ITINERARY DESCRIPTION

Day 01. 6:00 am. Departure on our comfortable ground transport. Our destination today is Manu Nature Tour's 1,300 Ha. Private Reserve in the cloud forest near the southeastern boundary of Manu Park, nested between the grasslands and the lowlands of the Upper Madre de Dios River. We travel southeast through small Andean villages while we observe cameloid shepherds and native peasants in their colorful attires. We travel at leisure making several stops along the way, including many photo opportunities, a group of pre-Inca "Chullpas" or funerary monuments, and the colorful colonial town of Paucartambo. As we reach the Acjanaco pass, near the southern-most tip of the Manu Park, a delicious lunch is the perfect complement to the magnificent views of the elfin forest, cloud forest, and the lowland Amazon Basin below.

Llama Taxis: As we reach the southern-most point of Manu National Park, in the grasslands, you will have the chance to ride a Llama Taxi. Led by local peasants and pulled by a couple of these intelligent cameloids you will have a chance to get off the bus, and ride from the Andean grasslands to the elfin forests as you watch the Amazon basin in the far horizon, 11,000 ft. below. This is an opportunity to learn about the Andean culture, their way of life and the use of cameloids to participate in ecotourism, while preserving these wild ecosystems. The Llama Taxi initiative has been funded and started by Manu Nature Tours in an effort to include local Andean peasants in the benefits of ecotourism. Two, llama-assisted treks are now being planned to descend from the Andes into the rainforest.

You may ride a Llama Taxi for segments of 30´minutes. If you want to bird watch, these vehicles are ideal. At a 5 km/hour speed, they are slow, silent and patient.

Mountain Biking: For those with the energy and a sense of adventure we will offer the choice to use a sturdy mountain bike to descend effortlessly on the most scenic and beautiful part of the single-lane dirt road into the heart of the cloud forests. For your security, and since this is not a competition but a chance to enjoy nature, you will have to ride behind our transport. We provide bike helmets. You should bring a well-padded pair of mountain bike gloves.

We reach our Manu Cloud Forest Lodge to have a relaxing evening by the lodge's veranda. The sound of the Union Creek by the lodge and a visit to the lodge sauna will put us into a pleasant sleep.

Day 02. The lush and misty cloud forest is perhaps the most fragile and threatened type of rainforest. This forest which starts from 11,000 feet, and continue down to about 5,000 feet of elevation, cover the eastern slopes of the Andes, before yielding to the vast lowland forest of the Amazon. This is a kingdom of moss, lichens, ferns, and orchids.

Early excursion to a nearby platform and blind strategically located to see a "lek" where the brightly red-colored Cocks-of-the Rock display daily for the females. Afterwards we return to our lodge for a hearty breakfast.

Later in the morning, we will have the opportunity to explore the serene beauty of the Cloud Forest. This is a good chance to try our luck and see Woolly Monkeys, Emerald Toucanet, Torrent Duck, Golden-headed Quetzal, Gray-breasted Mountain Toucan, Amazonian Umbrella Bird, Blue-banded Toucanet, Fruit-eating Tanagers, Red-crested Cotinga, Banded-tail Fruit-eater, tyrant flycatchers and the Blue-crowned Mot-Mot.

Our journey continues by ground transport to the mid-elevation forest and to witness how the last Andean foothills yield to the vast Amazon basin. We will reach the Amazon river port of Atalaya at about noon. Upon arrival we will have a chance to experience a short dugout canoe ride down the fast-flowing Upper Madre de Dios River in order to spend the rest of the afternoon walking mid-elevation rainforest trails in the company of our guide. This type of habitat is very special as several upland and lowland species of birds mingle at this elevation. For example we may have the chance to see the Military Macaw, an endangered species of parrot that lives only at this elevation.

Overnight in a jungle lodge in the vicinity of the powerful Upper Madre de Dios River.

Optional White-water rafting on the Qosnipata River: visitors of all ages can enjoy 3 hours of exciting class II and III rapids in the beautiful setting of the tropical rainforest. Lunch is served along the river course. We return to the Manu Cloud Forest Lodge early in the afternoon. Must be reserved in advance. We need a minimum of four participants to run it.

Clients not participating on the river rafting expedition may take a mountain bike to accompany the group to the put-in point, the local town, or simply to explore the unpaved road nearby. This is an opportunity to see Dusky-green Oropendola, Crested Oropendola, Mountain Cacique, yellow-billed Cacique, Grass-green Tanagers, Yellow-throated tanager, or simply enjoy the profusion of plants and flowers insects and butterflies.

