MANU PARK – INTENSE ADVENTURE

A journey through lonely highland scenery and isolated Quechua communities will take us to the pass of Acjanaco, the entry point of Manu National Park. From here we begin our descent into the cloud forest, enjoying the marvelous scenery and exotic flora on the way. We shall also stretch our legs several times and look out for exotic birds, butterflies, and insects. In the afternoon we reach Atalaya from where a motorized dugout canoe will take us across the river to our Lodge. Full board.

The gardens of the Lodge come alive with first light. You may see colorful parrots, macaws, araçaris, woodpeckers, tanagers, caciques, and oropendolas as well as hummingbirds. After an early breakfast, we climb a trail leading into the montane forest and to a watchtower affording splendid views over the river. If lucky you may also spot interesting birds from here like squirrel cuckoos, cotingas, tityras, flower piercers or more tanagers. In the afternoon we explore more of the lowland trails around the lodge, hoping to surprise monkeys, toucans, guans, caracaras, tinamous or perhaps some agouti or capybara. At a small oxbow Lake you be able to watch the weird and wonderful Hoatzin, egrets, herons, kingfishers, raptors and if lucky you may even sight black caimans. We also watch out for squirrel monkeys, dusky titi monkeys, and capuchin monkeys. After dark, we may go on a short night walk to spot amphibians and insects or surprise some night monkeys. Full board.

Today we travel down the Upper Madre de Dios River up to the confluence with the Manu River. After a brief visit to the settlement of Boca Manu, we settle into our lodge for the night.

We begin our journey up the Manu River with first light. This journey offers a maximum chance for sightings of rare animals, like black and white caimans, side-neck turtles, different species of monkeys, capybaras, jabirus and wood storks, black skimmers, sand-colored Nighthawks, and many other animals. We arrive at our Lodge, run by the Matsguenka tribe in the afternoon. Hopefully, we still have time for the first visit to Lake Salvador, one of the oxbow lakes deep inside the Park. If lucky we may see a family group of giant otters, as well as black caimans, neotropical cormorants, Muscovy ducks, green ibis, and many other animals. Overnight at the Casa Matsiguenka. Full board.

You will probably awake to the sound of red howler monkeys. We return to Lake Salvador where we will have the use of a catamaran to get a closer look at wildlife there. Sometimes it is possible to watch the giant otters fishing, eating and playing from a short distance. You may also get sightings of horned screamers, hoatzins, limpkins, capped herons, wattled jacanas, purple gallinules and the rare and shy Agami Heron. Later we shall walk the trails to look for spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys or tamarins. Overnight at the Casa Matsiguenka. Full board.

Today we visit Lake Otorongo, another oxbow lake, where we have another chance to watch giant otters from a watchtower. In this area, there are also wooly monkeys. With a little luck, we might see a number of different monkey species. We spend the rest of the day exploring different trails looking out for wildlife and learning about the different uses of plants. In the afternoon we have the opportunity to participate in a shooting contest with the Matsiguenka (we shoot with bows and arrows on a papaya fruit). Overnight at the Casa Matsiguenka. Full board.

Today we begin our return journey down the Manu River. We use this opportunity once again to look out for typical river animals like caimans, capybaras or roseate spoonbills. If extremely lucky we may even spot a jaguar, an anteater or tapir! We spend the night at a Lodge on the Upper Madre de Dios River. If time allows we may explore the trails there and look out for more red howler monkeys and other animals. Full board.

Today we travel back to the cloud forest where we spend another night in order to get a chance of sightings of many animals which are endemic to this habitat, like the quetzal, highland motmot, green jay, Andean- cock-of-the-rock, cinnamon flycatcher and many other species. Full board.

We rise before dawn and walk to a lek nearby in order to watch the noisy display of the male cock-of-the-rocks. After a hearty breakfast, we still have time to explore the surroundings and watch out for wooly monkeys, torrent ducks, white-capped dippers, oropendolas, and colorful tanagers before we start our return journey to Cusco. B & L