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PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
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Manu National Park tour
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Manu Bio-Trip 6 days
MANU BIO-TRIP 6 DAYS AND 5
NIGHTS TOUR
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2013 Rates |
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Departures : Saturday
Per Person Prices:$2218 based on Single Occupancy
Per Person Prices:$1803 based on Double or Triple
occupancy |
Note: We require minimum two passengers traveling together If
single traveler ask for the supplement.
We pause during our journey to stretch our legs and visit an
indigenous Piro Indian village where we may buy forest handcrafts such as
bracelets, necklaces, bags and baskets. Later we pass the mouth of the Manu
river, the gateway to the reserved zone of the Manu National Park. Taking
another break at Boca Manu, the village a short way downriver, we visit the
boatyards where local people build the dugout boats so essential to life on the
river.
The Bio Trip Manu - From the Andes to the Jungle
By commercial flight Cusco/Puerto Maldonado/Cusco
6 days/5 nights
This journey combines a spectacular descent through mountainous cloud forest
from Andes to Amazon, with lodge visits in the cloud forest and along the wild
Alto Madre de Dios river, culminating in a lowland rainforest experience amidst
the comfortable yet wildlife-rich surroundings of the famous Manu Wildlife
Center.
Our overland route crosses an extraordinary range of life zones from highlands
to lowlands, taking us through an array of ecosystems found nowhere else on the
planet in such close proximity. We see high altitude farming valleys and
traverse stark highland puna, plunge through layers of grassland, elfin forest,
layers of lush, ever-changing cloud forest, and then lowland tropical valleys
where farmers cultivate coca and exotic fruits. All the way we traverse the
habitat of innumerable bird species.
Then our journey winds its way by river through lowland rainforest, pausing for
a rewarding visit to an upriver lodge, and then downriver to the Amazon’s finest
rainforest lodge, Manu Wildlife Center. Tapirs are nightly visitors to the
lodge’s mud wallow, and each morning the nearby clay lick teems with parrots and
macaws. A network of trails, two towers for forest canopy viewing, and two
adjacent pristine lakes round out the perfect rainforest experience.
After a journey by boat and van we will return to Cusco aboard in a commercial
flight airplane from Puerto Maldonado City.
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Duration |
6 days and 5 nights |
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Departures |
Saturday |
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Activities |
Jungle excursion (see detailed program below) |
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Airfares |
Included, Cusco – Boca Manu - Cusco |
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Meals |
included as specified below |
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Customizable |
YES, feel free to ask for extra
services |
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DAY 1: CUSCO TO COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE
Our overland journey begins at 3,400m/11,150 ft, with an early departure
from the highland city of Cusco. Today’s destination is the lush cloud
forest region where the Andes fall away to the Amazon basin. This is a
day of scenic drama and striking contrasts. We first visit a mountain
wetland habitat teeming with migrant and local waterfowl, before
crossing two mountain ranges between the Cusco valley and the
Paucartambo valley, to a maximum altitude of 3,900m/12,790ft. Finally we
follow a sinuous ribbon of highway on its plunge through an
extraordinary world of forested cliffs, waterfalls and gorges. We take
leisurely stops to see mountain villages, a hilltop necropolis of
chullpas (pre-Inca burial chambers), and the abrupt ridgetop of Ajanaco,
which marks the final high point where the Andes begin their swoop into
the Amazon basin. In clear weather we will see a breathtaking panorama
of cloud forest and mountain giving way to the lowland rainforest plains
far below us.
After a picnic lunch near here we descend through the startling and
rapid environmental transformations characteristic of the tropical
Andes, passing from grassland and stunted trees through elfin forest,
until we wind through a lush and magical world of overhanging trees,
giant ferns, monster begonias, countless orchids and bromeliads, and a
diverse and teeming birdlife.
We make frequent spontaneous stops, perhaps spotting a brilliantly
feathered quetzal, a trogon, or the wild turkey-like Guan. We reach the
comfortable Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge in the late afternoon, the best hour
to visit the nearby viewing platform for the display ground, or "lek".
This is usually the highlight of a long, full day, a chance to see
Peru’s dazzling national bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola) in full,
raucous courting display. (Box Lunch, D)
DAY 2: COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE TO PANTIACOLLA LODGE OR AMAZONÍA LODGE
Rising early, we have a second chance to view the Cock-of-the-Rock
display, and then scout for birds, and perhaps Brown Capuchin or Woolly
monkeys along the nearby road. Or we can take a secluded nature walk on
a short trail loop to the river and back. After breakfast we continue
our drive, as mountains give way to low rolling hills and farmland. At
Patria we visit a plantation of coca grown legitimately for the Peruvian
coca leaf market.
At midday we reach Atalaya, a tiny port where the Piñipiñi River meets
the Alto Madre de Dios. Now the lowland rainforest part of our journey
begins. Rivers are the highways of the rainforest, and henceforth we
will travel in large, comfortable dugout canoes shaded by canopy roofs
and driven by powerful outboard motors.
During normal river conditions we arrive at our lodge in time for
exploration and wildlife viewing —which may include toucans,
kingfishers, a rare endemic hummingbird and a multitude of butterflies—
along one of its many forest trails. (B/Box Lunch/D)
DAY 3: AMAZONIA LODGE OR PANTIACOLLA LODGE TO MANU WILDLIFE CENTER.
There is time for another short morning hike on the lodge trails before
leaving early for Manu Wildlife Center.
As we follow the broad, rushing course of the Alto Madre de Dios river
past the last foothills of the Andes, our ever-changing route offers
sightings of new birds —terns, cormorants, White-winged Swallows, and
flocks of nighthawks flushed from their daytime lairs by the sound of
