| Day
1: Leaving Cusco after breakfast around 7:00am we travel through
traditional Quechua communities and through the spectacular eastern ranges
of the Andes to the village of Paucartambo, passing snow-peaks and small
Andean farmsteads. We will have time here to look around this picturesque
village We then ascend to the last pass overlooking the Amazon Basin and
begin the breath taking descent from 3500 meters to 1600 meters above
sea-level to our comfortable lodge in the orchid laden Cloud Forest. This
is a spectacular journey passing cascading waterfalls and multicolored
birds along the way. In the late afternoon, we'll walk into the lodge
to the sounds of Quetzals, Trogons and Gray-breasted Wood-Wrens. Night
at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. (L,D) |
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| Day 2: Pre- breakfast walk to a nearby spot in the Cloud Forest where the strange and beautiful Cocks-of-the-Rock display at dawn. This is a wonderful sight, as up to 25 bright red-orange males dance and sing, attempting to attract the favors of the duller, burgundy colored females. After visiting this lek we return to the Lodge for a leisurely breakfast and continue in our all terrain bus to the Madre de Dios River and our motorized dugouts and we begin our journey down the river, past the last folds of the Andes, to it's confluence with the Manu River. We’ll pass settlements and native communities during the trip. Just before we get to the village of Boca Manu we pass the native community of Diamante. Their culture is Piro and this is the largest settlement in the area. Passing the village of Boca |
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| Manu we arrive at to-nights destination -a small, locally built and managed lodge. The lodge is across the river from the tiny airstrip of Boca Manu. The two species of Tamarin monkeys are here -the Saddleback and Emperor. The latter with their long, white moustaches are a rare and precious sight. There is a trail system we can explore if time permits. Night at Boca Manu Lodge. (B,L,D) | |
| Day 3: Well fed and rested we leave Boca Manu, leaving the relatively clean waters of the Madre de Dios River behind, we enter the clay laden waters of the Manu River. With a brief stop at the park ranger station at Limonal to present our permits we travel for about five hours up the Manu. Beaches, especially in the dry season, are loaded with nesting birds and feeding Herons, Egrets, Orinoco Geese, Terns and Skimmers to name but a few. Some beaches will host sunning White and Black Caimans (South American relatives of the Alligators)/ and breeding Side-necked Turtles. Hundreds of Sand-colored Nightjars roost during the day on logs and beaches and there is a chance of encountering a sunning Jaguar - the world’s third largest cat. In 2007 one in three of our trips saw Jaguar in Manu. We will see some species of primate on this river trip, possibly Red Howler Monkeys or the smaller Squirrel Monkeys. After having lunched by the river we arrive at the |
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| Casa machuguenka Lodge. We'll have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the pristine rainforest in the area. A visit to the lake of Cocha Otorongo is planned, where observation piers and a 20 meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake are available for observing wildlife. We will also be on the lookout for a large family of Giant Otters that inhabit this lake. Before or after dinner an optional excursion into the forest at night is available with your guide in search of nocturnal creatures. The lakes are full of eye-shine of the large Black Caiman and if we are lucky we may encounter an Olingo, Kinkajou or even an Ocelot on the trails. Certainly the nighttime noise of tree frogs and insects in the forest is an experience not to be forgotten. Night at the Casa Matsiguenka, a rustic native owned lodge run by the Matisguenka’s themselves with its own exclusive trail system. There are shared flush toilets and ambient temperature shower facilities and screened twin rooms with comfortable beds and mosquito nets. (B,L,D) | |
| Day
4: After breakfast we'll spend the morning at the lake of Cocha
Salvador. Some of the time will be spent canoeing the lake on a floating
platform observing ox-bow lake animal life from the water. We may encounter
an Agami Heron or a Sungrebe and Brown Cappuchin Monkeys are usually feeding
on fruits nearby. Specially constructed piers that jut out into the lake
enable us to look for a family of Giant Otters that live here. These,
the world’s largest freshwater carnivores,` remain common only in Manu, having been hunted to extinction throughout most of their former range. Each animal consumes between 4 and 5 kilos of fish daily and often they can be seen eating large fish on logs at the lakeside. The rest of the |
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| day will be spent walking the trails in the area in search of some of the 13 species of Monkey found in the forest here. Your guide will explain some of the basics of rainforest ecosystems and point out some of the medicinal plants of the area used by local, indigenous groups. We may cross paths with a group of Peccaries - a species of wild boar found here. A late afternoon swim in the river near the camp as the sunsets. Night at the Casa Matsiguenka. (B,L,D) | |
| Day 5: Today we'll walk very slowly from camp for 4-5 hours through the forest to Cocha Otorongo. We may encounter troops of Monkeys. This is a particularly good trail for Woolly and Black Spider Monkeys. We'll pay special attention to the plant life on this walk and take it slowly listening for the rustle of vegetation or the soft sound of fruits falling to the rainforest floor that may betray the presence of animals or large birds. We'll be met at the river by our cook with a picnic lunch and then board our motorized dugout for the 4 hour trip down river to Boca Manu for the night. The river trip may hold surprises and we'll be attentive for any wildlife on the beaches. Night at the lodge at Boca Manu. (B,L,D) |
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| Day 6: This morning we have time to explore the small trail system at the lodge before heading across the river to the tiny airstrip of Boca Manu. We’ll take the 45 minute flight over seemingly endless rainforest and then over the Andes, passing glaciers and snow peaks to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco where our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel. (B) | |
| 2008 Fixed Departures: Every Sunday throughout the year except for the months of January, February and March. | |
| Days in trip: 6 Days (3 nights lodge + 2 nights tented camp) | |
|
Tour
includes: -
Bi-Lingual
biologist/Naturalist Guides |
|
| Not
included:
- Bottled drinks except water or where provided with meals - Optional tips to staff - Items of a personal nature, e.g. Laundry - Hotel in Cusco (Can be arranged if required) - Excess baggage charges |
|
| 2008 Rates per person: $1495 in double occupancy. Single Supplement: $120 | |
