Manu Tambopata (8 days)

THE GREAT ADVENTURE TO THE HEART OF THE RAINFOREST BEGINS

The dream becomes a reality! Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco. Our Bio Manu Expedition team will help us board our minivan, and we’ll be excited to begin this unforgettable journey. It will take us through Andean landscapes: from the majestic Andean mountains to the lush tropical vegetation. Our first stop is the charming town of Paucartambo, a place steeped in history and tradition where we’ll enjoy a cup of coffee.

But this is just the beginning! We cross the Acjanacu Pass, 3,600 meters above sea level, the gateway to Manu National Park, which also offers us a wonderful view. As we begin to descend, suddenly… the world changes! The air is filled with tropical aromas, the sounds of the jungle surround us, and the vegetation transforms into a hanging garden of orchids, ferns, and bromeliads. Here, in the magical cloud forest, we will have our first walks in search of Amazonian wildlife: the spectacular Cock-of-the-Rock, Peru’s national bird, along with toucans, quetzals, and dozens of exotic bird species.

The adventure continues to the Atalaya dock, where our team will help us board the motorized boat. We will navigate the Alto Madre de Dios River, where each bend in the river presents us with landscapes more impressive than the last. We head towards the confluence of the Palotoa River. Here we’ll switch to a smaller boat called a “PekePeke,” named for the sound of its engine and designed for small, low-flow rivers. We’ll cruise for another hour on the PekePeke along the Palotoa River to our exclusive Amazon Treehouse. The boat ride will allow you to observe various mammals, flora, and fauna.

SOUNDS AND THRILLS! PARROT CLAY LICKS AND NIGHT ADVENTURE

Wake up with the jungle! Today we’ll walk 25 minutes through the jungle and experience one of the world’s most fascinating natural spectacles: the famous parrot clay lick. Located on the cliffs of the Palotoa River, picture this scene: hundreds of brightly colored parrots arrive in boisterous flocks to participate and ingest the clay that helps these birds detoxify. It’s a festival of colors, sounds, and life that will leave you in awe. Our expert guides will explain all the secrets of this unique behavior while you capture incredible photographs.

After this natural spectacle, we return to the Amazon Treehouse for breakfast on the garden balcony, which offers a beautiful view of the Palotoa River, and then continue the adventure. And oh, it continues! We’ll explore the trails starting from the Amazon Treehouse, looking for wildlife such as sloths, anteater, and monkey groups.

Lunch awaits us back at the lodge, followed by free time to rest. In the afternoon, it’s time for the water fun! River tubing is an experience you’ll never forget: you’ll float gently down the river on inner tubes, feeling the cool breeze on your face while the jungle watches you from both banks. It’s pure magic!

And when you think the day can’t get any better… nighttime arrives! Our guided night walk will reveal a whole new world: colorful tarantulas, fascinating insects, jewel frogs, and maybe a curious mammal venturing out in the dark. Every step is a new surprise!

HEAD TO THE MANU RESERVED AREA

Today, we resume the Pekepke at 5 a.m. We head for the Madre de Dios River, where the outboard boat awaits us. We’ll have breakfast on board and cruise to the point where the Manu River flows into the river. We’ll now begin our upstream journey. During this section of the boat trip, we’ll have the best opportunity to spot wildlife, such as the elusive jaguar, capybaras foraging, and caimans sleeping on the sandy beaches. We also hope to see a wide variety of birds, including egrets and grey herons fishing. The wildlife is unpredictable, but with so much wildlife here, we’re sure to have a fantastic day!

We’ll have lunch on board the boat before arriving at the trailhead to Lake Otorongo. Before entering the pristine jungle, we will arrive at Otorongo Lagoon (one of the many oxbow lagoons in Manu). This is a refuge for animals such as giant otters and black caimans. It is surrounded by lush forests. We will climb an observation tower (20 m high) that will give us breathtaking panoramic views: the jungle canopy stretches as far as the eye can see. Afterwards, we will continue our hike, during which we will see majestic Ceiba trees, which reach 60 m in height and whose branches can form a circumference of 50 m. Back on the boat, we will sail for another hour until we reach our MACHIGUENGA LODGE.

