About
Peru
Once the center of the Inca Empire,
Peru is the guardian of South
America's most important pre-Columbian
treasures. Its ancient cities
of Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Paracas
emerged from seemingly lifeless
coastal deserts and Andean valleys.
Spanish baroque art and architecture,
remembrances of a colonial past,
are on display everywhere, but
especially in Lima, once called
City of Kings. The richness of
Peru's history is matched by the
incredible diversity of its vast
rain forest, which blankets more
than half the country. The
Amazon Basin runs down the eastern
flank of Peru, providing travelers
different environments in which
to cruise on the rivers, stay
in jungle lodges and explore the
rain forest.
Iquitos is the main gateway to
the Amazon in the north, and a
departure point for jungle stays
in comfortable lodges and cruises
on the mighty Amazon river. Ecotourists
seeking more remote primary rainforest
seek out the southern Amazon basin,
home to Tambopata Wildlife Reserve
and Manu National Park. This area
is ideal for wildlife lovers,
birdwatchers, orchid fanciers,
and nature lovers of all types,
while conveniently close to Cusco
and Machu Piccu.
Peru
Destinations
Tambopata
Wildlife Reserve
Cusco
is the air gateway to Puerto Maldonado.
From there, travelers go by river
to Tambopata, which has been called
one of the most biologically diverse
environments on earth. Birders
often count 100 different species
in a day, and the reserve is home
to the largest known Macaw Lick
in the world.
Manu
Wildlife Reserve
Reached by air or overland from
Cusco, Manu is one of the best
areas for seeing wildlife anywhere
in the Amazon rain forest: monkeys
(13 species!), turtles,
giant otters, peccaries, capybaras,
tapir and even the occasional
jaguar. Macaws and motmots, toucan
and curassows are part of the
rich bird life. Thursday departure
recommended. Manu area is for
serious nature lovers and wildlife
photographers.
Cusco
The archaeological capital of
South America, Cusco is rich in
pre-Columbian remains such as
the Koricancha Temple, the Inca
Baths with their sophisticated
canal system and the vast Sacsayhuaman
Fortress site of ancient religious
celebrations. Colonial treasures
include mansions and churches
(the Cathedral, La Merced Convent,
La Compania), built on Inca foundations.
Churches are full of marvelous
works from the Cusco School of
painting, distinguished by its
mix of Catholic and pagan imagery.
Sacred
Valley Outside Cusco
and in the Urubamba River Valley
or "Sacred Valley of the Incas"
is a favorite for outdoors activities:
river rafting, hiking, horse-back
riding, biking, ballooning; and
take-off point for Inca Trail
trekkers. Ollantaytambo fortress
should not be missed. Pisac is
a recommended visit for its Inca
ruins above the town and the Indian
market in the village square.
Machu
Piccu The Lost City
of the Incas was a remote fortress/sanctuary
abandoned by the Inca, reclaimed
by the jungle and hidden from
view until Hiram Bingham of Yale
University rediscovered it in
1911. With altars, temples, staircases
and terraces, this is one of the
world's most extraordinary sites,
one that can be visited (by train
or helicopter) on a day trip from
Cusco, but better yet with an
overnight stay.
Peru
Ultimate Wildlife Itinerary
Tambopata
Reserve/Cusco/Machu Piccu
DAY
1 LIMA Arrive Lima. Airport
assistance available.
DAY
2 LIMA /PUERTO MALDONADO/ TAMBOPATA
RESERVE Transfer from the
hotel to the airport. Upon arrival
in Puerto Maldonado, Two-hour
motor boat trip up the Tambopata
river to the POSADA AMAZONAS LODGE
at the Ese'eja native community.
Box lunch on board while birdwatching
and wildlife viewing. Afternoon
arrival. Time to hike the nearby
trails before dinner. Overnight
at the lodge (breakfast, lunch
and dinner)
DAY
3 TAMBOPATA RESERVE After
an early breakfast, a short boat
trip followed by a short hike
to the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake.
Canoe ride along the edge to admire
its fauna, especially giant otters,
turtles and hoatzin birds. Time
to explore the surroundings or
swim at the lake. Continue three
to four hours upstream to the
Tambopata Research center. Box
lunch on the boat. Upon arrival,
hiking, birdwatching and wildlife
viewing along the Bamboo trail.
Return to the research center.
After dinner, night walk to observe
the nocturnal wildlife, especially
amphibians and insects. Accommodation
at the TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER
(breakfast, lunch and dinner)
DAY
4 TAMBOPATA RESERVE Departure
at dawn to cross the river and
visit the collpa, a red clay hillside
where hundreds of parrots of the
larger macaws of up to twelve
species arrive to eat the salty
clay essential for their digestion.
