TOUR TO THE RESERVED ZONE OF MANU NATIONAL PARK 7d/6n 

 (bus, boat, and fly in are included)

(5 nights in lodge + 1 night in camp.)

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.

ON THIS TOUR YOU GET VISIT THE FOLLOWING PLACES:

BOCA MANU:

Boca Manu is a small village located at the intersection of the Alto Madre de Dios River and Manu River. The town is a major town in the jungle and a necessary stop before continuing on into Manu Biosphere Reserve or Blanquillo Ecological Reserve. Here we stop to buy gas supplies and also there is a small airport where travelers can fly out of or into Manu National Park.
Around the Boca Manu there is an Oxbow lake called “Isla de los Valles”.  Here you have opportunities to see a family of giant otters and some groups of monkeys. This oxbow lake is a very good place for bird watchers.

MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE:

Manu National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manu National Park was conserved due do its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO recognized it as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1987 it was pronounced a World Heritage Site. It is the largest National Park in Peru, covering an area of 15,328 km². The Biosphere Reserve includes an additional 2,570 km² and an extra 914 km² are included in a "Cultural Zone" (which also is protected), bringing the total area to 18,811 km².

The park protects several ecological zones ranging from as low as 150 meters above sea level in parts of the Amazon Basin to the Puna grasslands at altitudes of 4200 meters.  This topographical range is the primary factor that contributes to it having one of highest levels of biodiversity of any park in the world. Overall, more than 15,000 species of plants are found in Manu, and up to 250 varieties of trees have been found in a single hectare. The reserve is a destination for birdwatchers from all over the world, as it is home to over 1000 species of birds, more than the number of bird species found in the United States and Canada combined.

See the Photo Gallery

MANU RIVER:

Manu River is one of the main tributaries of the Madre de Dios River which is a tributary of the Amazon River.
Manu River is found in the southeastern section of Peru. It runs down from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the Amazon Basin through Manu National Park.  Manu River has a high concentration of wildlife in its waters and also on its river banks.  You will see many white and black Caimans lying on river bank.  We have reports from a group of tourist who had the opportunity to see five jaguars in one morning. Also along the river you can see several monkeys, deers, capybaras, Tapirs and many varieties of birds.

MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE OXBOW LAKES:

An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the mainstream of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape that results from this process. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong.
Manu National Biosphere Reserve has 13 oxbow lakes near the Manu River,  were tourist get see a lot of wildlife including species such as the black Caiman, families of giant others, spider monkeys, red howler monkeys.  The largest and most beautiful oxbow lake in Manu Biosphere reserve is Salvador Lake.

CASA MACHIGUENGA LODGE:

Our Machiguenga lodge is located inside the Manu National Park near Cocha (Lake) Salvador.  The lodge is established and run by native Machiguenga Amerindians from two communities located in the heart of the Manu National Park. From this lodge we have access to unexplored forest and oxbow lakes.

MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE MAMMALS:

Manu is the most biologically diverse region of the Amazon when considering mammals. It provides unforgettable opportunities for seeing about 200 species of mammals. There are 13 species of monkey and it is estimated that there are over 100 species of bats.

See the Photo Gallery

MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE BIRDS:

Manu represents 25% of all the birds known in South America and 10% of all the species in the world.  It is thought that there may be as many as 1,000 bird species in total. According to Renton, six species of macaws occur in the lowland forest to include  Ara ararauna, A. chloroptera, A. macao, A. severa, and A. manilata. Three Endemic Bird Areas are represented within the park.  Manu Park is also home to 15 restricted range species.

See the Photo Gallery

ALTO MADRE DE DIOS RIVER:

Madre de Dios River starts in the highlands of Cusco; the beginning of the river is called Pilcopata River, near to Atalaya (the place where we start our trip by boat).  Pilcopata River joins Piñipi River and it is here that the river changes its name to Alto Madre de Dios River.
The Madre de Dios River is the namesake to the Peruvian region (Madre de Dios Department). It runs through this region then becomes the Beni River in Bolivia and later turns northward into Brazil, where it is called the Madeira River. The Madeira is a tributary to the Amazon River.

