MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE ADVENTURE 6d/5n
Note: Flights are not available at Boca Manu Airport from November to April because this is the rainy season in Peru and because the runway at Boca Manu is not paved it is just dirt. Flights are available from April/May to October and are determined based on the weather conditions.
|
6D/5N MANU PARK TOUR ACTIVITIES
|
TOUR MAP
|
|
 |
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: Cusco - Paucartambo - Cloud Forest - Pilcopata Lodge:
Leaving Cusco after breakfast we travel through traditional Quechua communities and through the spectacular eastern ranges of the Andes to the village of Paucartambo, passing snow-peaks and small Andean farmsteads. We will have time here to look around this picturesque village and visit local craftsmen famous for their production of masks used in local festivals. We then ascend to the last pass overlooking the Amazon Basin and begin the breath taking descent from 3500 meters to 1600 meters above sea-level to our comfortable lodge in the orchid laden Cloud Forest. This is a spectacular journey passing cascading waterfalls and multicolored birds along the way. late in afternoon, we'll arrive to our lodge. (L. D)
DAY 2:-Pilcopata Lodge – Atalaya – bonanza Ecológica Reserve Lodge.
After eating our breakfast we continue the tour by bus going through the high forest arriving to Atalaya which is found next to Madre de Dios River (700 meters over the sea). From this point we start to go down river in a motorized boat (60 hp). At the riverside we will have the opportunity to see a lot of bird species such as “Herons”, “Vultures”, “Cormorants” etc. After some hours we will arrive to Aguas Calientes (a hot spring), where we are going to have a comfortable bath. Passing three in the afternoon we will arrive to our lodge, where we accommodate and get new water resources to be able to take an afternoon walk through the forest. In this walking we have opportunities to see a lot of wildlife like toucans, macaws, monkeys. In the dark we will have also a night walk, there we see spiders, lizards, frogs, snakes, and a lot of nocturnal insects. (B. L. D)
DAY 3: Bonanza Ecológica Reserve Lodge - Salvador oxbow Lake:
Well fed and rested we leave Bonanza Ecological Reserve, leaving the relatively clean waters of the Madre de Dios behind, we enter the clay laden waters of the Manu River. With a brief stop at the park ranger station at Limonal to present our permits we travel for about five hours up the Manu. Beaches, especially in the dry season, are loaded with nesting birds and feeding Herons, Egrets, Orinoco Geese, Terns and Skimmers to name a few. Some beaches will host sunning White and Black Caimans (South American relatives of the Alligators) and breeding Side-necked Turtles. Hundreds of Sand-colored Nightjars roost during the day on logs and beaches and there is a chance of encountering a sunning Jaguar - the worlds third largest cat. In 1999 one in three of our trips saw Jaguar in Manu. We will see some species of primate on this river trip, possibly Red Howler Monkeys or the smaller Squirrel Monkeys. After having lunch by the river we arrive at our Safari Camp near the lake of Cocha Salvador. We'll have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the pristine rainforest in the area. A visit to the lake of Cocha Otorongo is planned, where observation piers and a 20 meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake are available for observing wildlife. We will also be on the lookout for a large family of Giant Otters that inhabit this lake. Before or after dinner an optional excursion into the forest at night is available with your guide in search of nocturnal creatures. The lakes are full of eye-shine of the large Black Caiman and if we are lucky we may encounter an Olingo Kinkajou or even an Ocelot on the trails. Certainly the night-time noise of tree frogs and insects in the forest is an experience not to be forgotten. Night at Cocha Salvador. The camp is really not a camp. There are flush toilets and shower facilities and large walk-in tents on raised wooden platforms with cots for sleeping (B. L. D)
DAY 4: Salvador Oxbow Lake All Day:
After breakfast we'll spend the morning at the lake of Cocha Salvador. Some of the time will be spent canoeing the lake on a floating platform observing oxbow lake animal life from the water. We may encounter an Agami Heron or a Sungrebe and Brown Cappuchin Monkeys are usually feeding on fruits nearby. Specially constructed piers that jut out into the lake enable us to look for a family of Giant Otters that live here. These, the worlds largest freshwater carnivores, remain common only in Manu, having been hunted to extinction throughout most of their former range. Each animal consumes between 4 and 5 kilos of fish daily and often they can be seen eating large fish on logs at the lakeside. The rest of the day will be spent walking the trails in the area in search of some of the 13 species of Monkey found in the forest here. Your guide will explain some of the basics of rainforest ecosystems and point out some of the medicinal plants of the area used by local, indigenous groups. We may cross paths with a group of Peccaries - a species of wild boar found here. A late afternoon swim in the river near the camp as the sun sets. Night at Cocha Salvador. (B. L. D)
DAY 5: Salvador Lake - Otorongo Lake - Boca Manu:
Today we'll walk from camp for 4-5 hours through the forest to Cocha Otorongo. We may encounter troops of Monkeys. This is a particularly good trail for Woolly and Spider Monkeys. We'll pay special attention to the plant life on this walk and take it slowly listening for the rustle of vegetation or the soft sound of fruits falling to the rainforest floor that may indicate the presence of animals or large birds. We'll be met at the river by our cook with a picnic lunch and then board our motorized boat for the 4 hour trip down river to Boca Manu for the night. The river trip may hold surprises and we'll be attentive for any wildlife on the beaches. Night in a lodge at Boca Manu. (B. L. D)
DAY 6: Boca Manu - Back to Cusco by Airplane:
This morning we have time to explore the small trail system at the lodge before heading across the river to the tiny airstrip of Boca Manu. On arrival at the strip we board our aircraft for the 35 minute flight to Cusco. First we fly over seemingly endless rainforest and then past snow peaks and glaciers to Cusco, where our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel. (B.)
