently sighted. A recent ornithological census by John Arvin, a renowned tropical ornithologist, shows a list that exceeds 700 species of birds in the transect from the grasslands to the lowlands of the Upper Madre de Dios River port of Atalaya. Some of the amenities of the lodge include private bathrooms with hot water, private verandas overlooking the pristine Union creek, and a sauna to relax after the daily activities.

Day 02. The lush and misty cloud forest is perhaps the most fragile and threatened type of rainforest. This forest starts at 11,000 feet, and continues down to about 5,000 feet of elevation, covering the eastern slopes of the Andes, before yielding to the vast lowland forest of the Amazon. This is a kingdom of moss, lichens, ferns, and orchids.

Early excursion to a nearby platform and blind strategically located to see a private "lek" where the brightly red-colored Cock-of-the Rock displays daily for the females. We return to our lodge for a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, a hiking excursion to the Waterfall Trail, walking through dense and exuberant cloud forest and crossing rushing streams, which originate in the peaks high above the forest. At noon, weather allowing, a delicious barbecue awaits beside a natural pond. Surrounded by massive rocks, hanging vines and bromeliads, we will enjoy a refreshing dip in these crystal-clear waters.

(*) Ground transport may not be the one described above for all tours.

Optional: White-water rafting on the Qosñipata River; visitors of all ages can enjoy three hours of exciting class II and III rapids in the beautiful setting of the tropical rainforest. Lunch is served along the river course. We return to the Manu Cloud Forest Lodge early in the afternoon. A minimum of four clients is required. Must be reserved in advance.

Day 03. After breakfast, we head towards Atalaya, the first navigable port on the Upper Madre de Dios River. The ride will take us through small villages of Andean colonists and indigenous people whose main economic activities are rudimentary farming and low-scale logging. Once at Atalaya we board our motorized dugout canoes, equipped with individual cushioned seats, and long tarps to provide shelter from the baking sun, or the sudden tropical downpour. River journeys are long in Manu and visitors have rated our boats as the most comfortable in the entire region. We will boat down the fast-flowing, braided, clear water, upper Madre de Dios River for about five hours to the confluence with the meandering, Manu River. As soon as we enter the great Manu wilderness, every river bend will bring us a vista of unspoiled beauty. We may see Black Caiman, White Caiman, toucans, parrots, scores of wild macaws, several species of raptors, and maybe even a magnificent Jaguar. The best proof of the presence of Jaguars and the possibility of many of our tour groups to see these great cats, are the many wonderful amateur photographs that our customers have sent back to our company.

After about four hours, we arrive at the Juarez Lake sandbar, then we hike 600 meters along a flat trail to the Juarez oxbow lake, where guides paddle us in a catamaran to the secluded Manu Lodge, the only full Lodge in the entire protected wilderness of Manu. If during the dry season the catamaran cannot be used due to the low water level in the lake, we will walk a one kilometer trail (about twenty minutes) only taking our hand-bags with us while the main luggage is carried by the Lodge personnel. Overnight: Manu Lodge.

Day 04. We rise to the loud call of Howler Monkeys, and to the option of a dawn paddle on the lake. During breakfast from the dining room, you may be able to see entire troops of Squirrel Monkeys, Brown Capuchins, and White-Fronted Capuchins that may be visiting the lodge clearing in search of palm fruits. Without any doubt, one of the highlights of Manu Lodge is the family of four Giant Otters who usually breed there. Manu Lodge visitors have been able to see these playful and gregarious carnivores from a 15-meter distance without causing any disturbance of their daily activities. This group of Giant Otters visits the Manu Lodge every now and then, and when at Juarez, they can be seen at different times of the day. Surprisingly, a few dead logs in front of our dining room are their favorite spot to eat fish, preen, and play.

Manu Lodge offers the largest and most complete trail system available in Manu (over 20 km of marked trails), and the result of standardized trail walks completed by groups of researchers over the course of several years, show that "it is actually those sections closest to the lodge and most heavily visited, which were the most productive in terms of mammal sighting. This suggests that the presence of tourists and researchers is not having a disturbing effect on the local mammal population." (1995, Durham University Expedition Report.)

Two miradors are located within a close distance from the Manu Lodge; when clear they allow visitors with a vista of the canopy that stretches to the snow-capped peaks near Cusco. A dawn visit to the miradors is the most rewarding and while we look at the seemingly endless horizon, several primate and bird species may reward our patience. Mirador visitors regularly see: White-throated Jacamar, Paradise Tanagers, Opal-rumped Tanager, and Swallow Tanager. Eye-level sights of Red and Green Macaws, Scarlet Macaws, and Blue and Yellow Macaws as they fly by the mirador, and turn their heads to look at us is an unforgettable memory. On some occasions visitors have been rewarded with sights of Ornate-Hawk Eagle, and the monkey-eating Harpy Eagle. At over a meter-high, its yellow legs and talons seem larger than human arms and hands.

