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The
Reserved Zone is closed for camping by the Ministry of Agriculture
between the 15th January and 31st March every year.
APRIL
18-25
MAY 02-09-16-23-30
JUNE 06-13-20-27
JULY 02*-04-11-16*-18-25-30*
AUGUST 01-06*-08-15-22-29
SEPTEMBER 05-12-19-26
OCTOBER : 03-10-17-24-31
NOVEMBER : 07-14-21-28
DECEMBER : 05-12-19-26 |
Includes:
Naturalist guide in English and Spanish
Transportation Cusco/Atalaya by private bus (5 & 7 day tour) and back
Atalaya/Cusco (9 day tour)
Transportation by private boat: Atalaya/Lake Salvador/Boca Manu (5 day
tour) – Macaw Lick/Boca Manu (7 day tour) – Pantiacolla Lodge/Atalaya (9
day tour)
Flight Boca Manu/Cusco (5 & 7 day program)
Overnights in lodges and camping huts
Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Guide book for rainforest of Manu – Talking About Manu
Paper work for entrance
Not included:
Entrance fee reserved zone ($50 per person)
Sleeping bag (can be rented in Cusco at $2 per day)
Soft drinks and beers
$12 airport tax (5 & 7 day tours) |
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DAY 1:
Cusco-Cloud Forest
Leaving Cusco early in the morning, we begin an 8-hour journey over the
Andes by bus, stopping for a coffee at the beautiful colonial village of
Paucartambo. Continuing, we climb to the highpoint of the Manu Biosphere
at about 3,530 m before descending to the cloud forest. In these
mysterious surroundings we take a hike to the lek of the incredible
cock-of-the-rock, to see the ‘performance’ of the males right under our
eyes. We spend our first night in the rustic lodge Posada San Pedro (appr.
1,600 m).
DAY 2: Cloud Forest-Atalaya-Manu River
At daybreak we continue by bus to tropical lowland rainforest. Here at
the small village Atalaya at 650 m, we change into a motorized canoe to
navigate some 5 hours down the turbulant Alto Madre de Dios River to
Boca Manu. As night falls we stay in a basic lodge, or camp next to that
lodge, depending on availability.
DAY 3 & 4: Lake Salvador and Lake Otorongo
On the morning of the third day we turn up the Manu River for a 6 hour
ride into the heart of Manu’s Reserved Zone. From this vantage point we
will have great views of riverside birds, sunbathing caiman, and the
enormous aquatic guinea pig, the capybara. We reach our camping huts
deep inside Manu in the afternoon. This will be our base for the next
two days. During this time, we will hike through virgin forest and
explore one of the most beautiful lakes of the Manu basin, Lake
Salvador, by catamaran. There is a chance to see a huge variety of
colourful birds, numerous species of monkey and with luck, a family of
giant otters. There is another hike in this habitat-rich forest, that
will end in Lake Otorongo and a 20 metre-high observation platform
overlooking the lake. At night we can explore the forest by torchlight
or go moonlight caiman-spotting on the lake.
DAY 5: Lake Salvador - Macaw Lick
Joining the Madre de Dios River we arrive at Blanquillo, near the
claylick for macaws, where we spend the night in the jungle lodge Tambo
Blanquillo.
DAY 6: Macaw Lick
At first light we head to the macaw lick to watch the dazzling spectacle
of hundreds of parakeets, parrots and macaws eating clay. In the
afternoon we visit another one of Manu´s beautiful oxbow lakes, Cocha
Blanco. Going back up the river we stay in a basic lodge, or camp next
to that basic lodge, depending on availability.
DAY 7: Boca Manu-Cusco
A short boat ride takes us to Boca Manu airport and our mid-day return
flight over the rainforest and the Andes to Cusco by light aircraft, if
you are participating in the 7-day trip |