After breakfast, short hike along
the ocelot trail to admire the
rainforest ecology. After lunch
at the research center, hike to
the palm swamp, a nesting colony
for several species of macaws.
Return to the research center
for dinner (breakfast,lunch and
dinner)
DAY 5 TAMBOPATA RESERVE
Departure at dawn for a second
visit to observe the macaw clay
lick from blinds on top of the
clay-side. Return to the research
center for breakfast. Return to
the POSADA AMAZONAS LODGE. Box
lunch on the boat. Upon arrival,
visit to a native slash and burn
farm to learn how is it that this
agriculture system thought to
be wasteful can be sustainable
over the long term. Return to
Posada Amazonas lodge for dinner
and overnight (breakfast,lunch
and dinner)
DAY
6 TAMBOPATA RESERVE /PUERTO MALDONADO/
CUSCO After an early breakfast,
return trip to Puerto Maldonado
and the airport. Assistance on
departure flight. Upon arrival
in Cusco, assistance at the airport
and transfer to City tour including
the Santo Domingo Convent Monastery
- the legendary Koricancha "Site
of Gold", the most important temple
devoted to worship of the sun
and whose walls were plated with
sheets of gold; the Plaza de Armas
and the Cathedral. After seeing
the most interesting sites of
the city, you will drive out into
the countryside outside Cusco
to visit some of the remarkable
Inca ruins in the area. The cult
centre of Sacsayhuaman, the temple
and amphitheatre of Kenko, Tambomachay
and Puca Pucara. (Breakfast)
DAY
7 CUSCO / MACHU PICCHU Transfer
to the train station. Railcoach
service to Machu Picchu, "The
Lost City of the Incas". Guided
tour of the marvelous citadel,
visiting the main square, the
royal quarters, the temple of
the three windows, the circular
towers and the sacred sun dial
and burial grounds. Lunch at Hotel
Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Dinner
and overnight at MACHU PICCHU
PUEBLO HOTEL (Breakfast, lunch
and dinner)
DAY 8 MACHU PICCHU /CUSCO
Early getting up is recommended
to admire Machu Picchu at sunrise,
a truly mystical experience. For
hiking enthusiasts, walking up
the Huayna Picchu peak overlooking
the site is suggested. Afternoon
railcoach service to Cusco. (breakfast)
DAY
9-12 CUSCO/MANU BIOSPHERE
RESERVE - The ONLY lodge in the
Reserved Zone! (13-Day
Itineraries only - 9-day Itinerary
returns to Lima on Day 9, with
optional city tour)
Highlights:
Manu has the highest biodiversity
of any park on earth. Most visitors
are restricted to the Cultural
Zone where wildlife is much less
abundant, but we will venture
deep into the more remote, wildlife-rich
Reserved Zone.
Wildlife: No other Peru Itinerary
will expose you to so much wildlife!
200 species of mammals live here;
tapirs and jaguars are commonly
sighted. ManuÕs 13 species of
primates include wooly monkeys
and emperor tamarins with white
mustaches. The lowland rainforest
in Manu harbors 1,000 species
of birds, the highest concentration
of bird life on earth; 40% more
than the Brazilian Amazon!
Day
13 MANU/CUSCO/LIMA
- Optional
city tour.
Cost:
9-Day
$1,998 + air.
13-Day $3,098 + air
INCLUDED:
Hotel accomodations and meals
as detailed in your itinerary,
English speaking guides, all river
transportation during the tour,
and 2-way transfer from the Puerto
Maldonado airport to the Tambopata
river port. Machu Piccu segment
includes sight-seeing train through
the Andes to Machu Piccu from
Sacred Valley, entrance fees to
Machu Pichu, transfer from Aguas
Calientes station/Machu Picchu
and return to Cusco.
NOT
INCLUDED: Air transportation LIM/PEM/CUS/LIM
(about $260, subject to change)
airport taxes for domestic flights
(about USD5.50, international
flight USD 28.24) extras, optional
tours, transfers or other services
in Cusco. Park entrance fees,
excess baggage charges, additional
nights due to flight cancellations,
alcoholic beverages or bottled
water, personal insurance, laundry,
phone calls, and/or items of a
personal nature.
Peru
- Manu Bio-trip Itinerary
Manu
Biological Perserve is home
to 13 species of primates!
Note: each lodge on this itinerary
can also be offered separately
as an extension to our Peru Ultimate
Wildlife Itinerary
Manu
Biotrip Starting in Cusco,
we'll drive across the Andean
plateau until well above treeline,
then plunge into successive ecosystems
of highland temperate forest,
cloud forest, and finally lowland
rainforest. The first stop, the
dancing ground of the stunning
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, is where
large, bright red males strut,
bow and squawk in a frantic attempt
to impress potential mates. The
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge was designed
to provide easy access to this
sight and a specially designed
blind brings the action to you.
