7day Tour to the Reserved Zone of Manu Park

Day 1: Cusco – Paucartambo – Cloud Forest – Pona Lodge.

On the first day of our adventure into the Manu jungle, we will pick you up around 6:00 AM from your hotel in Cusco, using our private transportation service. The first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains, where we will have the opportunity to visit a beautiful lake called Hucarpay, a High Andean lagoon that boasts a variety of flora and fauna typical of the Andean mountains. Then, we will visit the town of Huancarani which contains the funeral towers of Ninamarca, a Pre-Inca cemetery of the Lupaca culture, which we will visit briefly on our way to Paucartambo, which is known as the folkloric capital of Cusco. In the face of modern times, this small colonial town has maintained its rich tradition for centuries. At midday we will arrive at the entrance to Manu National Park and access one of the most protected natural areas in South America. We will continue in our private transport, descending through a dense fog from which this section of the forest takes the name of Cloud Forest. Eventually we will arrive at the home of Peru’s exotic national bird: the Cock of the Rock, where they gather with others of their kind for a sort of social gathering that seems to resemble a grand courtship. You will find that this quite amazing spectacle is complete with an impressive array of sounds and colors that can only be found in the jungle. For our first night, we will stay at the beautiful Pona Lodge, where we will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m. (L+D).

Day 2 Pona Lodge – Matsiguenka House

This morning from the clear waters of the Alto Madre de Dios River we will enter the clay-laden waters of the Manu River, after leaving our lodge at 3:30am we will head towards the Port of Atalaya and from there we will continue our journey by boat and from there sail directly to the Reserved Zone of Manu Park. With a brief stop at the ranger station in Limonal to present our permits we will travel for about five hours on the Manu. The beaches, especially in the dry season, are teeming with nesting birds and feeding herons, egrets, Orinoco geese, terns and skimmers, to name a few. Some beaches are home to black and white caimans (South American relatives of caimans) and side-necked turtles. Hundreds of sand-colored nightjars perch on logs and beaches during the day, and there is the possibility of encountering a sunbathing jaguar, the third largest feline in the world. In 1999 every third one of our trips saw jaguar in Manu. We will see some primate species on this river trip, possibly red howler monkeys or the smaller squirrel monkeys. After lunch by the river we arrive at our Safari Camp near the Cocha Salvador lagoon. We will have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the pristine rainforest of the area. A visit to Cocha Otorongo Lake is planned, where there are observation docks and a 20-meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake for wildlife viewing. We will also keep an eye out for a large family of giant otters that inhabit this lake. Before or after dinner, you can take an optional night hike through the forest with your guide in search of nocturnal creatures. The lakes are full of the glowing eyes of the great Black Caiman and if we are lucky we may encounter an Olingo Kinkajou or even an Ocelot on the trails. Certainly, the nightly noise of tree frogs and forest insects is an experience not to be forgotten. At night, at the lodge Casa Matshiguenka, there are flush toilets and showers (B+L+D).

Day 3: Manu Biosphere Reserve all day – Casa Matsiguenka Lodge

We will start our activity very early in the morning in the Salvador oxbow lake using a floating platform called a catamaran. This morning we will be able to see an infinity of species of birds and mammals, herons, cormorants, eagles, hawks, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, giant otters and giant river otters. The Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) can reach up to 6 feet or 1.82 cm in length and weigh up to 70 pounds or 31 kilograms. They consume between 9 to 11 lbs (4-5kilos). of fish per day. This is one of the rare animals on earth which are common in Manu. We will also look for some of the 15 species of monkeys which inhabit this place. The sound of the red howler monkeys through the mist can make our skin crawl. After lunch at our lodge we will explore one of the trails through the jungle and look at the complex ecosystem that surrounds us. Our ecologist guide will explain how plants and insects interact with the forest. We will be on the lookout for some of the smaller inhabitants of the jungle, such as the emperor pichico or the spotted-backed tamarin. On the way it is also possible to come across a group of peccaries, a species of wild boar found here. Overnight at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge (B+L+D).

Day 4: Casa Matsiguenka Lodge – Macaw Clay Lick

Early in the morning we will walk to a macaw clay lick located in Manu Park (scarlet macaws as well as red and green macaws are seen at this clay lick). Activity at the clay lick begins around 5:30 am as medium sized parrots arrive with the sunrise, pair by pair noisy, and land in the treetops above the clay lick. Several screechbirds climb the branches preparing for their descent to the riverbank. Finally, cascades of green, blue and red parrots circle down to the clay wall. Around 7:00 or 7:30 in the morning, large macaws begin to arrive. Around 10:00 a.m. the macaws begin to descend. This colorful and noisy scene continues for 20 to 40 minutes while the birds eat their ration of clay or until danger arrives in the form of a hawk, eagle or ocelot. This is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world.
After this exciting morning, we will return to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon at leisure. If you wish, we will organize additional activities for the afternoon (B+L+D).

Day 5: Manu Biosphere Reserve – Papaya Lodge.

This day we will visit a oxbow lake which we will reach by walking through the forest.
Cocha Otorongo – “Jaguar Lake”, where we will have the opportunity to see more of the wildlife of this place. We may encounter groups of monkeys, especially groups of common woolly monkeys. We will pay special attention to the plant life of the place, which will give us signals, noises of falling fruits and leaves which will indicate the presence of an animal or bird. After a relaxing lunch we will navigate downstream until we reach our lodge (B+L+D).

Day 6: Papaya Lodge – Bamboo Lodge

We will continue our trip upstream, and in Atalaya we will move to our car which will take us to Bamboo Lodge where we will spend the night (B+L+D).

Day 7: Bamboo Lodge – Cusco

INCLUDED

• Tour guide in English and Spanish with spotting scope
• Transportation (bus and boat)
• Cook
• Three meals a day
• Mineral water
• All Nights in Lodge, a night in a blind might be included in the tour
• Fresh fruit
• Snacks
• Rain Poncho
• Rubber boots
• Entrance fee to the Oxbow Lakes
• Entrance fee to Manu National Park
• Entrance fee to all the private Natural Reserves
• First aid kit
• Travel Insurance

EXCLUDED

• Firs breakfast
• Mineral water in the first day
• Last day Dinner
• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips for the team