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Extend
your stay in Peru with a 5-days/4-night visit to the
Tambopata jungle reserve, including the Chuncho Macaw lick. You
can fly to Puerto Maldonado from either Cuzco or Lima. (Start
Cuzco or Lima on day 1 / End Cuzco or Lima on day 5).
This
tour takes you right into the heart of the Tambopata Reserve, a
pristine area of Amazon rainforest, with excellent opportunities
for wildlife watching. Among several highlights is the overnight
visit to the Chuncho macaw lick in the neighbouring
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.
The
Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone, located south and east of
Puerto Maldonado, covers 1.5 million hectares of extremely
diverse habitats and fauna, including pristine ox-bow lakes
harbouring kingfishers, caiman and giant otters, spectacular
waterfalls, clay licks (collpas) visited by macaws, monkeys and
tapirs, and rivers with white, sandy beaches.
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Outline
Itinerary
Please
bear in mind the specific guided activities vary with the
weather, season and what is happening in the field during your
stay.
q Day
1: You fly from Lima or Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, a jungle
town of 20 thousand inhabitants on the confluence of the Madre
de Dios and Tambopata rivers. A motorized canoe takes you up the
Tambopata river into the Tambopata Candamo Reserve. En route,
look out for caiman, turtles and riverine birdlife. The lodge is
reached after about four hours. After lunch, there’s an
introductory afternoon walk in nearby forest with your
naturalist guide. After dinner there’s the chance for an
evening forest walk to observe and listen to nocturnal wildlife.
(1 night jungle lodge, all meals)
q Day
2: In the morning you go on a hike into the forest and,
after lunch, board the boat for a one-night camping trip in the
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. The main purpose of this trip is
to visit the Chuncho Macaw lick early tomorrow. Tonight, though,
you take a canoe in search of caimans on the riverbanks.
(1 night camping, all meals)
q Day
3: You go to the clay lick at first light for a great
wildlife spectacle: dozens of parrots and brilliantly coloured
macaws converging on the clay wall to ingest its mineral salts.
After
breakfast, there’s time to explore the riverbanks on foot,
then take the motorized canoe back downstream to the lodge.
After lunch, there's the opportunity to cross the river and swim
in the 'natural jacuzzi' of the Gato Waterfall, or to go river
fishing.
(1 night jungle lodge, all meals)
q Day
4:
You head downstream to Puerto Maldonado and check into
bungalows. After lunch you take the motor launch to the Madre de
Dios river, and go downstream to a clearing, then walk a trail
to the beautiful Sandoval ox-bow lake. The palm-fringed lake is
explored by dugout canoe, with excellent opportunities for
close-up observation of the birdlife (including the uniquely
weird, flightless hoatzin), monkeys and, hopefully, a giant
otter family that occupies the lake. There’s an opportunity
also to fish for piranhas and swim. After enjoying sunset here,
it’s back to Maldonado for a balmy evening in town.
(1 night Puerto Maldonado lodge, all meals)
(Note
that activities between days 1 and 4 may vary with weather,
season and according to what is happening in the field during
your stay).
q Day
5:
Transfer to the airport and fly to Lima or Cuzco where
the trip ends. |
What’s Included
Return
flights from Lima or Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, all land and
river transfers, all meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on
Day 5, four nights accommodation: jungle lodge 2 nights, jungle
camp 1 night, Puerto Maldonado lodge 1 night, English-speaking
natural history guide.
Equipment
& Health
Humidity
and insects mean rainforest expeditions are not always
comfortable. But with the following kit, you should get the most
from the trip (Note:
10kg luggage limit on Rurrenabaque flights. Anything not taken
can be stored at La Paz hotel):
Binoculars
(imperative), Strong torch with spare bulb and batteries,
Daypack & waterproof lining, Long trousers and long-sleeved
shirts (fairly thick, baggy fabric to protect against
mosquitoes), T-shirts, Shorts/Bathing suit, Towel, Sweater or
light jacket, 1 pair of hiking boots and 1 pair of light shoes
or sandals, Long cotton socks, Rain gear, Rubber boots (only in
the rainy season – provided locally), Sunhat, sunglasses,
sunblock, Insect repellent (with at least 25% 'deet'), ‘afterbite’,
Plastic bags (to keep things dry), Water bottle, Passport,
Yellow fever vaccination certificate, Money for soft drinks,
beers and handicrafts.
Health Advice:
There is a (small) malarial risk in the Tambopata area. Malarial
prophylaxis is essential, as is insect repellent and effective
clothing to reduce risk of being bitten. You must also have
evidence of a yellow fever vaccination.
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