Manu Biosphere 6 days / 5 nights

Early in the morning, after a delicious breakfast, we will head towards Atalaya where our private boat will be waiting for us. We will drive on the river Madre de Dios for about 6 hours, loosing altitude as we go until we are at an altitude of about 820 feet. Along the way we will be able to observe the fauna of the river. With some luck we will see herons, falcons and parrots as well as the largest rodent of the world, the Caypibara.

Monkeys are hopping around the branches of the trees and sometimes you even get to see the hunter of the Amazon Jungle, the jaguar.Along the river banks we will also observe the small communities of the jungle which have lived here for ages. Among them the community of the Arkambut and the ethnic group of the Piro. In the afternoon we will reach our accommodation the “Manu Birding Lodge / Maquisapayoc” where we will spend the night in double rooms with private bath. A night hike is optional.

With the first rays of the sun we will drive about 40 minutes downriver in order to visit a small lagoon named „Cocha blanco“. Around this small lake we can observe a lot of wildlife, the lake is also habitat to the endangered giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). To see these animals close up, we will head out onto the lake in a small catamaran, that way flora and fauna can be observed a lot better. After our visit of the lagoon we will hike through the forest for a bit, to learn more about the plants and animals of the jungle.

For lunch we will be back at the Lodge.In the afternoon we can take another short hike through the jungle, we do want our clients to experience the magic of this place at all times.
In the evening we will head out to the Tapir Saltlick, a place where big mammals like tapir, deer, porcupines etc. gather at night, to absorb the minerals and salts out of the mud which are essential to their diet and digestive system.

Before sunrise we head downriver for about an hour to reach the famous Ara saltlick. This part of the Manu National Park offers the perfect location to see the different aras and parrots which fly here in the morning hours. They gather here to absorb the minerals out of the clay, which are essential to their diet. This is also an important social gathering for these endangered birds.
Our viewpoint is perfect for hobby and professional photographers. After thoroughly watching these magical birds we will head back to our Lodge for lunch.In the afternoon our specialized guide will lead you into the depth of the jungle.
At night you can optionally visit the Tapir Saltlick again, in case there was no animal sighting the night before.

On this day we will visit the second lake on our itinerary, the oxbow lake “Cocha Camungo”. Here we will be able to see the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) once again, navigating our catamaran across the lake. Afterward we can climb the 165 feet tall Tower where you can appreciate an amazing view of the treetops of the Amazon Jungle.
Up here among the treetops you can experience wildlife and flora close up. In the afternoon we will hike through the rainforest in order to learn more about the animals and plants of the Biosphere.

After breakfast we will start our way back in a 3 hour boat ride downstream to the town of Boca Colorado where we will say goodby to our boat crew which as accompanied us through the Manu over the last couple of days. In a private taxi we drive for about one hour to Puerto Punkiri (why do we take a taxi? Our transport from Cusco cannot enter to Boca Colorado).
We will have to cross the river Inambari till we reach Puerto Carlos where our transport from Cusco will wait for us. Along the asphalted Transozeanica we will head back to Cusco in a 7 to 8 hour bus ride, reaching Cusco around 6:00 pm.

NOTE: If you would like to avoid the long bus ride back to Cusco, we offer you to take private transport to Puerto Maldonado (about 2,5 hours) and head out the same day by plane to Lima. Please ask for additional costs for this option which includes airfare and transport.