Macaw Roosting & Nesting Site: In the afternoon we will visit old oxbow lake, within a 15-minute boat ride from Manu Lodge presents large stands of Mauritia Palms, which make wonderful roosting and nesting sites for dozens of Blue and Yellow Macaws and Red-bellied Macaws. An elevated platform will provide visitors with "next to stage seats" to watch these colorful birds, as they play, preen and display while their bright plumage reflect the golden light of the setting tropical sun.

Optional: Canopy climbing. During your stay in Manu Lodge you have the chance to explore the rainforest canopy at a closer range. Our staff can take you for a spectacular and safe climb to a platform located 76 feet above the ground. Overnight: Manu Lodge.

Manu Lodge Research Program: Manu Lodge offers annual research grants for Tropical Research organizations around the world. During your stay at the lodge you may have the chance to attend a different scientific talk every evening, and in the morning outings, you will be able to attend on-the field discussions of different tropical research topics.

Day 05: There are almost 500 bird species recorded in the vicinity of Manu Lodge. Some of these species have traditional nests right next to Manu Lodge. These "neighbor" species include: Black-tailed Tityra, Yellow- rumped Cacique, Golden-bellied Euphonia, Palm Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, and Masked-crimson Tanager. immediate vicinity of the Juarez lake offers you easy and superb sightseeing of: Striated Heron, Wattled Jacana, Yellow-billed Tern, the bizarre Hoatzin, White-winged Swallows, Black-capped Donacobius, and Red-capped Cardinal. Other frequent visitors of the Manu Lodge are: Great Egret, Green Ibis, Osprey, and Black-collared Hawk. All of them can be easily seen from the lake banks or from our comfortable catamaran. Overnight: Manu Lodge.

Day 06. Today we will have an opportunity to explore the Manu River, and two of the most beautiful oxbow lakes in Manu, Otorongo and Salvador. This river is another good chance to try our luck and see a Jaguar sunning in the sandbars of the Manu River, as well as side-neck turtles sunning in logs. The five-kilometer long Salvador Lake is the largest and most beautiful lake in the lower Manu River. Manu Nature Tours manages a private camp close to tall, mature never-flooded rainforest close to the lake. Four lake piers, several trail circuits and a small catamaran will offer us a chance to look for fauna and to observe the serene beauty of this marvelous place. On the boat trip back to Manu Lodge we will make a stop at Lake Otorongo in hopes to see a troop of Woolly Monkeys and to climb a 100ft. observation tower near the lake shore. If we are lucky while on this tower, we might see a group of Giant Otters playing and fishing on the waters below. We boat back to Manu Lodge in the late afternoon, to a refreshing shower, snacks and iced drinks. Overnight: Manu Lodge.

Day 07. At 06:00 o´clock we start our river journey back to the confluence of the Manu and the Madre de Dios. This journey back to the airstrip is our last chance to spot a Capybara, the world's largest rodent, or a Tapir, a relative of horses and the rainforest's largest mammal. After about three hours we will reach Boca Manu for a brief stop and to refuel our boats. From Boca Manu we will explore the lower portion of the Madre de Dios River where we may have a chance to see the large Red-and-Green Macaws perched on the trees or even eating dirt at the macaw clay lick. If these noisy and colorful birds are still at the lick we will make a 10-15 minute stop in order to watch them making short and long flights from the river bank to the rain forest canopy. Although the lower Madre de Dios River, in the vicinity of the Macaw Lick is not within the protected Manu National Park, the riverine wildlife viewing is surprisingly diverse. On a recent scientific survey on this area our guides have spotted: Black caiman, white caiman, capybara, river turtles, over 200 woodstorks, roseate spoonbills, horned-screamers, turkey vultures, snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, several species of oropendolas, swallow-winged puffbirds, white-banded swallows, white-winged swallows, black-collared hawk, large-billed terns, yellow-billed terns, neotropical cormorants, scarlet macaws, blue and yellow macaws, tui parakeets, shiny cowbird, great-black hawk, giant cowbird, bat falcon, black cara-cara, cocoi herons, road-side hawks, Orinoco geese, bare-necked fruit-crows, black skimmers, pied lapwings tropical kingbirds.

