Itinerary
This short excursion to Manu provides an opportunity to visit the cloud forest, the cultural zone and some parts of the reserved zone of Manu. Although short, it traverses all the ecosystems of the Manu National Park, each with its own rich diversity of plant and animal life.
Day 1
Cusco-Cloud Forest
Leaving Cusco early in the morning, we begin an 8-hour journey over the Andes by bus, stopping for breakfast at the beautiful colonial village of Paucartambo. Continuing, we climb to the highpoint of the Manu Biosphere at about 4000 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 turbulent Alto Madre de Dios River to Boca Manu. After about 2 hours, we collect the people doing the 9-day tour from Pantiacolla Lodge to join us for the rest of the tour. You spend the night at Yine Lodge -a small eco-lodge which is part of a project of Pantiacolla with the Yine Indians.
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 may 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 this and the next day. During this time, we will walk through a 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 colorful birds, numerous species of monkey and with luck, a family of giant otters. There is another walk in this habitat-rich forest that ends inLake Otorongo and a 20 meter-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
After a final walk through the forest surrounding Lake Salvador, we return back down the Manu River. Joining the Madre de Dios River we arrive at Blanquillo, near the clay lick 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 big macaws eating clay. In the afternoon we visit another one of Manu’s beautiful oxbow lakes or visit a 42-meter high canopy tower. We spend the night again in the jungle lodge Tambo Blanquillo.
Day 7
Blanquillo-Boca Colorado-Cusco
Back on the boat early in the morning, we head downstream to the small mining village Boca Colorado. Here and in Mazuco later on, you can see the negative effects of certain human activities on the delicate ecological balance of the rainforest. We take local transportation until crossing the Inambari River. On the other side, our bus is waiting to take you over a newly paved road, through the beautiful cloud and elfin forest. Near Cusco, you have stunning views of the Ausangate Mountain. Cusco is reached in the early evening.
Rates in 2019
Manu Reserved Zone
fixed departure group tour- Based on double occupancy.
2019 Departures (Fridays):
- January: 04 – 11 – 18 – 25
- February: 01 – 08 – 15 – 22
- March: 01 – 08 – 15 – 22 – 29
- April: 05 – 12 – 19 – 26
- May: 03 – 10 – 17 – 24 – 31
- June: 07 – 14 – 21 – 28
- July: 05 – 12 – 19 – 26
- August: 02 – 09 – 16 – 23 – 30
- September: 06 – 13 – 20 – 27
- October: 04 – 11 – 18 – 25
- November: 01 – 08 – 15 – 22 – 29
- December: 06 – 13 – 20 – 27
- Air tickets.
- Soft drinks and beer
- Personal expenses
- Good binoculars
- Camera gear
- Daypack
- re-sealable (ziplock) plastic bags (to keep things dry)
- Two or three pairs of long pants (including at least one pair that you don’t mind getting dirty. Fast drying type is recommended.)
- Absorbent cotton socks
- Rain suit or long poncho (100% waterproof – test before you leave home)
- Sweater, Fleece or light jacket
- Three or four long-sleeved cotton shirts
- T-shirts
- Bathing suit
- A bottle or canteen to carry water on outings
- Sunscreen lotion (high factor)
- A hat that will not come off in windy boat-rides
- One pair of shorts
- Sunglasses
- A pair of sneakers or sandals and a pair of hiking boots (with good gripping soles)
- Insect repellent (Skin-so-soft for the river, and 35% or more deet for forest)
- A photocopy of your passport
- A large, bright flashlight, spare bulb, and batteries
- Personal toiletries and medications
- Toilet paper
- Cash for souvenirs at the lodge stand, alcoholic beverages, etc
MAIN GOAL: EDUCATIONAL TOURISM
The company was set up to educate tourists and students about the complicated ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest. This education will raise awareness and understanding about the importance of conserving the rainforest.
RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION As a natural consequence of our wish to stop rainforest destruction through education, we also initiate and support research and conservation projects, both in the reserved zone and in the cultural zone of Manu. In the past, our projects focused on primate ecology (Monk Saki research) and the macaw dynamics at clay licks. Our present student projects include tree species reforestation at Pantiacolla Lodge.
INDIGENOUS AMAZON PEOPLES
Nevertheless, during the early years, it became clear that the rainforest can only have a chance to survive if the people who live there, can continue to do so in a sustainable way. In the past, indigenous people have established found ingenious techniques to survive, embedded in a specific world vision that enabled not only their long-term survival but necessarily also that of the rainforest. It is sad to have to say that all outside influence, from the missionaries up to the present-day mining and oil exploiters, has only eroded the traditional sustainable relationship that existed between indigenous people and their rainforest. Our company is determined to help find solutions for all involved, indigenous people and outsiders alike, to assure the survival of the Amazon rainforest.
Yine Project
Our determination has led to several projects. In 2000 we started with the far-reaching Yine Project in Manu´s Diamante Native Community. We built the Yine Lodge and designed a 3-day tourism program. The lodge was meant to be used as a “school environment” for the Yine to have a place to learn and practice their skills in eco-tourism services, while the 3-day circuit gave the Yine the opportunity to teach and share their knowledge and skills with their tourist visitors. Due to our long-term commitment, many essential differences between the western and the indigenous worldviews have come to light, and we work together to find satisfying and sustainable solutions. In April 2015, the Yine Lodge was handed over to the Yine community, in accordance with the initial agreement.
Oil Exploitation & Harakmbut
In 2009, the initiation of oil exploration by Hunt Oil Company in the reserve east of Manu, the Amarakaeri Indigenous Reserve, has led to the cooperation of some Harakmbut families of the Shintuya Community in our ecotourism programme, as a sustainable alternative for the economical offers of the oil company. The Harakmbut have a space of a couple of hours in some of our tours to show their magical dances, songs, stories and other techniques that helped them to survive for many centuries in the Amazon.