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Blog - Jim's Thoughts

Peru Tours and Travel

Suggested Packages / Amazon / Cusco / Lima / Lake Titicaca / Arequipa / Nazca
Trujillo & Chiclayo / Chachapoyas / Trekking / Multisport / Rafting / Biking

Manu Bio Trip in Amazon of Peru

This five-night program provides a complete overview of the habitats and wildlife of all elevations along the road-and-river route from Cusco to the Manu lowlands. We travel in our expedition bus down the orchid-festooned cloud forest road to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, which offers the world's finest viewing of these blazing scarlet birds.
The following day, we drive and boat to Pantiacolla Lodge in the foothills of the Andes. On day three, we boat to Manu Wildlife Center and spend three nights there exploring the vast Manu lowlands. This trip includes one visit each to the Macaw Clay Lick, the Tapir Clay Lick, a canopy platform, and a mature oxbow lake. On the last day, you fly out to Cusco.

Wednesday or Saturday - Today you will leave early to the Manu cloud forest. You pass over two Andean chains at almost 4,000 m elevation and descend through the cloud forest. This transect is a paradise for birders. After approximately 7 hours on the road we arrive at the Cock-of-the-Rock lodge in the Selva Sur Private Cloud forest reserve and will spend the night within earshot of a mountain river.

Thursday or Sunday - You will get up early and visit the lek of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. You will spend the some hours of the morning walking on the road looking for cloud forest birds, and with luck, Common Woolly Monkeys. Then depart by bus for Atalaya. After a 3-4 hour bus ride we reach the alto Madre de Dios River at Atalaya where you will eat a box lunch and then switch over to a canoe with a 55 hp outboard motor. Then you continue for 1.5 - 2 hours on the alto Madre de Dio River to the Pantiacolla Lodge. If there is time you will be able to start you exploration of one the 20 km of guided forest trails which surround the lodge.

Friday or Monday- You can take a small hike on the Lodge trails before leaving to Manu Wildlife Center. On the way you will stop at a local Piro Indian Village. After approximately 6 hours you arrive at Man Wildlife Center for a late lunch. After resting to escape the afternoon heat, you can begin you exploration of the 48 km of forest trails.

Saturday and Sunday or Tuesday and Wednesday- The first morning we get up at 4:30 in the morning and leave at 5:15 a.m. to drive by boat 2 minutes downriver to the macaw clay lick. We will board the large mobile blind that is attache by a long, heavy rope to a large, fixed log in the middle of the river and is positioned in front of the macaws once they have chosen their spot to eat clay. After watching the small parrots at the clay lick between 6 and 7 a.m. we will have a pancake breakfast aboard the moving blind. Th moving blind is about 9 m. long and 5 m. wide and holds up to 18 people comfortably. It also has a private bathroom in the rear. If the weather is good, the macaws should arrive between 7:30 an 8:30 a.m. and, if not scared by eagles or other surprises, should be down to eat on the clay by a some point between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. We leave the lick after the macaws have finished eating clay. If they finish early, then we may have time for a short visit to one oxbow lake to search fo giant otters before returning to the lodge for lunch and an optional siesta.

In the afternoon you may continue your siesta or take a guided walk on one of the many trails around the lodge. In the evening and on any other evening that you wish, we may take you out on a 60 minute stroll (3 km so 45 or 40 minutes if you walk fast) out into the forest to the tapir clay lick. You can spend then night at our elevated 5 m x 2.5 m platform. This screened structure is equipped with simple inflatable camping mattresses (thermarest" style) and small inflatable pillows with fresh personal pillow cases so that you can rest or read quietly while waiting for the first tapirs of the evening. The first tapir usually arrives between 9:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Other tapirs usually come in throughout the night We either can stay all night on the platform, or we can walk back after seeing the first tapir.

One of the mornings we will visit the two oxbow lakes in the area, Cocha Camungo and Cocha Blanco to see waterbirds and hoatzins and to search for giant otters. Each of these lakes is used regularly by its own family of these two-meter-long, 70-pound predators, which are the only social mustelids (weasels, minks, badgers, wolverines. skunks, otters) in the world.

In the afternoons we will explore the extensive guided trail system to search for some of the 12 species of monkeys that have been seen within a few kilometers of the research center. Outings on the trails include a visit to a Lookout over the Madre de Dios River, to different parts of a crystalline forest stream that enters the Madre de Dios River near the Center, to a large strangler fig tree to fruiting trees that may attract monkeys and birds. and other options.

We can visit the tapir clay lick during any of the evenings, as well as during the daytime wher sometimes deer, peccaries, rock parakeets, cracids come in, and occasionally tapirs come in. Other outings, excursions and canopy observation from our canopy tower and tree platform.

Monday or Thursday- Early morning transfer to the Boca Manu airstrip and the return flight to Cusco.

Fixed departures every Wednesday and Saturday(Minimum 02 passengers)
2010 Price Per person in US: $1575 for 2-4 people, $1475 for 5 and up, Single supplement US$375