ENCOUNTERS WITH GIANTS! AQUATIC AND JAGUAR SEARCH

In the morning, we’ll visit Salvador Lagoon. We’ll sail on a 2-hour silent catamaran to undisturbed observe one of the most important lagoons in Manu National Park. The dark waters of this impressive place are home to giant otters, black caimans, aquatic turtles, and hoatzins (a prehistoric bird known locally as “stinkbird”), and are surrounded by ancient trees. We’ll also observe various species of primates in the canopy. After the tour of the lake, we’ll take a trail to a macaw clay lick. Here, we’ll have the unforgettable experience of watching macaws licking the clay soil. The clay is rich in nutrients and minerals, which aids the birds’ digestion. This is a vibrant and vibrant festival, which we will observe for an hour. It is a true spectacle of nature.

We return to the Machiguenga lodge, always on the lookout for flora and fauna.

After lunch, we cross the Manu River and explore the other part of the reserve called the monkey zone, in search of the woolly monkey, the spider monkey, and the little tamarin.

And at dusk, we will use lanterns to search for poisonous insects, toads, and nocturnal birds. We will spend the night in a Casa Machiguenga.

ON THE ROAD TO TAMBOPATA! THE KINGDOM OF THE MACAWS

New horizons await us! Today we begin our journey to the Tambopata National Reserve, famous for being home to the world’s largest macaw clay lick.

Today a long boat ride awaits us. We’ll depart at 5 a.m. to begin our journey while it’s still dark. We’ll navigate the calm waters of the Manu River. This is another opportunity to spot a jaguar as it emerges with the first rays of sunlight on the riverbank. We may also see capybaras, peccaries, black caimans, turtles, and even tapirs on the riverbanks. We’ll have breakfast aboard the boat with panoramic views of the wide river. We’ll arrive at the Madre de Dios River. We’ll sail down this river to Puerto Colorado, where we’ll spend the night.

During the tour along the Madre de Dios River, you can observe local people engaged in artisanal gold prospecting. This activity represents the economic livelihood for many families in the area, who depend on mining for their daily survival. On the one hand:

Families living in poverty seeking immediate support

Lack of viable economic alternatives

Generational tradition in some communities

From here, our 3-hour drive will pass through fields and farms to the port community of Filadelfia. Next, you’ll enjoy a relaxing 30-minute speedboat ride along the Tambopata River to Tambopata eco lodge. We’ll welcome you with a refreshing drink made with local fruits and mineral water. Afterward, we’ll escort you to your private cabin, where you can relax and unpack.

After enjoying lunch, our expert guide will take us on an ethnobotanical walk to learn about the importance of trees as timber, medicine, and fruit that you’ve never seen or are unfamiliar with. This is a perfect opportunity to encounter more monkeys, peccaries, and white-lipped peccaries, which are similar to wild pigs. If possible, we’ll also return to our tower for another sunset hike. The evening is free to rest, or another night hike is possible by prior arrangement.

AMAZON TREEHOUSE AND TAMBOPATA ECOLODGE. work in partnership. They offer comfortable suites with king-size beds, hot showers and private bathrooms, beverages, Wi-Fi, balconies, hammocks, and more. All our meals and drinks are made with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other local ingredients.

THE GREAT NATURAL SPECTACLE OF MACAWS

We woke up early with excitement to experience one of the highlights of our expedition: a visit to the largest macaw clay lick in the world. We witnessed the incredible spectacle of hundreds of parrots and macaws arriving in colorful flocks to feed on the clay of the lick, a unique behavior that offers unparalleled photographic opportunities. We enjoyed a special breakfast at the observation site, allowing us to extend this unique experience. We returned to the lodge to rest and process the intense emotions of the morning. In the afternoon, the warm weather invites us to a refreshing swim in the waters of the Tambopata River, followed by free time to enjoy the lodge facilities. The farewell dinner is the perfect time to share experiences and reflect on this unforgettable adventure.

FAREWELL AND RETURN WITH A HEART FULL OF MEMORIES

We enjoy one last breakfast in the jungle, savoring the Amazonian flavors as we bid farewell to this natural paradise. The boat transfer back to Puerto Maldonado gives us one last opportunity to absorb the sights and sounds of the jungle. Upon arrival in Puerto Maldonado, we transfer you to the airport or bus terminal, where our adventure with Bio Manu Expedition ends, but the memory of an experience that will live forever in your memory begins.