MANU NATIONAL PARK BIODIVERSITY 7 DAYS

We’ll board our private boat and cruise for approximately 6 hours. On the Upper Madre de Dios River, we’ll visit Lake Machuwasi, where we’ll explore and navigate its waters in a wooden rowboat. Along the way, you can spot various species of birds, insects, monkeys, and more. We’ll return to the boat and continue sailing downstream; along the way, we’ll see local flora and fauna and visit the thermal baths, where you can enjoy and relax in the natural pools. We’ll continue sailing until we reach Dorado Lodge (located 350 meters above sea level), where we’ll spend the night (double rooms with private bathrooms). Before or after dinner, we’ll take a night hike along the trails.

Very early in the morning, we’ll board our motorboat to cruise along the upper reaches of the Madre de Dios River. We’ll have breakfast on the boat as we head to the Limonal checkpoint, where park rangers will welcome us and provide a brief overview of Manu National Park. Afterward, we’ll continue cruising down the Manu River for approximately 6 hours amid towering trees, listening to howls, birdsong, and more. Depending on the weather, we’ll have the chance to observe the biodiversity of species such as macaws, birds, eagles, and mammals like the jaguar (pantera onca), capybaras, tapirs, monkeys, and more. Reptiles such as the 4-meter-long black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), the white caiman (Caiman crocodylus), the anaconda (Eunectes murinus), and the taricayas (Podocnemis unifilis). Along the way, we’ll visit Lake Cocha Otorongo. From a 20-meter-high observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake, you’ll have the opportunity to observe wildlife. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at Casa Matsiguenka, where we’ll spend two nights with Matsiguenka families in bungalows featuring double rooms with private or shared bathrooms.

Today we will visit the famous “Cocha Salvador” lake. We’ll cruise its waters in a rowed catamaran to observe the habitat of the giant otters. Cocha Salvador is the highlight of Manu National Park, especially during the dry season. It’s teeming with nesting and foraging birds—herons, egrets, caimans, tapirs, and monkey species that typically feed on exotic fruits. We’ll explore the trails on foot through the primary forests of the Amazon rainforest, where the experience is truly unique, as we find ourselves in an ecosystem that has remained unchanged since the formation of the Amazon. In the afternoon, depending on the weather and the time of day, we’ll go on night hikes. We’ll spend the night at Casa Matsiguenka.

We’ll get up early to head back, where we’ll travel by boat for approximately 6 hours down the Manu River. Along the riverbanks, we’ll once again be able to observe wildlife, such as monkeys, caimans, woodpeckers, and more. Before reaching the Limonal checkpoint, we’ll make a stop to check out after visiting the Manu National Park Reserve Zone. We’ll continue by boat and, along the way, make a brief stop at the indigenous community of Diamante to support the local economy by purchasing handicrafts, traditional products, fish, cassava, and papaya. We’ll continue by boat until we reach our lodge. Before or after dinner, we’ll go on a night hike where we can observe tarantulas, snakes, spiders, frogs, nocturnal birds, and more. We’ll visit the tapir clay lick. Overnight stay at Dorado Lodge (double rooms with private bathrooms).

Very early in the morning, we’ll visit the parrot and macaw clay lick. It’s a special place where you can witness the natural spectacle of parrots coming down to eat clay, which aids their digestion. Among the species we may see are auroras, parakeets, parrots, the military macaw, the blue-headed macaw, the chestnut-fronted macaw, and others. You can also spot Bolivian macaws and scarlet macaws perched in the trees. After the activity, we’ll return to the lodge, pack our belongings for the trip back, board the boat, and cruise down the Madre de Dios River for approximately 5 hours. We’ll have breakfast along the way. We’ll continue our journey, spotting flora and fauna, until we reach the port of Atalaya, where our vehicle will be waiting for us. We’ll continue the tour with a brief stop in the town of Pilcopata, where we’ll support the local community by purchasing seasonal fruit juices and ice cream (copazo, aguaje, pineapple, cocona, etc.). We’ll board our van and head to the Bamboo Lodge, where we’ll spend our last night.

After breakfast, we’ll board our vehicle and set off. We’ll make brief stops for lunch and to take photos of the flora and fauna we encounter along the way. We’ll end our adventure tired but happy and glad to have visited the “Lung of the World,” dropping you off at your respective hotels.