Day 03. After breakfast, we return to the port to board our boat and continue our journey to the Macaw Clay Lick vicinity. Our motorized dugout canoes are equipped with individual cushioned seats, and long tarps to provide shelter from the baking sun, or the sudden tropical downpour. River journeys are long in Manu and visitors have rated our boats as the most comfortable in the entire region.

We will boat down the fast-flowing, braided, clear water, upper Madre de Dios River for about five hours to the confluence with the meandering, Manu River. Both, the Manu River and the Upper Madre de Dios River form the Madre de Dios River, which we will follow for about another two hours to reach our jungle lodge.

Although the lower Madre de Dios River, in the vicinity of the Macaw Lick is not within the protected Manu National Park, the riverine wildlife viewing is surprisingly diverse. On a recent scientific survey on this area our biologist guides have spotted: Black caiman, white caiman, capybara, river turtles, over 200 wood storks, roseate spoonbills, horned-screamers, turkey vultures, snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, several species of oropendolas, swallow-winged puffbirds, white-banded swallows, white-winged swallows, black-collared hawk, large-billed terns, yellow-billed terns, neo-tropical cormorants, scarlet macaws, blue and yellow macaws, tui parakeets, shiny cowbird, great-black hawk, giant cowbird, bat falcon, black cara-cara, cocoi herons, road-side hawks, Orinoco geese, bare-necked fruit-crows, black skimmers, pied lapwings and tropical kingbirds.

Depending on the arrival time, we may explore a nearby oxbow lake where we may see Giant River otters while they are fishing. We may also be able to see troops of Squirrel Monkeys, Brown Capuchins, and White-Fronted Capuchins that may be visiting the lake in search of palm fruits. Overnight in a jungle lodge.

Day 04. Today, we wake up early to boat towards a blind-floating platform in the middle of the Madre de Dios River. From this platform we will enjoy a macaw clay lick, probably one of the most spectacular spectacles in the avian world.

It is important to note that the activity at macaw licks, as well as other types of licks is very seasonal. Macaw Licks are almost inactive during the rainy season. Macaw Licks are totally inactive during the months of May-June. Macaw licks are one of the world's most amazing avian spectacles, but bird activity lasts only two or three hours right after dawn. Rain may prevent the macaws from using the lick. The best time to attempt to see this licks is between the months of July through September.

We continue our river journey, downstream towards the Colorado village. The boat ride allows us to see several lowland native settlements and gold miners digging and panning gold along the banks of the Madre de Dios River. About two hours later, we will stop in the far-west type gold-mining town of Colorado to start our overland journey to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival in Colorado you will have the chance to see a true frontier, gold-mining town where everything, from food supplies to outboard motors is praised in “grams” (grams of gold, that is!) From Colorado a four-wheel drive pick-up truck or station wagon will take you to the shores of the mighty Inambari River, which we will cross, in a dugout canoe. A van or station wagon will drive us to Puerto Maldonado, in approximately four-hours along the inter-oceanic highway that will link Brazil with the Pacific Ocean. Only 11 kilometers of this road are now paved.

The city of Puerto Maldonado sits at the confluence of the Tambopata and the Madre de Dios River and it is the capital of the jungle department of Madre de Dios. Arrival in Puerto Maldonado and transfer to a three-star hotel.

Day 05: Today you will be transferred to the airport in Puerto Maldonado where a safe, 30-minute, jet-flight will take you back to Cusco. (Arriving between 12:30 and 13:00) After a brief stop the plane continues for another hour to Lima. If you have a night-time flight you may connect to your home the same day.

Inclusions: Ground, boat and jet flight to Cusco, naturalist English-speaking guide, all meals, accommodations at Manu Cloud Forest Lodge and jungle lodge in the vicinity of the Macaw clay lick, pre and post tour transfers to hotel in Cusco.

For an additional fee we can book you a seat to continue the flight to Lima (it must be reserved well in advance)

REBATES: $50.00/person discount if paid in full 3 months in advance. $100.00/person rebate if paid in full six months or more before departure date.

BOOKINGS: $800.00/person deposit. Balance 60 days prior to departure date.

IN THE USA: check or wire to Boris Gomez Luna-Manu Nature Tours c/o Judy Berard. 620 Chestnut St. Suite 668. Philadelphia. PA 19106-3474 USA. Fax: 215-923-5535. Phone: 215-923-3641.

IN PERU: Manu Nature Tours. Banco de Credito del Peru. Suc. Cusco # 285-09495381-1-59