our engine. Splashes of brilliant yellow, pink and red foliage dot the
forest-clad slopes around us, and the breeze is laden with the heady
perfumes of the tropical forest.
We pass the mouth of the Manu river, the gateway to the Manu National
Park. We pause during our journey to stretch our legs and visit Boca
Manu, the village a short way downriver, we visit the boatyards where
local people build the dugout boats so essential to life on the river.
After a boat journey of approximately 6 hours, we arrive at Manu
Wildlife Center, one of the world’s top ten wildlife lodges. After a
reception and orientation we move into our private bungalow and rest to
escape the midday heat.
Later, we make our first acquaintance with the lowland rainforest,
learning about the plants and forest ecology as we explore some of the
30 miles of trails that surround the lodge. We have an excellent chance
of encountering some of the 12 species of monkeys, including the Spider
Monkey and Emperor Tamarin, which inhabit the surrounding forest. (B,
Box Lunch, D)
DAY 4: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER: THE MACAW CLAY LICK, CANOPY TOWER &
TAPIR CLAY LICK.
Another early start (inevitable on wildlife expeditions), is followed by
a short boat ride downstream. We take a 20-minute trail through palm
plantations to a cut-off channel of the river, where we find the Macaw
Lick. A spacious hide provided with individual chairs and a convenient
place for cameras and binoculars is our ringside seat for what is
usually a very spectacular show. We enjoy a full breakfast here while
waiting for the main actors to arrive.
In groups of twos and threes the big Red-and-Green Macaws come flapping
in, landing in the treetops as they eye the main stage below —the eroded
clay banks of the old channel. Meanwhile the supporting cast appears:
these may included Blue-headed, Mealy, Yellow-crowned, and
Orange-cheeked Parrots— and the occasional villain, a menacing and
unwelcome Great Black Hawk.
The drama plays out in first in tentative and then bolder approaches to
the lick, until finally nearly all the macaws, parrots and parakeets
form a colorful and noisy spectacle on the bare banks, squabbling as
they scrape clay from the hard surface. (Please note that the clay lick
is most active from August to October and less so during the months of
May and June.)
We return to the lodge for lunch, and then we continue to explore and
discover the rainforest, its lore and plant life, on the network of
trails surrounding the lodge, arriving in the late afternoon at our
34m/112ft Canopy Tower. On its platform we witness the frantic rush-hour
activity of twilight in the rainforest canopy, before night closes in.
Later we set off along the “collpa trail”, which will take us to the
lodge’s famous Tapir Clay lick. Here at the most active tapir lick known
in all the Amazon, our research has identified from 8-12 individual
600-pound Tapirs who come to this lick to eat clay from under the tree
roots around the edge. This unlikely snack absorbs and neutralizes
toxins in the vegetarian diet of the Tapir, the largest land animal of
Latin America. The lick features a roomy, elevated observation platform
5m/17ft above the forest floor. The platform is equipped with
freshly-made-up mattresses with pillows. Each mattress is covered by a
roomy mosquito net. The 10-m-long, elevated walkway to the platform is
covered with sound-absorbing padding to prevent our footsteps from
making noise.
This Tapir Experience is unique and exciting because these normally very
shy creatures are visible up close, and flash photography is not just
permitted, but encouraged.
The hard part for modern city dwellers is to remain still and silent
anywhere from 30 minutes to two or more hours. Many prefer to nap until
the first Tapir arrives, at which point your guide gently awakens you to
watch the Tapir 10-20m/33-66ft) away below the platform. Most people
feel that the wait is well worth it in order to have such a high
probability of observing the rare and elusive Tapir in its rainforest
home. (B, L, D)
DAY 5: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER: COCHA BLANCO AND THE WILDLIFE TRAILS.
We set off early for Cocha Blanco, an old oxbow lake full of water
lilies and sunken logs. As we circle the lake on our catamaran we might
encounter the resident Giant Otter family on a fishing expedition, or
troops of monkeys crashing noisily through the trees. Wattled Jacanas
step lightly on the lily pads, dainty Sun Grebes paddle across the
water, supple-necked Anhingas air-dry their wide, black wings, and
perhaps an Osprey scans for fish from a high branch.
Among the bushes near the waterline, Hoatzins, which look like
rust-colored, punk chickens, announce their presence with distinctive,
bizarre wheezing and grunts. Woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, toucans and
parakeets all finally come swooping in to trees surrounding the lake.
Many of them roost around the lake for the night.
After lunch at the lodge our guide is available to lead us on
freewheeling expeditions in search of further wildlife encounters, or we
may take one of the lodge’s many trails on private and personal
excursions to commune with the spirits of the rainforest.
This evening, from the late afternoon until after Dinner, we offer an
opportunity to search for caiman and other nocturnal life along the
riverbank by boat (If the level of river allows it) (B, L, D).
DAY 6: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER TO CUSCO - DEPARTURE DAY
We leave our lodge very early on the two hour and half return boat trip
downstream to the Colorado Village, the breakfast will be serve on the
boat while you enjoying early morning wildlife activity as we go, of
course this is a perfect time to take advantage of valuable early
morning wildlife activity along the river, in aditions this journey
allows us to see several lowland native settlements and gold miners
digging and panning gold along the banks of the Madre de Dios River. We
will stop in the far-west type gold-mining town of Colorado to start our
overland journey to Puerto Carlos for 45 minutes, then you will cross
the Inambari River for 15 minutes boat trip to Santa Rosa, finally a van
or bus will drive us to the airport in Puerto Maldonado City, in
approximately two-hours and half, from here you fly by a commercial
airplane to Cusco, with a pickup and transfer assistant to your hotel
your jungle adventure ends. (B)
Important notes:
Please note that the program may vary slightly so as to maximize your
wildlife sightings, depending on the reports of our researchers and
experienced naturalist guides based at the lodge.END OF OUR SEVICES |
Click to Enlarge

