MANU NATURE PARADISE 7 days, 6 nights
Cusco – Paradise Lodge (bus & hikes)
Starting early from Cusco, you will travel through Andean landscapes of unmatched beauty: deep valleys, highlands and rural communities where you will enjoy highland birds such as the mountain caracara, Puna ibis and Andean flicker, as well as the pre-Inca Lupacas burial towers, before arriving at the picturesque colonial town of Paucartambo, which has been the gateway to the Manu forests since pre-Hispanic times. Here you wll visit the church with its image of the Virgin of Carmen, and see the historic Carlos V bridge. Once you pass through Acjanaco Pass (3,850 meters/12,630 feet), the official entrance to Manu National Park, the road descends through the important, sparsely-vegetated Andean grassland ecosystem, before reaching the cloud forest in the afternoon. This area is a wealth of flora and fauna: it is the habitat of cock-of-the-rock, crested and golden quetzal, blue-crowned motmot, gray breasted mountain toucan, butterflies, ferns and orchids. To name just a few! After this big day you will spend your first night enjoying the comforts of Paradise Lodge (1,470 meters/4,821 feet).
Driving distance: 181 km/113 miles (6 to 8 hours, including 3-hour hike)
Included: lunch & dinner
Paradise Lodge – Boca Manu (bus & boat)
After your first night in the cloud forest, you will enjoy a pre-breakfast walk to watch the cock-of-the-rock perform its daily ritual, in which a group of males put on a show to attract females. Then you will return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before continuing the trip to Pillcopata. Our private bus will take you to the port of Atalaya (650 meters), where you will board a motorized canoe to navigate approximately 5 hours down the turbulent and exciting Alto Madre de Dios River to Boca Manu. As night falls you will stay in a basic lodge, or camp next to the lodge depending on availability.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Boca Manu – Reserve Zone (boat)
Today your journey continues along the Manu River as far as the CAMP, inside the Reserve Zone. Passing Limonal ranger station, you will register before entering the Reserve Zone. Along the way enjoy birds such as toucans, macaws and parrots, and mammals such as capybara, tapirs, peccaries and many varieties of turtles, caiman and, with luck, an impressive, lone jaguar. In mid-afternoon you will arrive at the camp near Salvador Oxbow Lake, where you will spend two nights camping on comfortable platforms.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Cocha Salvador – Cocha Otorongo
Day 4 begins early with a walk of 3 to 4 hours, traveling from the Manu River banks to Otorongo Lake, where you will climb a 15 meter high observation tower. From this vantage point you will enjoy birds such as the exuberantly feathered and primitive shansho (hoatzin), as well as monkeys feeding on fruits. Flowers and butterflies add breathtaking color to the scene. Return to camp via canoe for a delicious lunch. The afternoon will be dedicated to exploring Salvador Oxbow Lake and the surrounding area aboard our private catamaran, from which you will marvel at the mega diversity attracted by this lake: black caiman, white caiman, waterfowl and a family of giant otters are among the inhabitants that call this area home. In the evening you will return to the camp.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Salvador Lake – Boca Manu - Blanquillo
Rising early will provide you with another opportunity to enjoy a nature walk or one more visit to the lake. You will also hear the choirs of birds defining their territory in song. As the sun rises, the eastern sky changes to pale yellow and exposes falcons and other predatory birds patiently searching for prey from the treetops. After these morning delights, board the boat and head downstream toward Boca Manu. After visiting the local village, continue via the Madre de Dios River to Blanquillo Lodge, near the macaw clay lick.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Blanquillo (boat, hikes)
Before breakfast, a 15-minute boat ride and 20-minute walk through the forest take you to a position just 30 meters/90 feet from the collpa: a rich deposit of natural minerals and clay in the riverbank, and a daily stop for countless species of birds. From this vantage point, in a blind constructed from a catamaran camouflaged with palm leaves, you will observe the daily routine. The first to arrive are several species of parrots, followed soon after by macaws in a colorful and impressive show as they feed on the mineral-rich clay. After this unforgettable spectacle you will return to the lodge for a well-deserved breakfast. The rest of the day will be devoted to exploring Lake Blanco: caiman, turtles and many other species are native to this ecosystem. You may walk the game trails in the afternoon. After dark you will have the opportunity to take a night walk around the lake and, time permitting, take a canoe ride to observe caiman close up.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Boca Manu – Cusco (boat & light aircraft)
Early in the morning you will have another chance for a short nature walk or one more visit to the Oxbow Lake, home to giant otters and black caiman. You will then board our boat and head upstream to the Boca Manu airstrip for the 45-minute return flight to Cusco, enjoying spectacular views of the river as it meanders through the forest, and of the Andes beyond the forest. We will transfer you from the Cusco airport to your hotel. Your other option is to continue by boat up river to Pantiacolla Lodge, and spend one more night in the cloud forest with more great opportunities for birding, exploring the jungle and relaxing.
Included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
SERVICES INCLUDED
• Specialized bilingual guide
• Accommodations (6 nights)
• Private transportation
• All meals indicated on the itinerary:
B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= dinner (soup, main dish and dessert),
BL= box lunch
No additional charge for vegetarian diets
• Drinking water from Cusco
• Basic first-aid kit
• Specialized books are available during the trip
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED
• Personal items and medicines (e.g., gear, clothing, laundry, telephone calls)
• Tips to local staff (we recommend $8-10 USD per day of service per guide or driver)
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
• 1 photocopy of passport
• Daypack
• Hiking boots
• Sweater
• Light warm jacket
• Rain gear
• Long-sleeved cotton shirts
• Hiking shorts
• Hat or bandana
• Swimsuit
• Sport sandals
• Sunscreen/sunglasses
• Insect repellant
• Flashlight
• Pocket knife
• Camera and film (ASA 200/400) or memory card
• Binoculars for wildlife viewing (8 or 10X magnification)
• Zipper lock plastic bags and garbage bags for keeping clothes and other personal items dry