The lodge protects a 12,500-acre
private cloud forest reserve in
this valley, home to an inquisitive
population of Capuchin Monkeys
and other primates. As you descend
into the lowlands along the Madre
de Dios (Mother of God) River
to the Manu Wildlife Center, the
wildlife becomes even more impressive:
From a house-like blind in the
forest you view 550-pound Amazonian
Tapirs as they come to a salt
lick. From canopy towers you experience
the parallel world that exists
in the tops of the rainforest
trees. And from comfortable, stable
catamarans, you paddle around
an oxbow lake teeming with wildlife,
including the rare Giant Otter.
Macaw licks too, offer the spectacle
of hundreds of parrots. No other
itinerary will expose you to so
much wildlife. You will visit
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge and Manu
Wildlife Center on this trip.
Day 1 Ð Cusco to Manu
Cloud Forest Leave early for
the Manu Cloud Forest. You will
cross over the high Andes, see
the treeless puna habitat, and
then descend through temperate
highland forest, high-altitude
cloud forest, and down to the
comfort of the Cock-of-the-Rock
Lodge. The journey lasts approximately
8 hours and is one of the most
impressive drives in Peru. L,
D
Day
2 Ð Manu Cloud Forest to
Andean Foothills We visit
the display ground of the Andean
Cock-of-the-Rock in the morning
and enjoy the comfortable climate
and beautiful surroundings. We
also explore the cloud forest
trails and hike the "the best
birding road in the world," according
to one leading bird tour operator.
After all this activity, many
guests enjoy a relaxing dip in
the cool mountain stream. Monkeys
frequently pass by right next
to the lodge, and colorful tanager
flocks skim through the trees.
After lunch, we will depart on
a 4-hour drive to our lodge near
Atalaya. B,
L, D
Day
3 Ð Foothills to Manu Wildlife
Center We rise early to enjoy
the sights and sounds of the forest
on the trails surrounding the
guesthouse before returning for
a leisurely breakfast. We then
travel for approximately 6 hours
by motorized canoe down the Madre
de Dios River, passing small towns
and even smaller groups of farms
until civilization melts away
into pristine rainforest. You
will arrive at Manu Wildlife Center
in the late afternoon and settle
into your private cabanas, and
perhaps even begin exploring the
40 miles of trails that the Manu
Wildlife Center has to offer.
B, L, D
Day
4 & 5 Ð Manu Wildlife Center Early
morning we take a motorized canoe
25 minutes to the Macaw clay lick.
From a large floating blind in
the middle of the river, you can
watch as the first parrots and
then macaws come down to the lick,
followed by hundreds of others.
Other excursions include: Tapir
clay lick Ð One evening you will
have the opportunity to walk through
the forest to a house-like blind
at the tapir clay lick. The walk
lasts about an hour, and is filled
with the sights and sounds of
the jungle at night. The first
tapir usually arrives between
9:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m, but there
are comfortable beds, bathroom
facilities, and other amenities
to ease your wait. Many guest
prefer to stay the entire night
at the blind, but there is always
the option to return to the lodge.
Oxbow lake and Giant Otters -
Sit comfortably on a stable catamaran
as your guides paddle you around
the Cocha Blanco oxbow lake to
search for Giant Otters and see
a huge variety of birds including
the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin.
Rainforest hikes - Explore the
extensive trail system with our
expert guides showing you the
way. We search for some of the
12 species of monkeys that have
been seen within a few kilometers
of the lodge. The forest has more
than monkeys, though, and your
guides can show it all to you.
Canopy Observation Ð The Manu
Wildlife Center boasts two canopy
towers from which you can experience
the parallel world that exists
a hundred feet above the forest
floor. From here you can look
a monkey in the eye, watch macaws
fly by, and see canopy bird flocks
pass right through your tree.
Day
6 Ð Manu Wildlife Center/Cusco
Our last day will start with an
early morning ride up the river
in a motorized canoe to the grass
airstrip at Boca Manu. From here
it is a short flight back to Cusco
and the world that you left behind.
B
Cost:
$1,495 (includes one leg of
airfare)
INCLUDED:
Lodging and meals as detailed
in your itinerary, English speaking
guides, van and river transporation
from Cusco all the way to Manu
Wildlife Center, return flight
from Boca Manu to Cusco, all river
transportation and activities
during the tour.
NOT
INCLUDED: Air transportation LIMA/CUSCO/LIMA
(about $180 subject to change)
airport taxes for domestic flights
(about USD $5.50, international
flight USD $28.24) hotel in Cusco
prior to tour, extra tours, transfers
or other services in Cusco. Park
entrance fees, excess baggage
charges, additional nights due
to flight cancellations, alcoholic
beverages or bottled water, personal
insurance, laundry, phone calls,
and/or items of a personal nature.