We will also see several lowland native settlements and gold miners digging and panning gold along the banks of the Madre de Dios River. About four hours later, we will stop in the far-west type gold-mining town of Colorado to start our overland journey to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival in Colorado you will have the chance to see a true frontier, gold-mining town where everything, from food supplies to outboard motors is praised in “grams” (grams of gold, that is!) From Colorado a four-wheel drive pick-up truck or station wagon will take you to the shores of the mighty Inambari River, which we will cross, in a dugout canoe. A van or station wagon will drive us to Puerto Maldonado, in approximately four-hours along the inter-oceanic highway that will link Brazil with the Pacific Ocean. Only 11 kilometers of this road are now paved.

The city of Puerto Maldonado sits at the confluence of the Tambopata and the Madre de Dios River and it is the capital of the jungle department of Madre de Dios. Arrival in Puerto Maldonado and transfer to a three-star hotel.

Day 08: Today you will be transferred to the airport in Puerto Maldonado where a safe, 30-minute, jet-flight will take you back to Cusco. (Arriving between 12:30 and 13:00) After a brief stop the plane continues for another hour to Lima. If you have a nighttime flight you may connect to your home the same day.

Optional: Macaw Clay Lick one-day extension: Clients taking this extension depart the Manu Lodge for a 6-7 hour trip for an overnight the Macaw Lick Camp at Blanquillo. It is important to note that the activity at macaw licks, as well as other types of licks is very seasonal. Macaw Licks are almost inactive during the rainy season. Macaw Licks are totally inactive during the months of May-June. Macaw licks are one of the world's most amazing avian spectacles, but bird activity lasts only two or three hours right after dawn, and since reaching the site involves considerable amounts of travel time outside of Manu, and additional expense, you should probably attempt to see it only between the months of July through September.

Important Note: Consider that during the normal itinerary, as we boat downstream on the lower Madre de Dios River we will make a brief stop at the Macaw Clay Lick, where we may see several dozens of Red and Green Macaws perched in the trees or even eating dirt at the lick

Inclusions: Ground, boat and jet transport to Cusco, naturalist English-speaking guide, all meals, accommodations at Manu Cloud Forest Lodge and Manu Lodge, tented camp gear, Manu National park permits, pre and post tour transfers to hotel in Cusco.

2007 Dates: Jan 12 , Feb 9 , Mar 9 , Apr 6, 20 , May 4, 11, 18, Jun 1, 8, 15, Jul 6, 13, 20, Aug 3, 10, 17, 22, Sep 7, 14, 21, Oct 5, 19, Nov 9, 16, Dec 14

PRICES: We guarantee our departures with a minimum of two clients. 2 clients: $1,980.00/person SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $730.00. We also offer group rates if you are traveling with an organized party

1) Commercial airfare from the city of Puerto Maldonado to Cusco is not included in our fees. You may also continue your flight to Lima on the same plane. Please check with airline companies. Must be reserved well in advance.
(2) We inform you that our rates do not include Manu National Park entrance fee (About $50). These fees are charged by the Peruvian Park Service and may change without prior notice.
(3) Night Walks: Our guides work more than 10-hours daily with you, from dawn to dusk. For a small additional fee they can prepare an exciting night walk for you after dinner both at the Manu Cloud Forest Lodge and the Manu Lodge
.

7 day option:

2007 Dates: Jan 3, 17 , Feb 7, 21, Mar 7, 14, 21, Apr 4, 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23, Jun 6, 13, 20, 27, Jul 4, 11, 18, 25,
Aug 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Sep 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 7, 14, 21, Dec 5, 19

PRICES: We guarantee our departures with a minimum of two clients:: 2 clients: $1,972.00/person
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $650.00

(1) Commercial airfare from the city of Puerto Maldonado to Cusco is not included in our fees. You may also continue your flight to Lima on the same plane. Please check with airline companies. Must be reserved well in advance.
(2) We inform you that our rates do not include Manu National Park entrance fee (About $50). These fees are charged by the Peruvian Park Service and may change without prior notice.

REBATES: $50.00/person discount if 3-5 clients rate is paid in full 3 months in advance. $100.00/person rebate if paid in full six months or more before departure date.
BOOKINGS: $800.00/person deposit. Balance 60 days prior to departure date.

6 day option:

2007 DATES: Jan 4 ,18, Mar 8, 15, 22, Apr 5, 12 ,19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, Jun 7, 14 ,21, 28, Jul 5, 12, 19, 26,
Aug 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Sep 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, Dec 6, 13

RATES: We guarantee our departures with a minimum of two clients: 2 clients: $1,680.00/person
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $570.00

5 day option:

RATES: We guarantee our departures with a minimum of 2 clients: $1,480.00/person
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $490.00

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Mountain Biking: $45.00 per person
Canopy climbing: $55.00 per person
River Rafting: $138.00 per person (minimum 4 clients)
Night walk: $30.00 per person (3clients )
Macaw Clay Lick One-day extension: $250.00 per person