Map
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Cock of the Rocks Lodge |

Manu Wildlife Center

Manu Wildlife Center |

Cock of the Rocks |
INCLUDES: All hotel and lodge accommodations based on double or single
occupancy. All scheduled land, lake and river transportation. All transfers. All
scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide services. All entrance fees.
Meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE
International or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess
baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations,
alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any
kind, laundry, phone calls, radio calls or messages, reconfirmation of
international flights and items of personal nature.
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Mon-Sat 9 Am - 6 Pm ET
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Published articles and reviews about us

Testimonials
Larry
Date : Sunday, March 24th, 2013
Thanks for
everything. It was a great trip and everything worked...
Cheers,Tessie
Date: Monday, March 04th, 2013
I’ve been meaning
to email you to thank you for the Lima tour that you arranged for us
in February...
William
Date : Sunday, February 17th, 2013
Hi Miguel. The trip
to the North of Peru came out great more than what we expected...
Peter
Date : Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Hello Luis , our
Inka trail was great thanks for planning such a incredible...
Derek
Date : Wednesday, January 30th, 2013
Hi Jenny thanks you
made that our honey moon came out fantastic ,we will never forget
such wonderful and important moments...
Hugh Alan Baskin
Date: Thrusday, January 24, 2013
Thank you for all
your help. We most appreciate your services. The guides were good
and helpful...
Patricia
Date : Monday, January 21st, 2013
Hello Yen Seng ;
just a few words to thank you for the great trip we had thanks to
your itinerary and being after...
Jamie
Date : Sunday, December 30th, 2012
We had an
incredible trip thanks for everything...
Johanna
Date : Friday, December 14th, 2012
Jenny thank you ,
You did a great job planning our trip we are grateful...
George & Alison Markgraaff
Wilderness, South Africa
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012
My husband and I would like to thank you and your
organisation for a memorable trip to Peru. ...
Laura Meisenheimer
Date : Monday, November 12, 2012
I just wanted to say that I had a fantastic trip to Peru. You and
your staff did an excellent job with everything ...
Antoine
Date : Monday, October 01, 2012
My wife and myself wish to Thank you personally for
the fantastic and organized ‘Honey Moon’ holiday. We have enjoyed
...
Les
Lebatique
Date : Monday, August 06, 2012
Thanks for a great trip, my three weeks in Peru was
awesome. Although my
transportation...
Elke
Date : Monday, July 30, 2012
finally, ...there is so much catching up to do when i
come back home from a trip....
Bing
Date : Thursday, Jun 28, 2012
I just wanted to drop you a note
and thank you for all the help that you had extended the group...
Rosalind Dockweiler
Date : Tuesday, Jun 05, 2012
Our trip was FANTASTIC!!!! You did an outstanding
job. We loved every part of it. The hotels in the Sacred Valley and
Cusco were nicer than any hotels I have ever stayed in the the USA!
The tour guides were great...
Read More testimonials... »
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