Our longest tour to experience the entire rainforest of the Amazon in the Manu Sanctuary. You will spend four days each in the cultural and reserverd Zone. Our passionate local tour guides know the jungle inside out. They will show you the amazing variety of flora and fauna. You will observe the parrots in the cultural zone as well as the big macaws in the reserved zone at their morning clay lick. Together with adventures such as river tubing, typical jungle food and campfire, your stay in Manu will be unforgettable.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Cusco – Manu WildLife Lodge
We’ll leave Cusco at 4 am. A day trip in our private bus is waiting for us. Due to the frequent stops the long journey is fun. At the colonial village of Paucartambo we’ll stop for breakfast. After reaching a height of 3900 m.a.s.l. we’ll dive into the Manu National Park. Here we’ll start to explore the incredible variety of flora and fauna of the cloud forest. We’ll discover orchids, ferns and medicinal plants. With a bit of luck we’ll see our national bird, the Cock of the Rock. Also we’ll see the Woolly Monkey and the Capuchino Monkey. In addition we’ll see different kinds of parrots and macaws. In the afternoon we’ll reach our own wonderful Ecolodge “Manu Wildlife Lodge”. During the river trip we’ll have time to see the rich fauna and flora. Once in the lodge, we’ll spend the first night of our jungle trip.
DAY 2: TREEHOUSE INN (River tubing Adventure)
After breakfast we’ll board a boat. For 1:30 hours we’ll follow the Palotoa River. Then we’ll arrive at our famous lodge, the Treehouse Inn. Here we’ll spend the next two days. The Treehouse Inn is located in our family ecological reserve. It covers several hundred hectares of Amazon rainforest. We are in a very special place. Here you’ll find the tropical forests of the Andes and the lowlands of Manu. This offers our visitors the opportunity to observe a variety of birds, animals and plants. We’ll explore the area on special trails. These trails will take us through a mysterious swamp. There we’ll see the unique bird Hoatzin, some alligators, capybaras, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, pecaris and various bird species. River Tubing Adventure. After lunch you can just relax. Then we have the river tubing, one of our highly entertaining adventures, it is about floating in the currents of the Palotoa river, driving on our own down the river for 1 hour approx. We remind you not to forget to bring swimwear for this adventure, do not miss it. After dinner, the sounds of the Amazon night will get us in the mood for our night walk. During our little adventure we’ll hear the sounds of the only night monkeys of the world. We’ll also hear the Kalinowski rat, the big Potoos and the Pigmy owl. With a little luck we will not only be able to hear them, but also see them. Also, we’ll see spiders, tarantulas, frogs and snakes. After this short walk, we’ll spend the night at Treehouse Inn.
DAY 3: TREEHOUSE INN –Tapir Clay Lick
After having a Peruvian lunch, we’ll embark on a motor boat trip to the Tapir Clay Lick. The trip will take around 3 hours. After having dinner in the afternoon, we’ll prepare our beds. We’ll use mosquito nets, mats, and sleeping bags. Then, we’ll spend the overnight on the platform house. Here at night we’ll have the chance to see tapirs and others animals. These nocturnal animals are one of the biggest mammals in the Amazon and South America.
DAY 4: TAPIR CLAY LICK – Casa Matchiguenka Lodge
This day we’ll leave very early to continue our journey. We’ll navigate the Alto Madre de Dios River to reach the Manu Reserved Zone. This zone is located near the Manu River. Our first stop is the National Park checkpoint. This checkpoint is also known as the “Puesto de Vigilancia Limonal”. Half way to Casa Matchiguenka Lodge, we’ll take our first short walk in the reserve zone. During the boat trip we’ll observe different animal species. Some examples are the capybaras, peccaries, monkeys, birds and caimans. With some luck, we’ll see a jaguar. In the afternoon we’ll reach Casa Matchiguenka lodge. There we’ll spend the night. Also, there is an optional night walk there. Casa Matchiguenka Lodge is owned and run by two native communites. These people are from the Matchiguenka tribe. The lodge has a rustic design. It has 12 double rooms and mosquito nets. Also, it’s possible to go on a private hike of the jungle that surrounds the lodge.
DAY 5: MANU RESERVED ZONE (Rainforest Exploration)
The Manu Reserved Zone is full of natural wonders. In the morning we’ll visit Cocha Salvador. From a boat we’ll observe animals such as egrets and spider monkeys. Also, we’ll admire the almost extinct giant otters. These animals can be seen huntig and eating fish. After lunch we’ll start our trip through the jungle to Cocha Otorongo Lake. There is a 20 m high tower near the lake. From this tower, we’ll have another chance to see giant otters and black caimans. For the rest of the day we’ll explore the jungle. We’ll look for other monkey species. The guide will brief you about the lifestyle, flora and fauna, medicinal plants, and food of the jungle. Also, we’ll see some peccaries in the area. In the evening we’ll enjoy the beautiful sunset. Finally we’ll return to Casa Matchiguenka Lodge.
DAY 6: MANU RESERVED ZONE – Blanquillo (Macaw Clay Lick)
On the 6th day we’ll leave the Reserved Zone. Then, we’ll have a long boat trip ahead of us. On the way back to the Cultural Zone we’ll have the chance to see a jaguar. Also, we’ll see tapirs, turtles and caimans. After a short stay in Boca Manu, we’ll continue our boat trip to Blanquillo. There we’ll visit Lake Camungo. At this place we’ll see giant otters and capybaras again. At night, we’ll sleep in Blanquillo.
DAY 7: BLANQUILLO (Macaw Clay Lick)– PTO. MALDONADO
This day we’ll explore the Blanquillo Macaw Clay Lick. This is a place where we see the colorfull macaws and parrots gather to eat clay. We’ll need to get up very early to see these birds. Then we’ll take our boat downriver to Boca Colorado. From there, we’ll go by bus to Puerto Maldonado to spend the night in a local lodge.
DAY 8: PTO. MALDONADO – Cusco
After breakfast, we’ll travel back to Cusco or Lima. You can choose to go by public bus (8h, included) or plane (45min, not included). Be aware that this depends on the time of year. Also, arrival time in Cusco depends on the itinerary of the airline/bus.