 

PAUCARTAMBO

This village is located in a valley at 2,906 masl.  Paucartambo overwhelms you by its beauty and simplicity. This colonial style town is home to recognized folk traditions, such as its famous festival to the “Virgen del Carmen”, the sunrise in “Tres Cruces” (three crosses), and the ancient traditional culture of the cultivation of the Peruvian potatoes.

Boundaries:
North: Madre de Dios Region
East: Quispicanchi Province
South: Quispicanchi Province
West: Calca Province

See the Photo Gallery

NINAMARCA PRE- INCA BURIAL TOWERS (cullpas):

Ninamarca is a pre-inca burial cemetery located along the road of Manu National Park at 3700 masl. As a silent reminder the tombs, called "Chullpas", mark the pre-Inca civilization of the Lupaca people that inhabited the Andes a long time ago.

See the Photo Gallery

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1: Cusco Aiport - Boca Manu:

Staff from our office will take you from your hotel to the airport to board our plane to Boca Manu, a 45 minute flight. At this point you will meet your guide and your group. More or less at noon we will enter the Reserved Zone of the Park for a 4 hour hike in this primary forest. At nightfall we will stay in a comfortable lodge in Boca Manu, at the entrance to the Park. This is an opportunity for a nocturnal walk, during which we will hopefully see nocturnal birds such as the sand-colored nighthawk as well as listen to the spectacular sounds made by Night monkeys (Musmuqui), the world's only nocturnal primate, the Amazon bamboo rat, numerous species of toads and insects and other inhabitants of the forest which only emerge at night. ( L. D)

DAY 2: Boca  Manu - Manu River - Limonal - Salvador lake:

Today we will continue our journey along the Manu River as far as the Matshiguenka lodge, inside the Reserved Area, passing Limonal, the Park Ranger Station, where we will register before entering the Reserved Area. In the course of the trip we will see birds, toucans, macaws, parrots and some mammals such as capybaras, tapirs, peccaries and many varieties of turtles, caiman and, if we are lucky, an impressive, lone jaguar. We will arrive at our lodge in the mid-afternoon, near the Salvador oxbow-Lake, where we will spend two nights. (B. L. D)

DAY 3: Salvador Lake All Day:

Today we will start with a long walk of some three or four hours, from the banks of Manu River to Otorongo lake, here we will climb a 15m high observation tower, from where birds such as the exuberantly feathered and primitive Shansho (Hoatzin) can be seen, as well as monkeys feeding on fruits and several species of flowers and brightly-colored butterflies. We will then return to our camp by canoe to enjoy a delicious lunch. The afternoon will be dedicated to exploring Salvador Oxbow lake and the surrounding area aboard our catamaran, from which will be able to observe the mega diversity attracted by this oxbow lake, including Black Caiman, White Caiman, a family of Giant Otters and waterfowl. Return to the lodge in the evening. (B. L. D)

DAY 4: Salvador Lake - Boca Manu:

Early in the morning we will have another chance to go for a nature walk or one more visit to the oxbow lake and hear choirs of birds defining their territory in song. As the sun rises, the eastern sky changes to a pale yellow and we will be able to see falcons or other predatory birds patiently searching for prey from the treetops. After lunch we will board our boat again and head downstream towards Boca Manu but this time just floating with out the engine in order to have the opportunity to observe with plenty of time this mighty and diverse environment. Arriving at Boca Manu we will visit the native community of the Matshiguenka and Yine ethnic group; also we will visit their botanical garden of medicinal plants and share their activities. (B. L. D)

DAY 5: Boca Manu - Alto Madre de Dios River :

In the morning we will go to the airfield at Boca Manu, where we will say goodbye to those passengers who opted to return to Cusco by plane. The rest of the group will then continue along the river Alto Madre de Dios river to our camp site near a parrot clay lick.
(B. L. D)

DAY 6: Alto Madre de Dios river - Bamboo Lodge: 

After a delicious breakfast, we continue upstream along the Madre de Dios towards the port at Atalaya, where the bus will be waiting to take us to our lodge where we will spend our last night.
(B. L. D)

DAY 7: Pilcopata Lodge - Cusco:

This morning will be our last opportunity to visit the Cock-of-the-Rock lek. Where we will have the opportunity to see these colourful birds displaying. After breakfast our bus will take us back to Cusco, arriving in the afternoon (B.)